Etching Copper & Brass

My daughter, Ruth and I have been playing with my Dual Etch/Electro former this week. Ruth is starting her own online jewellery business with my help and I’ve been showing her the Etch Equipment. She has been using Ferric chloride as an etchant on brass and copper so we thought we would compare results with both methods.
The designs are printed on specially coated paper on a laser printer. The toner is transferred onto the copper or brass with a hot iron.
   
Copper sulphate crystals are dissolved in a bath. The copper plate is immersed.
   
After about 3 – 4 hours the etching is complete.

The next step is to make the silver clay pendant.