When it comes to etching,
I'm a kind of take or leave it person.
However, after ruining my bathroom, and I do mean ruining it, with a chemical etchant that spilled,
I had to look at other ways to etch.
I belong to a wonderful forum called
There are many discussions there about a variety of topics.
I found several on non chemical etching.
So, here's what I did.
I realized I had what I needed on hand.
I bought this at Harbor Freight.
I also needed some silicone carbide grit.
Surprise!
I had purchased a small amount years ago.
All you need is a teaspoon.
I was set.
I filled my tumbler with the end chunks of the murrini I make.
I added water, the silicone carbide grit, and a drop of dish washing liquid.
I added the beads.
(Oh, it really IS a good idea to count the beads before you put them in the tumbler.)
I tumbled them for an hour.
Here are the results.
I was pleased.
I like the matte finish on these discs.
I didn't like these beads before I etched them, but now I do!!
These beads came out much better than I expected!
I like them now.
I like these discs now.
These discs look pitted to me, so I'm not sure on these.
Overall, I was very pleased with the etching.
I'm still not really excited about etching, but I did make some beads specifically for etching.
I'll take before and after photos and show them next week.
