Okay, here’s my blog post about my little acid circulation pump project. It’s gonna be pretty informal, just walking you through what I did.
My Acid Circulation Pump Build – A Practical Approach
So, I was messing around with some etching projects, and man, constantly dunking stuff in and out of the acid bath got old fast. I thought, “There’s gotta be a better way!” That’s when I got the idea for a simple acid circulation pump. Nothing fancy, just something to keep the etchant moving.
First things first: I needed a pump. I didn’t wanna spend a fortune, so I rummaged through my junk drawer (we all have one, right?) and found an old aquarium pump. Perfect! It was small, low voltage, and, most importantly, I wasn’t using it for anything else.
Next up: Tubing. This was a bit trickier. Regular PVC tubing? No way. That stuff would dissolve faster than sugar in water. I needed something acid-resistant. After a quick trip to the local hardware store, I grabbed some PTFE tubing. It’s a bit pricey, but it’s designed to handle harsh chemicals, so I knew it would hold up.
Putting it together: This part was pretty straightforward. I cut the PTFE tubing to the lengths I needed and connected it to the aquarium pump. I made sure the connections were nice and tight – leaks would be a major pain. I used some small hose clamps to secure everything, just to be extra safe.
- Initial setup: I hooked one end of the tubing to the bottom of my etching tank (a sturdy plastic container, nothing special), and the other end to the top, creating a loop. The pump would draw etchant from the bottom and spray it back in at the top.
- Powering it up: The aquarium pump was 12V, so I used an old wall wart adapter I had lying around. Plugged it in, flipped the switch… and it worked! The etchant was circulating nicely.
Fine-tuning and Lessons Learned: At first, the flow was a bit weak. The pump wasn’t designed for this, obviously. So, I raised the pump a bit, closer to the level of the liquid in the tank, reducing the head pressure. That helped a lot.
I also noticed that the tubing was a bit stiff. PTFE is great for chemical resistance, but it’s not the most flexible stuff. I had to be careful not to kink it. In hindsight, maybe silicone tubing would have been a better choice for flexibility, but I wasn’t sure about the long-term acid resistance. Something to consider for version 2.0, maybe.
Safety First! Seriously, dealing with acids is no joke. I made sure to wear gloves and eye protection every single time I was working with the pump and the etchant. And I kept a bucket of water and some baking soda nearby, just in case of spills. Better safe than sorry.
The Result: This simple acid circulation pump has made my etching projects so much easier. The consistent flow of etchant gives me more even etching and reduces the amount of time I have to spend babysitting the process. Plus, it’s just kinda cool to watch it work!
Would I do it again? Absolutely! It was a fun little project, and it’s made a real difference in my workflow. And who knows, maybe this will inspire you to build your own!