Student Supplies—What a Relief! Keum Boo on Etched Steel

 

You will need to provide the following supplies and materials:

  • Pumice based soap for cleaning steel—household cleanser or pumice hand soap such as GoJo (Amazon)

  • Coarse brass scrub brush—(Amazon)

  • Skotch-brite mesh scrub pad—all purpose (Amazon)

  • Burnisher—any kind (Rio Grande)

  • Hot plate (Amazon) or electric griddle—(Amazon)

  • Etching container—glass or plastic container large enough to contain the etching solution and accommodate a large cuff (at least two liter container). Clear glass vases that are taller rather than wider work well.

  • Copper sheet—18g or thicker that will fit inside the container and project at least two inches above the top, any hardness (Note: This will be used as the cathode in the electro-etching process).(Rio Grande)

  • Small strip of copper approximately 4” x 1” any gauge to use as a hook for suspending your piece in the etching solution

  • Wooden dowel, chopstick or copper rod that will fit across the top of your etching container

  • Copper sulfate—sold as Root Kill, one container (hardware and gardening stores) or available as copper sulfate pentahydrate from Amazon

  • Non-iodized salt (also sold as Kosher salt)—one container (grocery stores)

  • Small foam paint brush—(hardware stores)

  • Nitrile gloves—(hardware stores and pharmacies)

  • Torch—any type from the smaller butane torches to dual gas or acetylene air torches.

  • Pickle pot—separate pickle pot for ferrous metal

  • Distilled water—(grocery stores and pharmacies)

  • Gun bluing—Oxpho Blue (Amazon) or Super Blue (Amazon) OR Presto Black PC-9 ( Sculpt Nouveau)

  • Sealer—your choice:

  • Basic hand tools—files, jeweler saw frame and blades (2/0, 3/0 and 4/0), sandpaper or sanding sticks,

 

Optional—nice to have but not required

  • Beehive kiln by Ultralite—(Allcraft 800 645 7124 Call and speak to Tevel.) My students are eligible for a special kiln package that represents approximately a 10% savings. You can purchase the kiln alone if you prefer.

  • Power supply/rectifier—(Amazon)