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<\/a><\/p>\nWorking off of this<\/a> tutorial, I began by screen printing a design onto my taffeta with a resist, in this case Vaseline.\u00a0 I then soaked the taffeta in a vinegar & salt solution, which should etch away the unprotected copper coating, leaving behind the polyester fabric.\u00a0 The tutorial suggested a minimum etching time of 12 hours, however there was no effect in that time so I left the taffeta in the etching solution for several days.<\/p>\n Here is my initial outcome:<\/p>\n As you can see, while the fabric is etched, the outcome is less than perfect. There are a few variables I am refining for my next test:<\/p>\n 1. Solution mix<\/em> – While the tutorial calls for a ratio of 100ml vinegar to 7ml salt, I transposed things in my mind and tried to mix a solution of 100ml vinegar to 70ml<\/strong> salt.\u00a0 Once I realized my error, I removed some of the excess salt.\u00a0 However, I am uncertain what the makeup of my final solution was.<\/p>\n 2. Salt type<\/em> – For the initial experiment, I used pickling salt because it was what I had on hand.\u00a0 For the next round I will be using standard iodized salt, in case the iodine content\u00a0 factors into the etch.<\/p>\n 3. Container –<\/em> The first test was executed in a basic Tupperware bowl, which I quickly realized is not the ideal container given the delicate nature of the Vaseline resist.\u00a0 Subsequent experiments will be conducted in a shallow pan.<\/p>\n 4. Resist thickness<\/em> – It may be beneficial to apply the Vaseline more liberally when printing, in order to better protect the copper from the etching solution.<\/p>\n Next<\/strong><\/em> steps:<\/strong><\/p>\n I am going to put together a second round test, applying what I have learned from the initial experiment.\u00a0 Once I get a clean etch, I am going to experiment with a few different dye formulations to see if it is possible to color the white taffeta without affecting the conductivity of the copper plating.\u00a0 Also, I’d like to use a multimeter to test the conductivity across my etched design to start getting an idea of any potential size limitations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" My first round of testing was etching conductive fabric to create circuits.\u00a0 I’m working with a sample of copper-coated taffeta from LessEMF. Working off of this tutorial, I began by screen printing a design onto my taffeta with a resist, … Continue reading <\/a><\/p>\n