Saturday, December 2, 2023

Etching tank

 Having gotten a larger etching press, I needed a larger etching tank. As far as I could tell, the official vertical etching tanks on offer were larger than I needed, expensive, and requiring a lot more ferric chloride to fill them up. My friend Chris Wirth tracked down this cereal container which is the right size, but I wanted to make a different top with a slot to hang the plate through. 

Translucent plastic cereal container containing dark brown liquid. Handwritten label says "Ferric Chloride 42 degrees Baume"



After making a couple of kludgy prototypes based on replicating the oval shape of the top, 


Two plexiglass oval shapes with slots on worktable. One has vinyl weather stripping glued onto edge, other has bent paper clips taped around the edge.


I ended up making a box to hold the tank with a slotted top and a little bridge to stick the end of the tape suspending the plate to. Next step is to try actually biting a plate - should accommodate plates up to about 9" x 12".


Wooden frame enclosing plastic container with slotted top and plexiglass bridge next to slot.

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