Best coating for an etchant resist?

NJBillK

NJBillK

Custom Leather and Fixed Blade modifications.
Joined
Mar 27, 2014
Messages
9,594
How's it going folks?

I have read some anecdotal reports that Hammered silver and similar coatings may not be best for etching, is this true?

The basis for this was the depressions and dings could be close to going all the way through the coating to the steel, and these dings could also etch, if not (overly) careful.

Does anyone have first hand experience with this occurring?

Is there a preferred coating for a resist for etching?
 
I've etched a few different coatings...never any of the "hammered"..but it should be fine...as long as no bare steel is showing.

You could always mask the area around the logo to be sure..
 
I usually build a hot glue "dam" around the area I'm etching just to be on the safe side (and it's less messy that way).

~Chip
 
I etched a knife with the moss green coating and the etchant did manage to make its way to the steel through the deeper dimples in the coating.
 
amflud said:
I etched a knife with the moss green coating and the etchant did manage to make its way to the steel through the deeper dimples in the coating.
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Fantastic! This was the information I was seeking.

I like the coating for use, being as smooth as that type is, but I also like bare steel. I tend to etch and chemically strip all of my coated blades.

Mind if we get a pic of the marks?
Thanks again!
 
I sold that knife years ago and Photobucket is now holding hostage the few pics I did take. Sorry!

The nail polish sounds like a good trick.
 
The effect it had reminded me of the INFI dimples that used to be found in the steel after stripping the coating.
 
2017-09-19 20.28.13.jpg
This one was moss green. Same texture as the hammered silver. If you look closely you can see where the etchant made it thru some of the "fish eyes" and etched some little pock marks around the logo. If I were to do it again I think I'd try filling the low spots with some nail polish.
 
Damn dimples or not it looks pretty nice for a home etch job, just consider them character marks or if anyone asks say its factory grinder marks
 
clampdaddy clampdaddy
Thanks, for the pics.
For your future purchases that you plan to strip, will you choose a different coating just because of this experience?

I agree that it is a good etch job, but if I am going to etch/strip, I will choose a coating that does not allow the etchant to breach.
 
clampdaddy said:
View attachment 768071
This one was moss green. Same texture as the hammered silver. If you look closely you can see where the etchant made it thru some of the "fish eyes" and etched some little pock marks around the logo. If I were to do it again I think I'd try filling the low spots with some nail polish.
Click to expand...

Still looks great, doesnt detract one bit imho.
 
NJBillK said:
clampdaddy clampdaddy
Thanks, for the pics.
For your future purchases that you plan to strip, will you choose a different coating just because of this experience?

I agree that it is a good etch job, but if I am going to etch/strip, I will choose a coating that does not allow the etchant to breach.
Click to expand...
That one was a grab bag blade so I didn't pick the color, but I will say that I would not pick one of the fish eye textured finishes for a blade that I planned to etch. I just pick a regular color like tanker, black, muddy or sage. Whatever I think will look nice with my handle material until I get around to stripping it.
 
I just ran into something today that I've never had happen before. Etching the logo on a Ratweiler and only the first few letters are turning black under the etchant solution. Anybody else ever had that happen?
 
clampdaddy said:
I just ran into something today that I've never had happen before. Etching the logo on a Ratweiler and only the first few letters are turning black under the etchant solution. Anybody else ever had that happen?
Click to expand...
I have had this happen during an electro-etch when I had the current hooked up incorrectly. I flipped it around and it etched fine, but was prone to staying dark, which I was OK with. I ended up darkening the etch once I was finished anyway.

Are you using a chemicals or electronics to etch?
 
clampdaddy said:
That one was a grab bag blade so I didn't pick the color, but I will say that I would not pick one of the fish eye textured finishes for a blade that I planned to etch. I just pick a regular color like tanker, black, muddy or sage. Whatever I think will look nice with my handle material until I get around to stripping it.
Click to expand...
Have a desert bronze blade in the way. From the coupon available on the Busse site when ordering; It looked to be similar to the flatter, rougher surface with a more even distribution and less low spots... So I am thinking it will work well once I get some wear on it and want to strip it.

With my luck, I will drop it and take a bunch of small dings out of the coating around and within the logo...
:rolleyes:o_O
 
2017-09-21 15.52.09.jpg
NJBillK said:
I have had this happen during an electro-etch when I had the current hooked up incorrectly. I flipped it around and it etched fine, but was prone to staying dark, which I was OK with. I ended up darkening the etch once I was finished anyway.

Are you using a chemicals or electronics to etch?
Click to expand...
I am using pcb etchant. I've been cleaning the logo with brake cleaner and reapplying fresh etchant every half hour or so for a few hours now and for some reason a few letters just won't turn black. I always assumed the black was the chemical reacting with the steel but I don't know that for fact. Just hoping I don't end up with an uneven etch.
 
Clean it as you have been, then dry it thoroughly and scrub the logo with baking soda and a toothbrush to stop everything else.

Wash the logo out with dish detergent and a toothbrush to get anything off of the steel that is still lingering, Do this a few times. Dry it, and give it another go.

Hopefully anything that was on the alloy will be gone and you will get a decent darkening.
------
Did you dilute the PCB Etchant?
 
I would use Denatured Alcohol on a Q-tip or the dish soap....Brake Cleaner has a small amount of oil and leaves a residue to lubricate some of the small moving parts on Drum Brakes.
 
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