Etching Needle Views
Search dictionary for Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) Etching Etch ing, n. 1. The act, art, or practice of engraving by means of acid which eats away lines or surfaces left unprotected in metal, glass, or the like. See Etch, v. t. 2. A design carried out by means of the above process; a pattern on metal, glass, etc., produced by etching. 3. An impression on paper, parchment, or other material, taken in ink from an etched plate. Etching figures (Min.), markings produced on the face of a crystal by the action of an appropriate solvent. They have usually a definite form, and are important as revealing the molecular structure. Etching needle, a sharp-pointed steel instrument with which lines are drawn in the ground or varnish in etching. Etching stitch (Needlework), a stitch used outline embroidery.
In pure etching, a metal (usually copper, zinc or steel) plate is covered with a waxy ground which is resistant to acid.[1] The artist then scratches off the ground with a pointed etching needle[2] where he wants a line to appear in the finished piece, so exposing the bare metal. The échoppe, a tool with a slanted oval section, is also used for swelling lines.[3] The plate is then dipped in a bath of acid, technically called the mordant (French for biting ) or etchant, or has acid washed over it.[4] The acid bites into the metal, where it is exposed, leaving behind lines sunk into the plate. The remaining ground is then cleaned off the plate. The plate is inked all over, and then the ink wiped off the surface, leaving only the ink in the etched lines.
The design is then drawn (in reverse) with an etching-needle or échoppe. An echoppe point can be made from an ordinary tempered steel etching needle, by grinding the point back on a carborundum stone, at a 45–60 degree angle. The echoppe works on the same principle that makes a fountain pen's line more attractive than a ballpoint's: The slight swelling variation caused by the natural movement of the hand warms up the line, and although hardly noticeable in any individual line, has a very attractive overall effect on the finished plate. It can be drawn with in the same way as an ordinary needle
Capable of producing extremely sensitive lines, these etching needles and scribes taper to fine points and are intended for use on grounded plates. They can be resharpened. Carbide Point Scribe o— The perfect tool for drypoint, this metal-handled, carbide point scribe measures 6 (152 mm) long and can be resharpened.
Etching Needle Images
