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stencils
- Thread starter v-6
- Start date
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2006
- Messages
- 2,418
The IMG stencils are a little "fragile" compared to some other brands out there. This is because they are super high resolution mesh and thin. Take your time marking, don't press and hold for 30 seconds, count to three or four and lift, then press back down again. I usually do this 10-15 times on etch and as many on mark. It won't hurt you or your knife to do more etches, just don't bother trying to do it for a longer time, they'll get hot after 7 or 8 seconds, in my experience. Practice on a bar or a tang or somewhere you don't want to refinish if you screw up the mark 
Spend a little extra time cleaning them, I used the stencil cleaner material between my fingers for a while, but after trying an ultrasonic cleaner, I'd never go back, you just can't get them as clean by hand as you can with one of those. Also, if it seems like it's not cutting as nice as it did at first or if it gets cloudy and you can't clean it, just toss it. They aren't a big expense in the grand scheme of knifemaking.
Fitzo talked me into to using IMG a couple years ago and told me all the stuff I just said, every bit of it was accurate for me.
Spend a little extra time cleaning them, I used the stencil cleaner material between my fingers for a while, but after trying an ultrasonic cleaner, I'd never go back, you just can't get them as clean by hand as you can with one of those. Also, if it seems like it's not cutting as nice as it did at first or if it gets cloudy and you can't clean it, just toss it. They aren't a big expense in the grand scheme of knifemaking.
Fitzo talked me into to using IMG a couple years ago and told me all the stuff I just said, every bit of it was accurate for me.