Acid ?

[ubik]

I need to know the best way to really show off Damascus steel. I've heard that sulphuric acid is the best way but I don’t know if I will be able to get hold of any. Is there any thing else I can use to bring out the grain. It doesn’t have to really eat into the softer steel I just need something that will dull the soft steel while leaving the hard steel bright.

 

[Bruce Bump]

Welcome to Shop Talk

Most everybody uses ferric cloride. aka Archer Etchant. available at Radio Shack. About 1 part acid to 3 parts water. It is much safer than sulfuric acid (battery acid)

 

[Fred.Rowe]

A hardy welcome to shoptalk,



Vinegar is slower but also brings out the pattern in damascus.

I use both fe3 and vinegar. Both are effective.

Fred

 

[Steve Hayden]

Sulfuric acid and Hydrochloric acid are the etching preference for Damasteel-and maybe other stainless damascus types-that don't etch well with FeCl or other standard steel etching chemicals.

I like using Muriatic acid (0.375N HCl) on Damasteel. I etches darker than Sulfuric and is easy to find at any hardware store for ~$3.00 a gallon.

 

[ubik]

Your replies on etching solutions gave me an idea I had some old glass etching creme up in the loft so I dug that out and it has worked a treat. But I will pick up some ferric chloride and give that a try. Thanks for all the help guys.

 

[shappa]

When diluting the acid...do you add the acid to the water or the water to the acid?

And does the diluted acid loose it's effectiveness after use?

Thanks for the info guys.

 

[Karl B. Andersen]

Don't let the word "diluting" confuse you! By adding distilled H20 you are NOT weakening it! The FeCl acutally needs the hydrogen to work. If you just used straight FeCl, it would barely work at all.

 

[fitzo]

When diluting the acid...do you add the acid to the water or the water to the acid?

Always add acid to water, not the other way around. Adding water to strong acid can cause intense local heating which results in boiling which makes it splatter. Not safe.

 

[JCaswell]

I use FeCl undiluted on Gibeon meteorite (only thing that seams to do a good job). Also, Bob Eggerling told me he etches his mosaics in undiluted FeCl. For blades, I usually run it diluted.

Interesting thing about Sulfuric acid. It will make otherwise invisible welded seams show up as black lines.
This, you can be plainly seen in the 'detail' shot here (I'm talking about the fine, dark lines inside the lighter portions of the pattern):

http://www.caswellstudios.com/SwordPages/BodyPages/Enlarged/sword_bailey.html

(This was etched in sulfuric acid first, then FeCl.)

FeCl, used alone, tends to hide these weld seams (at least relative to Sulfuric acid) so you end up with a smoother, less toothy-looking etch that just shows an abrupt change of shade:

http://www.caswellstudios.com/SwordPages/BodyPages/Enlarged/12-7-03/bowies/1.html


It's not a good picture, but the handle of this Bowie is constructed just like the center of the sword, but has a smoother, flame-like flow to the pattern, rather than the tighter-looking collection of lines.

 

[sleepy]

Sulfuric acid did not work very well on the damasteel that I just got through with but 15 minutes in the warm hydrochloric acid did a great job.

 

[Arthur Washburn]

Ferric Cloride works best on materials that have been hardened.

Anything Damascus fitting I put on a knife to include bolsters and backstraps are hardended. The tempered martinsite when etched in ferric cloride turns very dark black.

When you see a knife with damascus fittings that are a dull grey and do not match the blade the fittings have not been hardended.

 

[In_blade]

Muriatic acid - you will find it at the Home Depot near the pool supplies. Also great for cleaning your concrete driveway.