A VERY different color Damascus

kenhills

kenhills

Joined
Dec 17, 2007
Messages
984
Hi
First time in this forum. A question on etching Damascus steel. Having been unable to find any etchant at radio shack (It's no longer available) I was looking around my shop and found some pickling solution left over from my jewelery making days. So anyway the pickling solutions main component is a substitute for sulfuric acid. So I give it a try and it turns what would normally be the lighter part of the Damascus into a rose copper color. It's kind of nice to look at and it's very different from what I have seen around. So the question is, is this a desirable effect? Or would someone looking at the blade mistake it for copper in the steel? I can't make up my mind. Its the first time I am playing around with Damascus so some opinions from the more experienced Bladesmiths would be appreciated. Ill try to post some pics tomorrow. Thanks

pics

www.lemonwoodgallery.com/images/dm1.jpg
www.lemonwoodgallery.com/images/dm2.jpg
www.lemonwoodgallery.com/images/dm3.jpg
 
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AAACKK! post pics and then we can tell you how much we like it or make fun of you for making girley pink damascus....
 
Sounds like you had copper ions in solution (I think this would be commen in old pickeling solution), and basically they plated out on one of your steels when you tried to do the etching.
 
GlassJax said:
Sounds like you had copper ions in solution (I think this would be commen in old pickeling solution), and basically they plated out on one of your steels when you tried to do the etching.
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Yup. If you drop some copper (old pennies, etc.) in you FC it will do the same thing. Some people like it. I like different so I wanna see pics!
 
TekSec said:
Yup. If you drop some copper (old pennies, etc.) in you FC it will do the same thing. Some people like it. I like different so I wanna see pics!
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so if i have a finished blade that i wanna re-etch....can i put some pennies in some ferric chloride and turn some of the lines copper color in the damascus....???....sounds interesting....ryan
 
Can't guarantee how even it would be, but it should work. You would get a plating over any of the lighter etched steel. :)
 
ryan9977 said:
so if i have a finished blade that i wanna re-etch....can i put some pennies in some ferric chloride and turn some of the lines copper color in the damascus....???....sounds interesting....ryan
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Ryan, Todays pennys aren't copper except for a thin coating. I'm thinking there zink but could be beer bottle caps. A small piece of electrical wire would work.
 
1982, actually. I went through a big jar of change for this exact reason and all of the pennies prior to '83 were copper. How can you tell? Two ways- cut them in half w/ wire cutters and see what color they are inside, or throw them at a hard surface- a zinc penny just thuds but a copper penny rings like a tiny bell. :D
 
thanks for the info on the pennies guys....i'm definately gonna try it out....ryan:thumbup:
 
Your etch solution is contaminated with copper and or brass. Looks cool but should buff off when cleaning up your final product.
 
It's contaminated with copper and silver no brass. Would not brass develop a golden color or bronze develop a reddish one??
 
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