No need to go full strength to get results. I don't think I'd ever do this, but, dang, I found the whole instructable fascinating. 157K subscribers in the chefknives community. When someone feels their ferric chloride batch has "gone bad", you can add a tablespoon or so of muriatic acid and regenerate it. We've made your buy experience less painful. I just etched my first Damascus blade. Hydrochloric acid is a purer and more toxic form of muriatic acid. Take a high-layer bar and press it between dies that have been drilled full of almost-touching holes, then grind the resulting bumps off. The acid etching will need to be done outside or in a well-ventilated area, and you should wear rubber gloves and goggles from here on out. Etching with muriatic acid and hydrogen peroxide Flash001USA 9.59K subscribers 87K views 9 years ago This video covers etching circuit boards with a mixture of muriatic acid and hydrogen. Acid etching a concrete floor is typically a 6-step process: Prepare, clean, and degrease concrete. Etching Damascus is a fairly straight forward process that can enhance the appearance of a Damascus blade. Ken Fong In both uric acid and ferric chloride, the temperature should be between 70 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit, about room temperature. In this video we show our new and improved process on how to etch the steel after heat treat to bring out that beautiful pattern. How do I heat-treat my stainless Damascus after purchase? It is commonly used to etch steel and stainless steel parts, but it is also capable of etching copper. JavaScript is disabled. Complete etches in a well ventilated space and wear gloves, eye protection, and an apron or old clothes. One of the reasons it is so popular is because of its versatility. -- Theodore Roosevelthttp://stephensforge.com. Question What is the black coating on knife blades? 100% biodegradable, safe, non-acid based cleaner. Clean the blade. I degrease with multiple wipes of acetone on new paper towels each time, but some guys prefer dish soap and water or alcohol. The articles on this site are for informational purposes only. Scrub it with the steel wool until you've got rid of the oxides. Of course, it is possible for any smith to have an improper batch, but any frequency of Damascu, Damascus1 creates the best products in America made of Damascus steel. It fumes a lot (toxic) and the fumes will rust everything in your shop. If you use muriatic acid, you can bring Damascus up to 1200 grit, or you can leave it 400 grit. Using an old dental rubber, dial Drums into acids to help remove any fat or fats that may not be available during cleaning, and remove removal materials as acids do their work. For example, you would use 1 cup of the acid to mix with 2 cups of the peroxide. 4 years ago What kind of acid do you use to etch a knife? ), but here's my thoughts: The acid only reaches the surface, so it's natural that the pattern will sand off. However by simply etching the look will not be correct for gun barrels, and will be a relatively light contrast. So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. As soon as you're done, oil it. This is for academic purposes only and should not be considered in any way a thorough instruction on this subject. Soft aluminum can be etched with ferric chloride, using acrylic polymer paint as a resist. Then you can either just let the solution be open to air for a few days or add a bit of the hydrogen peroxide and boom, ferric chloride. Furthermore if forged in the correct manner you can make swords from it that depicts a pattern often likened to watered silk. Works great. I have noticed that Muriatic will produce a much shinier surface than Ferric, without a lot of the black that you would expect. ( The pattern should be looking good. With ferric acid, keep grit between 400 and 600. With ferric acid, keep grit between 400 and 600. Ideally you want to test the strength needed first before doing the entire floor. Start very dilute, like 1:10 or 1:20. Once you find that perfect constant companion, that you keep in your pocket or bag, a great way to set it apart, to personalize it, is with laser engraving! The stronger the acid, the more damage will be done. Mix an acid solution by pouring 1 part acid into 10 parts water. and wear gloves, eye protection, and clothing. Whats the proper technique for etching Damascus? The "active ingredient" in ferric chloride solution is hydrochloric acid. Powered by Invision Community, good movies, good books, smithing, leatherworking, woodworking, guitar. Etching acids can range from powerful hydrochloric or sulfuric acid to much weaker acids even household vinegar, citrus fruit, or mustard can be used effectively. This small board took only 2 minutes. On-line through Amazon. Damascus Etching. Put on your protective gear. How do I heat-treat my stainless Damascus after purchase? I did a simple twist as I like the way it looks. rideable.org is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Great sense of humor and good information. The higher the dilution of the ferric, the slower it will etch, and the better/clean the etch will come out within reason. Making stuff, hunting, rock climbing, philosophy, general adventure seeker. How do I heat-treat 3V/CPM-154 Damascus billet? Did you make this project? Once it's clean put on your gloves and do not touch it with your bare hands until the whole process is complete. For most projects and uses, though, its plenty strong and durable. Wet down the surface to be cleaned, using a sponge or a sprayer and allow the acid . After being etched the blank can be polished to give a stepped or contrasting look. Rinsed the inside of the tank thoroughly with water, then sloshed some baking soda and water inside the tank to neutralize any remaining acid, drained and rinsed again. Should I dilute ferric chloride for etching? When someone feels their ferric chloride batch has "gone bad", you can add a tablespoon or so of muriatic acid and regenerate it. It is the readers responsibility to seek out qualified instruction and to research all the health and safety risks involved and take the proper precautions associated with this activity. Is it just lots of jelly rolls mushed together? Apparently this neutralises the piece as well as helping to set the oxides. Step 1: Sanding Bring your Damascus to a 400 to 600 grit finish. I mix the Ferric Chloride 50/50 with distilled water. When you are happy with how deep the etch is and have done the final scrubbing, dip it in the acetone, allow to dry then give it another 3 minutes or so in the acid to get the final finish. It is done by submerging the blade in an acid. Made To Order * VG-10 San Mai Steel Knife Blank Damascus Layered Raw Finish Knife Making / LPB#2 ad vertisement by 11Spartans. This is a quick guide as to how I etch my damascus steel. Suspend your piece in the acid. Then you will find that you travertine will feel rough and maybe have some pits forming. Makes the material look like carbon steel Damascus. How do I heat-treat my 1075 or 0-1 Carbon Damascus billet? The blade pattern is nice but no matter how I sand, black oxides keep rubbing off. Sprinkle the mixture evenly across the surface of the prepared concrete. While high in carbon steel, the blade can easily rust if not cared for. 5. Damascus Steel the two give much different results. Which type of steel you etch will determine the best acid or chemical to use to etch it with. Damascus Patterns - From Billet to Finished Product, What's the proper technique for etching Damascus? Etching a stainless damascus steel knife (or any damascus) is not as complicated as many people tend to believe. To warm your acid more quickly, the best method is to place the container of acid into a large bowl of warm water. Make sure your remaining distilled water does not last longer than a year. Asiatic Muriatic does not require dilution. Over the years, Damascus1 has produced various products using one of the four hairdressers of the nazel hair. Is the pattern deep enough? Fast-acting formula, safely use on interior and exterior applications. Mixing is a hazardous process (add acid to the peroxide, not the other way around!) For example: "You can also use Windex with this step, but do not try to break your piece. Steven Penner Joined Jan 29, 2006 Messages 606 Chemistry, Martial Arts, Mathematics, Woodworking, and Hot Steel, http://www.geraldboggs.com">www.geraldboggs.com. Hotter vinegar = deeper etch, but can the vinegar be too hot? You are using an out of date browser. You can also use Windex with this step, but do not try to break your piece. Before you start, check out the expiry date for your choice of acid to make sure it's too old. How do you make ferric chloride etching solution? For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. There are five distinctive patterns from which to choose. Remove your Damascus piece from acids and throw it to your baking board for 5 minutes to reduce acids. Following. Once the half hour is up, check the etching to make sure you're happy with the result. Etching a stainless damascus steel knife (or any damascus) is not as complicated as many people tend to believe. You don't need a lot. It is a straightforward process, which is used to enhance the appearance of the blade and bring the inherent pattern, lying in wait within the steel, to life. Sorry for the repeat. thank will wait till summer then to try it. Dissolve enough iron in ityes. Warm your acid to room temperature. bladesmithsforum.com Water down with 4 parts water to 1 part ferric. Once your Damascus is sanded to the correct grit, thoroughly wash it with alcohol and pat dry with a clean rag. Using muriatic acid is no joke, and many DIYers believe it to be a . placeholder="Leave a comment" onpropertychange="this.style.height=this.scrollHeight + 'px'" oninput="this.style.height=this.scrollHeight + 'px'">. Everything you need to know about ChatGPT. You can also use it to clean soot from fireplace bricks. Damascus etching is completed with either ferric chloride or muriatic acid. Once you're all ready, you're ready to pick up! Add clean, clear water to a plastic bucket. Etching is done after all heat treatment is completed. Advice? Don't mess with muriatic acid! Acid is generally mixed at a ratio of 3 parts water to 1 part acid for sufficient strength to etch properly. If youre using ferric chloride, dilute your acid with distilled water. In masonry work, etching is a way to chemically clean and prepare masonry for repair or painting. Don't touch it with your hands. Fill a glass jar with enough ferric chloride to cover the metal part. Or could one actually temper a knife in hot vinegar? If you etch before heat treating you'll just erase it in the cleanup sanding. It will rust almost immediately if you don't. High quality Damascus steel is not the strongest metal you can get. A Pocket Sundial From a Broken Pocket Watch! Very clean. These chemical compound work faster than acids. I agree on the hammer ski Hello Jesse, All you have to do is add a scrap piece of iron or steel to the muriatic acid (or hydrochloric acid; same thing) and wait for it to dissolve. Can you etch Damascus steel with muriatic acid? For Sale: Custom & Semi Production Knives (Dealer), KnifeMaker's Market: Knives & More for Sale, Wanted: Knifemaker / Craftsman / Related Services, Busse / Swamprat / Scrapyard Knives For Sale, For Sale: Traditionals, Slipjoints, "Old Timey", International (Non-US) For Sale & Trade Forums. Could have probably pypassed this step: dumped 1/2 gallon of phosphoric in the tank and sloshed it around with the cap shut and stoppers in. Even a single fingerprint will effect your acid etch, so be cautious. Mix your Ferric Chloride 1 part to 3 parts of distilled water and put in suitable container. It is an ultra high carbon steel that achieved liquid state which should, theoretically, allow you to get a homogeneous steel product with equal carbon distribution and no slag inclusions at all.