How To Etch Knife Blades
Avoid using materials like acetone because they leave residue behind that interferes with the etch, and don't touch the metal with your hands. Engraving is quite tricky and unforgiving. It has an open-frame desktop design with a footprint of 28. A 20W fiber laser can be used to engrave coated stainless steel blades.
How To Etch A Damascus Knife Blade
I split the cables to connect the blade to the positive wire and I use the negative wire with a piece of metal where I put some tissue with salt water underneath. Bringing out faded etch at all. The etching itself is the effect of a chemical reaction between the steel and the acid. This allows me to fine tune the voltage and amperage to get as much life out of my stencils as possible without burning them. Damascus steel is forged steel, popularly recognized by the watery or wavey patterns on the surface of the metal. Now connect the negative clip to the negative battery post and the other end to a cotton ball.
Both produce good results when engraving knives, but the uni-directional hatch produces slightly better quality engraving than the bi-directional hatch at the cost of cycle time. Some makers like to soak finished pieces in WD-40 to get an even darker contrast. Many artists apply this to the recessed areas of their pieces then wipe and clean the elevated parts of the metal. Knife Etching - Brazil. When creating the engraving design for knives, it is recommended to take a picture of the knife and import it into the design software. Muriatic acid is "hydrochloric acid" (HCl) in a less pure and diluted strength for non-technical applications like cleaning bricks. Face mask and eye protection. Etching can even be done on a knife spine.
The second will hold a 1:1 mixture of water and an acid neutralizer. Iteration is the name of the game. How to acid etch knife blades. Salt water solution. What you need to get started: One of the nicest things about acid etching is you don't have to search all over the internet for special tools or materials in order to get the job done. His is the best in my opinion. For that, use a normal sponge and an abrasive cleaner like Penny Brite or Bar Keepers Friend to clean the piece.
Etching Knife Blades With Wax
Common types of grinding tools are Dremel grinders, small contact wheels of a 2x72 grinder or flap sanding wheels on an angle grinder. Once the image is etched into the copper, the plates are covered in heated ink. Next, once the acid is fully neutralized, rinse off the baking soda with water. Preparing the Workpiece. Do not etch too long at a spot at a time – the etching heats up the steel and this can damage the stencil. Etching knife blades with wax. I use Thermark tape. Ideally, put the acid into a plastic bottle, mark what the contents are, then take it to a local hazardous waste disposal location. Although I am customizing an axe, these same techniques will work on knives and machetes. Fiber lasers are expensive, so unless you plan to do many parts, it will be difficult to recoup the investment. You are getting rid of the bits that you are normally trying to keep and instead you are keeping the background. When brought into contact with each other, the result can be a light discoloration of the metal, or even heavy pitting depending on the duration of the chemical reaction.
On the other hand, a CO2 laser is readily absorbed by non-metals and is recommended for engraving the non-metallic handle. In practice I've heard that this is very tricky. Warm salt water can be used as the electrolyte solution for high carbon and tool steel. Ferric Acid will result in a double grey pattern (dark and light grey pattern) on either a matte or polished finish. It then is dipped in your electrolyte and dried to not be sopping wet, and then connected to your gator clamp, where the positive is attached to the bolt, and the negative to your blade, and you're off to the races. I am sure I will have a ton of feedback on the etching process once the stencils get in. Next, connect one end of the positive alligator clip to the positive battery post, and the other to the blade. Degreasing blades before etching: What to use ? - Finish and Polish for Knives. These dots are similar to the pixels in a raster image and, the higher the number of dots, the higher the detailing of the engraving will be. Styrofoam boat – This works best for small pieces. Ferric Chloride is an iron "salt" of HCl that is nonetheless very acidic, though not as "strong" as HCl.
I usually nutralize it in the sink under running water and scrub with a steel wool to dull it down to a gray with pretty good results. I use full power, 300 speed, 105 lines per cm and one pass. How to etch a damascus knife blade. If you want the blade to shine like new, once the etch is gone, most experts suggest starting with 600-grit sandpaper and moving up to finer sandpaper, along the lines of 1000-grit or even 2500-grit (wet & dry is a good choice and use it wet). Thoroughly wash your piece with alcohol and pat it dry with a clean rag. Make sure only the damp gauze touches the blade.
How To Acid Etch Knife Blades
If you plan to carry and use her, you're going to have to remove a little metal to get rid of the etch and that will require some elbow grease and sandpaper. Performing Test Runs. Mild Steel and Stainless Steel are both increasingly common choices for metal etching due to the rising prices of copper and zinc. You don't need to press so hard you score the metal, just enough to remove the nail varnish in the pattern you want etching. Everything else on the blade should be safely coated in nail varnish and not react. Plastic String – This is best for smaller pieces where both sides are getting etched.
Time will vary depending on the material being etched. Therefore a high-powered fiber laser (around 50W) is required to engrave these knives. He uses electro etching to enhance his hand made custom knives but the same process can be used on a variety of metal working projects. Or it can be mixed at a 1:1 ratio with acetic acid (vinegar). Whatever method you choose, just make sure the parts you want etched are unobscured. She studied Social Work at the University of Minnesota, which involved research surrounding Family Violence Prevention, leaving a great impact on her and her early artwork. We spent ~45 min etching, but this is the biggest etching project I've ever done. ) He then attaches the positive lead of the 12 volt battery charger set to 6 amps to the blade. Dip the cotton ball in the salt water and squeeze out the excess water. Etching encompasses a huge assortment of designs patterns and techniques. And, while it might not be immediately apparent, the greater percentage of total surface area exists in the valleys, not on the peaks. I use Radio Shack PCB board etching solution ($11. Like any other edge tool enthusiast, I get giddy like a school girl when I open up a brand new blade. This will render the blade weak and prone to breaking.
Using expired acid causes problems with your etch, and you don't want to find out after you've already started that your acid is too old to work properly. The main component for this customization can be found at pretty much any RadioShack location and everything else you'll probably already have. Doesn't matter if it's an axe, knife, spear, sword or shovel! The first thing you're going to need to do is take off the handles from the knife or completely dismantle the multi-tool if that's what you'll be etching. Bryn specifically points out that to do this well, you must make test prints of the unfinished plate so you can see where you need to make changes. Different Methods of Using a Laser to Personalize Knives. Joined: Sat Dec 29, 2012 2:34 am.