Blade etching my way part #1 (lots of pics...)

[mostho]

Hello guys this is my way to etch a blade.
And if it works perfectly on a very nice steel I suppose it works perfectly for every kinda of work also for stainless.

My inspiration was yesterday when I disgorged my bath tub and using the liquid acid it stained all aruond my stainless ware...


So that's my way: it is simple, very effective and gives quite nice results with a minimum effort. If I do this results I think that every one can give the same results easily.

Please use every precautions since I'm using diluted acid, at least wear safety goggles.

Here it is my very complex electric equipment
A 9v battery, two crocs clips and some wire taken from loudspeakers. All fo this was securely taped so i don't need to soldier at all.

Since I'm a pro designer I have easy access on plotters and cutted adhesives. So first I designed with a vector software my logo that I use also for leather ware and I had to send it in factory. They did a very good job also me and this is my adhesive that I stick on the blade.

For this time I choosed a positive etch.

That's my fluid chosen for etching. A very cheap liquid disgorger. I read it the chemical composition: it is sulphuric acid in 90%. It is right this enough to stain every steel I suppose...
After finished this can I use now car battery fluid (30% sulphuric acid is fine).

Otherwise you can use salt water, vinegar... soemthing acid or very salty is fine


but i will use it in few drops diluted in some few ml of water: it is less dangerous and it is still effective since it is passed by DC current from my 9v battery. Those are my remembers of chemicals when I was a painting restorer.

So I sticked some masking tape previously touched several times with my fingers to loose some stickyness. It is better so no to stick too much the adhesive tape

I carefully apply on the blade the adhesive being careful to attach also the small parts of adhesive...

 

[mostho]

I carefully mask all around. I'm sorry that I don't have some american tape i think it will be better.
I clipped one croc on the tang of the blade and the other croc holds the cotton(or paper) bud.
So, I dipped inside the solution the cotton bud and i tipped. The steel is going darker and i hear some bubbling. Also I can smell hydrogen... yeah mates it works...

Notice the polarity and the crocs colours. If you invert you mark, if do like me you can engrave...

This is the final result after 2 minutes of tipping: the acid stained a bit and ate the stainless steel: it is something 0,2 mm but i think it is enough since i will not touch anymore the blade since further working for the handles...

This is a macro photo just after this treatment and with a short polishing with paper

Here I'm polishing with very fine paste used by car makers

This is the final result after the final polishing. It shines. And I clearly see the acid that ate the metal with fine bubbles engraving. The look is very professional and the result is very very pleasing I suppose.

I hope my way will help some mates in etching. I was insipired by other hints and I made my way. And I like it...


Cheers!
Mostho

 

[blindhogg]

Wow thats a really deep etch, Great job and thanks for sharing.
Chris

 

[mostho]

There are a lot of alternatives, once you comprehend how things goes, this is the very cheapskate way.

For example you can use for acid:
vinegar, lemon juice, salted water, any acid thingy.

You can use 9v battery or you can use any old DC charger from 3v to 18v:
you can use also an old 12v charger for drill batteries, or an old mobile charger, whoa.

It's easy!

Maybe the trickiest part is to find a plotter and a designer... but since I work also in that field it's easy to make any sticker with almost any shape.


So you can engrave flowers, animals or you logo in simple shape.
cheers

 

[Barry Clodfelter]

Now my head is spinning with ideas! Thanks for sharing that!!

One quick point to clear up. You just dabbed the solution over the area of your logo and not submerge the whole blade right?

 

[mostho]

Now my head is spinning with ideas! Thanks for sharing that!!

One quick point to clear up. You just dabbed the solution over the area of your logo and not submerge the whole blade right?

happy to be share useful tips!
Some acid, some dc current, some stencil or something to engrave et voila!

Of course, just tip the cutted area inside the stencil, carefully and softly otherwise you can detach the small stencil cuttings inside.

But if you submerge the whole knife you can obtain a negative of your logo, for example. Some people do it ths way with ferric.

Feel free to ask more... but it is so easy!

Cheers