Etching Your Knife Blades with Anything You Can Print On Paper

C

corinkayaker

Joined
Jan 29, 2011
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47
Like the title says... everything in this video you should have in your house or have easy access to.

I posted this on Australian Blade forums.... maybe someone here will find it useful too.

I came up with this compilation of methods to get around buying a machine to etch, and to give me the unlimited flexibility of the commercial circuit board etch transfer papers, which are troublesome and expensive compared to this method.

[video=youtube_share;kROUeOtuXmE]http://youtu.be/kROUeOtuXmE[/video]
 
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That's great!
I tried this last year, but couldn't get the toner to transfer to the metal. The glossy paper must be the key.
What function does the nail polish serve? Is it just a sealant around the toner resist?
 
daizee said:
That's great!
I tried this last year, but couldn't get the toner to transfer to the metal. The glossy paper must be the key.
What function does the nail polish serve? Is it just a sealant around the toner resist?
Click to expand...

Yes mate glossy thin catalogue pages don't waste your time on anything else.

The toner used as a resist is not perfect, and if there are large areas that have no breaks in the toner where you want the etch to occur, the current finds its way through the toner and etches where you don't want it to creating a "shadow" by nail polishing any large areas the path of least resistance is to the unprotected areas you actually want the etch to occur, so very little if any marks where you don't want them. you will see what I mean if you don't do it.

That and pink is nice on a knife....
 
Definitely gonna try that, but with a premade machine. I have easy access to laser printers at work so I'm gonna have some fun with the spoons and forks at work lol.
 
mgysgthath said:
Definitely gonna try that, but with a premade machine. I have easy access to laser printers at work so I'm gonna have some fun with the spoons and forks at work lol.
Click to expand...

Haha thats the way mate. I have not done it with stainless but should work... remember the paper is really important needs to be cheap thin glossy stuff. cut it carefully as it is the natural enemy of paper feeder which it tends to jam in every so often. the possibilities are endless and cheap too if work is supplying the toner...
 
Thanks Hesparus,
I am happy if somebody else finds it useful. I have learnt a lot from forums such as this one.
 
Nice video. Yes, you need a laser or solid ink(Xerox Phaser). I haven't gotten the solid ink to work without smearing, but theoretically it should. You need to be careful to dab and not rub the q-tip or you can rub the toner off of the finer points.

Are you just cutting the paper out of a magazine or catalog?

INKJET WILL NOT WORK
 
This is awesome! Eliminates the need for the pink/blue photo paper, projector paper, and the UV box. I can't wait to try this!
 
that's awesome... thanks for the tip... adding this to my subscriptions so i can find it again later...
 
Saw this for the first time about a week ago... very cool, and I'm sure the possibilities are endless.

On a related note, this is another project that was done using the same principles:

etching-tins-salt-water-and-electricity-compliment-steampunk-bible-article


600x400xetch-project-beauty.JPG.pagespeed.ic.0AL3VwIdt7.jpg
 
Staples Photo basic gloss paper works real well. I used it when I used to make my own printed circuit boards. Once you have your design Staples or Office depot and the like all have laser printers. The store bought paper may not be as cheap as magazines but has no problems feeding and as you get quite a few resists per sheet the cost is low.
 
zaph1 said:
Are you just cutting the paper out of a magazine or catalog?

INKJET WILL NOT WORK
Click to expand...

Yes mate, I just cut them neatly from an electronics catalog, works great for me with the little printer shown.

ib2v4u said:
Staples Photo basic gloss paper works real well. I used it when I used to make my own printed circuit boards. Once you have your design Staples or Office depot and the like all have laser printers. The store bought paper may not be as cheap as magazines but has no problems feeding and as you get quite a few resists per sheet the cost is low.
Click to expand...

That may help some people with issues feeding the magazine paper, and it is really good of you to share it with them! Thanks

I am heading off to find the part of this forum where you post intros, and I just loaded a video on how I measure up and mark up gas forges, install the refractory etc..
 
I was not able to get the toner to transfer to the steel and remain without peeling off with the paper.
Any more tips? I'd like to try again.
 
daizee said:
I was not able to get the toner to transfer to the steel and remain without peeling off with the paper.
Any more tips? I'd like to try again.
Click to expand...

Sure I can try and help.

First I am going to assume you are using a laser printer (very very important as specified above) and that you are using cheap glossy catalog paper as I do.

If you are then there are several reasons your toner won't stick that I have found....

1) your blade is not spotlessly clean. Wipe it down thoroughly with acetone and try again. Oils from your skin will prevent it happening.

2) Your blade is not flat, and the iron is not making firm contact with the paper.

3) Your iron is not hot enough. I use it on the hottest setting, being linen.

4) You are not holding it on long enough.... the steel does not have to get to a massively high temperature, but it does have to get very hot for the transfer to stick. Thicker blades are much harder to do and take a lot longer to get hot enough. Try using a thinner blade to practice and get a feel for it.... An old bread and butter knife will do.
If you get it too hot or press too hard the toner will smudge and smear on the job, you are not having that issue so I would suggest giving it a bit more.


5) one more thing. you need to cool the blade down and thoroughly soak the paper before trying to peel it off. I assume you have done that as I did in the video. If you don't make the paper all soggy and mushy and gently rub it off then again it won't work...



I hope something above helps but if not tell us a bit more about your printer and the paper you are using and maybe the combined wisdom of the forum can find the solution.

Kind Regards
 
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