Electric Metal Stencil

At a glance..

You can easily—and safely—put electrochemistry to work "branding" your name on tools, or decorating aluminum sheets. The stencil pad consists of a metal plate (copper, aluminum—even a scrap of tin can) covered with felt that's saturated with a solution of

The details..

'Make' by Roland Loewen is a comprehensive guide that teaches readers how to use electrochemistry for etching metal. The book provides step-by-step instructions on creating a stencil pad using common materials such as felt, table salt, or liquid Sani-Flush.

The author explains the process of attaching leads from a DC power source to the stencil pad and workpiece, which can be an auto battery, battery charger or an electroplating unit. Alternatively, one can assemble their own power unit costing under six dollars using readily available components like small transformers and silicon rectifiers.

Loewen also shares his experience in making two types of stencil pads - one-liner for hand-held tools and block-type against which metal plates are pressed. He advises readers on soaking the felt in salt solution before dabbing it with cloth to remove excess solution. Readers will learn how to center stencils over the felt so that lettering appears backward as they look at it.

Overall 'Make' is an engaging read written in factual language aimed at those interested in survival preparedness or defense-related topics who want practical advice on safe ways of working with electricity.