Aeb-l acid etch

K

klug932000

Joined
Nov 9, 2012
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127
Hey guys I'm looking to do a stonewash finish on a aeb knife. I've given it a few attempts and failed each time. I'm using straight pcb from radio shack. I've tried letting it soak from 30 mins to 10 hrs.

 
How are you prepping the blade before the bath? I have only satin finished AEB-L but haven't had an acid problem with other stainless. After it's good and clean, no prints or oils, give it a couple minutes of primer soak then rub it down with 0000 steel wool. Clean again then another bath. Ten minutes should do it. Repeat as necessary.

Mark
 
Further to the post above, when cleaning use latex gloves to avoid getting oils from your hands on the blade. Use acetone or denatured alcohol to clean it off.
 
Thanks for the tips, I have only sanded the blade no cleaning prep work.

I've read elsewhere that people have added vinager to the water pcb mix. Has anyone here tried this.

Thanks
 
No,I would use one or the other.Vinager will work and mustard or lemon juice works as well.I don't think you should mix anything but water with the FEC.
 
I'm certainly no expert but I etched AEB-L the other day and it worked well. The flats were left as mill scale finish and bevels taken to 400 and then scotch brite.

All I did for prep was clean well with soap/water then alcohol. My solution was 50/50 fe cl and white vinegar. I got an even grey finish.
 
I understand tumbling as a good-looking low-maintenance finish, and I understand passivating lower-alloy steels, but I don't understand the point of etching a highly corrosion-resistant alloy like AEB-L, just to turn it grey. What do you accomplish by doing that? Not as shiny for the high-speed/low-drag spec-ops crowd?

:confused:
 
james terrio said:
I understand tumbling as a good-looking low-maintenance finish, and I understand passivating lower-alloy steels, but I don't understand the point of etching a highly corrosion-resistant alloy like AEB-L, just to turn it grey. What do you accomplish by doing that?
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I'm also confused. What is the purpose of the acid etch?

Chuck
 
From my experience it's giving the customer the look they want and it doesn't show wear as much. I know what you're saying, though. If I keep keep getting asked for acid stonewashed I might as well go with a cabon steel with some chromium like 3v.
 
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I'm playing around with a stone wash finish. I have a few knives I ground out and am not real happy with, so Im trying different things with them.

I'm also playing around electro etching a makers mark on the ones I don't like.
 
Gotcha... I thought I was missing something really obvious :o :p

3V does look nice when it's etched.
 
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