Hi all,
Years ago there had been an article on how to use ferric chloride to etch corrugated siding.
Do you just dip the part and rinse or let it sit for some time?
Thanks.
I actually wouldn’t try this if I were you, I find it to be too dangerous to work with acids.
Also, the acid might be too effective depending on what the acid is.
To answer your question, however, I would let the material sit in the acid for a period of time, remove what is being etched, and rinse it off completely.
If I use a tub of water with baking soda in it will it react with or stop the ferric chloride from doing its job?
You don’t need to go that far - a good rinse with water will stop the reaction. I’ve etched many a circuit board with ferric chloride and a water rinse was all that was needed.
Joe
I have done this before.
As soon as it starts etching, the metal will start to be eaten up so you have to be quick. It will also smoke, so don’t inhale it. Work outside.
It will take a little while for the etching process to start. Keep hold of the siding piece because it will go so fast when it starts that you may not get it out if you let it go. You can use plastic tweezers to hold it. When you want to stop the process, dip it in water and swish it around. You can also re-start the same piece if you need to. When you are finally done, after the first water dip, dip it in a water-baking soda solution, then rinse again with just tap water.
If you don’t want to actually eat the metal away, you can coat the piece with mineral oil, then pass a propane torch over it to burn the oil and darken the metal.