Posted by derek on Thursday, November 29, 2007 at 10:32:32 :
In Reply to: Swivel Frane Data Plate Reproduction Sources posted by Scott W on Wednesday, November 28, 2007 at 19:10:23 :
Metal etching seems to be quite popular over the last six or nine months with the geek / retro-tech crowd. While I have not tried it yet it seems really easy as long as you take a few safety precautions.
Chemicals? I saw Lye for sale last fall at the hardware store. It was out for folks that wanted to cure olives. I'm sure they still have some in the back. A recent magazine article recommended ferric chloride which I believe you can get for etching circuit boards (no electricity needed). Stump killers also seem popular on the web. Most anything that can burn a hole in your skin or make you go blind or scar your lungs or poison your blood will probably work. Simple precautions seem to be in order for any chemical you use.
The art work. I would begin with a good high resolution scan of the plate (>=300dpi). I would then use a program like Inkscape (free) or Illustrator ($pendy) to trace the image and clean it up. If not satisfied with the text I would try the web page What the Font <http://www.myfonts.com/WhatTheFont/>. There you should be able to get an original font for the text so you don't have to rely on tracing. Once the artwork is done you have a professional vector graphic you can take to any print shop or follow the DIY instructions for making transfers with a laser printer.