My first etch - Non-Madbean distortion plus

[das234]

I got tired of struggling to get a perfect etch on my distortion plus (and one more sanding and re-etching and I'd have had no aluminum left!) so I pulled the plug on it.  I sprayed it black, sanded the high spots and then applied a shot of clear before boxing it up.  It's my first etched enclosure and also my first etched board and it works, so that's exciting.  And it was quite a learning experience.  The guts look like garbage so I won't even show them but here's the outside:

[Stomptown]

Looks great to me! It may not be "perfect" but it's night and day compared to the first attempt. Seriously get your hands on some PNP blue for your next etch (PCB or enclosure). It is definitely worth it's weight in gold! You can pick it up at small bear or on ebay (I think) and it will transfer soooo much easier. Also, guts are always a lot messier with etched boards so don't be afraid to post those. You may get some advice that will pay of in the end.

Cheers,
Jon

[hylandren]

Hey, I think your etch looks great, expecially if it is your first one.

If I may make a suggestion: Next time, once you've applied the resist, look at it under the magnifier and take a real critical look at it and be honest. If it has fuzzy edges or missing parts, or anything that can't be fixed with nail polish and a brush, DON'T do the etch.
Remove the resist with some acetone or the like, and try reapplying the resist again. I know that's hard to make yourself do that after you worked to get it on there, but if it didn't take, then the etch is NOT going to look good. no matter what.
Doing it that way will save you a lot of re-sanding, re-starting and a lot of time.
Hope this helps.

[lincolnic]

Looks rad to me!

[jimilee]

I dig it! When it's on your board, dark and you're looking down about to stomp it, you'll say "I did that"
Great first etch.

[Bret608]

Yeah, I can never get the guts quite as pretty with an etched board, so don't feel bad!

Anyway, this is really cool. How are you liking the sound?

[das234]

Thanks for the encouragement and advice guys.  As suggested by Pryde, I switched to HP glossy presentation paper for this attempt and had it printed at the Office Max.  The transfer actually looked quite good (maybe not PERFECT).  I think some of the roughness comes from the metal prep.  I sanded through a bunch of grits but was worried about taking off too much material (since I had already sanded it twice) so I might not have gotten it perfectly smooth and flat.  Also, I tried touching up a couple spots with Sharpie.  Sharpie is not very good on something like this. 

Hylandren, I like your suggestion.  No one wants to clean off the transfer and start over but it sure beats SANDING off the etch and starting over!

As for the guts, they're not terrible but after the precision work I had to do on the Stage Fright and Honey Dripper I just finished this one was kind of thrown together.  The home-etched board wasn't really an obstacle except that I've populated two of them now (dist+ and Pepper Spray) and both boards had one hole that I missed when I drilled the first time so it was back to the drill press. 

It sounds like it should though and lots of gain.

[hylandren]

  Also, I tried touching up a couple spots with Sharpie.  Sharpie is not very good on something like this. 

Yeah, I know people use them for boards, but I like to put enclosures on for a looong time, so its not strong enough, IMHO.
For me, the tools for cleaning up or repairing an etch are nail enamel, a 0000 brush, a fine blade exacto knife and a magnifier!
Seems like I use the exacto as much as the nail polish! lol

[spaceboss]

Looks righteous from here. 

No need to sweat what perfection actually amounts to. The medium and method lends itself to a rather pleasing graininess anyway (just like rock and roll).