Makers mark ( etch ) problem

L

ldoyle

Joined
Jun 29, 2010
Messages
59
I use a Personalizer to mark my blades , and for the most part have always had a good mark . The last blade I marked ( 1095 carbon ) had what looked like a good mark but in cleaning it up with wd40 and a VERY light sanding , I found I had lost the black from my mark and looking at it closely the mark doesn`t look very deep . This has happened once before on a stainless blade Anyone have any thoughts as to why this ( sometimes ) happens ? Could it be a weak ground through the alligator clip , bad etchant , position of the sun or what ? I etch 3 times for 5 sec then mark 3 times for 5 sec . Thanks for any replies .
Larry
 
Hi Larry, I would get several steels and practice on the different types, varying the etchant from fresh to older, small jumps in current up and down as stainless may take a little longer, it is going to get better with more practice, that is what works for me, be sure to get all the metals clean as possible, also do you warm up your solution?
 
Try etching a LOT more times for 5-10 seconds to get a really deep mark. Like maybe 10 times
 
I do 15-20 etches for 3-5 seconds and 12-15 marks for 3-5 seconds. Gets a deep mark with dark color that stays. I would not use the WD40 as that tends to loosen carbon deposits, which is basically what the mark color is. I soak the blade in baking soda solution for a few minutes to neutralize the etchant. Seems to make the color more stable.
Chip Kunkle
 
What kind of personalizer do you have? I take it you have the Personalizer plus? I've got the basic model and I use a wrist watch to time myself, 2 minutes etch and 2 minutes mark seems to work rite for me. The mark is as deep as a stamp and good and black, even shows good on damascus after etching. I don't hold the pad down the whole time, just 10-20 seconds and lift for a second then back down. So far it hasn't destroyed my stencils, still using the same ones I got a couple of years ago. On some steels I get a slight "halo" effect but a couple of swipes with sandpaper finish it out. I've been using windex to neutralize the etchant, but baking soda works well.

You could have a loose ground or even a bad connection to the carbon block. I had to replace the connector on my block as it eventually corroded in two. I'm not sure about the shelf life of the etchant, I've been using the same stuff for the last 5 or 6 years.
 
Thanks guys . You all point out that I should increase my repetitions on each cycle . I was afraid of burning out my stencil . I will try as you all have suggested and see if it helps .
WIL52100 , it is just the basic unit . On and off toggle and etch and mark toggle . It just seemed strange that it would give a deep , dark etch so many times then out of the blue , this happens . I will check the pin that plugs into the carbon block to see that it is clean with no corrosion and as all have said , increase my etch and mark cycles .
Again , thanks guys .
 
I would check the electrode pad and all the wire connections first, if it suddenly dosen't work as well as it used to. More repetitions will help get better images and shorter duration on the presses may help extend stencil life, but if your etcher unit suddenly dosen't work the same as it used to then there is probably a reason for it that isn't addressed by either of those 2 tips.
 
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