Custom Die ? - Engraving Etc. Forum

From:	John (ICTJOHN)	26 Jan 2006
To:	Zonas	3 of 4

2819.3 In reply to 2819.1

Zona

I have my dies made by:

Augustine Company, Inc.
1210 Industrial Blvd.
P.O. Box 797
Marshalltown, IA 50158
641-753-3875

Most dies are made using an "etching" process,
I don't think it would be worth the investment (and OSHA problems) to make on site, the chemicals are a nusiance to breath, get on yourself and clothing and oh yeah, to dispose of. The average price is a little under $20.00 and they usually get them out same day.

There is another company Pella Engraving Co. in Pella, IA which is very similar to Augustine - 877-549-5447.

LaserBits sells a product that can be lasered to make dies, but you will not get the fine detail of a mag. die.

hth,

John
http://www.creative-awards.com
creativeawards@msn.com

From:	Rodney Gold (RODNEY_GOLD)	26 Jan 2006
To:	ALL	4 of 4

2819.4
The magnesium plate is used for printing and it has a photoresist already applied , all you do is print a positive or negative on transparency and expose the plate to uv with the print atop the photosensitive resist. You then wash out the plate , which removes part of the resist where you want the etch to happen. The plate is dipped in acid or some other mordant and the unprotected areas are eaten away. The reason magnesium is used are to do with etch times and the depth of etch as well as its heat transferrence characteristics. The dies need to be etched deep quick , the longer the stay in the etch , the more chance of the resist being damaged (the resist is what protects the unetched bits) and the more chance that undercutting will occur (the etch pattern is not straight down , it tends to etch sideways into vertical thin sections.)