I was looking at the JDS catalog for something else and found they carry an oxidizing solution. I turned up the spindle pressure and got a much better look than before. I engraved another sample and watched with with a light shinning across the brass. It costs a little more but you can't match the blackening you will get with this product. If you have a supplier for leaded brass by all means use it instead of trophy brass (assuming that's what you're using).
Poisoning equals flaking.ĭiamond-drag engraving, relies more on the pressure a machine can exert, (through stepper motors, air pressure and/or a spring tension adjustment of the spindle), than depth set through your engraving software.Įven with heavy pressure, you probably won't get much more depth than. It had so much antimony in it that it poisoned even my special solution. I only had one failure, an imported plate that truly looked gold. My first gallon lasted about 7 years, but still held its potency. I use a different solution, but it is available in gallons only, (or 50 gallon drum). I have not tried the two part from Quality One but have been told it is very good. If it were burnished or routed you would need a special blackening solution or it probably would flake off. With diamond drag I strongly second the two passes for a deeper more even blackening.įor diamond drag one of the best blackening agents is found at a gun store. I do recommend engraving the plate twice. Do not put the brush back into the solution until you clean the brissles.the brass on the plate that gets attached to the brush will neutralize the solution if put back in.Īs the solution darkens wipe off with a kleanex (TP) and redarken. Use a fine art paintbrush and brush the solution on. Most brass suppliers carry one brand or another. You should use Gravoxide which is designed to darken brass. How deep do you engrave on each pass? Not only am I still learning the ins and outs of the vocabulary I am also still learning the techniques. Your other option is burnishing (rotating cutter) the image, which does a better job of removing the coating in one pass. Not always necessary, but two passes can help, if you're not getting a consistently-darkened image. The first pass creates the groove, while the second pass ensures the removal of any laquer coating that may remain in the engraved area.
If you use oxiding fluid, (with diamond-drag) it's a good idea to engrave the image twice.
I will have to look at the Uni Paint marker from Johnson Plastics. Remember, the most successful people have failed more often than the most unsuccessful people. The customer wants the bright brass to match the drop box that it will be mounted above. It was suggested that I try a Sharpie marker by a craft shop owner. I called a small craft store and he told me to go to Wal-Mart or Hobby Lobby to get some oxidizing solution or to try a Sharpie marker. (I am still learning all the vocabulary.) I will do this on my Xenetech 13x13. They are enamel based and easily cleaned up with the phone book and solvent method, hardly any mess.ĭon't know if this helps but at least I tried -) If you're not familiar with them you use them just like a permanent marker. Why don't you just use one of the fine gold satin plastics available? Maybe it isn't an option but the engraving will really stand out.īrass is easily rotary engraved and just use a Uni Paint marker from Johnson Plastics. In any case, providing the surface is coated, you can use an oxidizing fluid, which is sold by many engraving supply houses.Īlthough I haven't tried it, Qulaity One Engravers sells a two-part system that's supposed to generate a "very" dark result. When you say "rotary" engraved, do you mean engraved deep enough to hold enamel, or did you burnish the image?Ĭould it be you mean diamond-dragged? Some people refer to all work that comes off a computerized engraving system as "rotary", even though some of the operations are performed with non-rotating cutters. I have been told that vinegar would tarnish the brass but that did not touch it.
#Brass darkening how to#
I have a customer that wants a brushed brass sign rotary engraved which I can do but I am not sure how to darken the lettering like she wants.
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