Hi, all,  It is good that we can share our successes and flubs.  

I am building a 22 lr as a first.  Tacom.com provided the barrel and BCG.  I did an aluminum 80% lower..   Flub -- breaking a 1/8 in drill bit in the first group of drill out of the fire control pocket,==  take my word this is a world of headache.
I bought a Harborfreight bench-top drill press for this project -- it can be done but get ahold of a better one if possible.  

A note on etching.  After trying to find someone to etch and not finding anyone.  I looked at all the options,  I found a web site that suggested using copper sulfate and I did my own.

1. Put down a good resist  -- plain acrylic paint will do -- made it 2 coats. -- just the places I wanted words and S/N


2. I printed what I wanted on plain paper (something thinner would have been better) 16 point type. --


3. then stuck it down where i wanted it with more of the same paint (don't paint over the words) and Let it dry


4. carefully cut out each letter (Xacto knife)  Be sure to cut all the way down to bare metal.and clean out the letters (this is tedious -- use only block letters is my suggestion)


5. I used modeling clay ( the non drying kind ) to build a 3/8 inch dam around  the section where I wanted to etch  ( be sure the clay and resist covers the any metal you do not want etched)


6. Etch solution 3 parts copper sulfate to 1 part table salt dissolved in hot water (be careful with this -- NO metallic containers)


7. put this solution into the dammed area and you will see bubbles forming where the solution can reach the aluminum
   

This stuff is aggressive I would wash it out at 5 minutes and clean out the letters then do another round for no more than 5 minutes   The letters fill up with funky black stuff. My first try was 15 minutes and I was not happy with the result, the second try was in total about 11 minutes and was much better.You do not need much solution just a couple of ounces. Putting it in a small plastic squeeze bottle would be a smart move.

This is not precision lazer sharp graphics - it will keep from being hassled about not having an S/N on the rifle.  

If you are going to be looking that closely at my rifle you had better be cleaning it.

did you happen to take any photos?  Or maybe a link to the website you used.

I will add a couple of photos soon.  

Here is the web site etchzincsteelaluminum.htm

Here are a few photos --- the SAFE / FIRE etch was the first 15 minutes; that I think I left too long.  The CAL & S/N was about 11 minutes, it looks better but a few minutes less might have stopped some of the undercutting.
The Duracoat will smooth out much of the roughness.


Overall



Closeup of SAFE / FIRE



Closeup of  CAL / S/N

http://s1061.photobucket.com/user/James_Scanlan/media/photo3a_zps860c76b0.jpg.html?filters[user]=142396448&filters[recent]=1&sort=1&o=0




This is my first try at posting photos, hope it works

Second try  

Close up of  CAL - S/N  11 minutes



Close up of SAFE - FIRE  15 minutes



Over all view



I think I finally got it.  

As previously noted this is a fairly rough way to etch -- I would recommend 5 minutes to start --- rinse and clean and add more time if needed  -- room temp, solution temp, will effect the aggressiveness of the etching.

I am counting on Duracoat to smooth it out a bit.   I will post "after" painting photos when that step is completed.  The humidity is a bit high at the moment.  

The next one will be better.  But still, the cost was less than $5.00 to etch.

You do NOT NEED  a SR# if it's for you with no intent to sell. It's good if stolen so I scribe where the pistol grip attaches.

I know but  why give ANY reason to be hassled.  Kali the home of the militant anti almost everything cult.