Etching damascus

G

Gene Martin

Joined
Feb 5, 1999
Messages
1,068
For those who do not have ferric chloride available to them, what is a good etchant for 1084/15N20 damascus. I sold three damascus blade blanks to a customer in another country and I'm scratching my head about what he can use to etch when final finishing is done on the blades.

Muriatic is probably avaulable to him, but it doesn't look that good on that combination of steels.

Any ideas are apprecuated.

Thanks,

Gene
 
Vinegar warmed in the microwave (or over a hot plate) with a few drops of dish-soap added to cut surface tension.

It's what I etch my clay hardened blades with. It's much more mild than Ferric, but it will get the job done.... and is actually a nicer etch, just more time intense.
 
NickWheeler said:
Vinegar warmed in the microwave (or over a hot plate) with a few drops of dish-soap added to cut surface tension.

It's what I etch my clay hardened blades with. It's much more mild than Ferric, but it will get the job done.... and is actually a nicer etch, just more time intense.
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Nick, how long does an average etch take and do you keep the temp going or just heat the vinegar once.

Thanks,

Jim
 
jim moyer said:
Nick, how long does an average etch take and do you keep the temp going or just heat the vinegar once.

Thanks,

Jim
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Jim, I think you'll find the vinegar will work best if its kept warmed up. I've been wanting to get a hot plate for a few years now and can never seem to find one at the second hand stores. Anyway when Mister Coffee developed a leak I cut off the parts I didn't need and just kept the pot warmer. Nice thing about using it is it doesn't get to hot and it will turn itself off if the oldman forgets to.
 
ryan9977 said:
what does surface tension have do with etching.....just curious....ryan
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Gas is generated by the chemical reaction. Bubbles form at the blade surface as it etches, which can stick and act as a mask, creating an uneven etch. Adding the surfactant reduces that tendency.

Historical note: in the elder days, the 70's and 80's, makers used to wipe with a feather as it etched to brush the bubbles away as they formed.
 
Raymond Richard said:
Jim, I think you'll find the vinegar will work best if its kept warmed up. I've been wanting to get a hot plate for a few years now and can never seem to find one at the second hand stores. Anyway when Mister Coffee developed a leak I cut off the parts I didn't need and just kept the pot warmer. Nice thing about using it is it doesn't get to hot and it will turn itself off if the oldman forgets to.
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Now thats a good idea Ray. However what is not a good idea is how am I going to break the coffee pot and not be that obvious.:jerkit:
 
I'm always glad my good friend Fitz is here to back me up and cover my grunt work. ;)

Or maybe I mean: to give a thorough, accurate, and scientifically based answer to things that I don't know how to answer. Um... Yea. That was it :D
 
Oh, and thanks to Ray too :)

I bought a new hotplate cuz I found out they're way cheap at places like Dork-Mart.

Gene, if your guy is patient, he can just leave them in room temp vinegar for a couple days and it will etch them.

I put a damascus blade (4" hunter) into vinegar (was supposed to be just overnight) to eat the forging scale off of it (BIG SAVING on belts that way) but I got busy with work and forgot it for 3 days. When I took it out it was etched about the same depth I'd get in a 4:1 (Water:Ferric) after 2- 30 minute cycles.

BTW- That was a lot of parenthesis. My college english prof would not be proud ;)
 
NickWheeler said:
I'm always glad my good friend Fitz is here to back me up and cover my grunt work. ;)
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I figured you were off to work making a living, Nick, so I'd go ahead and answer while I was sitting here on my old retired a$$ doing nothing. :)
 
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