Etch-O-Matic or what else?

[Freddy Ramos]

Hi. What can I use besides an Etch-O-Matic to etch my custome knives? What other products are out there? I try hand engraving my knives with a Dremel, but it never comes out how I want it to.

 

[Lorien]

I'm interested in this as well. How do you guys get those clean etched marks?

 

[Fred.Rowe]

Electro Chem Etch systems work well. Things that help produce a good etch: quality stencils, fresh etching fluid and letting the gas escape from under the pad attached to the magnet. A technique I use is to add a couple of drops of denatured alcohol to the surface of the stencil once it is in place. The alcohol creates cohesion that keeps the stencil in place on the steel.

 

[LexEdman]

Call Pops Knife Supply in Ga. I just purchased a unit a month ago.

 

[Cody Hofsommer]

I'm also in the market, what does the different voltages do? Depth, or time, or what? Texas knife has personalizer and personalizer plus. 12 and 18 volts respectively. Pops is $20 cheaper on the Plus though. Thanks.

P.S. I'm new here, but I,ll introduce my self later.

 

[butcher_block]

here you go
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSyuYYflu98&context=C398d5ebADOEgsToPDskKe9NWF9hIUeWU-VGFl0v4n

 

[Cody Hofsommer]

Thanks Butch (can I call you that?) good video, good stuff.

 

[Freddy Ramos]

Hi Butch. I saw your knives. Are you etching your name on the knives or are they stamped?

 

[Shaw Blades]

Wow great video. I've been reading how to do this but seeing really helps. Thanks.

 

[Remyrw]

Nice video. Not really anything new for me other than seeing your technique with the pad. I generally don't move that aggressively, more a slide across it, but my mark's a lot smaller than yours too, so the whole mark is under the pad at once. I'll have to try that out.
I just upgraded from the basic etcher with no depth to a home built using a model train transformer so I'll have to see what kind of difference it makes in my technique as well.

 

[butcher_block]

i am always asked if i stamp my mark but no i dont its all done jsut the way i showed in the video
and my logo is covered by the pad i jsut want to make suer and keep cleaning the oxides off the mark so it can keep etching deeper

 

[Remyrw]

So it's more a scrub than a rub. gotcha. I'll have to give that a try once I finish wiring things up. I just got the wire this afternoon so probably tomorrow to try things out for real. I'm definitely looking for some depth. Maybe not quite as deep as you go, but enough that even if the mark is scrubbed clean the etch will still be clear enough to be distinct.