Printmaker machines a hand-cranked etching press from scratch

[JungleBoy]

A YouTuber has combined two crafts to build a beautiful tool. Hackaday reports on a hand cranked etching press made by This Designed That, a printmaker and machinist, with the tip coming from Paul Manwaring

Etching presses push paper and an inked metal plate between two heavy rollers under great pressure, transferring the image. They are expensive to buy, so making one is an appealing project for printmakers with machining skills

In this design, a separate driveshaft drives two steel rollers with a chain. The top roller was turned from steel pipe on a lathe

The yellow side plates were commercially CNC cut, and the bearings are off the shelf parts. Hackaday called it the perfect little etching press that makes a good impression

Projects like this show how traditional crafts and engineering can work together. Owning a press opens up printmaking at home, which is otherwise limited to studios. The chain drive is a smart way to keep both rollers moving evenly

Have you ever tried printmaking? And what tools have you built for your own hobbies?

Etching Press Aims To Impresshackaday.com