Having trouble getting a clean etch using alcohol and acetone

[RyanW]

If I have this correct?
1 sand blade to 1200-1500
2 CLEAN and rinse
3 etch for short period of time
4 spray with windex
5 (and this is where i've been struggling) lightly sand? I've evidently been sanding too much cause after 5 dips all I have is a shiny (mirror) blade, cause I just keep sanding untill smooth??? after reading this I don't think I should have been sanding so much cause it looks really cool when it comes out of the tank .
6 repeat steps 3 4 and 5 untill you get what you like?

One last question, will the black fade in time?

great thread thanks for the help.

Rock, Most likely you are sanding off the etch (If I am correct) The etch is thin oxidation (Slow form of Rust, or if you want to get crazy Fire) that can be removed pretty easily.... Sometimes you can get away with polishing a Hamon with 1500 + grit but if you keep sanding it will go away. I pull the blade out of etch, Neutralize with Windex (Ammonia) very thoroughly, then Polish with Flitz until you don't get any more black on your polish cloth then Oil blade well.

 

[PIndelicato]

That looks cool, Dewey, and I think you might be the only person I've 'met' who takes longer than me to finish a knife!

Rock, from my perspective as someone who is new to hamon formation, etching and polishing and has only done a few blades...

The hamon is always there and should be visible even after you sand off the oxides, although it is much more subtle and you might need to find the right light to see it in all its glory. The steel etches differently in the harder and softer areas, so when you first pull it from the etchant the contrast is much more noticeable. The more you sand/polish/flitz after etching, the more oxides you will remove and the less contrast you will see. I don't know if the sanding/etching steps I'm doing are really necessary or not.

I would think that if a lot of the oxides are left on the steel surface after etching (ie, 'black'), they would indeed wear off over time with use.

 

[S.Grosvenor]

Thanks, working much better tonight:thumbup: