My first attempt at a "copper wash"

[W. Anderson]

I've been carrying this Kershaw/Emerson CQC-4kXL as a beater for a couple months, but felt it could use some personalization.

I First dissasembled, and set the blade to sit in some toilet bowl cleaner cut with hydrogen peroxide for ten minutes. I removed the blade and allowed some pennies to dissolve in the solution for a half hour. I set the blade in the acid/peroxide/copper solution for an additional 15 minutes.

I noted that the copper from the pennies had begun to implant itself onto the steel blade.

I set up an empty Sriratcha jar filled with cat litter, seven small rocks and about 20 pennies and set the blade in there. I then proceeded to wrap it all in a towel and tape, and placed it in my clothes dryer, set to 'fluff'

20 mins of tumbling and reassembly later:

Just wonder if anyone else has tried something like this? I devised this plan after dissolving copper wire in ferric chloride and dunking blades in the solution, to give a precipitous copper finish. This method is by far more relaible.

 

[Hickory n steel]

Never seen this, but you give a nice interesting look to that blade

 

[BilboBaggins]

Looks cool. Any pre-stone/penny tumbled pics?

 

[W. Anderson]

Looks cool. Any pre-stone/penny tumbled pics?

 

[3fifty7]

I dig it.
While reading the post I was wondering why you used pennies instead of copper wire or tubing ?

 

[W. Anderson]

I dig it.
While reading the post I was wondering why you used pennies instead of copper wire or tubing ?

Materials at hand.

 

[W. Anderson]

Just spent a few minutes scrubbing the finish with the green side of a sponge, no change noted. The copper is in there. Science is weird.

 

[numbersman]

When you say toilet bowl cleaner, do you mean bleach? That looks terrific, I might try it.

 

[W. Anderson]

When you say toilet bowl cleaner, do you mean bleach? That looks terrific, I might try it.

Look up "The Works" bowl cleaner, its mostly hydrochloric. I don't thinkk bleach would work.

 

[Mitchell Knives]

Ferric Chloride and water mixed with copper works well also.

 

[jbmonkey]

thought pennies had almost zero copper nowadays mostly zinc? guess enough for that go figure......

 

[l1ranger]

new pennies are 2.5% copper - pre 82 pennies are about 95% copper - even with new pennies, its probably cheaper with pennies if you had to buy new

i like the outcome - thanks for sharing

 

[Cutlover]

Looks awesome, nice work. I love the steampunk vibe the finish gives, I'll have to try this. Thanks for sharing.

 

[do_the_fandango]

Does anyone know what steels will work/accept a copper wash coating and which won't? My understanding is 154cm won't take the process well.... does anyone have any experience with CPM20CV?