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.

 

[Knifenewbie56]

How is etching sealed? I dont want the black to come off on the food. Dried then wipe down with a wax or oil seams to release it. Does it have to be boiled? Ive read that in a few posts.. Finishing this Damascus has been a mystery to me.

 

[A.McPherson]

Generally speaking it's the depth of the etching that determines if the oxides will stick around. If it's a shallow etch it's not going to retain the oxides very well. There are lots of ways to try to retain it. Lots of folks boil in concentrated coffee to darken, then wax. Some folks rust blue then oil, some paint... I think you just have to be comfortable with the fact that it's just not going to last that long...

 

[Knifenewbie56]

Thanks for the response. All part of my learning curve.

 

[weo]

How is etching sealed? I dont want the black to come off on the food. Dried then wipe down with a wax or oil seams to release it. Does it have to be boiled? Ive read that in a few posts.. Finishing this Damascus has been a mystery to me.

Wipe the blade a few times with water and most of the black will come off. You'll still see the pattern, just not as strong a contrast.
The black is just iron oxide carbon, not dangerous.
The deeper the etch the longer it lasts, but even with proper cleaning, with use the contrast will lessen over time.

 

[weo]

Here's a picture of my daily user for the past 5 years.

And here it is after final etching/finishing before I started using it.

 

[DevinT]

I think the black stuff is carbon/graphite. If you put a rusty bar of steel in ferric chloride, it will clean it. Mild steel comes out gray because of a lack of carbon. Heat treated steel has more carbon in solution, that’s why it comes out black.

Hoss

 

[weo]

I think the black stuff is carbon/graphite. If you put a rusty bar of steel in ferric chloride, it will clean it. Mild steel comes out gray because of a lack of carbon. Heat treated steel has more carbon in solution, that’s why it comes out black.

Hoss

edited, thanks for the correction.