5. We are limited on the number of characters that can be used as the knives vary in size. A Pocket Sundial From a Broken Pocket Watch! A flask of cold water on top is useful to reduce evaporative losses. Make sure your steel is clean. Ken Fong File away any burrs on the side of the steel you plan to etch with acid. Water down with 4 parts water to 1 part ferric. Swishing the steel around in the etch to break up the bubbles is not a bad idea either. After 5 minutes, rinse your piece of liquor and tie it with the pure rag. bladesmithsforum.com Any help would be greatly appreciated thanks guys. How do I heat-treat my 1075 or 0-1 Carbon Damascus billet? The "active ingredient" in ferric chloride solution is hydrochloric acid. I don't think I'd ever do this, but, dang, I found the whole instructable fascinating. Report. What is the black coating on knife blades? As a major metal product on the market, strong power in Damascus is directly related to its quality. It is. ( as per: Fluid, Electrolyte, and Acid-base Balance, View all products of Market Price & Insight. Ferric and Muriatic Acids work on Damascus Steels but will give 2 drastically different results. *Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc, or its affiliates. Cleaning and Etching Concrete It easily dissolves the efflorescence on the concrete surface and removes other stains as well. It is in a greatly reduced concentration compared to the 30% hydrochloric acid (muriatic acid). Don't use a metal container acid can corrode many metals, leading to the possible destruction of the container. There are five distinctive patterns from which to choose. Possible acids include muriatic (hydrochloric) acid (HCL), nitric acid (HNO3), or . No need to go full strength to get results. 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. Wash thoroughly your piece of liquor and view it with pure oils. Hang your Damascus piece in the warm acid so that it hangs freely and doesnt touch the sides or bottom of the container. Either is effective. The nice folks at Forseti have their own quality assurance system in place, and they design many of the more interesting knives in their catalog. It will certainly freeze being significantly water. If not, dip it in the acetone (see lovely photo) then repeat the previous step until you're happy. Step 1: What You Need Some damascus steel Etchant - Ferric Chloride (strength 42 baume) Distilled water Acetone Glass or plastic containers Extra fine (000) steel wool Wire (to hang piece in acid) Bucket of water Rubber gloves Baking soda oil (I used olive oil as the knife will be used on food) Ask Question Comment Step 2: Clean Sure, you can etch steel with hydrochloric acid; e.g. 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. Use a sprayer or watering container to distribute the acid, scrubbing in as needed. Fill a glass jar with enough ferric chloride to cover the metal part. Advice? Begin the etching process. If you decide that you want to reverse one another, you can also make a quick frame by placing your teaspoon refined in acid for a few minutes and then entering a baking soda. As etching can only work on evenly damp surfaces, you should etch the surface in sections to prevent dry spots. To clean and etch concrete, mix one part muriatic acid to 10 parts water. 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. No matter how effective it is. Muriatic Acid will give a mirror/frosted finish on a polished finish and a lighter grey/grey pattern on a matte finish. Do not change before creativity! Remember to wear safety goggles and gloves at all times. Then etch it to make the pattern visible. Hotter vinegar = deeper etch, but can the vinegar be too hot? Clorox wipes and Windex work well for cleaning. You can make a reasonable facsimile of ferric by dissolving steel wool in muriatic acid. [woocommerce-reset-password-nonce] => Once you have gathered all the necessary supplies and safety gear, you will be ready to begin etching your garage floor. What is the Best 2x72 Grinder if you had the money? Radio Shack sells it online as PCB Etchant. For ferric acid, keep the grit between 400 and 600. How do I heat-treat 440C/CPM-154 Damascus billet? Tungsten, vanadium, and carbon impurities in the metal formed carbon nanotubules and stretched cementite spheroids that gave the blades their pattern and mechanical properties. Everything you need to know about ChatGPT. I've been there before.. The one thing you DO NOT want when etching Damascus is "fast"..that always equals a poor etch. Your email address will not be published. I've since settle on at 4-1 dilution, and overall etching a blade takes 45-60 mins. I dont own any Damascus and this is my first, so is that normal? Is there any difference with polish? Thoughts? Hydrochloric acid is a purer and more toxic form of muriatic acid. Don't mess with muriatic acid! 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. Mine is stronger :-),
Gerald Boggs
. The impurities give muriatic acid a yellowish . It also eats at the steel. Damascus's iron is highly respected by its patterns like waves. Makes the material look like carbon steel Damascus. Joshua C States. Dont touch it with your hands. No odor, no smell, not a skin irritant, non-corrosive. One of the reasons it is so popular is because of its versatility. Etching of the metal surface is done to make visible the crystalline structure of the metal and to produce optical contrast between the various constituents. Etching is done after all heat treatment is completed. Sorry for the repeat. Damasteel is a powdered metallurgy stainless damascus steel. Hydrochloric acid has a normal pH of 1.5 to 3.5, while muriatic acid has a pH of about 1 to 2. I degrease with multiple wipes of acetone on new paper towels each time, but some guys prefer dish soap and water or alcohol. How long does ferric chloride take to etch? If you use muriatic acid, you can bring Damascus up to 1200 grit, or you can leave it 400 grit. At 5-10 minute intervals, gently stir the copper etching solution to agitate the solution. on Introduction. Damascus Knife Blank Acid Etching Etching of Damascus is done after manufacturing or grinding of the blank to bring out the contrasting steel patterns. The best thing about Muriatic acid is that it comes in a two gallon box for about $7 at Home Depot. Answer It fumes a lot (toxic) and the fumes will rust everything in your shop. Even polishing hard will remove the pattern. Beyond that it's a matter of experimentation. on Step 8. 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. Ideally you want to test the strength needed first before doing the entire floor. In other words, it is a mixture of ferric and cupric chlorides that is renewable effectively forever. Don't touch it with your hands. Step 1: The Requirements of Steel Etching: Ferric chloride Plastic container Distilled water Etch resist/stencil Acetone Cotton swabs and/or Q-tips Paperclip and/or dental floss Rubber gloves High grit dry/wet steel wool or sandpaper Step 2: Preparation of Etching Components The most important step in this whole process is preparation. Fill a plastic garden watering can halfway with the mixture. "Regular" ferric chloride tion for future etching. Ferric chloride is dissolved in water. The basic process is as follows: After heat treating, bring your Damascus to a 400 to 600 grit finish. If too late.no problem that is how we learn. hey guys, i used the lovely search function with pretty much no results. Muriatic Acid, Ferric Chloride, Radio Shack PCB Etchant (Computer board etching solution) and I have he. 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. 157K subscribers in the chefknives community. These chemical compound work faster than acids. Before you begin, check the expiration date on your acid of choice to be sure that its not too old. -- Theodore Roosevelthttp://stephensforge.com. A short emersion (2-3 minutes) in diluted ferric chloride will show the pattern without etching too deep. Make sure the blade is clean and free of oil and grease before continuing. When etching Damascus steel, it is important to use an acid specifically formulated for this purpose. 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. The "active ingredient" in ferric chloride solution is hydrochloric acid. 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. Does muriatic acid etch metal? Thanks for the tips. Once the half hour is up, check the etching to make sure you're happy with the result. [save-account-details-nonce] => Acid Etch: Disassemble your knife, and thoroughly clean and dry the part you're going to etch (blade, handle, or clip). 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. 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. Adding HCl acid can restore the cutting ability of the FeCl3. Mix cup of baking soda with 1-2 quarts of water and spray the muriatic acid to neutralize it. Phone Number: 541-684-4623E-mail: info@rideable.orgMailing Address:P.O. So, your foliate results arent a surprise. and wear gloves, eye protection, and clothing. 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. A place to talk about the use, maintenance, and acquisition of any 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. " It is a common mistake that when you work with Damascus, the risk of extinction - the layers of separation - is just what you should do. Is the pattern deep enough? [woocommerce-edit-address-nonce] => Scrub it with the steel wool until you've got rid of the oxides. Ive started working on damascus recently, and I know that ferric chloride is the way to go for etchant, but until I can get some I've been using vinegar just to get an idea of my patterns and such. Suspend your piece in the acid. This steel had been produced for 11 centuries, and in just about a generation, the means of its manufacture was entirely lost. But in Vegas Forge, they give that and more. Hardened and tempered steel etches with much more contrast. You could use clear coat lacquer instead if you like. The hardware store wasn't going to be very helpful in the middle of the night and I was about to put it all off to the next day when I realized I didn't actually care about how the etching was done . What kind of places sell ferric chloride? 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. Do not buff before etching! Muriatic Acid vs. Hydrochloric Acid How do I heat-treat 440C/CPM-154 Damascus billet? The knife in the photo had 3 ten minute dips. Concentrated - One gallon makes up to three (3) gallons. Dissolve enough iron in ityes. Warm acid gives a much faster etch, but then you get less time to control what's happening. Ferric Chloride is an iron "salt" of HCl that is nonetheless very acidic, though not as "strong" as HCl. Copper can be etched with ferric chloride mixed in water to form weak hydrochloric acid. Damascus Patterns - From Billet to Finished Product, What's the proper technique for etching Damascus? 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. Then on the last etch , take it out, neutralize the acid without touching the blade, rinse with cold sater, dry the blade with compressed air (I use dust off) and oil . and I did neutralize with baking soda bath as directed. Cleaning the concrete surface with Muriatic Acid is how to Etch Concrete. Certain non-acids that form acid in water, such as ferric chloride (FeCl3) or copper sulfate (CuSO4), can also be used as etching chemicals. Putting acid on your travertine will cause it to initially bubble and fizz (CO2 escaping in the reaction). For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Though there was a demand for Damascus steel, in the 19th century it stopped being made. Wanted to compare it with the home-recipe batch I made. It's used to etch printed circuit boards. This prepares your steel for an even etch. 90% lower fumes than standard Muriatic Acid. If this is the first time youre using this batch of solution (and I presume it is), itll etch super-fast. 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. Apply it to a small area of wet concrete. You can also make it, by adding Fe to HCl. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg, https://www.etsy.com/shop/JStatesBladesmith. Start very dilute, like 1:10 or 1:20. You can use some 2000 grit sandpaper at this stage to very lightly sand it to bring out the shine on the shiny steel. Etching Damascus - Mike Carter demonstrates how to acid etch Damascus knife blades to reveal the pattern in the steel; We therefore recommend you check the strength of you solution and if necessary gradually dilute with water until you reach a strength of 42 baume. 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. This product is a very strong acid that will clean dried cement products off stones, bricks, and other masonry surfaces. If you need to warm your acids to be used, the best way to place your acids container is in a large amount of warm water. If you etch before heat treating you'll just erase it in the cleanup sanding. 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. Mix your Ferric Chloride 1 part to 3 parts of distilled water and put in suitable container. Keep it submerged for 10 to 15 minutes. A standard strength for a careful etch on copper is 42 baume, above this and the ferric will etch more slowly as the solution is viscous. Add more acid if necessary. With ferric acid, keep grit between 400 and 600. When someone feels their ferric chloride batch has "gone bad", you can add a tablespoon or so of muriatic acid and regenerate it. Ferric Chloride - 1 Quart - 1000 ML - Copper Etchant Solution - Stainless Steel Etching Cream 4.6 (203) $2499 $22.49 with Subscribe & Save discount FREE delivery Tue, Feb 28 on $25 of items shipped by Amazon Small Business MG Chemicals - 415-4L Ferric Chloride Copper Etchant Solution, 4L Liquid Bottle 4.7 (269) $4835 - $6862 FREE delivery How do I heat-treat my stainless Damascus after purchase? For most projects and uses, though, its plenty strong and durable. Very nice blade! Nitric Acid - mixture of 5 - 10% nitric acid with the balance being alcohol. Ferric chloride is very popular. Either will etch any high carbon steel, eventually. Ferric chloride is a common acid used for etching Damascus steel. Large Damascus is made of high quality, and the construction process carefully guides no voids, cracks, or hazardous expulsions while working with metal. Never put acid on the microwave! Read entire label prior to use or storage. 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? Muriatic acid acts like liquid sandpaper by roughening the surface of the concrete. What kind of acid do you use to etch Damascus steel? Generally speaking, you want to be at about a 400 grit finish or better to get an even etch across the pattern. Etching a stainless damascus steel knife (or any damascus) is not as complicated as many people tend to believe. Brush or spray the acid solution on the concrete, wait eight to 10 minutes, then neutralize the acid by spraying. Damascus Steel Knives | Hunting in Damascus. To warm your acid more quickly, the best method is to place the container of acid into a large bowl of warm water. Once your Damascus is sanded to the correct grit, thoroughly wash it with alcohol and pat dry with a clean rag. Choose the acid you want to etch the steel with. It is a matter of strength and timing. The key is to have the knife sanded and finished properly, then etch, then neutralize, then only VERY lightly sand it just enough and stop. 3D Printed Futuristic Space Age Wall Clock. It's often used in swimming pools to lower the pH of the water. Dampen the surface to be etched with clean water. As with all chemicals, make sure you are wearing the appropriate protective clothing and gear. Dilute by adding 1 part muriatic acid to 10 parts water, or about 1 cup acid per gallon of water. The concentration from such sources is typically ~8.9M, or 32% (by mass). Can you etch Damascus steel with muriatic acid? How do I heat-treat 3V/CPM-154 Damascus billet? This goes with us, but it produces remarkable visibility, and it's good to fix your pieces of photos. This small board took only 2 minutes. Ferric Acid will result in a double grey pattern (dark and light grey pattern) on either a matte or polished finish. As soon as you're done, oil it. After being etched the blank can be polished to give a stepped or contrasting look. on Step 8. Let your piece remain in acids for 10 to 15 minutes. Dunk it in the acetone again then allow to dry. 100% biodegradable, safe, non-acid based cleaner. My favorite supplier of muriatic acid is any place that carries pool supplies. Never use tap water, spring water, or filtered water - all will cause problems etc. Fast-acting formula, safely use on interior and exterior applications. Muriatic acid is "hydrochloric acid" (HCl) in a less pure and diluted strength for non-technical applications like cleaning bricks. Muriatic acid is also less potent because it's diluted with water (usually around 31.5 percent HCl) and contains impurities like iron. Did you make this project? Coffee Etching Damascus Steel | Knife Making How To/Tip. Aside from being beautiful, Damascus steel is valued because it maintains a keen edge, yet is hard and flexible. With clean water, dampen the surface to be etched. It will also make everything steel in the same room with it rust. I assume I need to set the oxides but can I still do that weeks later? It's not the only way. Play both the process and the sandpaper to see what you like. 8. Our first Etching Damasteel video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inzrn7kL-2UHere is more information about Damasteel and where to order it from. RadioShack carries pcb enchant, aka ferric chloride. 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. How do I heat-treat my 1075 or 0-1 Carbon Damascus billet? Muriatic acid is a powerful and corrosive acidic liquid made from hydrochloric acid, water, and other trace minerals. That's where I just got a bottle, $14.59 for a quart. You can repeat 5 and 6 steps for a deep etch if you wish. Damascus Steel the two give much different results. 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. Be sure to always wear the appropriate protective gear when you're working with acid. If you are having trouble getting Ferric, try using Muriatic. And that's why we use it!http://damasteel.se/ 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. Blotchiness in an etch is usually the result of oil somewhere in the system, either on the blade or in the etchant. Step 4: Mix the Etch Acid Put on your rubber gloves. Many hand-forged Damascus blades are made out of high carbon steel with small amounts of chromium in the alloy. Can you etch Damascus steel with muriatic acid? Hi. There are significant risks to health and body including maiming and even death. The higher the dilution of the ferric, the slower it will etch, and the better/clean the etch will come out within reason. Muriatic acid quickly dissolves efflorescence from concrete surfaces, and it removes other stains as well. Congratulations on your progress. Muriatic acid; Baking soda for neutralizing the acid; pH test strips . Then you will find that you travertine will feel rough and maybe have some pits forming. The best quality Damascus does not end. You can order it off of Amazon, believe it or not. Good point about the rust bluing. Edit* I just realized folks already gave this answer. I just etched my first Damascus blade. I mix the Ferric Chloride 50/50 with distilled water. Should I dilute ferric chloride for etching? 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. This prepares your steel for an even etch. Etching is used to make circuit boards, where a thin copper sheet is selectively dissolved away to form a path for electricity.