Metal finishing Q&As since 1989
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Etching a Mac laptop to personalise
May 19, 2008
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Q. After having my 3rd MacBook stolen last week, I am now searching for a way to personalise (and make unsalable!) my new one. Does anyone know a way of etching the aluminium case without having to pull the whole thing apart and using a bath? Are any of the "bath" solutions able to be mixed to a paste and applied with reliable results?
I would appreciate your thoughts.
Jeweller Metalsmith - Sydney, NSW, Australia
A. According to old but excellent book by Oppi Untracht: "Metal Techniques for Craftsmen" you can use very diluted hydrochloric acid. I think that mixtures of salt and sodium hydroxide can be used too (2%).
As resist you can use resists used for copper etching, or as very simple solution, melted beeswax.
Hope it helps and good luck!
Both solutions can be thickened with corn starch or wallpaper glue (cellulose based), or cottonwool can be moistened with solution. Good luck!
Goran Budija- Cerovski vrh Croatia
May 21, 2008
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