Hello, Nadine here with another metal etching tutorial, today it's for a stainless steel hipflask that I made for my dad with our clan crest. I used exactly the same recipe as in the Copper Edinburgh Etch tutorial, but just keep this solution in a different tub.
As the technique is the same, I figured that I could share some hints and tips for selecting and modifying designs for all types of etching today.
Tip #1: Small Pieces Are More Easily Weeded Than Kept
For the shot glasses, there are lots of little circles around the scalloped circle. Some small shapes move when being cut and others shift when larger pieces are being weeded nearby. The easier solution - chose to weed these shapes rather than wrestle to keep them.
Tip #2: Perhaps Add a Frame
For my Celtic Tree, I choose to weed the circles and the tree. This meant that I needed to add a frame or else I'd be etching the whole shot glass! I simply added a circle and centred the design within. Make your frame and design a compound path so you can colour etched areas in black and the areas protected with vinyl in a light grey, as this makes it easier to envision the final result.
Tip #3: Cut Some Spares of Those Pesky Tiny Pieces
I choose to weed all those circles, but I still have that pesky wee triangle at the bottom of the tree. After losing a few, I cut some spares rather than stressing out trying to find them! I also cut some spare dots for the i in Lisa on my saltwater etched copper keyring.
Tip #4: Consider Reverse Weeding / Weeding in Situ
The face on the Muir crest has a variety of small pieces that need to be weeded and others that need to be kept. I decided the easiest way to handle this is was to not weed anything and transfer the full unweeded piece of vinyl to the hipflask and then weed in situ. I was able to burnish the whole design onto the steel, ensuring the small pieces were well adhered and then removed the parts I wanted etched.Reverse weeding is very similar - again place the transfer tape on the full unweeded vinyl, but instead of transferring and weeding from the metal, flip over and weed sticky side up from the transfer tape. See Silhouette School for a tutorial on reverse weeding.
FINISHED PRODUCT
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This is so exciting.....thanks Nadine x
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