neutralizer for electrolyte

Jack O'Neill

Jack O'Neill

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Nov 15, 2007
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Do I remember right ? I think I once read here that windex was a neutralizer for the electrolyte used in stencil marking , yes or no ? Tried of paying UPS ship cost for the cleaner I have using .
 
It depends, what's your electrolyte made of?

Use water. Lot's of running water. That's enough.
 
Why not just use ammonia? It's cheaper than Windex, and stronger.
 
Lots of Windex then dry and spray with WD4O. I usually add some ammonia to the mix.

I have a windex dunk tank in my shop, it comes in really handy. I go through that and paper towels like crazy....
 
Windex with ammonia is perfect after your etch for cleanup and I know knife makers who spray the blade first to help flatten their stencil and move it to the exact position they want. The Windex is cheap and comes in a spray bottle which is handy for cleaning your glasses also. I have a quart of IMG neutralizer that is unused because it is not as handy and as easy to as a bottle of Windex. In fact I just sprayed my monitor screen and wiped it with a microfiber cloth that I keep handy for my glasses. Pure ammonia is not good to breathe and hurts my eyes so Windex is my pick. Larry
 
I use Windex but add a little extra ammonia but not enough to make it too strong to work with. After neutralizing, I clean with denatured alcohol and then apply a dab of ballistol. Never have problems.
 
I buy an ammonia based window cleaner concentrate at the local hardware store. It's about $9, but makes 10 gallons. I have a 2' piece of 4" pvc that I keep filled and like Daniel said, it's very handy to just dunk in!

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You guys are making too much out of this. You can neutralize your etch with plain tap water if you want. I squirt some Windex on my blades because it is easy and everything looks good. I have etched hundreds of knives and this is not a big deal. Larry

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Windex is the knife maker's wonder drug. You can also use it for hand sanding "lubricant"
 
I just reread my post and realized that that I sounded like a "know it all". I apologize for that. I have an opinion like everyone but I do not want to come off as lecturing anyone. I know that there are many more gifted than myself and am trying to sound a little less condescending in my comments. Wanting to share one's experience is the aim. Larry
 
LARRYZ10 said:
I just reread my post and realized that that I sounded like a "know it all". I apologize for that. I have an opinion like everyone but I do not want to come off as lecturing anyone. I know that there are many more gifted than myself and am trying to sound a little less condescending in my comments. Wanting to share one's experience is the aim. Larry
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No worries - I use windex too! In fact we're on the same page - I'm suggesting that it is the water and detergent in the windex, rather than the ammonia, that is 'neutralizing' the electrolyte.
 
LARRYZ10 said:
You guys are making too much out of this. You can neutralize your etch with plain tap water if you want. I squirt some Windex on my blades because it is easy and everything looks good. I have etched hundreds of knives and this is not a big deal. Larry

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BAriQ0Bh.jpg
Click to expand...

With stainless it is not as important but with high carbon the windex will stop the solution from etching if it has dripped on other parts of the blade fast, much faster then just plain water.
 
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