Master CLass: Etching Plates Bette Barnet

Master CLass: Etching Plates Bette Barnet

Class | Available

8/9/2025-8/10/2025
View Schedule
$250.00

Master CLass: Etching Plates Bette Barnet

Class | Available

Etch and Roll: Creating Your Own Rolling Mill Pattern Plates in Steel Weekend Class
Instructor: Bette Barnett

Description

Want to learn how to produce your own customized, high-quality, inexpensive rolling mill pattern plates?  It’s time to ditch the commercial pattern plate designs and create plates with your own original artwork. This two-day workshop is your chance to create fresh designs for your rolling mill pattern plates at an extremely low cost. We’ll explore a range of resists—oil paint spray, splatters and pens, freeform hand cut stencils, tape, even fused metals… anything that will stick to the steel and hold up in the etching solution In this workshop, you’ll learn the basic electro-etching process and then more on to etch 12-gauge mild steel to create durable rolling mill pattern plates with gorgeous designs. You will learn which types of resists work best to produce a long-lasting etched pattern for rolling mill plates and how to manage the electro-etching process. As a bonus, your kit will include all the equipment you need to replicate the process in your own studio.

 

During the workshop, you will learn to:

  • Create original patterns for etching, using several different resists including oil paint and
  • custom stencils
  • Mix the etching solution using common, readily available chemicals
  • Set up the electro-etching station
  • Electro-etch pattern plates using D batteries or a rectifier as your source of electricity
  • Troubleshoot any obstacles to the etching process
  • Transfer your etched designs onto your jewelry by using best practices when rolling your
  • patterns in the rolling mill.

You will have the opportunity to produce at least three completed pattern plates and use
them for creating patterned copper or silver jewelry. Patterns for these pieces will be
included in the course handout and you are free to use the patterns or create your own
designs.

Kit Fee--Includes:

 
  • One sheet of low carbon (mild) steel 6” x 12”, 20g
  • Three pieces of low carbon steel 2” x 6”, 12g
  • Oil paint pen
  • Oracal vinyl sheet for stencils (12” x 12” square)
  • Four D batteries
  • Battery holder with leads
  • Etching container (2-liter plastic etching container with lid)
  • Copper sheet (18 g approximately 6” x 9”) to be used as cathode + hook to suspend
  •  etched piece)
  • Heavy copper wire used for hanging multiple etched pieces in etching solution
  • Alligator clips for leads



Student Kit Fee: $95 (payable to Instructor)
Estimated Materials Fee: $0-$30 (Plus the cost of copper or silver sheets that they want to use to test their new pattern plates. Cost depends on size.)
Prerequisites: Beginner

  • Workshop Structure

    Each day will be structured with a combination of instruction, demos, interactive discussion and
    hands-on work. It will include plenty of time for you to practice and apply the techniques covered
    with the instructor providing individual support and guidance throughout.

    Day 1
    • Advantages of steel for jewelry
    • A few basics steel—sourcing, shearing, sawing and forming steel
    • Overview of the etching process
    • Etching resists: oil paint (pen, brush, spatter and spray)
    • Dry transfers
    • Stencils (including cutting your own)
    • Other—tape, glue, fingernail polish and more

    Day 2
    • Setting up the etching station
    • Mixing the etchant
    • Etching a sample tile
    • Managing the etching process
    • Etching and forming a piece of jewelry (optional if time)
    • Using your pattern plates
    • Applying a patina and sealer
    • Group discussion and sharing work
  • Student Supplies:

    Please bring the following supplies to the class.
    Any drawing stencils or other drawing aids that you like to use.
    Pencil to sketch designs for etching
    Burnisher, any kind (Will be used to burnish stencils so they adhere firmly to the metal)
    Blank sheets of non-ferrous metal sheet to use with your new rolling mill pattern plates (fine
    silver, sterling silver, argentium, copper, etc.) Any size 2” x 6” or smaller and any gauge.

    Studio Tools and Supplies

    • Open throat shear that will cut 20g steel  
    • Trays, plastic sheet or cardboard to protect benches/tables from etching chemicals plus    extra to use outside for spraying paint and repositionable glue
    • Pumice based soap for cleaning steel—household cleanser or pumice hand soap
    • Hydrogen peroxide 3% solutionDegreaser—denatured or isopropyl 91% alcohol
    • Brass scrub brushes—Available at hardware stores or Amazon.
    • Small cheap paint brushes. Amazon
    • Small foam paint brushes—hardware stores (used to remove residue during etching process)
    • Duct tape
    • Scotchbrite mesh scrub pad—all purpose.  
    • Nitrile gloves
    • Paper towels
     
Barnette, Bette
Bette Barnette

Bette Barnett

Studio Jeweler, Educator, Author

 

Bette is an authority on steel jewelry and actively explores new techniques in this area. After beginning her career in 2010 she started studying the steel/gold fusing process in 2013 and continued to focus on steel as a productive metal for jewelry. She developed or refined many innovative techniques for creating steel jewelry, including Keum Boo on steel, fusing alternative metals to steel, fusing powdered metals, working with non-traditional forms such as perforated steel sheet and woven mesh and, most recently, painting with powdered metals.

 

Bette has published articles in Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist and MJSA Journal. Her book Creating Steel Jewelry, published by Artisan ideas in September 2024, is a comprehensive how-to guide for all metalsmiths, including jewelers, bladesmiths and blacksmiths who want to venture into new areas.