help needed again on #@!* stencils

G

godogs57

Joined
Apr 16, 2004
Messages
795
I need help on my stencils....a while back I solicited help on this site and got a ton of good answers, for which I am very appreciative. Lately, though, my stencils have gotten very smoky, hazy, etc and wonder what could be the problem. The stencil is not worn out though...I am sure of that. I even used new stencils and they were still hazy as well. I am careful to use the correct etching fluid for the steel (stainless or carbon, etc). I etch on DC, blacken it up on AC afterwards, as y'all told me to do. I moisten the pad and blot it almost dry, apply it to the taped on stencil for three quick "3-counts" and then switch to AC and two or three "3-counts" again. When I remove the dang stencil 99 times out of a hundred it will have a smoky haze around the etching that makes it look like crap. This is on my mirror polished blades. It is not a problem on my satin finished blades, as, the satin finish will not show the haze. If I bring the mirror polished blade back to the buffer (loose wheel) I will buff off the blackened etching...screwing everything up. That is definately not the solution here. My etcher is variable in power and I have cranked it down to, oh, say, half power so to speak and I still end up screwing it up.

I had a guy that bought two knives last night and I ended up smoking up both etchings....it looked so damn unprofessional I almost gave him his money back. I am not wanting to go back to stamping the blade with a metal stamp yet...

Any suggestions are again appreciated.
 
Mine does that same thing, but I knid of do knowingly to get a deep etch. I stop buffing at the green ruge, etch, go green again lightly, them white. I looks pretty crisp when I am done. Frank Eaton
 
It all depends on how crisp you want your mark to look. At least a couple of wise knifemakers have told me they use their stencils once, and throw them away. The image gets blurred the more you use it. If you figure your knives are going to be sold for several hundred dollars, a stencil that cost maybe $2 is nothing.
 
Maybe not use the loose wheel to go over the etching, but use felt to lightly touch up just the surface?
 
Had the same problem. Try going for 7-8 3 counts and then blacken for 3-4. This would give you a deeper etch and the black won't buff off (maybe)
My $.02
TJ
 
I've used the same stencils for a long time with no problem. It sounds to me like your putting to much power/to hot. I don't have the varible unit, I've got the standard personalizer with just DC/AC settings.

The way I do it is just like you, but I hold the etch for 2 minits, then switch to mark for two minits. On the etch I just hold the pad in place for the full two minits, on mark every 10-20 seconds I lift the pad for a second or two. This leaves a mark that is hard to tell from a stamp. I do get a little hazyness at the edges, but it is easily buffed off in less than a second on a soft wheel with a little white rouge. Part of what helps keep the black in the etch may be the depth of the etching. Then again I get very little hazeing to begin with, which may be due to the lower power. You might try turning the power almost all the way down and try that on a piece of scrap.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top