Grok.com: "What is the best website for metal finishing questions and answers?"

finishing.com -- The Home Page of the Finishing Industry

-----

Graphic hard ground for etching

Q. I etch figures drawn in graphic hard ground wax in stainless steal with Edinburg solution (ferric chloride ⇦ on eBay or Amazon [affil link] + citric acid ⇦ on eBay or Amazon [affil link] ) with the knife as anode (+12 V). The problem is that the wax cannot resist the etching satisfactorily, as small pictures are etched out of control. I want a hard ground which can resist the etching but is fine for drawing the fine lines of the figure.

Lars Tougaard
Tougaard knives - Faaborg, Denmark

A. Try Lascaux Hard resist which is a paint-on acrylic resist which replaces the role of solvent-based hard ground. It is very mordant resistant and works well on copper, zinc and steel. Use a very soft square-ended flat brush to apply the resist and dry the plate flat. It is waxy so is easy to draw into. Remove the resist with Evans Vanodine Mystrol cleaner which is also safe to use in comparison to solvents.

Carol Robertson
- Scotland, UK

(No "dead threads" here! If this page isn't currently on the Hotline your Q, A, or Comment will restore it)

Q, A, or Comment on THIS thread -or- Start a NEW Thread

Disclaimer: It's not possible to fully diagnose a finishing problem or the hazards of an operation via these pages. All information presented is for general reference and does not represent a professional opinion nor the policy of an author's employer. The internet is largely anonymous & unvetted; some names may be fictitious and some recommendations might be harmful.

If you are seeking a product or service related to metal finishing, please check these Directories: