laser and acid etching ??

I was watching american chopper the snap on bike episode, and they had a set of rims made and the spokes were combination wrenches. The wrench size and "snap on" were put in with an "acid etch" as they put it. What is an acid etch, is it a tool or a method? Also, ive heard of "laser" etching, whats the deal there? Any help would be appreciated....................Briggs

 

acid etching you coat the job with a waxy compound, except where you want it etched. then you drop it in acid, and the acid eats everywhere that's exposed, and leaves your design in the job.

i don't know too much about the acid etching.

laser etching is simple, and i have one at work. basically, you put the job under a laser, load a design into the software, and it blasts the job with a laser to get the design on it. the resulting colour depends what material the job is. it works well with anodised aluminium (AAARRGH! BILLET!!!) because the etched area almost always comes out a contrasting colour to the anodised surface...