Recently I had a request to make a ring with a very intricate symbol on the front and I knew this was the perfect project to try out a new technique. I have wanted to try etching silver for a while, but the cost of silver and my own fears of just mucking it all up has held me back. Last weekend I took the plunge.
First I scanned the image into illustrator and made sure all the lines were clear. Because the image was so small, I decided to test out a few different versions of the image to see what worked best. I made 3 different versions, each with slightly thicker lines. I was worried the thinnest version would be too thin and the etch wouldn’t be clear. I went with a slightly thicker version and printed it out on PnP Blue. This is a special paper that allows you to transfer the image to metal with an iron. This has been my favorite product with copper etching because the image holds up longer against the acid. Other resists that I have tried was eaten away before I got a deep enough etch in the metal. I made the ring out of 16g sterling sheet. I decided to solder it into a ring once the etch was complete. This made it easier to cover with a resist, because any uncovered metal exposed to the acid will etch, so I had to cover EVERYTHING except for the tiny bit of metal showing through where the pattern was. I used a sharpie paint pen, as well as masking tape to cover both sides and the edges of the ring.
Then I mixed the acid. I used ferric nitrate that I had to buy from a chemical company. I started out in the garage because I wasn’t really sure how much ventilation this stuff would need. The problem with this though, is that it was mighty cold in the garage, so after 5 hours, I still didn’t have the depth of etch I wanted. 5 hours is quite a long time, and it should usually take (from what I have read) from 2-4 hours. So then I moved it in the house. I put it on a heating pad by an open window and made sure to cover the surface so that if any drips happened I could just throw the whole thing away and not have it on any permanent surface. So, at about 6.5hours I decided to take it out. After rinsing it in baking soda and scrubbing with an old toothbrush I scrubbed the resist off with some steel wool. I just loved how it turned out, and I learned a lot! I am so excited to start doing more of this, I like the look of etched silver and love being able to bring my drawings to life. After soldering the band together and shaping it on my ring mandrel I gave the band a bit of a hammered organic texture.
I am not sure what the symbol means but I imagine it as some sort of ancient alien relic or something that was found buried in the earth.
Really nice results on this etch Jessica. I was just wondering if you would care to share the chemical supply place where you bought the etchant solution and did it have a strong odor? Also you said you used PnP Blue and I was wondering do you use a laser printer or can it actually be used with an inkjet printer. I have read conflicting info on that and have never had anyone that I knew who used it so I could actually ask. Thanks so much. Love the ring and look forward to seeing more of your etched silver pieces.
Hi Heather!
I bought it online, I will look for the receipt and let you know just where I bought it. 🙂 It had no odor that I noticed. The PnP blue worked really well and held up to a long etch time. I used a laser printer, I think the inkjet would just wipe off, but I haven’t tried it. Thanks for taking a look!