How not to get a halo??

panch0

panch0

Joined
Jun 16, 2008
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Is there a way not to get a halo while etching? Rusty McDonald told me to not use as mch etchant? I am going to practice on a walmart knife to day. Do you guys know any other tricks. The reason is I glued up some handles last night and in the morning I looked it over and saw in horror that I had forgot to etch it. I am bad at getting scratches out after putting the handles on. The finish never stays the same. I am kicking my self for not doing it before hand.:grumpy: Thanks guys and Rusty!
 
Took me a while to figure out what kind of etching you meant.

I use a qtip and make sure I dab off the excess solution before doing the etch. Dab maybe for a second of contact and trace along the stencil. Let qtip cool off and re moisten and repeat for 6-8 times.
 
Rusty is right too much etchant is bad for a crisp clean etch. I also learned the hard way about the halo effect. You should be able to buff it out, or LIGHTLY go back over it with whatever grit you used last.
 
When I apply the etchant I put some on the pad and I wipe some on the back of the stencil that is in contact with the blade. Should I trace the letters with the q tips on the back and then on the front when the etcher is powered on?
 
I don't know what kind of etcher you are using, but I use a personalizer. I put etchant on the pad( the type my wife uses to remove make-up) with a q-tip and then I press the pad on a paper towel or rag to get the excess off. When I touch the pad it is barely damp with etchant. I have heard this can burn up your stencils prematurely but I have'nt had that problem. Too much etchant will cause a halo and if there are any scratches or trash on your stencil that might show up as well.
 
I am using a personalizer and the etchant I am using is from Texas Knifemakers.
 
I have been doing this cause when I didn't have etching fluid behind the stencil I wouldn't get anything. Once I did wipe the fluid on the back It started showing the etch. So keep the area between the stencil and the blade dry and clean, and not use too much etchant on the pad. I am taping off the areas I don't want etched. I get a halo around the etch that I usually go back and clean up with the grit I used to finish before I attach the handles. .
 
I too, am sure that wipping the back of the stencil is causing the halo. Flooding the back of the stencil is like making the whole area etchable. I use a very minimum of echant when doing mine. Another Frank
 
Thanks guys. I will be trying out your advice before etching the blade. Your input is appreciated!
 
panch0 I thought this was another thread about saftey, you know halo like and angel! :D:D
I have been watching this thread with interest because I have had the same problem and it sucks to have a knife finished and that happen. The resulting halo ruins the blade and there is not a lot of way to get out of it short of a lot of polishing and starting over.
I taped off and blotted the etcher pad to try and avoid the problem but I still had a problem with my last knife. This is one reason I have been thinking of stamping my knives in the future!
 
I've been having the same problem. Described it in person to Mace and Dave Sylvester at the Maine hammer-in in July and they answered in chorus: "Too much etchant, just dampen the pad." Need to do my first marks since then in a couple of weeks and I'll be trying out that advice.
 
Gentlemen THANK YOU! I didn't have to grind off the handles. I didn't put etching fluid between the stencil and blade like you all advised and eased up on my count and repetitions and it came out great! Thanks again, this forum is great and teaches me more than I learned in college.:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
 
I get rid of the "halo" using SUPER fine paper like either 2000 grit or some polishing paper. But I am making my etched mark look like a shallow stamp, so I am much more aggressive on the etch and can be more aggressive sanding it when I am done.
 
Thats the way I was doing it exept for the larger halo due to me wetting under the stencil prior to etching.
 
I have an $800 Mark 300K etcher, but the only reason that's important is they sent me a video on how to use it.

Their trick for always having the right amount of etching solution is to soak the pad, and then dab it on a paper towel until it doesn't leave big wet spots on the paper. This works VERY well for me. :)

Make sure to firmly tape one edge of your stencil in place... I like scotch tape. If you DON'T WANT to etch part of it, put tape over the BACK SIDE of the part of the stencil you don't want to etch.

When using carbon steel (most of my work) I etch REALLY deep with AC current, neutralize it, clean it with acetone, and then use Birchwood Casey's SuperBlue..... That last step makes it very dark and more durable (IME) than just switching to DC current on the etcher.... then go over it lightly with the appropriate grit for that blade and a HARD BACKED sanding block. :)

With stainless... using the DC setting to blacken the mark works just as well. For me in my shop. :)
 
NickWheeler said:
If you DON'T WANT to etch part of it, put tape over the BACK SIDE of the part of the stencil you don't want to etch.

Would that not cause I line to be etched into the steel if the etchant ran over to the tape ?
I have used too much etchant before where it had run over to the masking tape I had holding the stencil and it etched a nice line into the steel .
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