How do you do your etching?

[thrash]

Etch For Mom - gotta luv er - done with engraver and roto zip - about an hour

Anyone know where I can get this design?

[b4i7]

heres my etching tool

and if that one is messed up...ive always got...

in backup

sorry im a smartass

[NightrainSrt4]

Wow, do you really have all that equipment right at your disposal? From work or geez, i hope you dont have those in your house. (That would be awesome, I would just be exponentially more jealous lol).

Nice equipment! My cases wouldnt have that rushed handmade look if only I had more than a cheap rotary tool and a drill lmao. JK

[Blebbz]

I'm planning on using a Laser cutting machine thing what I have access to in school. You can adjust its power so I'll be setting it to just cut through half of the Plexi/Acrylic that I'm going to be using

[xRyokenx]

I just use a hammer.

Kidding. I have an idea for a neat paint job that is similar to etching in its own way: bend a wire all crazy and have it laying on your case, just loop it around, etc. and lay it there and spray paint over it and then after it's dried, pull off the wire. As soon as I find some wire and get some paint, I'll post some pics.

[NightrainSrt4]

Full size "dremel" (black & decker) rotary tool without a flex shaft. Pain in the wrists but worth the effort.

My first etch this summer when I was sick waiting for surgery. Hand drawn from a reference.

I loved doing it, like a million times more than any other artform I have partaken in. I just haven't gotten around to doing it again for fear of arthritis occuring. Lol not really true, just had surgery. Lost a month or so of my life and just havent gotten around to it yet.

My case should have a couple pieces that I can incorporate it into though.

[paleyforme]

Is the dremel engraver everyone been talking about a cutter to a dremmel or a complete differnt machine all togeather...

Also what cutters do you recommend, ive seen heeps of types

[Luke122]

The term dremel (at least around here) refers to the multi-speed rotary tool, and not necessarily the brand.

The cutting tool I believe is called a Roto-zip, with is different from the rotary tool.

[Vital]

I actually heard a real good beginner way of etching is finding cut outs in cardboard or plastic and basically using that as a stencil, makes it really really easy.

[Kumo]

I did it with a piece of paper, but cardboard could be ok. The problem is to find the templates. Making them in hard plastic or even cardboard, it's a new and different problem at all. So you would have to make (or find) the template and then etch the plexy... Too many problems, maybe.

Cardboard it's a nice aproach (printable, easy to cut) but it is a soft material against something like a rotatory tool. Only, it could be useful, for example, if you do the etch with a cutter or such us, by hand.