Can you dilute ferric chloride with distilled vinegar?

[Leon Husock]

I've seen conflicting opinions on it, and what with the quarantine I'm having trouble finding distilled water. As far as I see it it's only 5% acetic acid and the rest is just distilled water, right? Anyone have experience with this?

 

[Richard338]

I recently took pure white vinegar and added some of what was already slightly diluted FC. It is working fine and didn't seem to react in any way.

The Texas knife instructions suggest something similar
https://www.texasknife.com/vcom/product_info.php?products_id=4228

 

[Ken H>]

What part of the world are you in Leon? If in USA just pick up a gallon of distilled water next trip to grocery store for groceries.

 

[Leon Husock]

What part of the world are you in Leon? If in USA just pick up a gallon of distilled water next trip to grocery store for groceries.

I’m in Connecticut. I tried, and unfortunately it’s all spring water there at the moment. We’re trying to limit grocery runs to every 2 weeks or so so it’s gonna be a bit before I can check again.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Just use tap water (unless you have heavily mineralized water). If your water has lots of minerals, use plain bottled water.

 

[Leon Husock]

Just use tap water (unless you have heavily mineralized water). If your water has lots of minerals, use plain bottled water.

The water here is slightly hard, but not too much. Will that work?

 

[HSC ///]

I’ve never used distilled water in my mixture.... I just use straight water

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

It should be fine. I never understood why people say to use distilled water. You aren't making medicines.

 

[REK Knives]

Yeah vinegar works fine in my experience. Really depends on that you're going for though probably, it will work faster.

 

[navman]

I used distilled vinegar and ferric Chloride etchant to remove broken taps from titanium. Worked well.

 

[Leon Husock]

I’ve never used distilled water in my mixture.... I just use straight water

It should be fine. I never understood why people say to use distilled water. You aren't making medicines.

I saw it around and always assumed it was an issue of anything in the water potentially reacting with the acid over time and changing its effect in some way (for instance, I've also heard it's important not to get copper in your FC, not that there's copper in my water), so it just made sense to me and I never questioned it. This definitely makes my life easier. Thanks, guys!

 

[weo]

I've also heard it's important not to get copper in your FC

Just for clarification:
While the need for distilled water is a myth, avoiding copper IS true. Unless you want a copper patina on everything else you ever etch in that solution that isn't durable at all, so not even useful for decoration on fittings.