Damascus etching question

B

bennett

Joined
Sep 22, 2005
Messages
212
Good evening, all!
This is a follow-up, of sorts, to a previous question. I'm getting ready to finish my first couple of Damascus blades from my first Damascus billet. Once the blades are finished and hardened, I want to etch them to bring out the pattern ( 128 layers - 1084, 15n20, and an oddball piece of O1 I had laying around on the bench that day...). I've etched a small sample piece, and the pattern's cool! I guess my question is, how to I keep the contrasting gray and silver after the etch? Once it comes out of the FeCl, I need to remove the resulting oxide, without polishing it up and removing the pattern - in other words, I want the gray to stay gray, and not "polish out" and turn silver like the 15n20. Can anyone suggest the best way to do this? I thought about using 0000 steel wool, but am not sure if that would polish it too much. Suggestions are very much appreciated!
 
I etch several times at a couple minutes each time using 0000 steel wool in between. When I can feel the layers with my thumb nail I remove it from the etch, (dont use steel wool the last time) rinse it off in hot water and boil it on the stove with a spoon of baking soda for about 10 minutes to neutralize it. This also seems to lock that black oxide in the low spots. Next use very fine sand paper on a small flat board or popsycle stick and flat sand just the high layers. I go to 2000 and up. If you try to buff it the black will turn to dull silver. Oil or wax will keep it from rusting
 
If you are using PCB enchant from radio shack add 1/2 vinegar to it.
This adds some darkness to the etch also.
 
Bruce.
I have never tried the boiling trick myself. :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:
Ill give it a try!
Thanks for the tip.:p :p :p :p
 
Thanks for the advice, fellas. I plan on finishing these blades tonight so I can start handling them tomorrow (wife's going out of town for a meeting, leaving me with an entire week of evenings to do nothing but work on knives!:D ). Darrel, when you say add 1/2 vinegar, do you mean for instance, if I mix 1/4cup of PCB with water, I should also add 1/8cup of vinegar?
 
Cool Ideas,never tried either one of the ideas.I will have to watch the thread because I am also interested in the way to mix the vinegar into the etchant.
Bruce
 
I'll definitely be trying the vinegar/pcb technique, as well as the boiling trick. I don't think I have any 2000 grit on hand - only up to 1200. However, I have some crocus cloth. Stuff's so fine it feels like there is no grit, but it'll polish the heck out of everything I've tried it on. Do you think that'd work instead of 2000 grit?
 
I like the 4000 grit pink polishing cloth that I get from Rio Grande
It is a 3m paper.
I think Pop has it also.
It works great after 2000 to get that mirrored look without taking the contrasting black out of the bottom of the grooves.:D

Nothing better that a good loking piece of damascus.
Anyone got a sample of the look they like on there steel?
damtwdag.jpg
 
Wow Darrel How did you get the plum blue on that knife handle. Did you blue the whole handle and then sand off the high spots., Also I hate to sound ignorant but what is the PCB you are etching the damascas with from Radio Shack that you are adding vinegar to.

LonglineCharlie
 
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