- Joined
- Apr 6, 2017
- Messages
- 1,765
Hi all. I'm having issues using Multi Etch to etch titanium knife parts for anodizing.
I normally use Whink's Rust Remover to etch titanium parts, and have had great success with it. But I've been afraid of the hydrofluoric acid in the rust remover ever since a small amount of it got on my countertops and etched them. I bought some Multi Etch recently from Reactive Metals and mixed it up at double strength to attempt cold etching the titanium parts. The etchant was stored in the included plastic jug and didn't touch any glass, metal, or other materials.
A small amount of this poured into a plastic bowl did nothing to etch the titanium parts, nor did it it remove prior anodizing work. I even tried leaving the titanium in the bowl for minutes on end, with no results whatsoever.
I figured the problem must be that I needed to use the hot working procedure. I diluted the remaining Multi Etch with more water to regular strength, and poured a bit in a plastic container. I heated it up to about 150 degrees in a microwave (I don't have a hot pad yet, so this will have to do in the meantime), and immediately dipped parts into the hot bath. Once again, no results. No etching and no anodizing removal, even with the parts submerged in the bath well past the few seconds recommended in the directions.
I'm at a loss to figure out what's happening here. I even contacted Reactive Metals to see what I was doing wrong, and after answering all of their troubleshooting questions, they told me that they haven't had any issues with their Multi Etch reported in the last two years, and haven't told me anything else that could be the cause of my issues. Can someone help me find out what I'm doing wrong?
I normally use Whink's Rust Remover to etch titanium parts, and have had great success with it. But I've been afraid of the hydrofluoric acid in the rust remover ever since a small amount of it got on my countertops and etched them. I bought some Multi Etch recently from Reactive Metals and mixed it up at double strength to attempt cold etching the titanium parts. The etchant was stored in the included plastic jug and didn't touch any glass, metal, or other materials.
A small amount of this poured into a plastic bowl did nothing to etch the titanium parts, nor did it it remove prior anodizing work. I even tried leaving the titanium in the bowl for minutes on end, with no results whatsoever.
I figured the problem must be that I needed to use the hot working procedure. I diluted the remaining Multi Etch with more water to regular strength, and poured a bit in a plastic container. I heated it up to about 150 degrees in a microwave (I don't have a hot pad yet, so this will have to do in the meantime), and immediately dipped parts into the hot bath. Once again, no results. No etching and no anodizing removal, even with the parts submerged in the bath well past the few seconds recommended in the directions.
I'm at a loss to figure out what's happening here. I even contacted Reactive Metals to see what I was doing wrong, and after answering all of their troubleshooting questions, they told me that they haven't had any issues with their Multi Etch reported in the last two years, and haven't told me anything else that could be the cause of my issues. Can someone help me find out what I'm doing wrong?