etching SS damascus

balibalistic

balibalistic

Joined
Jul 14, 2004
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Need some input here, guys.

i'm working on my first damascus blade. its chad nichols SS damascus and its obviously a folder blade. i will be using PB bushings and washers on it, too.

How exactly do you guys mask off pivot holes and surrounding area so they're not etched?? i need to keep exact tolorances in order for bushings to do their job, so etching those area's is a no go.

Also, whats a good mixture of ferric chloride/ white vinigar? chad reccomends 50/50.., but can i make it weaker so i dont have a super deep etch? Basically can you'd educate me on etching folder blades

appreciate any input guys!
 
I mask the inside of the pivots and the areas where the washers will ride with nail polish. Wait till it is completely dry and it works well. I etch for 10min in a 50/50 mix of ferric and water. Then rinse in water with baking soda and then spray with windex with ammonia in it. Then I remove the nail polish with acetone and give the blade a quick buff to polish the high spots while leaving the low spots of the etch dark. This gives a nice contrast. If you want the blade darker mask off again and give the blade a quick dunk in the etch for 10 sec.
Play around with it till you get the results you are happy with.
 
I took mine to 800 grit. A tip on the nail polish, use a color not clear. You ma not notice a small drop of clear on the blade in a spot youy don't want it, plus a color shows exactly where you have it on the pivot area.
 
I follow the damascus makers directions. Devin Thomas says take the blade to a 400 grit finish with a new belt.

Yesterday I experimented with new ways to keep the dark background on the stainless damascus. After the blade came out of the etch I polished it by hand with some mothers mag wheel polish. It came out pretty good and did not brighten the blade up too much.
Lets see this knife!
Chuck
 
Cool!! so i could just hand rub on polish after??

it is one of my "cowboy bowies" based off a slipjoint type profile. will have TI handles with light blue ano and interframe inserts of CF. pics soon to come.

this kinda blade though:

bowslot3.jpg
 
Well that sucked!!!

not sure what i did wrong?? everything etched fine accept the tang?? the flats on blade and spine are fine, but tang and all around it turned out like shit. blade was 100% clean no finger prints or anything. i removed several though after heatreat. but i did not stir my mixture of vinigar/acid. could this be the problem?

either way, i assume i'll have to regrind, refinish ect??

dam.jpg
 
Any suggestions guys??

i think i'll just machine finish it this time, but its so thin that i only got one more shot!! so any advice would be great.
 
It looks like the pattern just wasn't long enough. but of course I could be wrong. Frank
Super work on those ballisongs . man ! Frank
 
Yes, Chuck. the tang does have pattern. it just came out like shit. Chad thinks it may be decarb, said it can happen occasionally. but i think it might be my lack of mixing the acid/vinigar without stirring.

The container i mixed it in just covers the entire blade. i poured vinigar in then used a funnel to mix acid. so i think it may have had alot more vinigar sitting on top..i think. i went back to grinder and reground blade, still need to clean up flats and reajust my bushing hardware. but i'll attempt a new etch tomorrow.and stir mixture this time.

I'd appreciate any other suggestions you's might have.
 
man shawn, sorry to see your road bump with this one. Thats a really nice pattern on that steel. If all else fails satin flats baby! Good luck with the re-etch
 
Shawn,
If you warm up the etch or warm up the blade you will get better results as well. Warm the blade with a hair dryer till it's warm to the touch.

You could also polish the flats and leave the bevels etched?

Just send it to me!
 
To late guys, i reground everything and am re adjusting it, to. if it does'nt fly this time i will have to satin the flats/spine as i use hidden pind and cant remnoive anymore steel or this entire knife is scrap.man i'm bummed out! alot of work into this one and its not going to be where i want it :mad:
 
Well, i tried n tried and ended up regrinding the entire blade from 220 grit up to 600. removed alot from flats and spine and i'm getting the exact same thing. theres no more steel to grind away so am i beat on this one?

i made a new mixture in a bigger bottle, stirred well so i know its good. the belels are great but tang is a no go.
 
Is the blade differentially hardended? Ive got no experience with stainless damascus, but with carbon steels the hardened section of the blade etches up much cleaner than the part that was clayed, or diddnt make it into the oil during the quench.
 
No differential hardening here,John. i followed Chads heatreat recipe and entire blade is an even hardness.
 
Shawn,
Did you cut the blade out of bar stock? Was the tang cut out at the end of the bar? Try buffing the tang to remove the oxide that builds up during etch. Or you could polish off the oxide with a piece of 2000 grip sand paper to expose more of the pattern.

This is interesting since the blade etched so well. I know some makers who get better results etching stainless damascus with muriatic acid. I would just etch more till you get the pattern you want. I have etched some blades up to 30 min to get the results I want.
 
Yes, it was barstock, and yes the tang is the end of the bar. this blade is roughly .020" thinner then where i began. my worry is that if i continue to etch it will be to deep for my taste and regrinding is a no go. i think i'll satin the flats and leave bevels etched on this one. next blade i do i'll put the tip at the end of the bar, as i will grind alot away, so hopefully i can avoid this.

thanks for all your input, though Chuck.
 
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