This is my original artwork for the Steampunk Strat - Right click and choose "Save Image As" to download a copy.

 

 

Laurence writes:

Dear Sir:

I think these are just fabulous! There are a couple more after the cut but be sure to click through to Laurence's Flicker and check out the copper plated Fulton's Nautilus tin!

 

I am just speechless.  More here und here via Burnlab

I love it when people write me with pictures of things they done after visiting The Steampunk Workshop. 

Here we have two electrolytic etching projects based on my original posting here.

Click through to read about the details of these two very different but related stories of etched brass plates.

 

It makes me happy when people write me about things they've made, and when they've been inspired or have adopted techniques they've learned from the Steampunk Workshop it makes me very happy indeed!

Peter wrote me a while back with some pictures of his latest project, a Jules Verne inspired analog synthesizer with etched brass control panels.  Now, I cut my teeth on a vinyl copy of Switched-On Bach and I've been a fan of analog synth heroes Tangerine Dream since High School.  So I was very excited to see this.

. . .

OK, I was reckless. I went ahead and etched my iPod without doing extensive tests on electrolytic etching of stainless steel. But you see, I had a deadline - a flight to Los Angeles to be on television and I wanted the iPod done for the show.

With this project I wanted to try a number of new things:

• Magazine pages as cheap toner transfer media
• Copper electroplating
• Etching Altoid tins with a salt water solution

The copper plating met with mixed success, but the other two methods resulted in some nice pieces.

In which your humble proprietor theorizes that; if he can etch into one side of a brass plate he may be able to etch completely through the plate from both sides. A fixture is constructed, current is applied, electrolyte boils and jewelery is made.

A while ago I saw Mark Frauenfelder's limited edition Moleskin notebooks on BoingBoing and immediately thought of using the electrolytic brass etching process that I've been experimenting with to make some similar notebooks to give as gifts this year.

As you can see they came out quite well and the Moleskin's two century history lends the project a certain Steampunk street cred.

 

I have been having great success etching brass plate with a solution of copper sulfate and an electrical current.  The depth, quality, and speed of the etchings have been quite controllable and it seemed to me that I might be able to etch completely through a piece of brass.  This capability would allow me to make pieces of several layers of brass, so I devised a design for a test case.