Finally made a proper blade etching tank, thanks cbr900son!

jonnymac44

jonnymac44

Joined
Sep 27, 2007
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A while back, William (cbr900son) here on the forum was kind enough to send me pics of how he made his etching tank. I've been busy but today finally took a little time to get one put together. I think this will work much better than the mason jar I was using that had the metal top rotting away:D

For anyone who is still etching blades in open containers and wants to do something a bit more safe and secure, this is a really easy project to put together. 2 inch PVC, glued the bottom cap on with some good 'ol "red hot" blue pvc glue, made a couple different hooks for different sized blades from 1/8" welding rod, filed a groove in the top of the pipe to hold hook securely, and mounted the pipe to a simple wooden stand with some water heater bracing strap. I think this will be a great setup and it only cost about $10 in materials. I had scrap lumber and a roll of bracing strap on hand. Lots of people already have pvc glue on hand, mine was just too old so I had to buy a new can.

Thanks William!:thumbup:

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Very nice jonny! I will have to make up something like that later this summer...

Hey... will you get into some damascus? :D:D
 
Welcome! Glad it worked for you. For the base on mine I use a 1 foot square piece of plywood.

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Here is a shot of my setup. The stand is rock solid but portable and the pipes are easily removed. One is for Ferric & the other is for vinegar.
 

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Darrin I like the stand! Might have to steal that idea from you because I was thinking about a vinegar "tank" also. BTW darrin just got my oven in!
 
how long do you leave your blades in acid or vinegar?? I heard leaving in vinegar overnight will reduce decarb??

and pardon my memory but what is the purpose of this again..??

I just happen to have all the parts on hand to make some of these :D
 
You can etch a blade or fittings a darker color if its a carbon metal. Also used for damascus and san mai. Vinegar overnight works well. It helps to scrub and clean then redunk. For a faster etch a lot use ferric acid (circuit board etching solution at radio shack) diluted in water anywhere from 1:3 acid to water to 1:10 acid to water ratios. Ive done both methods and will be soon making one for my vinegar etches. Will probably steal darrin's stand idea!
 
I have used Muriatic acid as well, and it will give a nice etch even with stainless steels. Just did a couple of Elmax blades and got a nice gun metal antique finish after etching for about 2 hours in Muriatic and then doing some light sanding with 1200 grit.
 
I just assumed that everyone else was using the Pasta Boat right along with me. Then, I have to find out like this that I was wrong in my assumption.

If anyone is in the market for a Pasta Boat you'll soon be able to find one in the for sale section. Only slight used.

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jonnymac44 said:
I have used Muriatic acid as well, and it will give a nice etch even with stainless steels. Just did a couple of Elmax blades and got a nice gun metal antique finish after etching for about 2 hours in Muriatic and then doing some light sanding with 1200 grit.
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I was going to ask about stainless! Can you post a picture? Thanks.
 
David,
Here is an Elmax blade that I etched with Muriatic acid after going to a 400 grit machine satin finish. After this pic was taken I used some red scotch brite pads and 1200 grit wet paper to give it a bit of a smoother look and to brighten up the high spots on the grind lines. I'll get another picuture up after the kids hunt for Easter eggs :)

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Slightly different use, but it you ran an electrode to the bottom and made the hook from Ti, it would make a great anodizing and electric etching tank. Thanks for the idea! Now, it needs three tubes, acid, vinegar, and electrolyte.
 
Mike Davis said:
I will add that it needs 4 tubes, one for TSP, to neutralize :)
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Oh what about clear tubes with a oxygen thingy from a fish tank so you could have that cool evil lab look! LOL Honestly 4 tank isnt that crazy sounding once you kinda think about it.
 
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