Bead Caps - Helpful Tips

Melodie · #1 2009-02-01, 12:41am

Didn’t think this was going to be a darned book but evidently I’m in a chatty mood.

I thought I would post not so much a tutorial but some helpful hints for those making copper bead caps, it seems to be very popular at the moment. I don't claim to be an expert on any level and these tips won't be for everybody but they might help a few. I’m posting it here in the tutorial section since it has a better chance of being seen in this area. There may be some people already working on tutorials (and I don’t want to step on toes) so all I’m posting are some helpful tips I’ve discovered as a way of giving back to the community. If you have a tip you would like to share PLEASE feel free to add it to this thread. I would love for this to be a collaborative thread.

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Finding the center of your disks.

I originally posted this elsewhere a few days ago but thought I'd add it here as well. There is many ways to do this but for a really quick approach I created a bullseye (there are 42 to a page) that can be printed on transparency paper (Wal-Marts sell the paper) that might be helpful. I converted it into MS Word as a .doc so people don’t have to have any special program to print it. Well … you do have to have a program that will open a .doc document. Please feel free to email me your email address and I’ll send it to you.

I cut one of the bullseyes out and hold it over my disk until I see it’s centered and then use an x-acto knife to pierce the center of the bullseye. This leaves a tiny indent in the disk that you can further deepen with either a transfer punch or anything else that has a sharp point or just dot it with a marker. I have also done this where I taped the disk to the bullseye and punched the center but find it easier to do the final punch with a mark on the actual disk.

If I am doing anything ½” or smaller I simply use my transfer punches and an inexpensive disk cutter to mark the centers. I originally bought an inexpensive cutter but soon found I wanted something a bit better, especially when cutting niobium. I was going to give it away until I realized that the better cutter flairs out on the bottom so you can not use it to hold the previously cut disk firmly in place. The inexpensive cutter does not flair out so I can place it over my disk and it holds it snugly while I use my transfer punch to mark the center. I’d also like to add that I don’t hit my transfer punch with a hammer, I simply push down hard and twist. I have better luck centering my hand punch over a small indent in the disk rather than the larger one that is created by hammering the transfer punch. That’s just me though, others might find it easier the other way. If you don’t have the transfer punches then you may be interested in the bullseye for all sizes.

The bullseye looks like this. You could also simply right click on the pic and save it to your computer.

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Acid etching copper

Laurie (aka lldesigns) has a great tutorial on copper etching in her blog that also includes fantastic information from Kristi about how to handle the ferric chloride and then dispose of it. I’m not sure if she would approve of me listing her blog link direct so you can find the link to her blog in this thread, towards the bottom of the page, in one of her posts.

http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/sh...=116666&page=2

Baskets

You will need something to use as a “basket” to place inside your etching container. My etching container is a small plastic bowl with a screw on lid. I’m sure you can buy premade baskets somewhere but I make my own plastic mesh baskets using the clear plastic canvas you can find in the craft section at Wal-Mart. I also picked up some clear plastic circles at a fabric store but they might have them at a place like Michael’s as well. Fig#1

I cut the circle to fit inside the container, lean on the side of being too small rather than a snug fit. #2 I then cut a length of plastic canvas the height I want the basket. #3 You can use fishing line to “sew” the pieces together, here I used a black elastic beading thread so you can see it better. #4 Once you “sew” the canvas all the way around snip off the extra and add a few “stitches” going up the side. #6 I also cut a handle and add it as well, make sure you put enough “stitches” to make the handle very secure, you don’t want a weak handle. #7 I’ve done this with a handle going from one side to the other but often found it to get in the way when placing objects in the basket so I then made some with simply a tab for a handle.

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PNP Blue Paper

I think it was Sharon who mentions PNP Paper in this thread (trying to give credit where credit is due.)

http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/sh...highlight=etch

As soon as I saw what it was I had a Duh! moment. Many, many, MANY moons ago I worked in the Artwork Generation lab for a company that created circuit boards for large computer companies. We developed films for the boards to be etched so this overall process is somewhat familiar to me. I’ve been experimenting with the PNP, available through Techniks (http://techniks.com/) or Thompson Enamels (http://www.thompsonenamel.com/produc...nts/resist.htm) in a smaller quantity, and would like to pass on a few tips. I noticed that Techniks is stating on their site now that the paper might not work with some newer Brother printers so you might want to buy a smaller amount of PNP if you are not sure your printer will work. I have a HP laser so I knew mine would work just fine. I’m not sure if anyone is working on a tutorial for using PNP so I’ll just stick with some helpful hints. There is free information out there, and instructions on the Techniks site, on how to use this paper anyway so no need for me to repeat it.

Tip#1

You need clean copper! You can clean it a number of ways but I just give it a quick few seconds etch to get all the crud off. However you do it, just make sure the copper is very clean before applying the PNP paper, this step makes a world of difference.

Tip#2

Don’t try to do a whole sheet of PNP at one time, simply cut out a small square and tape it to a normal sheet of paper.

This stuff works better if used soon after printing so just print out what you will need for that particular work session. I create my designs and first print them out on regular paper to see how big a piece of PNP I will need to cover them. Tape the cut PNP to a regular sheet of paper in the correct spot. Make sure you have enough excess that the tape won’t interfere with the design. Also, you need to know how your printer feeds the paper to know where to tape the piece of PNP. I know that for my printer the taped PNP has to be upside down and to the right when loaded in the printer. Just do a simple check on your printer to see how it feeds. Mark an X on a corner of a blank piece of paper, load it in the machine (taking note of how you placed it) and print something. When it comes out see where the mark is compared to the printed info and adjust as needed.

Tip#3

Design – make sure if your design needs to be centered on the disk that you have something on the design to use as a reference for centering your disk. If your design is random then this really doesn’t matter. This paper is dark blue so you can’t see through it like a transparency. You won’t be able to tell if your design is centered properly or not. I create a reference circle around my design, a little bit larger than my disk, to use for centering. When I lay the PNP paper down on the table I can place my disk on top and gently move it around, using an x-acto knife, until the disk is centered in the reference circle. You don’t want to scratch your PNP so do this gently. Once centered, I hold the disk in place with the x-acto and place a piece of tape over the disk and press it down onto the PNP. After that it’s safe to lift the knife and place another piece of tape to finish covering the bottom. It takes practice … don’t give up. This is what a reference circle might look like.

#3b - If my design already has an outer border I will just make it wider so I can use it as my reference circle. Crappy pic but you get the point. The outer circle is just slightly larger than the cut copper disk.

Tip#4

The temp of the iron is critical. I have one of those fancy smancy infrared temperature readers that Alton loves so much but when it came to this it really wasn’t much use. I just made up a few pieces and started some trial and error. Didn’t take long to get my settings right.

Remember NO steam! I set my iron on the hottest setting first and it was a disaster. After that, I moved it to the halfway mark in the cotton area and started playing from there. My final setting was just a touch lower than half but I doubt seriously every iron is the same so you really need to play with this. The first transfers I made I left the iron in place for just a minute or two, this did not give good results either. I finally started leaving mine in place for about 9 minutes and so far get pretty decent results. I’ve also found that if you move the iron around at all the design can move or smear. My iron happens to have an automatic shut off so I got around this by unplugging it halfway through and plugging it back in. Seems to have worked for me. I would definitely recommend dedicating about a half of a sheet of PNP paper as research waste so you can find your perfect settings. I reuse the same blanks to experiment with, clean them with acetone to remove the PNP film and then I give them a quick few second etch batch again to make sure I have a good clean surface to experiment on again. How clean your copper is can make or break this whole process.

Tip#5

Fill in the blanks … I still occasionally have a small area that doesn’t seem to transfer so I fill in these areas with nail polish and a very tiny paint brush. I also make sure to cover the edges of the disks if the design calls for there to be an outer band around the design.

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That’s about it for now ... thank goodness!!

I’m sure I’ll see some things that need to be adjusted later. Please excuse any typos or other errors … result of ditching English class when young.

I hope others will chime in with their tips as well. I could seriously use some help with doming the caps when the center has already been punched. Mine sometimes seem to be higher on one side than the other so I’d appreciate any advise I can get.

Here are a few of my recent etched caps.

theglasszone · #2 2009-02-01, 2:01am

Wow!!! This is so very cool of you...what a wealth of information! I love, love, love the way your caps turned out!! I wanna try it...

De in CA

jewlie beads · #3 2009-02-01, 4:56am

Wow! Thank you! They are beautiful!

SunDoorBeads · #4 2009-02-01, 10:32am

Not Fair Iwanna try I wanna try- okay now I am whining not attractive- but Melodie this info is so easy to understand!!!! I want to make my own caps so bad but have been afraid to try-

Could you list all of the materials one might need to get started? I just feel like I am floundering when it comes to buying cold working tools for a project. Thank you in advance for the GREAT info.

SunDoorBeads · #5 2009-02-01, 10:32am

BTW those caps are TDF the motifs are so pretty!

Diane (clarus) · #6 2009-02-01, 10:34am

Melodie, this is a great tutorial! Your bead caps are gorgeous.

A couple of alternate etching techniques are discussed in this post in the Silverwork and Metal Clay section here on LE:

http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=106703

The first is that you can use a salt solution to do the etching along with electricity. There's an article about this in the November 2008 issue of Art Jewelry magazine. Tink added that if you have an electroforming kit you can use that rectifier instead of the batteries used in that article.

John Cramer (Prairieson on LE, also Tink's sweetie) found a site that describes how to copper plate and etch Altoids tins, and has a tip in there where you use magazine paper to do the transfer instead of having to purchase the PNP paper. The link is in the post, but I'll add it here as well:

http://steampunkworkshop.com/altoid-etch.shtml

I am getting ready to try this for the first time myself, so I'm printing out your tutorial and adding it to my arsenal of information. I'll post photos when I have them.

-Diane

Deb Hopeful Journeys · #7 2009-02-01, 10:44am

WOW!!! Thanks for the great information!!!

Love the needlepoint plastic cup you made. Brilliant!

hollergrafik · #8 2009-02-01, 1:09pm

amazing, thank you

Corey · #9 2009-02-02, 9:44am

Thanks so much. These are great tips!

Melodie · #10 2009-02-02, 3:31pm

Thanks everyone for the positive feedback!!!!

Michelle – You need copper disks, PCB etchant from Radio Shack (Catalog # 276-1535), PNP paper (links above), an iron (I had to wipe the dust off of mine …

), a container to keep the etchant in, and a small basket like the one above. I think you can buy the disks already cut, not entirely sure. I bought a disk cutter and cut my own. You will also need a hand punch to create the inner hole in the disks. Sounds like a lot but depending on the quality of tools you buy it’s really not too bad. Better tools make things go easier though, I speak from experience. The PCB etchant only costs about $10/ bottle. If you follow the link I gave earlier and find Laurie’s link to her tutorial it might have a breakdown of anything else you might need. Don’t be scared … just follow good safety procedures and you’ll be fine. I didn’t have a problem jumping right into the copper because it’s pretty cheap. I hesitated on the Niobium though since it ran almost $100 for a 6” x 6” piece.

There is also a way to use asphaltum varnish as a resist but I haven’t had time to play with that yet. It seems like the varnish would be good to use with a rubber stamp to create a design on the disk. If your design is not made to be centered on the disk you could even stamp a bigger piece of copper and then simply cut out the disks from there.

Glad you like the designs, they are my own. I think making the designs is my favorite part of the process. Maybe once a few people start using the PNP paper (or the magazine page trick if it works) I’ll make a design and post it here for people to download. It will be a free download and copyright free to use as they please.

Diane – Thanks for the links! I totally missed Sharon’s comment about taping the piece to Styrofoam and floating it in the etchant. I’ve been simply putting them in the basket (backside taped to protect it) and letting them sit on the bottom. I’ll try the floating trick to see if it works better.

I have a friend that is supposed to be trying out the saltwater / electroforming way to etch, can’t wait to see the results. It would be nice to not have to deal with the ferric chloride if possible.

I’ll give the magazine trick a try as well, that was a fantastic link! Maybe I could report back the results compared to PNP paper. The paper is not that expensive but how easy would that be to just grab a magazine page instead. Big kudos to Tink and John for that link.

I'm in the middle of making my pieces for the WG exchange so I better get back to work. Things are not going well.

Thanks again everyone!

Beadbug · #11 2009-02-03, 6:53pm

I truly appreciate your help in getting my holes centered I was ready to give up thanks for a great tut.

I am going to post how I did the salt etch in a new thread I don't want to take away from your wonderful instructions on acid etching.

bellavistaglass · #12 2009-02-03, 7:01pm

Wow, Awesome job. Thanks so much. i want to try it too!!! There is a lot of generous information in a very concise and clear format. Really appreciate your efforts!!!
Cheers,
Patricia

Melodie · #13 2009-02-04, 9:08am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bead_bug

I truly appreciate your help in getting my holes centered I was ready to give up thanks for a great tut.

I also found that my very inexpensive punch itself had a gap on one side when fully depressed, this could lead to an off centered hole as well no matter how good you have it lined up. I have a much better punch coming tomorrow that I can't wait to try out to see if it makes any difference. I talked to the people before ordering and the tolerance on this punch is very tight.

cgbeads · #14 2009-02-17, 4:34pm

oh man, this is great. My daughter does metal smithing and was looking for a tut to get her started. A bazillion thanks....

beadgirl · #15 2009-02-17, 7:06pm

Thanks Melodie for sharing.

Patty Lakinsmith · #16 2009-02-17, 7:33pm

This is awesome information, Melodie - thanks so much for posting it.

Kim V · #17 2009-02-22, 7:11pm

I have to thank Melodie for the tips. I tried salt etching this weekend. The pnp paper worked like a charm!!! I have to admit that I had Melodie's post open on my computer and kept referring to it...thanks Mel for the help!!!

Here are what I did....some, especially the first ones, I tried using the magazine paper method, some the pnp paper. The four on the right were done using pnp. Much, much easier!! And much better results

Laurie L · #18 2009-02-22, 7:36pm

Kim, those are fantastic !!

squid · #19 2009-02-22, 7:37pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kim V

I have to thank Melodie for the tips. I tried salt etching this weekend. The pnp paper worked like a charm!!! I have to admit that I had Melodie's post open on my computer and kept referring to it...thanks Mel for the help!!!

Here are what I did....some, especially the first ones, I tried using the magazine paper method, some the pnp paper. The four on the right were done using pnp. Much, much easier!! And much better results

Are those copper? I love them!

Kim V · #20 2009-02-22, 8:04pm

Thanks, Laurie!

Squid, nope, they're some brass tags/charms I had around for stamping.

Quote:

Originally Posted by squid

Are those copper? I love them!

fyrebeadz* · #21 2009-02-22, 8:24pm

those are very cool Kim!

JennyC · #22 2009-02-23, 9:09pm

Well...no wonder you don't have time to email me ever. You wrote a book here! LOL! I just happened to stumble across this and it is an AWESOME book of tips. I had no idea you were playing with this stuff. I thought you were making maglesses the entire time...LOL!

Oh, and everything shown turned out gorgeous!

Melodie · #23 2009-02-23, 9:46pm

Kim, those are fantastic!!!! I especially LOVE the bottom right and the top middle.

I'm hoping to get caught up in about a week and then will work on a more step-by-step tutorial on how to use PNP instead of just these tips. I'll post it here in a separate thread.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JennyC

Well...no wonder you don't have time to email me ever. You wrote a book here! LOL! I just happened to stumble across this and it is an AWESOME book of tips. I had no idea you were playing with this stuff. I thought you were making maglesses the entire time...LOL!

Oh, and everything shown turned out gorgeous!

Hmmm ... I don't have any unanswered emails from you ... I was wondering why you didn't reply to my comment that you HAD to say you loved the mags because you love me.

It's a rule you know.

I was playing with this and anodized bead caps right before I started the mags. That's why I only had 2 weeks to get them done, I was having too much fun with these.

Well ... almost sounds like a good excuse to me.

Here is a pic of the anodized.

fullajoyy · #24 2009-02-23, 10:49pm

Melodie, great etching tut. Thanks a milllion.

I have been combing the internet for a few weeks learning about etching and writing down tips I have found. Wow, how did I overlook this great lesson right here on LE. I have gathered most of all of the needed materials except the PnP blue paper which I was trying to pick up locally rather than order online. I had an old sonic jewelry cleaner that had a plastic basket that I was going to use (I hadn't considered the floating foam, I thought I would do several pieces at a time). I even designed some images I want to try. I really hope to try this very soon.

Audrey

JennyC · #25 2009-02-23, 11:34pm

Well, my brain has been totally fried the last couple weeks. I guess I forgot to email back. LOL!

Love the anodized. Those are super cool!

tikiterri · #26 2009-02-24, 6:32am

Great tips and thank you for sharing!

Melodie · #27 2009-02-26, 2:00pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by fullajoyy

Melodie, great etching tut. Thanks a milllion.

I have been combing the internet for a few weeks learning about etching and writing down tips I have found. Wow, how did I overlook this great lesson right here on LE. I have gathered most of all of the needed materials except the PnP blue paper which I was trying to pick up locally rather than order online. I had an old sonic jewelry cleaner that had a plastic basket that I was going to use (I hadn't considered the floating foam, I thought I would do several pieces at a time). I even designed some images I want to try. I really hope to try this very soon.

Audrey

Can't wait to see them! Creating the designs is my favorite part but I think that due to my background.

Listenup · #28 2009-02-28, 12:08pm

How about using a denture bath? The one I recently bought for my partial has a little plastic basket in it and was less than $3. I got mine at Walgreens. It even comes in a choice of colors.
http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.c..._2040_23676236

heart17 · #29 2009-04-21, 4:28am

hi, thanks for all the info, when you place your copper to be etched in the basket ,do you have to suspend the copper somehow, i have been putting my copper pieces on tape and letting the front sit in the solution,also what gauge to you use for bead caps, do you use a disk cutter for the center hole thank you
heart17@comcast.net
i love your bead caps

heart17 · #30 2009-04-22, 7:36am

what kind of etch do you clean the copper with?
do you have to cover the basket to etch,and can the bead cap just sit in the etch, i have been hanging the copping from tape into the etch.
i like your patterns ,whee did you get them?
what gauge copper did you use?
thank you for your time.
heart17@comcast.net