Hand Written/Drawn Makers Mark Technique?

[FullyTorque]

I'm looking for different ways to put a hand drawn makers mark on a blade. I can do either acid etch with FeCl or electo-etch.
The basic idea is to paint some medium on the blade and then use a sharp instrument to write/draw through the medium to expose the blade. Then etch like you would with a stencil.
I've tried using epoxy paint thinned with acetone, as per Blue Thunder Stencils how-to. But the paint tends to chip and give very uneven lines.
I've been thinking maybe wax would work well for smoother edges and then use acid instead of electo-etch.

Are there any makers out there that have a good technique for doing this type of etching?

I have decided I want to do my initials as my makers mark. Instead of just doing plain letters I'm going to do them the way I sign them. I think it's distinctive yet still legible. I also like the idea of doing them freehand since I'm pretty consistent with how I write them and I can adjust size for each blade. Plus, I kinda like the fact that each one would be just a tiny bit different.

 

[tattooedfreak]

Just use a normal acid resist or fingernail polish. Tape off around the area and you should be fine.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Here you go:
http://www.knifemaking.com/product-p/ecsr3.htm

 

[Frank Niro]

You can always get a stencil made. Frank

 

[FullyTorque]

Thanks for the advice. I've thought about having stencils made up but wanted to try hand drawn first just to see how it comes out.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

The stencil tape I showed is perfect for hand drawn stencils. You tape a piece down on a piece of typewriter paper and "draw" the design with a ball point stylus. (You can also put a second piece of paper over the stencil and draw with a pen.) The stencil is then removed and then used as any stencil with an electro-etcher.

 

[drysideshooter]

The stencil tape I showed is perfect for hand drawn stencils. You tape a piece down on a piece of typewriter paper and "draw" the design with a ball point stylus. (You can also put a second piece of paper over the stencil and draw with a pen.) The stencil is then removed and then used as any stencil with an electro-etcher.

That is very interesting. So when you sign the stencil paper with a stylus is removes or somehow cuts the stencil paper, so when you remove it from the typewrite paper it is a stencil?

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

The paper has a blue resist on the back. Tape it on typing paper blue side down. As you write/draw on it the resist transfers to the typing paper Use sufficient pressure). When you lift the stencil, you now have the shape written/drawn with no resist. The etching will take place in those clear areas, as with a normal marking stencil. Tape the stencil on a blade ( blue side down) as you would a stencil from Ernie or any other stencil maker. Use your etcher pad as normal. You can use the stencil a couple times if you gently rinse it off and blot it dry.

Full Torque - if you want a foot of this stencil material, send me an email with your mailing address.

 

[drysideshooter]

Thank you for the information. That might be handy for marking the type of steel on a blade too, instead of having stencils made for every type that might be used.

 

[FullyTorque]

Wow, thanks Stacy. I was thinking that the paper was photo-reactive type, but what you're talking about would work much better for hand drawing.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

I just sent you a piece.

 

[Del Raso Knives]

If you want to go with your original idea you can use beeswax as your resist and aqua regia (acid) You will have to mix your own aqua regia, if you do be very careful as it is extremely corrosive. Only takes 15 to 20 seconds for a deep etch. The beeswax wont lift or chip and you can use a heavy needle or similar to write with. Also best to round the point just a tad so it slides over rather than scratches your blade.

 

[Kloepper Knife Works]

I tried a few different paints to do one off jobs like this. I found that Krylon Magnetic Paint from a rattle can does a good job sticking to the steel if it's clean, resists the electro etching process as long as you keep the voltage around 12v, and doesn't tear when I scratch it away with a sharpened carbide scribe (will faithfully replicate a line as thin as I can scratch) . The other nice is thing is that you can make inverted images, print them on magazine paper at kinkos with one of their laser printers, and transfer the image to the paint with a much higher success rate than the methods people show applying it directly to steel, and since it's just a guide for your scribe instead of acting as the insulation during etching it doesn't need to be perfect anyway. (perfect if you're a crappy artist, but good tracer, like I am)

 

[Kloepper Knife Works]

I forgot to mention, with paint, you can almost get an idea for how well it will work by its texture. Paints that feel smooth and plasticy after they dry tend to tear when you're trying to make your pattern, dry or really matte paints tend to be poor at resisting the absorption of the electrolyte and get cloudy if more than a light etch is desired or the details are fine. You want something that hits the middle ground, at least that has been my experience.

 

[S.Alexander]

I'm curious to see your results when you use the materials from Stacy. Show some pics when you're done.