- Joined
- Feb 4, 1999
- Messages
- 5,786
Well, I checked out those two websites that people recommended, and I followed neither set of instructions, although I did get the basic ideas...
I etched two designs on my experimental blade. I wish I could remove one, but oh well...maybe I'll attack it with some sandpaper and hope it isn't a deep etch! Anyway, what I did was make a stylus from a small brass rod. The thinnner the point, the better, as it gives more control. I then heated the area of the blade that I wanted to etch with a candle. It is important to heat the metal or the wax won't stick. I used vanilla scented candlewax. Nothing special, and it worked.
The key is to get the wax layer as thin as possible while still getting complete coverage. I used a paint brush to paint the melted wax onto the surface of the knife. Paper thin is perfect. Too thick and you have to remove too much wax, which keeps gunking up the design and it also catches the styles and breaks the wax off where you want it to stay.
Use the stylus to remove the wax completely from the area you want to be dark. any wax will block the ecthing solution, and will stay bright metal colored. Work slowly, carefully, and in a well-lit area, preferably with magnfication. When you are done, check your work for complete removal of wax in your design, and for any cracks or areas where the wax has lifted off the surface. Either of these will ruin your work. Once the design is perfect, use your etching solution. I used PCB solution, which can be bought at Radio Shack. It is printed circuit board etchant, and is simply a solution of ferric chloride. The stuff will bead up, so you sort of have to "bead" it up on the work. Cover the entire area, and leave it for a few minutes. You'll see the design turn black quickly. The longer you leave it, the deeped the etch.
The design I am happy with is about 1/2 inch in length and is the Japanese character Yume, which means "dream". Turned out cool! It is really tough to get perfection this way, but it is definitely handmade, and requires a minimum of tools. I'll let you know how removal of the other design works out! Keep your fingers crossed!
PS- I will eventually have pictures up, someday!
I etched two designs on my experimental blade. I wish I could remove one, but oh well...maybe I'll attack it with some sandpaper and hope it isn't a deep etch! Anyway, what I did was make a stylus from a small brass rod. The thinnner the point, the better, as it gives more control. I then heated the area of the blade that I wanted to etch with a candle. It is important to heat the metal or the wax won't stick. I used vanilla scented candlewax. Nothing special, and it worked.
The key is to get the wax layer as thin as possible while still getting complete coverage. I used a paint brush to paint the melted wax onto the surface of the knife. Paper thin is perfect. Too thick and you have to remove too much wax, which keeps gunking up the design and it also catches the styles and breaks the wax off where you want it to stay.
Use the stylus to remove the wax completely from the area you want to be dark. any wax will block the ecthing solution, and will stay bright metal colored. Work slowly, carefully, and in a well-lit area, preferably with magnfication. When you are done, check your work for complete removal of wax in your design, and for any cracks or areas where the wax has lifted off the surface. Either of these will ruin your work. Once the design is perfect, use your etching solution. I used PCB solution, which can be bought at Radio Shack. It is printed circuit board etchant, and is simply a solution of ferric chloride. The stuff will bead up, so you sort of have to "bead" it up on the work. Cover the entire area, and leave it for a few minutes. You'll see the design turn black quickly. The longer you leave it, the deeped the etch.
The design I am happy with is about 1/2 inch in length and is the Japanese character Yume, which means "dream". Turned out cool! It is really tough to get perfection this way, but it is definitely handmade, and requires a minimum of tools. I'll let you know how removal of the other design works out! Keep your fingers crossed!
PS- I will eventually have pictures up, someday!