plates
Hi Craig,
Various methods are around for DIY. I also located a mob on the NET ages ago who specialise in military vehicle plates in the US I think but I'll have to try and dig up the details if I recorded them.
The first brass or copper plate could be made in a similar fashion to electronic printed circuit boards. The most basic method is to cut out a little oversize and scrub clean a bit of copper or brass plate with something like a ScotchBrite pad. Then use an acid resist pen available from electronic hobbyist stores to draw the text and borders you want to remain raised. Then agitate the board in an acid solution like Ferric Chloride available from same source until the desired depth of copper has been etched into the solution. Remove it from the solution and flush clean with water. Keep an eye on your resist areas in case they start to thin as a remove, clean, and retouch might be required. I've heard of nail polish used as a resist and possibly wax but don't hold me to the latter. The resist gets steel woolled off and you file the edges to final size and use suitable stamps to add your details, and then drill your fixing holes.
We then experimented with same acid on aluminium and it worked although depth varied a little and result was a bit 'grey'. Can't leave it in for too long or suddenly the rate of etching becomes dramatic to say the least - (lots of action and bubbles) and required some calmness on my part to rescue the piece. The boys 'ACDC' badge passed muster with him.
Plenty of info on NET about this process. Wear SAFETY GLASSES and treat acid with caution and don't store it unsecurely. The reader accepts full responsibility for any action they take based on the info I've supplied here.
The next step up from a manually applied resist is to go to screenprinting, or transfer of images via UV light sensitive resist products, or some printer inks or toners might be resist enough and able to print directly or indirectly onto the desired metal substrate.
Years ago at tech we produced silver print on black coated aluminium panels starting with aluminium sheet coated in a black plastic coating. I think we used a UV light box that shone thru our artwork laid over the black side, that caused the black coating to (I think it was harden or soften) the areas of black that we didn't want to keep. Then we ran the board thru some developing process that caused the unwanted black to fall off leaving the aluminium to show thru the black as the text and borders.
Not everybodies cup of tea but hope it might help someone.
Regards
Alex
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M3 Grant, Vals, Ferrets, WM20, CMP's
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