Etching Damascus steel is usually to bring out the contrast between the layers; if that's not what you want, you might be better off with a mechanical etch that ignores the layers. Dilution should best be done with distilled water to keep it uncontaminated with water minerals. Ferric Chloride is an iron "salt" of HCl that is nonetheless very acidic, though not as "strong" as HCl. So, your foliate results arent a surprise. Any form of agitation not only helps the etch to even out, it also helps the acid work faster by removing oxides from the surface of the steel. Possible acids include muriatic (hydrochloric) acid (HCL), nitric acid (HNO3), or sulfuric acid (H2SO4). Etching a stainless damascus steel knife (or any damascus) is not as complicated as many people tend to believe. 3 years ago Play both the process and the sandpaper to see what you like. Do this process a few times. My problem here is that I've had some really inconsistent results with the vinegar. Before you start, check out the expiry date for your choice of acid to make sure it's too old. How do I heat-treat 440C/CPM-154 Damascus billet? Hotter vinegar = deeper etch, but can the vinegar be too hot? Makes the material look like carbon steel Damascus. I've personally gone as high as 6-1 dilution with ferric, but that took literally hours to obtain the depth of etch I wanted. NOT ALL DAMASCUS ARE MADE LIVING Damascus is made of many metallic combinations to form one piece. Apply it to a small area of wet concrete. You can make a reasonable facsimile of ferric by dissolving steel wool in muriatic acid. Mix two-parts of diluted hydrogen peroxide with one-part muriatic acid. Sprinkle the mixture evenly across the surface of the prepared concrete. If this is the first time youre using this batch of solution (and I presume it is), itll etch super-fast. Collectors should ensure to keep their blades clean and dry to avoid rust or staining. Technically, most of the time, we laser etch the knife if lasering on the blade, and engrave it on the wood handle (if the knife has a wood handle). With clean water, dampen the surface to be etched. Ferric chloride is not an "acid" per se. Rinse the floor thoroughly, squeegee away puddles, allow floor to dry. This steel had been produced for 11 centuries, and in just about a generation, the means of its manufacture was entirely lost. Sorry for the repeat. Damascus Etching. My first round of etching went very well, good contrasting colors and an even etch, but since then my etches have been splotchy with very little contrast. You can do this by first mixing a small solution in your watering can starting at a 5:1 ratio. Which type of steel you etch will determine the best acid or chemical to use to etch it with. Etching a stainless damascus steel knife (or any damascus) is not as complicated as many people tend to believe. To make sure that acid is in, you can cast an episode back and out of acid, but mixing is the best way to make sure you get an itch. There are significant risks to health and body including maiming and even death. ), Server: Array [woocommerce-login-nonce] => These bridges or buildings aroun, Make sure to wear regular gear when working with acids. Klean-Strip Muriatic Acid can be used to etch concrete, brighten concrete and masonry, or remove excess mortar from bricks. wow sounds like fun. Clorox wipes and Windex work well for cleaning. i can't wait to mess with it. Yes. A flask of cold water on top is useful to reduce evaporative losses. Muriatic acid is also less potent because it's diluted with water (usually around 31.5 percent HCl) and contains impurities like iron. I should mention that this should be done outside since the vapors are stinky and it produces hydrogen gas. Chemistry, Martial Arts, Mathematics, Woodworking, and Hot Steel, http://www.geraldboggs.com">www.geraldboggs.com
. my sword tanks tend to always be in flux, i end up adding peroxide distilled water, or fresh ferric to get then to etch nicely another question is my shop is in garage , it gets cold here will ferric acid freeze , dont want it bursting pvc pipe? Electronics supply stores. Damascus etching is completed with either ferric chloride or muriatic acid. It will corrode everything in sight and do a number on your lungs. Such is what I measured from home; it's typically advertised as 30%-32%. You can also neutralize muriatic acid with agricultural lime. The "active ingredient" in ferric chloride solution is hydrochloric acid. My question at the moment is, will hot vinegar ruin the temper on a knife? FORGE, Jan 1, 2014 #4 Icho- Staff Member Likes Received: 154 Trophy Points: 63 Thanks Forge. Even polishing hard will remove the pattern. Vinegar is a pretty weak etch and it helps to use it hot. Adding HCl acid can restore the cutting ability of the FeCl3. One of the reasons it is so popular is because of its versatility. Pretty much unreadable due to very poor English. 03-25-2007, 09:56 PM. I plan to buy some ferric chloride pretty soon, or go all mad scientist and make some, but I'd like to get a bit of use out of this $1 vinegar lol. 3:1, 4:1, or 5:1 distilled water to the FeCl are all commonly used dilutions. Since you have muriatic acid, its really easy to make ferric chloride. At 5-10 minute intervals, gently stir the copper etching solution to agitate the solution. Once your Damascus is sanded to the correct grit, thoroughly wash it with alcohol and pat dry with a clean rag. This pattern is not the result of forge welding and folding as in pattern welded swords but rather because the chemical composition of the original billet. " Share Save Helvetica Comment CaiLei 3 years ago Follow 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. Brush or spray the acid solution on the concrete, wait eight to 10 minutes, then neutralize the acid by spraying. 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. As etching can only work on evenly damp surfaces, you should etch the surface in sections to prevent dry spots. The strength of the acid generally determines how quickly the steel will be etched, the stronger the acid, the faster the process. How do I heat-treat my 1075 or 0-1 Carbon Damascus billet? Shop Talk - BladeSmith Questions and Answers. In both uric acid and ferric chloride, the temperature should be between 70 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit, about room temperature. File away any burrs on the side of the steel you plan to etch with acid. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly." etching is completed with chloride with ferric or muriatic acid. It does not contain phosphoric, hydrochloric or muriatic acid, yet works better, safer and faster. Thank you Kevin. With ferric acid, keep grit between 400 and 600. Can you use coffee to etch Damascus? Actually, the process of efflorescence removal discussed above also etches the masonry. Even a single fingerprint will effect your acid etch, so be cautious. Muriatic acid; Baking soda for neutralizing the acid; pH test strips . For example, steel can be etched with hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, or sulfuric acid. By Lol. Wash your piece with alcohol and pat it dry with a clean rag. After heat treating, bring your Damascus to a 400 to 600 grit finish. How do I heat-treat 3V/CPM-154 Damascus billet? Ive etched a couple of blades using lemon + lime juice and varying dilutions of vinegar. Everyone has a slightly different dilution and technique. 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. Earn the Windex deep deep hole so that you can fully fill your Dutch item. It fumes a lot (toxic) and the fumes will rust everything in your shop. Learn More, click here. This is commonly sold in home improvement stores and pool supply stores in gallon jugs. Thoughts? I've since settle on at 4-1 dilution, and overall etching a blade takes 45-60 mins. Your email address will not be published. Place your board to be etched in your new solution and watch it go! After 5 minutes, rinse your piece of liquor and tie it with the pure rag. This prepares your steel for an even etch. Make sure the blade is clean and free of oil and grease before continuing. Joshua C States. This is for academic purposes only and should not be considered in any way a thorough instruction on this subject. Each Damascus Steel ring is uniqueno two designs will look exactly alike. Nitric Acid - mixture of 5 - 10% nitric acid with the balance being alcohol. Our passion is crafting knives featuring forged blades in the pursuit of the ultimate high performance cutting tool, what type of ferric acid do you use for Damascus and what strength saw alot of copper etchant is that the right stuff, https://www.radioshack.com/products/radioshack-16oz-pcb-etchant-solution. Does etching have to be done before temper, or can you etch first and have the pattern survive the process? No idea if I'm doing something wrong or if its just part of using vinegar ir if I'm just bad at putting metal into liquids. Damascus etching is completed with either ferric chloride or muriatic acid. Using muriatic acid is no joke, and many DIYers believe it to be a . Damascus steel is a famed type of steel recognizable by the watery or wavy light and dark pattern of the metal. Hi. Go MINIMUM of 3-1 dilution with DISTILLED water only. Read entire label prior to use or storage. Ive never gotten a uniform etch on an HI khuk, even when soaking the blade completetly in the solution. Then I remembered I'd been thinking of switching to re-usable etchant, created on the bench using muriatic acid (the store name for hydrochloric acid, HCl, used for cleaning swimming pools). 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. It can also be used to remove soot from firebricks. Make Ferric Chloride (for etching printed circuit boards). I played with the hot vinegar, didnt like it. Neutral Good: Clean blood cannot be washed off. You can also use it to clean soot from fireplace bricks. Muriatic Acid will give a mirror/frosted finish on a polished finish and a lighter grey/grey pattern on a matte finish. I frequently etch damascus with ferric chloride. If you use muriatic acid, you can bring Damascus up to 1200 grit, or you can leave it 400 grit. #5. How do I heat-treat my 1075 or 0-1 Carbon Damascus billet? You can now pay for your purchase with 4 interest free installments. I mix the Ferric Chloride 50/50 with distilled water. If you choose, you can finish with the 2000 grit buffing compound and the soft wheel to shine on your Damascus clip, but you will lose some of the difference between metal components. For etching, you'll find a confusing array of products, including standard muriatic acid as well as products such as Klean-Strip Green Muriatic Acid ($7.84 per gallon at Home Depot) and. Fast-acting formula, safely use on interior and exterior applications. 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. Cleaning and Etching Concrete It easily dissolves the efflorescence on the concrete surface and removes other stains as well. Bought some muriatic acid and hydrogen peroxide, did a mix of 1 muriatic to 2 hydrogen p. Works great, happy with it, now what do i do with it? [_wpnonce] => Don't mess with muriatic acid! on Step 8. ethanknott, Box 71092Springfield, OR 97475. It will rust almost immediately if you don't. Damascus Steel rings are made of two alternating types of stainless steel, AEB-L and 302, forged together and worked by hand to produce vivid patterns. Makes the material look like carbon steel Damascus. If you have hidden part of your bacteria so that it does not keep, and you want to do some part of acids and baking soda, completely remove the mask, clean the blade, and then use your mask before the second etch. Remove the Damascus from the acid and dip it in a bath of baking soda and distilled water to neutralize the acid. 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 impurities give muriatic acid a yellowish . Tom, diluting muriatic doesn't make ferric chloride, no. If you are using ferric acid, lift it with a compact juice until you are so close to 50/50 acid ratio for water supply. Dilute it about 4:1 water to acid. 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. and I did neutralize with baking soda bath as directed. And that's why we use it!http://damasteel.se/ It doesn't matter as long as the steel is as oil and wax free as it can be. I know the website says not to mix it but we're also not using it to make custom circuit boards Here is a link to some interesting information regarding concentrations It is in a greatly reduced concentration compared to the 30% hydrochloric acid (muriatic acid). Ecommerce Site by NeONBRAND. as per: Fluid, Electrolyte, and Acid-base Balance, View all products of Market Price & Insight. Etching is used to make circuit boards, where a thin copper sheet is selectively dissolved away to form a path for electricity. You can use some 2000 grit sandpaper at this stage to very lightly sand it to bring out the shine on the shiny steel. It is done by submerging the blade in an acid. Put on the goggles and vinyl gloves before mixing the chemicals. Remember to wear safety goggles and gloves at all times. Bubbling air through it hastens the re-oxidation. Is there any difference with polish? Then sanded to 400 grit, I took the Muriatic Acid from the bottle that was 32% strong as the bottle says and placed 24 oz of water in a plastic tub, I then added the acid about 8 oz . Essentially you forge weld 2 contrasting types of steel (I used 15N20 and 75Ni8) then manipulate it to make a pattern.