Although chemical etching can be easily done at home, many people choose to have it professionally done by a company with the right equipment and chemicals. Even if you do have the right equipment on hand, etching still takes time and patience that most people simply don’t have. Here are reasons why you should hire a chemical etching service to do your etching instead of trying to do it yourself.
- YOU DON’T HAVE THE RIGHT SUPPLIES.
Depending on what you’re etching, you might not have the right chemicals or equipment to do it. For paper or plastic, you might need baking soda or vinegar; for metal, cold water or hydrochloric acid; for stone or glass, sodium hydroxide solution. If you don’t have any of these substances in your home, it is better to call a professional chemical etching service than to try and do it yourself.
- TIME IS MONEY.
Even if you can get the right chemicals and equipment, etching still takes a lot of time. It might take several hours just to etch one item, and then you’ll have to let it dry or rinse it. Hiring a chemical etching service guarantees that your item will be etched quickly, rather than forcing you to wait around for it.
- CLEANUP IS DIFFICULT.
Etching can leave your hands stained or smelling unpleasant after your finished etching an item. Unless you enjoy scrubbing your hands raw and then applying hand lotion, it is better to hire someone who can quickly and easily clean up after the etching process is done.
- YOU DON’T HAVE TIME TO RESEARCH.
If you’re new to etching, it takes time to learn what chemicals and processes are best for your project. This can take a lot of trial and error depending on what you’re etching, and it can be frustrating if your first few attempts don’t work the way you want them to. Hiring an expert ensures that your item will be etched properly without wasting time or effort on your part trying to figure it out.
- YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS.
Chemical etching uses a lot of chemicals that you aren’t familiar with, and some people might not understand exactly how they work in your project or what they do to the item you’re etching. In addition, it is difficult to tell if something is being etched properly or if there are other concerns that you don’t know about (like parts of the item being left white instead of etched). If you want to learn about chemical etching, it is best to hire someone who can teach you and guide you through the process.
- EQUIPMENT ERRORS ARE COSTLY.
One way to etch your items is to simply cover them with etching solution. When the item comes out, you remove the solution, rinse it out and dry it. However, sometimes the equipment used to do this can cause problems that ruin an item completely. This is especially true for metals like copper that react with certain chemicals and turn green. If you don’t have a chemical etching service professional working on your items, they may be ruined before you know what happened.
Etching is a fun hobby that many people do at home, but it is important that you use the right type of chemicals and equipment to get the desired effect. For safety reasons, it is best to hire a chemical etching service that has professional equipment and cleaners in order to ensure excellence.