Swishing the steel around in the etch to break up the bubbles is not a bad idea either. The etching solution is made by adding 1 part Muriatic Acid (the common kind that's sold in hardware stores, about $5.00 gal.) The basic process is as follows: After heat treating, bring your Damascus to a 400 to 600 grit finish. Complete etches in a well ventilated space and wear gloves, eye protection, and an apron or old clothes. Etching is done after all heat treatment is completed. As a major metal product on the market, strong power in Damascus is directly related to its quality. It needs to be heated on a hot plate or in a crock pot first. "Regular" ferric chloride tion for future etching. (Recipe varies between smith). 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. 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. I haven't done many damasuses (damasci? You can get an even etch if it's random. No, you'll be just fine etching after the heat treat process. Makes the material look like carbon steel Damascus. The best quality Damascus does not end. Never use tap water, spring water, or filtered water - all will cause problems etc. Be sure to always wear the appropriate protective gear when youre working with acid. The worst thing about Muriatic acid is storing two gallons of it without eating up every piece of steel in the shop. Ken Fong At 5-10 minute intervals, gently stir the copper etching solution to agitate the solution. Ive etched a couple of blades using lemon + lime juice and varying dilutions of vinegar. Etching a stainless damascus steel knife (or any damascus) is not as complicated as many people tend to believe. Leave the copper blank in the solution for at least half an hour. Possible acids include muriatic (hydrochloric) acid (HCL), nitric acid (HNO3), or . How do I heat-treat 3V/CPM-154 Damascus billet? A flask of cold water on top is useful to reduce evaporative losses. What kind of places sell ferric chloride? You don't need a lot. 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? Before you begin, check the expiration date on your acid of choice to be sure that it's not too old. In your well-ventilated area, mix together one part muriatic acid to two parts hydrogen peroxide in a container thats big enough to fit the whole blade. This comes pre-diluted, but I am not sure what the dilution rate is. Start very dilute, like 1:10 or 1:20. Before you begin, check the expiration date on your acid of choice to be sure that its not too old. Those rods and shoes represent an unlimited example made of synthetic steel derived from the art combination, a great quality of dedication and, above all, hard work. Generally speaking, you want to be at about a 400 grit finish or better to get an even etch across the pattern. Share it with us! Does muriatic acid etch metal? Avoid using acetone items because they leave the remainder then disturb the etch, and do not touch the sterile with your hands. Mix your Ferric Chloride 1 part to 3 parts of distilled water and put in suitable container. The When it comes to finish work, addition of the muriatic acid keeps Berthelot recommends sanding the copper from looking blurry, and to at least a clean 600 grit prior to keeps the material out of the solu-etching. If too late.no problem that is how we learn. Toss the PCB into the solution and itll take off. We have Added Apple Pay, Google Pay & Facebook Pay to our check out. Dont touch it with your hands. 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. 8. I degrease with multiple wipes of acetone on new paper towels each time, but some guys prefer dish soap and water or alcohol. I don't think I'd ever do this, but, dang, I found the whole instructable fascinating. It doesn't matter as long as the steel is as oil and wax free as it can be. Mine is stronger :-),
Gerald Boggs
. How do I heat-treat 3V/CPM-154 Damascus billet? Mix this stuff 4:1 with distilled water. I frequently etch damascus with ferric chloride. Advice? Use the finishing sandpaper to tighten the top of the slightly raised steel, and the other metal will remain dark and healthy, giving you the best difference. I use a fish tank bubbler in my acid tank to agitate the acid. Now we're using muriatic acid and loving it. Make sure your remaining distilled water does not last longer than a year. Putting acid on your travertine will cause it to initially bubble and fizz (CO2 escaping in the reaction). How do you prepare ferric chloride solution for etching? This is how I do it and it works for me. The liquid kind needs to be cut with four times as much water as there is ferric, the dry kind you just add five times more water than the instructions call far. For example: "You can also use Windex with this step, but do not try to break your piece. I played with the hot vinegar, didnt like it. Ferric chloride is one of the most widely used etchants in the field of chemical etching. It also reduces the surface alkalinity of the concrete that can cause some paints to adhere poorly. Be extra careful at this stage not to touch it! Will this stuff like sit in a jar without eating the jar? If this is the first time youre using this batch of solution (and I presume it is), itll etch super-fast. Complete etches in a well ventilated space and wear gloves, eye protection, and an apron or old clothes. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. Does etching have to be done before temper, or can you etch first and have the pattern survive the process? I don't know if you need a specific concentration of ferric chloride for etching, but I can explain how to make any concentration of ferric chloride as well. How do I heat-treat my 1075 or 0-1 Carbon Damascus billet? Hardened and tempered steel etches with much more contrast. Make sure your steel is clean. 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. were can you get ferric cloride i've seen diluted in some placesbut havent found full strength, if i see it online they say they cannot ship it. Unless you get the vinegar to 400 degrees (Fahrenheit) or higher. you're good on temper. As soon as you're done, oil it. It is a corrosive salt. As etching can only work on evenly damp surfaces, you should etch the surface in sections to prevent dry spots. on Step 8. Don't mess with muriatic acid! Electronics supply stores. Acid etching a concrete floor is typically a 6-step process: Prepare, clean, and degrease concrete. Furthermore if forged in the correct manner you can make swords from it that depicts a pattern often likened to watered silk. You can do this by first mixing a small solution in your watering can starting at a 5:1 ratio. . Add the acid to the water to avoid harmful splashing of acid. [save-account-details-nonce] => Soft aluminum can be etched with ferric chloride, using acrylic polymer paint as a resist. For this reason, true Damascus steel is called wootz Damascus steel to distinguish it from imitations. The generally accepted shelf life of ferric chloride solution is approximately six months. NOT ALL DAMASCUS ARE MADE LIVING Damascus is made of many metallic combinations to form one piece. In our last etching video, linked below, we ended up using ferric chloride and then sulfuric acid, which didn't give the best results. Damascus Steel the two give much different results. Wait for the acid to react with the slab surface. Etching Damascus - Mike Carter demonstrates how to acid etch Damascus knife blades to reveal the pattern in the steel; 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. Damascus etching is completed with either ferric chloride or muriatic acid. For most projects and uses, though, its plenty strong and durable. Muriatic acid will strip the galvanizing off, Ospho, which is phosphoric acid can be used to etch the zinc to get the paint to stick, it is also a 'rust reformer' changing ferric oxide 'rust' to phosphoric oxide, which is stable and can be painted with out worry about latter rusting. It's used to etch printed circuit boards. Etching is done by exposing the cleaned and polished specimen surface to suitable etching solution such as those described in Table 1. Any help would be greatly appreciated thanks guys. Put a tablespoon or so of baking powder in a saucepan of water and boil the piece for 10 minutes. Hydrochloric acid is a purer and more toxic form of muriatic acid. 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. Tungsten, vanadium, and carbon impurities in the metal formed carbon nanotubules and stretched cementite spheroids that gave the blades their pattern and mechanical properties. After heat treating, bring your Damascus to a 400 to 600 grit finish. Yes. -----------------------------------------------"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. bladesmithsforum.com 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. (Add the acid to the water, not water to acid, for safety reasons.) [woocommerce-edit-address-nonce] => Muriatic acid is a powerful and corrosive acidic liquid made from hydrochloric acid, water, and other trace minerals. It is in a greatly reduced concentration compared to the 30% hydrochloric acid (muriatic acid). So, your foliate results arent a surprise. Sprinkle the mixture evenly across the surface of the prepared concrete. Don't use a metal container acid can corrode many metals, leading to the possible destruction of the container. Muriatic acid; Baking soda for neutralizing the acid; pH test strips . 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). A place for all things chef knives. Never put acid in the microwave! For example, you would use 1 cup of the acid to mix with 2 cups of the peroxide. Though there was a demand for Damascus steel, in the 19th century it stopped being made. That is why I recommended you dilute the HCl way down with water, Michael. Do not buff before etching! Ferric Chloride is an iron "salt" of HCl that is nonetheless very acidic, though not as "strong" as HCl. Cheers Johnno Muriatic acid is also less potent because it's diluted with water (usually around 31.5 percent HCl) and contains impurities like iron. https://www.amazon.com/MG-Chemicals-Ferric-Chloride-Liquid/dp/B008UH3SAE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492289092&sr=8-1&keywords=ferric+chloride. 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. Then etch it to make the pattern visible. You can use some 2000 grit sandpaper at this stage to very lightly sand it to bring out the shine on the shiny steel. Add your Damascus clip to an acoustic container so that it can be released freely and not touch the sides or bottom of the container. Hose down or dampen the entire area. I've done several tests, using the same pieces of steel, same amount if vinegar at the same temp, etc, and nothing is working as well as the first batch. 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). Apparently this neutralises the piece as well as helping to set the oxides. Remove your Damascus piece from acids and throw it to your baking board for 5 minutes to reduce acids. The impurities give muriatic acid a yellowish . Acid Etch: Disassemble your knife, and thoroughly clean and dry the part you're going to etch (blade, handle, or clip). To warm your acid more quickly, the best method is to place the container of acid into a large bowl of warm water. Lol. I assume I need to set the oxides but can I still do that weeks later? 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 . is mesquite good handle material and or scabbard materiel. A place to talk about the use, maintenance, and acquisition of any Even a single fingerprint will effect your acid etch, so be cautious. Etching of Damascus is done after manufacturing or grinding of the blank to bring out the contrasting steel patterns. Phone Number: 541-684-4623E-mail: info@rideable.orgMailing Address:P.O. -- Theodore Roosevelthttp://stephensforge.com. Certain non-acids that form acid in water, such as ferric chloride (FeCl3) or copper sulfate (CuSO4), can also be used as etching chemicals. How do I heat-treat 440C/CPM-154 Damascus billet? To the iron add 100mL of water and 100mL of 12M hydrochloric acid. Do this process a few times. on Step 8. It also eats at the steel. [woocommerce-reset-password-nonce] => Apply it to a small area of wet concrete. Etchant - Ferric Chloride (strength 42 baume), oil (I used olive oil as the knife will be used on food). I love watching Ilya's work. If you add additional HCl, the etching solution eventually (after many PCB's) becomes mostly cupric chloride, which is also an excellent etchant. 7. etching is completed with chloride with ferric or muriatic acid. My question at the moment is, will hot vinegar ruin the temper on a knife? 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. Michael, it's easier to add more acid and try again than make it too strong and over-etch. Mix cup of baking soda with 1-2 quarts of water and spray the muriatic acid to neutralize it. 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. 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. Buffing closes steel pores, which will keep the acid from getting it and will end with an unusual etch. Rinse the floor thoroughly, squeegee away puddles, allow floor to dry. I have noticed that Muriatic will produce a much shinier surface than Ferric, without a lot of the black that you would expect. Ferric chloride is very popular. Using a broom, scrub the concrete with the acid solution. The keys are "pretty dilute" and "multiple, short immersions". Etching of Damascus is done after manufacturing or grinding of the blank to bring out the contrasting steel patterns. Using expired acids creates problems with your etching, and you do not want to get it after you have started your acute too old to work properly. Clean the blade. The best thing about Muriatic acid is that it comes in a two gallon box for about $7 at Home Depot. Etch in Muriatic Acid from the local hardware store. Either will etch any high carbon steel, eventually. Two popular acids to use are Muriatic acid or feric chloride. These bridges or buildings aroun, Make sure to wear regular gear when working with acids. Brush or spray the acid solution on the concrete, wait eight to 10 minutes, then neutralize the acid by spraying. Earn the Windex deep deep hole so that you can fully fill your Dutch item. Suspend your piece in the acid.