Zinc sheet?

[MikeKParticipant @mikek40713]

My local art supply store has a bunch of zinc sheets, 16 gauge 12″ x 12″, that they want to get rid of for a low price.  Does zinc sheet have any use in model engineering, or the workshop?  A bedplate?  Could maybe carve it to simulate grout joints in a shop floor?  A display stand if it’ll take paint, I suppose.

Mike

 

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

If they were local to me … I would start here:

https://www.unbrako.com/zinc-electroplating#:~:text=Electroplating%20is%20done%20by%20the,of%20coating%20on%20the%20fastener.

MichaelG.

… and then “Go Compare”

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/404433713771

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

For zinc plating, I use cast off wheel balance weights – as found in gutters and especially on roundabouts  !

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

Speedy you sound like a proper Skip diver!!

[MikeKParticipant @mikek40713]

Hmm…I didn’t think about using it for zinc plating.

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi Bernard Towers, nothing wrong with being a “Skip Diver”, although I’d call it an upcycling technician, not that much of the scrap I collected over the years in my day jobs, ever made it to the skip in the first place.

Regards Nick.

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

Mike, we wouldn’t mind a few sheets for my wife’s etching.

[John Haine]

On John Haine Said:

Mike, we wouldn’t mind a few sheets for my wife’s etching.

I’m in the US.

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

Oops!  There’s a small and specialist market for etching supplies, but a print workshop would probably be keen to get some low cost zinc sheet.  But I guess the post from US would cost more than the material!

[MikeKParticipant @mikek40713]

The artist supply store told me, I think, $17US for 16 gauge 12″x12″…which seems pretty low to me.  They said they bought a lot of it, but it never sold.  They have copper too, but that’s way overpriced.

I may pick up a sheet of the zinc and have a go at plating…I have some bolts on my old car that could use re-plating.

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

That’s a good price.  T N Lawrence, one of the main printmaking suppliers over here, would charge about £50 for an equivalent size, or say $60.  That is with one side coated with acid resist through which the artist scratches lines to make a drawing.  Not surprising that a retail store wouldn’t sell much as the process is complicated and needs lots of space and specialist equipment such as acid baths and an expensive press.  Over here most people seem to use shared workshops.

[John Haine]

On John Haine Said:

That’s a good price.  T N Lawrence, one of the main printmaking suppliers over here, would charge about £50 for an equivalent size, or say $60.  That is with one side coated with acid resist through which the artist scratches lines to make a drawing.  Not surprising that a retail store wouldn’t sell much as the process is complicated and needs lots of space and specialist equipment such as acid baths and an expensive press.  Over here most people seem to use shared workshops.

I picked up a piece of this today.  They supply to artists and art students for the several very close by universities.  They said it didn’t sell because it just didn’t work well compared to copper.  Yeah, but copper is very pricey.  Maybe zinc requires different chemicals.

I see what you mean about one side being coated with acid resist.  It’s a tan-orange color, which looks like I can sand or torch off.

Oh, and I asked…they weren’t interested in doing international orders.  The shipping would have been a wopper, anyway.

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

Thanks for asking anyway Mike.

Copper is etched mainly with ferric chloride, like printed circuit boards, so easily available. It seems that ferric chloride is considered unsafe for zinc now and nitric acid is preferred. So if a print workshop isn’t equipped for zinc etching but mainly for Copper that’s what would be favoured I guess.  The workshop my wife uses mainly deals with zinc, I asked about etching a clock dial and they would have needed to change the solution which wouldn’t be popular!

[Mick BaileyParticipant @mickbailey28509]

I used to use ferric chloride for PCB etching but when it got too expensive switched to hydrochloric acid + hydrogen peroxide. It’s fast acting and I also used it to etch nameplates in brass. It gives a good depth for cold enamel filling and a precise edge without undercut. I’ve also used the same mix on aluminium enclosures. Not tried it on zinc, though.

[MikeKParticipant @mikek40713]

Thanks Mick.  What are you using for the mask on brass nameplates?

[Mick BaileyParticipant @mickbailey28509]

I use the toner transfer method. A laser printer is used to print onto gloss inkjet paper. Using a domestic iron set to cotton, the paper is placed printed side down onto the cleaned and degreased surface and the back ironed thoroughly. When cooled enough to handle the paper is soaked off in warm water. It peels away to leave a thin residue which is rubbed off.

Once etched to a satisfactory depth and rinsed off, the toner resist can be removed with acetone or fine steel wool. Very little etchant is needed – much less than with ferric chloride. I use a shallow plastic tray and rock it to agitate the solution over the surface.

The laser printer settings should have any toner saving option turned off and be set to print at the highest density

Some people print onto glossy magazine pages with good results. I havent tried that. To economise on photo paper I cut a piece out about 1/2 inch bigger than the size of my pcb or nameplate. This is then fixed to a sheet of regular paper using gumstrip (the brown paper sort you lick) where the image is to be printed – just across the top and bottom edge and this is fed into the manual feed tray.

[MikeKParticipant @mikek40713]

Thanks.  Trying toner transfer is on my to-do list.

 

[Mick BaileyParticipant @mickbailey28509]

Here’s a guitar amplifier badge from when I was building music equipment. I wanted the look of a casting so the etch was quite deep. It was an early attempt and my etchant was too strong, though it etched in just a few minutes with the hard brass sheet I used for clocks.

 

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[MikeKParticipant @mikek40713]

Look good, Mick.  Thanks for showing.

Mike

 

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