Reading socket sizes can be an exercise in frustration and steel hand tools are often terribly labeled—save for the brand name that is usually quite prominent. You can solve this problem by metal etching numbers or the design of your choice into any bare metal tool. While you're there, add your name so that the next door neighbors will never forget whose wrench they borrowed.

Timothy is a lifelong DIY enthusiast who is fixated on smart home tech, beautiful tools, and wrenching on his FJ62 Land Cruiser.  He’s the DIY editor at Popular Mechanics and also the founder of the home improvement site, Charles & Hudson, the Webby-nominated family site, Built by Kids, and Tool Crave. When not working, you’ll find him on his board or bike enjoying the LA weather with his family and friends. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter.

Metal etching chemically alters the surface of the metal, so wear safety goggles and make sure you have plenty of ventilation in your workspace before etching.

To start etching you need a 12 volt DC source, two-lengths of wire with alligator clips, table salt, white vinegar, cotton swabs, and sticky stencils. The process is quite simple, but be careful not to touch the positive and negative ends of the clips together as the resulting arc could cause a fire.

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YouTuber, Chris Fix, shares the DIY process of metal etching, as he etches into a set of deep sockets and shows a technique for etching a logo with the help of nail polish.