I hate my stencils.

Kevin McGovern

Kevin McGovern

Joined
Jul 31, 2015
Messages
3,118
I have a brand new 8"x11" stencil of my type font I use to mark inscriptions on my knives. I have use a total of maybe six of the letters. Yet it is cracking all over, and the edges are curled almost to the point where it can't be laid flat. I am very careful to clean my stencil with dish soap and water and lay flat to dry. It is kept in the plastic sleeve with cardboard in the envelope it shipped in. Can anyone help me solve this frustration? I use a personalized. These letters see very little etch time. Many have seen zero etch time, yet the whole sheet is cracking. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
 
Who are you using for your stencils?
 
Since I started using Rauen in Solingen, I've never had a problem and again with stencils. Marked hundreds of blades with stencil, works every time. He also sells self adhesive stencil frames that make it easy as pie to hold the stencil in place on the blade. http://www.rauen.com/startseite.html
 
My stencils curl a little, but not too badly. I've been cleaning them with alcohol, both sides, then keeping flat in the plastic slip cover w/ the cardboard inside the original envelope.
 
Kevin McGovern said:
I have a brand new 8"x11" stencil of my type font I use to mark inscriptions on my knives. I have use a total of maybe six of the letters.
Click to expand...
This single stencil is 8"X11"? That's a big stencil. You use the whole thing? OR, is there a 8"X11" sheet comprised of different letters that you use single letters?
Kevin McGovern said:
I am very careful to clean my stencil with dish soap and water and lay flat to dry. It is kept in the plastic sleeve with cardboard in the envelope it shipped in.
Click to expand...
That sounds like you're storing as good as can be stored. Maybe you just got a bad sheet? You're keeping them in the dark I"m sure. I think I'd call TUS and see what they have to say.
 
Yeah Ken had good advise, I would give them a call. I have used IMG and had no issues at all, but currently I make my own stencils w/ a computerized vinyl cutter out of a sticker type material. They are single uses but look and work a lot better as long as the lettering doesn't get super small.
 
I use TUS stencils. Had the same problem and contacted them. It is because the stencil was not neutralized completely and the etchant is cracking the stencil.

What I do now and has totally eliminated the problem is I wash it thoroughly with windex and I store it in a small tupperware container with a solution of water and windex and it insures it is 100% neutralized until next use.

The stencil is simply dried off with a paper towel, used and then stored once again in the solution.

This keeps the stencil supple and crack free and I have been using the same stencils for months now.
 
I've used TUS for several years same stencil. BUT I'm sure I don't stencil nearly as much as you do as a hobby maker. I clean thoroughly with DW soap and if blackened bad rub a little AJAX cleaner gently between my fingers and rinse well. Then I lay flat between paper towels with a little weight on it to keep it flat while drying. I then store in a small pill style tupper ware container with paper towels sandwiching it flat in storage. I've blackend the container with black electrical tape. I'm still using the very first stencil I cut out off the stencil sheet.
 
After use, I clean it first with ample winded, then rinse with water in the sink, followed by alcohol, and finally more water.

Then I store the stencil in a big heavy textbook.
 
razor-edge-knives said:
Yeah Ken had good advise, I would give them a call. I have used IMG and had no issues at all, but currently I make my own stencils w/ a computerized vinyl cutter out of a sticker type material. They are single uses but look and work a lot better as long as the lettering doesn't get super small.
Click to expand...


Not to sidetrack the thread at all, but your stencil stickers sound interesting. How expensive is it to get a setup like that, for the vinyl cutter, sticker materials, and/or other materials? I imagine, being computerized, it’s easier to do whatever letters, words, or symbols you want. Am I correct in that assumption?
 
I already contacted tus when this happened before. They replaced it, but never told me about neutralizing. I have always just washed with dish soap. Thanks for the tips.
 
Not to derail this thread, but will electro-etching work on stainless steels as well as carbon steels? Any steels you've had trouble etching?
 
I read in the first post you washed stencils with soap 'n water - that should neutralize just fine. I'd never thought of storing in liquid, but I suspect that would work just fine. I might try that, but needs to be kept in dark place.
 
Ken H> said:
I read in the first post you washed stencils with soap 'n water - that should neutralize just fine. I'd never thought of storing in liquid, but I suspect that would work just fine. I might try that, but needs to be kept in dark place.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I figured that would be enough. Especially concerning is the fact that I only used at most 6 letters on an entire letter sized sheet, yet there are cracks in areas I never even used. So even if I did NOTHING after use, I wouldn't expect those areas to be cracking. Thanks material was very stiff when I pulled it out today. Soaked it in Windex and Dawn with water and it is more flexible now.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top