Home Forums Gear Knives and Blades etching damascus

So what are the process points to make damascus jump using ferric chloride????
ie: surface finish, surface cleaning, time in the juice, etc.??
Thanks
Tim

That can open a whole can.
Depends on who you want to ask. Surface I do is normally 400 grit finish. Some will tell you 1000 grit..
Surface cleaning I use dawn soap to clean it. Some say Acetone leaves an oily finish on it so you have to remove that film.
Concentration I use 25 percent ferric and 75 percent distilled water. My ferric is stronger than Radio Shack ferric. Some recommend 50 percent ferric and 50 percent white vinegar. I am going to use in experiment warm instant coffee.
Time I do 20 minutes. Some do 5 minutes shots and clean between dips until they get the depth they want.

I soak then remove and let it drip dry and spray with Windex with Amonia to neutralize the ferric. I then go to soapy water dip and put a small amount of Dawn soap and hand sand with 2000 grit sandpaper until clean. I then spray with WD 40 to make sure no water is left on surface.
Next guy will give you a different routine. This is what I do.

Mike
Thanks and sounds good.
I had a Radio Shack kit for etching for years. Not sure strength of it so bought some
thru ebay that is 48% solution.
Do you just let the blade set for the 20 minutes in the ferric, or stir occasionally or ?????
Guess I need some Dawn and some Windex with ammonia.
Thanks for the info.
Figured I would get several "My way is...."
Tim

I just totally suspend the blade vertically on a 1/16"stainless wire for the whole time. It will etch better 70 degrees and above. It doesn't like cold.

Another thing this is for carbon damascus. I use muriatic acid for stainless damascus etch for 15 minutes then follow with a 5 minute soak in ferric.

If you have the ferric when you mix it I leave it in another building to etch. Ferric vapors will rust machinery in your shop.

I etch my damascus the way an old timer (ABS Mastersmith) told me to.

Etch in your solution, I use Radio Shack's and water @ 50/50, for about 15, 20 minutes depending on how things are going. I lower my blade into the solution using a common string, not a metal hook. You can take it out every few minutes to check on the progress and lower back in if need be.

Here is where the difference takes place: When you take it out for good, do not rub it off with soap, windex, etc....just run under scalding hot water until the etching solution is rinsed off and the blade has heated up. Don't touch the blade! Take it outside and let it air dry...because the blade is hot, it'll dry off pretty quick. When I'm convinced its 100% dry I immediately take the blade into my shop and spray a first coat of Mimwax satin finish polyurathane on it. A light coat...just to seal it. About three hours later I spray coat number two. Let dry for at least 24 hours and you are ready to finish the blade.

When I did it this way, I got that pretty black/silver contrast...NOT the light gray/dark gray contrast I used to get when I scrubbed the blade. Works like a charm and holds up fantastic.

Looks like this:

So once you apply the poly urethane, you never mess with the surface again???
Such as fine sanding or buffing or????

That is a darn nice looking black pattern on the blades that you ended up with.

Thanks
Tim

No....never mess with it again. Everything I do to the blade, will be completed by the time I etch. The etch is the dead last thing I do to the blade itself. At that point I attach to the guard, handle and finish.

The second knife in that thread is a full tang knife. It requires another step. I finish the blade and handles completely...its finished. Then, I remove the handles and etch the blade. After the poly, etc, I reattach the handles and finish. The point being is that I want the tang of the blade in the handle to be etched too. I want it to show off the same grain as the blade does. I can't etch and then sand the handles to fit...that would remove the etch! So I finish it on out and then backtrack, removing the handles before I etch. Incidentally, that knife went to an editor of Sporting Classics Magazine. Cute little bird and trout knife.

Hank

Another one:

Have got to say that I like the way you shape the guard...looks like a nice feel for forefinger, and a flat surface for the sheath mouth to sit against.

Thanks...that's basically how I finish all my hidden tang knives...it really is comfortable. Funny thing happened showing my knives to another knifemaker a while back. He got on to me for "copying" his technique on the shaping of the guard...was somewhat upset about it, thinking I stole the idea from him. I promptly showed him pics from 25+ years ago of my knives finished in that manner and shut him up. No one has a patent on how to finish up a knife...there's only so many ways to do it. Good Lord.

That damascus knife went to a NM elk guide buddy of mine.

Beautiful work.

I love a good damascus blade