Etching 154CM problems

U

unky_gumbi

Joined
Aug 28, 2009
Messages
7,951
I am trying to get a decent makers mark etch on 154cm and all I am doing is burning up stencils:grumpy:

This is my first time trying to etch stainless and I am using the Crawford etching unit. It works fine on tool steel and HC steels with a salt water solution other than I have troubles getting it dark enough for my tastes. I knew that I should be using electrolyte for stainless so I bought some from knifemaker.ca, and I am using Ernie Grospitch's Blue Lightening stencils. The pad was changed after the first attempt and made no difference. It is getting frustrating because all I am getting is a faint ghost like etch that is just enough that I have to work to sand it out and I have never burnt through stencils like this before, even when I was using a car battery charger to etch my mark.

I am heading out to grind away the last attempt at getting a good mark and hand sand them back to a good finish while I am waiting to see what suggestion people have. I don't have a whole lot of steel left to make another bad etch before these become scrap and I don't want to scrap them, because they are for a fund raising cause. I would rather sell them with no mark than a bad mark.
 
Do you have a mulitmeter? You could check and make sure you're getting the right voltages on both the AC and DC settings.
 
Looks like I need a new transformer or a connection is going bad:( I just checked the voltages and I am getting 6.5 and 7.1 at both the ends of the leads and at the banana plugs on the box, so the wires outside of the unit are good, but something is wrong inside. Its kind of strange, I etched an O-1 blade just last week with no problem, something I was working on while i waited for the electrolyte to come in, put the etcher away in its normal spot and didn't touch it till last night when I brought it in the house to warm up over night.

I am going to have to break open the unit and do some more investigating. I have the time now, looks like the fund raising knives are on hold till Monday, I am out of 400g wet dry paper:o
 
I was having similar problems and was able to fix it by replacing the corroded clips and redoing some sloppy internal connections. Luckily my FIL helped me, all I know about electronics is that when you turn it on the light is supposed to glow. :D
 
I am willing to bet that if you take the clips apart and cut back the wires 1/2" to get new strands, you will solve the problem. The clips corrode ate the copper wire and plated screw. I just put on new clips. I get them in a bag of twelve ( six black six red) from Radio Shack.
 
Stacy I get the same voltage readings at either end of the lead wires, that is why i suspect that it is something internal. I will find out in about 15 minutes after I open it up and take a few readings.
 
Didn't even have to take any voltage readings, one of the leads on the transformer was loose, a quick soldering and voltages are back up to 12 and 13. My pad is looking a little rough so i am going to make a new one tomorrow.
 
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