stencils

[v-6]

well i did a few knives after trying on a piece of scrap steel
it did not turn out that good.
after all i got was a clear stenciling , and then i switched the on/off/on switch in the other direction and it worked with some black in it but not much.
so i counted to 4 and the sequence was 12on one side and 8 on the other side, it left black in the etch and around it. and it wipes off.
what did i do wrong?
vern

 

[AcridSaint]

If the black is around the etch, you might have too much fluid and some is getting underneath? The black mark layer isn't a very tough surface, sometimes it will wipe out with a new rag on me, it will almost always come off with flitz. I would make sure the stencil is taped down well and that you're not soaking it with etchant.

Did the scrap steel turn out well and the knives not? You might need to adjust your process some for heat treated steel.

Hopefully some other folks have more suggestions.

 

[tmickley]

sounds like Acrid had it right Vern.
It's better to etch with as little solution as possible to keep it from getting under the stencil. Also, the flatter the stencil to the steel, the better. Same reason. Keep the steel wet only where you want the etch to show up. Turning down power on your etch machine and going a little slower, if it has an adjustment, may help.