Etching: pains and gains

My scrap pile is appallingly large right now. 

Just a few of the problems I’ve encountered: 

Incomplete transfers, and stumbling through attempting to repair the resists with nail polish. It works, but it’s not as precise and very time consuming. 

Judging the strength of the acid is tricky, and takes practice. I’ve just read through the section of Oppi Untracht’s book on etching and have a few leads which will hopefully resolve some issues. 

Enameling afterwards is another world entirely. To conserve time and energy, I’ve settled on torch firing these pieces. However, enamel shouldn’t be exposed to the direct flame so there are extra considerations needed regarding construction. I cannot Place solder seams in spots which will get overheated, and I cannot solder after enameling. Cold connections are a safer bet. Some enamels, like my favorite white, cannot hold up to liver of sulfur, which is too bad. I was hoping to achieve darkened silver lines against a nice matte white enamel, but that’s going to take a little more trial and error. 

Stone settings are going well though, it’s wonderful to add touches of color and bright sparkle to a piece. I’ve been accumulating stones over the last several decades, so I have a full color pallet at my disposal. 

I’m also starting to prep for Jackalope this April. I’m a bit of a type-a planner and like to do occasional display dry runs. It gives me a chance to see where my inventory stands and what areas I could beef up. I’m currently heavy on necklaces, but a bit light on earrings so that’s where I’ll be focusing next.