[sdiy] Another Front Panel Idea ( small panels )

[Tom Arnold]

Did some more research on the etch-o-matic stuff.
Been around since at least 2000.  Works.  The old stencils suck unless you
have an impact printer to make them with.  There is some old Thermofax
method that would work too. ( used by tattoo artists apparently so the price
is gone skyward ).

The All New part of it is their "new" UV stencil which they dont talk about
very much.  They spend all their time talking about the easy part of Power +
Electrolyte.  Here, I can solve that part : 
DIY Etcher :
http://www.warnerknives.com/electro-etcher.htm
One source of Electrolyte :
http://www.kovalknives.com/etch.htm

Reading around on knife and gun forums finds people making up to 4x6
stencils and etching them with car battery chargers with good results.

The hard part is making the stencil, which to me points at the laser printable
silk screens at $3 a pop and when you're there, why not just silk screen
right on to the project so you'll have lots of color choices...

Oh, there is some info on the UV Stencil system :
http://www.etch-o-matic.com/stencils.html
This also lets you develop coloured labels and stickers and stuff, now
they're moving into Metalphoto territory and now the stencil process is more
complex then the actual marking of the surface and I lose interest. :-)

-- 
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 - Tom Arnold -       When I was small, I was in love,                  - 
 - Sysabend   -       In love with everything.                          -
 - CareTaker  -       And now there's only you...                       - 
 --------------         -- Thomas Dolby, "Cloudburst At Shingle Street" -