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. Add more acid if necessary. [woocommerce-reset-password-nonce] => Then you will find that you travertine will feel rough and maybe have some pits forming. The basic process is as follows: After heat treating, bring your Damascus to a 400 to 600 grit finish. Ferric chloride is not an "acid" per se. Pretty much unreadable due to very poor English. Ferric chloride is dissolved in water. What is the Best 2x72 Grinder if you had the money? Apparently this neutralises the piece as well as helping to set the oxides. What follows is a step-by-step tutorial on how to acid etch concrete with muriatic acid. Muriatic acid is a powerful and corrosive acidic liquid made from hydrochloric acid, water, and other trace minerals. Toss the PCB into the solution and itll take off. 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. Pour the solution into your watering can you will reduce any splashing using the sprinkle nozzle and the solution will be spread evenly. Which type of steel you etch will determine the best acid or chemical to use to etch it with. 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. Thank you Kevin. If you etch before heat treating you'll just erase it in the cleanup sanding. This comes pre-diluted, but I am not sure what the dilution rate is. Since you have muriatic acid, its really easy to make ferric chloride. Buffing closes steel pores, which will keep the acid from getting it and will end with an unusual etch. 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. It is the ideal acid etch alternative. You could use clear coat lacquer instead if you like. The blade pattern is nice but no matter how I sand, black oxides keep rubbing off. Before you begin, check the expiration date on your acid of choice to be sure that its not too old. I've been there before.. Using muriatic acid is no joke, and many DIYers believe it to be a . *Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc, or its affiliates. Etching a stainless damascus steel knife (or any damascus) is not as complicated as many people tend to believe. The best thing about Muriatic acid is that it comes in a two gallon box for about $7 at Home Depot. For example, you would use 1 cup of the acid to mix with 2 cups of the peroxide. Can you use coffee to etch Damascus? As with all chemicals, make sure you are wearing the appropriate protective clothing and gear. We are currently having phone problems but we are open normal hours, ** total_quantity ** | ** unit_price ** / ** unit_measure **, Premium Full Tang Stainless Steel Knife Kits, Premium Folding Knives. Etching. Vegas Forge. 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. 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. Wash thoroughly your piece of liquor and view it with pure oils. The HCL (hydrochloric acid) is commonly used in a diluted form called Muriatic Acid for PH balancing in pools. 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. Mix an acid solution by pouring 1 part acid into 10 parts water. This is for academic purposes only and should not be considered in any way a thorough instruction on this subject. That's where I just got a bottle, $14.59 for a quart. Nitric Acid - mixture of 5 - 10% nitric acid with the balance being alcohol. While high in carbon steel, the blade can easily rust if not cared for. The keys are "pretty dilute" and "multiple, short immersions". Chaotic Neutral: Give me liberty, or receive death. Putting acid on your travertine will cause it to initially bubble and fizz (CO2 escaping in the reaction). [woocommerce-reset-password-nonce] => Damascus etching is completed with either ferric chloride or muriatic acid. 7. Possible acids include muriatic (hydrochloric) acid (HCL), nitric acid (HNO3), or sulfuric acid (H2SO4). Damascus steel is a famed type of steel recognizable by the watery or wavy light and dark pattern of the metal. Before you begin, check the expiration date on your acid of choice to be sure that it's not too old. Coffee Etching Damascus Steel | Knife Making How To/Tip Coffee Etching Damascus Steel | Knife Making How To/Tip Watch on Muriatic acid quickly dissolves efflorescence from concrete surfaces, and it removes other stains as well. Large Damascus is made of high quality, and the construction process carefully guides no voids, cracks, or hazardous expulsions while working with metal. Or is there more of a process? Muriatic Acid, Ferric Chloride, Radio Shack PCB Etchant (Computer board etching solution) and I have he. Hi, Sorry for the slow reply. Fill a glass jar with enough ferric chloride to cover the metal part. We've made your buy experience less painful. 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. ), Copyright 2012 - 2020 American Bladesmith Society | All Rights Reserved, Bill Moran School of Bladesmithing at Texarkana College. It's not the only way. 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. In fact, it is not. . I etch pretty deeply (3-4 soaks at 15-20 minutes, scrubbing oxides off between soaks) then a light buffing with pink scratchless rouge to bring out the contrast. Can you etch Damascus steel with muriatic acid? A place to talk about the use, maintenance, and acquisition of any [woocommerce-edit-address-nonce] => on Step 8. After 5 minutes, rinse your piece of liquor and tie it with the pure rag. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg, https://www.etsy.com/shop/JStatesBladesmith. You are using an out of date browser. Scrub it with the steel wool until you've got rid of the oxides. Complete etches in a well ventilated space and wear gloves, eye protection, and an apron or old clothes. I frequently etch damascus with ferric chloride. 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). Make sure your steel is clean. This comes pre-diluted, but I am not sure what the dilution rate is. Remove the Damascus from the acid and dip it in a bath of baking soda and distilled water to neutralize the acid. [woocommerce-login-nonce] => has no defect, one of the components inside the steel is not affected by etching, which makes it unacceptable Damascus to be a unique discovery when it's over. to 2 parts Hydrogen Peroxide (the common 3% kind that's sold in dollar stores & drugstores for $0.50 a pint) Warning!!!!! If this is the first time youre using this batch of solution (and I presume it is), itll etch super-fast. You can also make it, by adding Fe to HCl. Always use a 1:10 muriatic acid to water the mixture so that the acid is not too strong and difficult to neutralize. 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. To the iron add 100mL of water and 100mL of 12M hydrochloric acid. Radio Shack sells it online as PCB Etchant. 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. Make sure your remaining distilled water does not last longer than a year. Professional Strength 31.45% HCL (Muriatic Acid), excellent for pH reduction in swimming pools or to clean and etch masonry surfaces, excellent for pH reduction in all commercial and residential pools.Find the ACID MURIATIC GAL at Ace. Posts: 199. This product is a very strong acid that will clean dried cement products off stones, bricks, and other masonry surfaces. After being etched the blank can be polished to give a stepped or contrasting look. Using a broom, scrub the concrete with the acid solution. There are significant risks to health and body including maiming and even death. We are limited on the number of characters that can be used as the knives vary in size. In a large nonmetallic bowl or container, mix 1 part hydrochloric acid with 2 parts hydrogen peroxide. Etching of Damascus is done after manufacturing or grinding of the blank to bring out the contrasting steel patterns. 2 Remove any burrs on the edges of the steel. The etching solution is made by adding 1 part Muriatic Acid (the common kind that's sold in hardware stores, about $5.00 gal.) It is in a greatly reduced concentration compared to the 30% hydrochloric acid (muriatic acid). My problem here is that I've had some really inconsistent results with the vinegar. Two popular acids to use are Muriatic acid or feric 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. Tom, diluting muriatic doesn't make ferric chloride, no. With clean water, dampen the surface to be etched. Cheers Johnno If you use muriatic acid, you can bring Damascus up to 1200 grit, or you can leave it 400 grit. 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. Do not change before creativity! 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? As many Damascus wars come from the market, consumers and new consumers in this matter want to know: Damascus is a solid iron? Is the pattern deep enough? Wait for the acid to react with the slab surface. It can also be used to remove soot from firebricks. The strength of the acid generally determines how quickly the steel will be etched, the stronger the acid, the faster the process. Read entire label prior to use or storage. These bridges or buildings aroun, Make sure to wear regular gear when working with acids. Asiatic Muriatic does not require dilution. The generally accepted shelf life of ferric chloride solution is approximately six months. Make Ferric Chloride (for etching printed circuit boards). Muriatic acid is also less potent because it's diluted with water (usually around 31.5 percent HCl) and contains impurities like iron. Do not buff before etching! 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. So less about etching and more about patterns, how does one make raindrop damascus? 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. If the reaction is proceeding too slowly for your liking you can heat up the mixture. Everyone has a slightly different dilution and technique. It also reduces the surface alkalinity of the concrete that can cause some paints to adhere poorly. Is it possible to etch Damascus with muriatic acid? Mixing is a hazardous process (add acid to the peroxide, not the other way around!) Can you etch Damascus steel with muriatic acid? Sprinkle the mixture evenly across the surface of the prepared concrete. #5. Lol. For this reason, true Damascus steel is called wootz Damascus steel to distinguish it from imitations. Uses of Muriatic acid 1. 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. They dedicate their customers to the unique inspired world patterns around us, for example, raindrops, razor cords, and baskets. Muriatic also contains some other stuff, typically iron, which is already starting to become ferric. Aside from being beautiful, Damascus steel is valued because it maintains a keen edge, yet is hard and flexible. placeholder="Leave a comment" onpropertychange="this.style.height=this.scrollHeight + 'px'" oninput="this.style.height=this.scrollHeight + 'px'">. Box 71092Springfield, OR 97475. ), but here's my thoughts: The acid only reaches the surface, so it's natural that the pattern will sand off. Soft aluminum can be etched with ferric chloride, using acrylic polymer paint as a resist. Tungsten, vanadium, and carbon impurities in the metal formed carbon nanotubules and stretched cementite spheroids that gave the blades their pattern and mechanical properties.