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 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

MASTER SERIES REFUND POLICIES

• Once you have enrolled and paid tuition, there are no refunds or credits issued for Master Class Workshops if you are unable to attend.
• By enrolling in a Master Class workshop, you affirm your acceptance of our no refunds policy and represent to us that you possess the appropriate skills to comply with the prerequisites.  
• In the event that William Holland School must cancel the workshop, a refund or credit will be issued.  
• Master Classes are not eligible for Instructor Free Class, scholarships or Instructor family member pricing.

**MINIMUM OF 6 STUDENTS REQUIRED FOR THIS CLASS