Aluminum Etching?

Hello, I am working on a small project and I need some help. It is a aluminum sign that I would like to either be etched, relief cut, engraved (laser or cnc), really anything that leaves an embossing. That being said, I don’t know how to do any of those things. I could hand engrave it but I think that it would take forever. I would appreciate any help that anyone can give me in regards to choosing a process and how to go about that process.

Okay so some details. It is 1/8 aluminum. I believe 6xxx series but I am not sure, I know that it is easy tooling. The piece is roughly 12 inches by 4 inches and the thing that I am trying to do is relieve the area behind the script on the piece (pull the lettering forward I guess). Outside of abrasive removal, I don’t know how I could pull this off. If the lasers could etch the pattern deep enough, I would be happy to use those but I have no idea how to use the laser nor how to set up a tool path on it.

I could also do vinyl die cut and applied so the metal could be acid etched away but alas I have never used a vinyl cutter either. Again, any help is highly appreciated and I look forward to any help this community can provide.

1 Like

I could help you if you’re interested in using the cnc to engrave it.
These are some I recently did on the cnc.

4 Likes

That sounds dope. What do you need from me?

An option I’d recommend you consider is laser etching on a marking compound. The classic brand of spray is Cermark but it’s costly. Alternatives I’ve tried and can vouch for are LaserBond and Brilliance, the last being the best value for result (see below). Note: there are various offerings for some of these brands so be sure you get one that works with aluminum.

For a much cheaper but less contrasting result you can use Dry Moly Lube. It can work in a pinch but cleanup is no fun.

All that said, the vinyl cut overlay is pretty good, multi layer, multi color solution too.

2 Likes

Can you send me an idea of what you’re trying to make. Do you have a digital version already?

1 Like