I am interested in purchasing a power supply(s) to etch my own tools. Think hammers,vise grips, pliers, etc. I would like to be able to do both etching and marking. I think it would be useful to have variable settings. If not, why? What would you recommend for power supplies? I have seen some 0-30V 0-5A dc variable power supplies. Does that seem like the correct way?
A power supply with AC/DC is needed if you want to both etch and darken the etch. Variable power isn't necessary. You can control the depth of the etch by time easily enough. If you don't want to DIY your own there are commercial options, including the fairly inexpensive Etch-o-matic, which gives you pretty much everything you need to get started.
As Tim mentioned you want both AC and DC. I have made a few sub $20 DIY units over the years and they work perfectly fine. The Etch-O-Matic is a reasonable cost unit. The knifemaker's defacto machine the Personalizer will set you back around $200 for the basic model, double that for the variable power unit. I would recommend using some quality electrolyte that is designed for the type of steel you are etching. Salt water works ok, but once you have tried a properly formulated electrolyte you won't go back to salt water. Dan
I made this one here from a $2 secondhand store adapter which I use quite a bit. http://dcknives.blogspot.com/p/poor-mans-etching-power-supply.html Once you have a suitable adapter, the part one has to be careful about is opening the case to access the AC signal and wiring it out to the switch. Dan
The rough surface on vise grips and the plating will not give as clear an electroetch as on a flat smooth knife blade. Have a look for an electric pencil I've seen one with a snap on name, I've got one with the oem trade name. Start the video at 2:13
