Electro-Etching: Acid-Free Metal Etching

Learn to etch designs into metal with our handcrafts courses in Sydney!

Discover a safe and versatile alternative to traditional acid etching. This course introduces electro-etching, a process that uses low-voltage electricity and a conductive solution to create crisp, clean lines, textures, deep reliefs and detailed artworks in metal.

Students will learn how to set up and run electro-etching projects at home or in a small studio using minimal equipment. Through expert instruction, demonstrations, guided practice and experimentation, participants will gain the confidence to design and etch creative projects without relying on hazardous acids.

Accessible to both complete beginners and those with some metalworking experience, this course provides the technical skills and creative freedom needed to explore electro etching safely and effectively.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this etching course, you should have:

•  Identify and select suitable equipment and solutions for electro-etching at home or in a small studio.
• Safely set up etch baths for silver, copper, brass, and steel.
•  Prepare designs for electro-etching to achieve crisp details, clean lines,
• textures, or deep reliefs.
• Gain practical experience in preparing metals and applying a variety of
• resists
• Learn how to adjust voltage, current, electrolyte strength and etch time to
• control depth, speed, and detail.
• Apply safe practices for handling solutions and equipment, maintaining
• baths, and disposing of waste responsibly.
• Produce an etching in class with your own artwork.

Course content

What will be covered in this etching course?

• Introduction to the principles of electro-etching and how it differs from chemical etching.
• Overview of essential equipment: Power sources, from simple batteries to rectifiers, electrodes and electrolytes.
• Design preparation and planning for successful artwork.
• Instruction and practical experience in preparing metals and applying resists
• (Including UV film application, exposure and development).
• Guided experimentation with voltage, current, electrolyte strength, and etch
• time.
• Safe practices for handling solutions, maintaining baths, and disposing of
• waste.
• Setting up etch baths and circuits for individual projects.
• Creative experimentation with custom textures, jewellery designs,
• decorative plates, and more.

Intended audience

Who is this silver jewellery course for?

This course is for beginners - no prior experience is necessary.

• Makers and creatives interested in metalworking
• Jewellery designers and metalsmiths
• Craft enthusiasts looking to expand their skills
• Complete beginners – no prior experience required
• Those with some metalworking experience wanting to:
  • Learn a safer approach to etching
  • Improve precision in their work
  • Explore environmentally conscious techniques

Course venue

Rozelle Campus

2A Gordon Street, Rozelle NSW 2039 (corner of Gordon St & Victoria Rd on the grounds of St. Joseph's Church)

Please note: This course is held on the 2nd floor and is not wheelchair accessible. We apologise for any inconvenience.

Course materials

Materials provided

• Sample piece of copper
• Variety of resists (UV film/transparencies, marker pens, contact, tape)
• All equipment and solutions needed for in-class etching.
• Disposable gloves

What to bring to class

•  Pen, pencil, paper

   Optional:  

• Resist materials (eg, vinyl stencils, acrylic paints/brushes, nail polish,

• waterproof tapes, contact, permanent markers, etch resist pens, wax).

• Stencils for creating artworks

• Transparencies for use with UV film. Vector images, printed in black and white (300 dpi) work best. Anywhere that is black will not be exposed and will rinse away when developing UV film. Clear/white areas of an image will be exposed/ hardened and adhere to the metal with exposure to UV light.

Tip: Use a high-resolution B/W image and print the transparency as a colour image.

Additional information

Please note the following:

• Closed-in shoes required
• Please wear old clothes
• Long hair must be tied back