You will need

* Original artwork
* Transparency Film - Stationary shops, used for overhead projectors.
* Brass - model shops, metal suppliers etc. If you can't find any you can always use a brass finger push plate from a DIY stores.
* Photo Resist and developer - Avaiable from electronic shops such as Maplin
* Brass Etchant (ferric chloride)- Available from some chemists or electronic suppliers such as Maplin

Current online prices from Maplin

Etchant	Electrolube Positive Photoresist Aerosol Spray Now replaced by new product. Not an aerosol.	Photo Developer

If you are going into mass production then may be a bubble tank could be a good investment.

The Process

Usually the first stage would be to carryout the design of the name plate, but since I new I was having square plates and roughly the si ze my first step was to buy the brass strip. By buying a brass strip from hobby shop metal centres I was able to use a strip the same width as my intended plates. Such programs as Microsoft's MSpaint are adequate for basic designs. Use only black and whi te with black lines being where you don't want the brass to be etched. e.g. letters and borders. That the atuomatic spacing set by the computer may not look right to the eye. If this is the case manally space the characters.

My original graphic file

To ensure a pair of plates look similar print the design twice and butt them end on. This means you will only be working on one piece of brass and the etching will be to the same depth on both plates. Print the design on to clear acetate. I have heard of people using tracing paper but clear film will give you a sharper image. Cut the brass to the size required and clean the face you want to etch using very fine wet and dry . Once clean be careful not to touch this face as grease from fingers can affect the etching process. Place the cle an face down and spray paint the back and sides. This is to stop the acid etching the back and sides.

Once dry turn over and spray the front face with the photo resist. Follow the intructions on the can which will tell you that this must be done in subdued light and then left to dry in the dark for 24 hours or 15 mins at 80 deg C. Once dry place the printed mask over the brass and then place a piece of thin glass on top of the mask. If you don't have a good piece of thin glass borrow a piece from a photo frame. The brass is then exposed to ultraviolet light for a specific time.

If you have an ultraviolet box for this purpose then all well and good but if like the majority of us you don't do not despair. Two good other sources of ultraviolet light are easily accessible.

1. The sun
2. A standard fluorescent tube.

Sun light is great but not always available and varies in strength - I used this exposing the resist to about 10 minutes of strong sun.

Fluorescent tube.Worked reasonably well with my kitchen under unit light with about 50 min. exposure.

Over exposure will result in masked areas being developed away while under exposure will resut in the resist not dissolving in the developer. Once exposed remove the glass and film (out of sunlight) and place in the developer. Sluice the liquid backwards and forwards over the brass. Pretty quickly you should see your design. Finish and wash with water when the exposed areas are completely free of the resist. If your image is not that good you have two options.

1. Using a photo resist pen or good permanent marker tidy up the resist.
2. Start the process again.

Before placing the brass in the etch check to make sure that the areas you don't want etching are covered. If you do find some touch up with an etch resist pen or a good permanent marker. Place the brass in the acid face up so you can see how the etch is working. Keep rocking the container so that the acid is continually washing over the brass. Keep doing this until you have the required depth.

One of the finished plates using 'Century School Book' font

Once removed from the etch wash with plenty of water to remove the acid and dry. Then remove the resist with a bit of methalated spirits and a cloth. At this stage I spray painted mine with the finished colour (no primer). Drying in the oven meant I could build up the coats very quickly. After about four coats allow the paint to fully dry. Then place the plate face down on a flat piece of medium grade wet and dry and rub until the paint has been removed from the raised sections. Change to a very fine wet and dry and then finally polish with a brass polish.

If you don't like shining brass wipe over with meths to remove the wax from the polish and seal with a clear lacquer or varnish.