finishing damascus hardware

Burchtree

Burchtree

KnifeMaker & Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Mar 15, 2002
Messages
5,368
how do you guys go about finishing damascus hardware once it's on your blades? I know some of you probably finish your guards before attaching them, but I don't shape 'em until they are on. Anyway, I've tried soaking a paper towel in the FC, but it doesn't do much. Last night, I took a FC-soaked q-tip and keep it wet but it didn't "bite" much into the damascus.

How do you guys do it?
 
I've only done a couple but I took painter's masking tape and masked off the handle and submerged the blade and gaurd.
 
How about this: Get one of those cans of dipping plastic for tool handles. Dip the blade as far as you need and trim off the excess around the gaurd with a razor blade. etch to your heart's content with some fc on a cotton ball. Peel off the plastic when done.

I haven't done this, but maybe it'll work?
 
Resist the areas off that you dont want to etch with finger nail polish.
Etch the parts, then acetone off the resist. Certain permanent markers work as resist also. Markers make this kind of thing really easy.
 
Michael-

Personally, I don't think there's anyway a guy can do it that way and make it look right.

You need a good depth to your etch, and you will also need to do finish work to the hardware after it's etched.

You've gotta' put a handle together so that you can take it back apart, etch the parts, finish them, and reassemble.

Same thing for bluing and browining fittings... :)
Nick
 
I knew someone was going to say that. :grumpy: :D She ain't coming off now though! :)
 
Actually, I had the same problem since most of my guards are contoured to the knife, just the way I do 'em. If your using a stabilized wood or something super tough like ironwood, you can finish the knife and dip the whole thing into the ferric without any harm to the rest. I've done this several times. I also use plastic spacers instead of the paper ones. I don't know how the paper would hold up. After you dip the whole knife (and I do a deep etch) you can take it right to the buffer and finish her off.

This is one with cable I did that way. You can see I went far enough down to etch the pin too so it all matched.
game%20caper%20gold%20maple.JPG
 
I agree with J.
as long as there are no copper alloys on your knife, and you use stable handle materials there is no reason you can't dip the whole knife.
del
 
There's absolutely no reason you can't do a contoured guard the same way I described as well.

Obviously this particular blade you won't be able to do that with.

It's interesting to me that Ferric will eat into steel, but some of you are willing to put a finished handle into it. If you don't think that ferric is getting at your adhesive and the handle material at a cellurlar level you should think again.

And in the end, IMHO, it's easier to make a handle that will dissassemble for etching than it is to put it all together and have to deal with masking and cleaning.

Just my $0.02
Nick
 
Nick, if you cover everything up with finger nail polish including the handle the etchant won't get to it. I've done several this way with damascus hardware and plain steel blades and the acid doesn't make it to any parts but those that aren't uncovered. Now if you think that ferric chloride will penetrate finger nail polish, you better think again. I can drop a mirror polished blade covered with nail polish in ferric chloride mixed 4 to 1 and leave it for an hour and when I clean he polish off, the blades just like it was before I covered it with polish. We all have our own ways and I wouldn't do anything to my knives that would knowingly cause any problems or weak spots down the line. So don't critize how others do things, just don't do them yourself if your not comfortable with their techniques. I also wouldn't suggest anything, as I know Darrel wouldn't, that I haven't tested several times myself.

Bill
 
I never said finger-nail polish wouldn't resist. I use it as a resist for the inside surfaces of damascus hardware when etching before final assembly.

You're right, everybody does things differently. But does that mean I am supposed to just smile and nodd even when I see something I don't agree with or think could be done better? I never said, "don't do it that way, that's wrong." I just put out my personal thoughts on the subject and said I felt it should be thought about. If we can't say that sort of thing here, what the hell is this forum for?
 
NickWheeler said:
Michael-

Personally, I don't think there's anyway a guy can do it that way and make it look right.

You need a good depth to your etch, and you will also need to do finish work to the hardware after it's etched.

You've gotta' put a handle together so that you can take it back apart, etch the parts, finish them, and reassemble.

Same thing for bluing and browining fittings... :)
Nick
Click to expand...


I am with ya Nick. I have always gotten the best results by making the knife with a good tight fit, finishing it out, disassembling, then etching. I have used guide pins at times to make sure everyting goes back together exactly the same way. I find that it is great practice and if you get used to doing knives this way for the etching, you will also notice a certain sharper, cleaner look and fit on all of your knives as the habit will catch on. Pluse the freedom to just etch any way you like is very nice.
 
Oops! I read Nicks post and just replied without reading to the end of the thread. I didn't know I was steppin into the OK corral :( Oh the heck with it, I still do it your way Nick ;) . I do also use plenty of ashpaltum based resist, however. If you have those fittings put together with real tight precision, etching can make things a little loose. So cover any parts that will have metal to metal contact in the final fit to keep things tight.

So I use a bit of both, I guess (I say as I tip toe behind the nearest wagon ;) )
 
Im an "etch before assembly kinda guy". All it takes is one pinhole to let FC in and ruin the looks of a finished blade or part. I dont like using finger nail polish on fine ivory and what about exotic textured horn like sheep horn. Not every knife has to be a "take down" knife but the parts can be finished completely including the etching, bluing and polishing before final assembly with epoxy. just my 2 cents.
 
Bill, sorry if I seemed hostile...a lot of things going hay-wire in the shop lately, makes for shorter attitude strings.

Everybody-

Kevin articulated what I was thinking much better than I did myself.

Almost all of my bowies and daggers have locator pins in the fittings so that everything will go back exactly where it belongs. You can do this with a knife like the one J posted, or you can also bed the handle...or just make it fit really tight to begin with :) all three together is dyn-O-mite :D

I feel Kevin made a good point on the "clean and sharp" part of this. When you put your knives together with the increased care/precision required to be able to take it apart before final assembly, you will most likely see an improvement in "cleanliness and sharpness" to your final product.

So to re-word this. I'm not saying the way I do it is better. But I do believe it gives you more options in the way the hardware can be finished, and will not have any chance of accidental ill effects on your handle material from etchant.

Nick
 
You mean you's guys ain't using that nice brown acid to dye yer woods? :p

Sorry, I be in a manic phase tonite..... now where's that moon? :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top