Etching Damascus

[Gregory Rolfes]

When I’m etching my steel it always seems to turn out great with very little contrast.thoughts?
my process:
Harden
Temper
Hand sand to 2000 grit
let it sit in FC for 5-15 min( ferric is premixed in a solution) I’m not diluting it or mixing.
remove and rinse with water and its gray with very little contrast.

I’m re-using the FC every time i etch a new blade. Returning it back to the bottle. could this be an issue?
Am I missing something that’s causing it to turn gray?

The Damascus is Alabama Damascus.

 

[Richard338]

It is a bit of an art and sometimes a piece will be a bit stubborn.
Your acid is likely too strong. Does your piece feel gritty after?
My best results are:
Clean piece with solvent to remove oils.
Dilute FC 3-4 fold.
Soak 3 times, each time for 15 minutes.
Wash and rinse with ammonia containing Windex after each soak.
Lightly polish the high spots after the first two soaks.
Wipe with breakfree oil when finished.
An old thread suggested trying cold blue to improve the contrast at the end if the piece is stubborn, but that didn't do much for me.
Good luck.

 

[Stark Knives]

Hi there! Here's a video about how I do my etching. I do all of my Alabama damascus in this manner and I have been able to get some really nice contrast on them. A coffee etch really helps things in my experience.

 

[weo]

Am I missing something that’s causing it to turn gray?

Based on what you typed, you're missing the last step, the final sanding/polishing.

I sand to anywhere between 800 -1500 grit, then etch in acid as many times as needed to feel some topography with a fingernail, then rinse and do a final sanding/polishing with 5000 grit paper using a very hard backer. This sands/polishes the high spots (nickel steel) that resists the acid etch, but doesn't get into the low spots.

I'll also agree with Richard338 , that your acid might be a bit strong. This could be causing the nickel steel to etch a little. Most (if not all) makers suggest a 3:1-5:1 water to acid concentration and multiple etching/rinsing/cleaning cycles to get the contrast they are looking for.