I need to make about 2 dozen metal plates that measure 1.5 x 2" for my 2010 Pheasant stamp print edition.

In past years i have had 100 of these created for me as medallions, struck and gold plated. The last time in 2005 i had this done it cost me around 4,000 only to sell 18 of them so i need an alternative to this to keep the last medallion print collectors happy.

I was thinking either etching onto metal or printing onto it, i would like a half tone B/W image but if a stencil is required i could create a line drawing as well.

Any of you out there have any experience in this that could share what you know...

Only etching I did was electro etching for ser #'s on parts. Used a acid soaked pad on a charged holder. I think you could probably get them engraved then inked. I've done a fair amount of engraving on our CNC engraver here, so I think it could be done.

I've used this method: http://www.riccibitti.com/pcb/pcb.htm for quick and dirty etching of PCBs and putting etched logos on project boxes. For big areas you don't want to etch, cover it with electrical tape. Might work and it's cheep.

How about something like this? Photo Etched
There is also a small 'laser printer' that is made just for this type of work.

I would like to try and do this myself since I may only sell a handful of these, i found this site that had an interesting way of doing it. I dont know how the economy will effect the sales since it was five years ago when i did this last and then it was only 18 orders, compare it to 1992 when i had to make more than 100 medallions to fill the orders for them. I have only had one request so far but my main distributors haven't sent in there orders yet.

http://steampunkworkshop.com/electroetch.shtml

Once upon a time I did photo-etched plaques for concours trophies.
Each was a 1-off (each trophy had the entrant's car on it) and the plaques were about 5x7. Since this was competitive with other trophy/plaque options it can't have been too expensive.

I also had dash plaques done for the 2002 West Coast Wramble.

So my advice is: go talk to a trophy shop...

In 2004 someone engraved stainless steel disc's for the Fall Folage Classic. I think maybe Engman did them.

This should work-
https://www.4yudu.com/index.asp
About $400 to set up to do them, but you could do other stuff too.

First of all thanks for all of your advice.

Ok i have been researching on the internet and have learned a lot about etching.
Mostly from PCB circuit board etch forums. I am using my laser copier and transferring
the image with an iron to the brass then using acid to etch the image into the brass.
This is very cool. I came across another forum that uses Epson Inkjet printers in the CD print mode using the disk holder, after you lightly etch the surface with acid you can print the image directly to the brass or copper and etch it from there.

I think i am going to make my own medallions this way and sign them and sell them as hand done i can make $$ for doing this with out spending many $$$$$. No there not as nice as the gold plated ones i have had made for me before but these are made by me the artist which to me means more to me and i only have to make them on demand.

A photo of the process will be coming soon.

Cool links:
p://steampunkworkshop.com/electroetch.shtml
http://techref.massmind.org/techref/pcb/et...nkjetresist.htm

Sounds like a good sideline to me. Also if you are interested you might check out gold or silver plating. www.caswellplating.com They are where I got my zinc plating stuff and are pretty topnotch. Copper or brass should be easy to plate.

My first attempt, came out better than i hoped for. I ironed the image onto the brass from my laser copier printed transfer. The next etch will be deeper and i will bring out some detail on the original image so it will reproduce better. The cattail weeds got kinda lost.

I rubbed some black paint into the etched area so it would show up. The detail is incredible.

That's cool!

Just a thought - would an inexpensive phote inkjet work even better? Some of those little printers can print amazing detail. Heck the CPUs we all use to get on the net are made via photo etching - now at 45 nanometers and soon to be 32!

I have this dialed in now, new direction with flawless results.

I printed directly onto the brass with my Epson Inkjet photo printer via the CD printing holder.
I cut out a rectangular box in a CD as a jig and placed the brass slug into it after heating the brass slug up with an iron.
After the image has been printed it is still wet enough to smear but by heating the slug up first, the ink sticks and does not pool, all of the finest details are printed just as if i were printing onto photo paper.
I carefully remove the brass slug and dust it with powder coating paint sprayed through my airbrush media blasting tool.
I then place it on top of an inverted hot iron for a few minutes until i can see the powder coat melt in.
I remove it and place it into the Acid solution for 6 minutes but i may try even a few more to see really how deep i can etch before the mask breaks down.
After removing the Medallion from the Acid bath and rinsing it, all it takes is some acetone on a rag to remove the printed imaged and i am left with a perfect photo etch.
I will take some pictures of it when my camera battery is recharged.

I have done a few copper etchings to make prints. Sounds like what you're doing is a good way to go. Very cool Chappy

I can see where this thread is going....

"Yo Baby, Want to come up to see my etchings????"

I hope Rico Suave doesn't find this thread. The world is not ready for a medallion of his hairy posterior.

Check with the Russian Ice Dancer that got Silver and then had a personal Platinum medal made since he thought he should have made Gold. Bet prices are cheap in Russia.

These look really cool. Keep us posted when they're ready to go.