Etching Damascus

A

Allen Elishewitz

Joined
Apr 9, 1999
Messages
83
I have a question for all the knifemakers about etching Damascus. After etching a lot of Damascus in one day why does the solution stop etching?
Thanks for your answers.
Allen Elishewitz
 
It's full.

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If God did not intend for us to eat animals. Why did he make them out of meat?
 
yeap, like mike says, full of steel....like anything it wont work forever, if you use ferric chloride you can add more water...but there comes a time when you gotta dump it out. warming it up helps it to work better too.

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http://www.mayoknives.com


 
I never ethched Damascus, but I'm chemist. Try cleaning Damascus surface via hard brush. IMHO products of etching stoping further etching and clean surface enable next etching.
 
I've wrestled with this too recently. I finally just dumped the Ferric Chloride and started with a fresh batch. What is frustrating about it for me is that when it loses its bite, it begins to etch unevenly. I've noticed that it favors some parts of the blade though I've cleaned them all the same. It works better on flats and less well in the middle of the hollow grind. It drove me nuts for the better part of a day, 'til I finally just started over.

BTW, I noticed that freshening the etchant with more Ferric Chloride didn't help. Something in the tank is actually retarding the etch. Must be the iron I guess.

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Jerry Hossom
www.hossom.com
 
Thanks for your replies. I thought this was the case. I was thinking about straining the solution through a series of filters.Do you think this might help?
Allen Elishewitz
 
At $5 per quart then mixed 50/50 with water, it doesn't pay to mess around with it much. When I dumped it, I didn't notice that much sediment so I doubt solids are the problem. More likely it's chemically depleted. My guess, anyway.

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Jerry Hossom
www.hossom.com
 
Thanks! I guess I will dump it and start with a fresh one. I swear I thought I made the solution last month!
See you guys at the Blade Show.
Allen Elishewitz
 
In the post on neutralizinf ferric chloride Walt Welsh stated that Ferrric chloride is a salt made up of a weak base Fe and strong acid Hydrochoric acid. So what happens when we etch is. We are adding base, eventually neutrilizeing the product. I'm no chemist but I think this is what happens. So you gotta use fresh when it quits.

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If God did not intend for us to eat animals. Why did he make them out of meat?
 
Allen
IMHO I have found that just adding a bit of FC to the solution you have works better. The older the stuff is the better the etch. Sometimes you get crappy damascus with steels that dont etch great together also. Some types require nitric solution or muratic solution to etch better. The soluton I have is about 2 years old . It does a great job. Scrubing ever 5 mins with a stiff brush will increase the depth of etch.. You should see the black material come off when you do this . This allows the acid to get ti a fresh layer and start etching again..

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Ferric chloride is "FeCl3", a salt made from a weak "base" and a strong acid. It etches, because it may be "reduced" to ferrous chloride "FeCl2", which contains MORE iron, but does not etch any more.
If "gone", you may reactivate it by addition of hydrochloric(=muriatic) acid, to form again "FeCl3".
Every etchant cuts faster if you "brush", because you are "freshening up" etchant in contact with steel.
One more thing: steel contains alloying elements which are also etched somewhat.
They tend to be "nobler" than iron and try to "coat" plain iron. So after elongated use, you will have to discard the etchant, now saturated with "wrong stuff".
Happy etching
smile.gif


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D.T. UTZINGER
 
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