Electric Etcher

[poppaclutch]

I would like to build an etcher and would like to know if this power supply would be suitable. Plenty of plans on the internet use radio shack bought transformers but I all ready have this power supply. I am not an electrician but have been able to use advise on this forum to run various machines off treadmill motors.
Thanks in advance,
Rick

 

[Terrywerm]

Considering that the power supply is limited to 30 watts, which at 24 VDC is only 1.25 amps, I suspect that it might be a little light. I don't know how much power an etcher requires, but I suspect that it might be more than 1.25 Amps. I suspect that you are following some plans of some sort for your etcher. Those plans should specify a necessary amp load for the device.

 

[Tony Wells]

You really need at least 100 watts @24 volts to do it efficiently. I have a unit that does up to 40 volts and 500 watts. There are also different electrolytes for different metals, and they all should be neutralized after etching.

Here is a simple way to do it that might interest you:

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-To-Electro-Etch-a-Solid-Metal-Plaque/

Mine came from these folks:

http://www.ecemmi.com/index.html

They sell stencil materials as well as all the proper chemicals.

 

[poppaclutch]

Thanks for the replies. Guess I will go another route.

 

[Tony Wells]

It may not be that it won't work at all. I've found that the time required and the desired depth are all factors on how much power is really needed. Why not go ahead and build everything based on that supply and see how well it works. It may be fine, depending on what you want. If you want to do 0.010 deep etches, maybe not.....but for simple marking...might work out. If it doesn't, you're then just replacing the power supply.

 

[poppaclutch]

Well, Tony, that's a good idea. All I really want to do is mark knife blades before they are treated.