# Question about damascus etching



## HawgJawl (Feb 20, 2011)

I have a question for knifemakers.

I used ferric chloride etchant solution from Radio Shack on a damascus blade.  After 20 minutes, I neutralized it with baking soda and water and scrubbed it with fine steel wool.  It was just gray with no color variation.  I repeated this twice for a total of about and hour.  The blade is still gray and looks more like it's been parkerized than what it's supposed to look like.  It's possible, I guess, that the damascus is cheap and is all from one type of metal, but I don't know.  Has anyone had this problem?  Do you have any suggestions for getting more variation?

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.


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## joe sangster (Feb 20, 2011)

After etching in the ferric chloride , neutralize with baking soda but do not rub it.  You want to dry it with the hairdryer for several minutes & let it hang for several hrs.  After drying for several hrs. , spray it with WD-40 thoroughly & let it hang for several more hrs before wiping the oil off very gently .  How dark it gets depends a lot on the types of carbon steel that was used to make the damascus.  Hope this helps.  I assume the blade has been heat treatede as this also makes a difference as to how dark it gets .  Hope this helps . 

Joe


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## sharpeblades (Feb 20, 2011)

*Damascus*

After i have heat treated the blade .I clean the blade with windex then  i hang mine in a glass jar with "heated "enchant in it for around 30 minutes ,i then take it out and rinse it in water (do not touch it )and then pat it dry with a paper towel (do not rub it ) .I then take my little micro  torch and lightly heat the blade just enough to get the water off of it,  then i dump out a bunch of baking soda on a napkin and bury the blade in it,being careful not to rub the blade.I usually let it set for around an hour .I then take it out and sand it lightly with 1200 or 1500 grit sand paper to the desired effect i want.Then i will oil the blade.I like the dark back ground with silver high lites.Hope this will help you ~Sharpeblades


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## sharpeblades (Feb 20, 2011)

Where did you get your damascus from ?? and has it been heat treated??


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## OconeeDan (Feb 20, 2011)

My guess is that your problem is your steel.

I have a different approach...etch for about 20 minutes, rinse with water, dump some baking soda on it, and rub it out with my fingers.  If the etch is not deep enough, I repeat.  
After I am happy with the etch, I use 1000 grit to polish off the top of the "topography".
Dan


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## clw3 (Feb 21, 2011)

Did you use the FC directly from the bottle or did you mix it with something like water or white vinegar?


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## OconeeDan (Feb 21, 2011)

I use about 4 parts ferric chloride to 6 parts vinegar.  You'll have to stiffen it up after time.  Dan


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## sharpeblades (Feb 21, 2011)

You can use it either way;I use mine 50/50 with white vinegar and i use the mixture warm


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## Brad Singley (Feb 21, 2011)

An hour is an awful long time for an etch.  I was taught to use 4 parts distilled water and 1 part ferric chloride.  Your blade must be absolutey clean prior to etch.  I use windex w ammonia to clean with followed by acetone right before etching.  You need to wear rubber gloves while doing this, it's not for your safety but to make sure no oils from your hands get on the blade.  
  Dip the blade in to the required depth and leave for a second or to and pull it out, you are checking for a uniformity of the color and are also checking to make sure there are no lines or streaks on the blade.  Return to the etch and leave for 6 to 15 minutes depending on the depth you want to etch to.  Once the etch is done remove it and submerge it in  distilled water and tsp, a couple of minutes will neutralize sufficently.   Pat dry and then sand with 1500 grit sand paper using a pull stroke with a hard backing.     I hope this helps you.


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## godogs57 (Feb 21, 2011)

joe sangster said:


> After etching in the ferric chloride , neutralize with baking soda but do not rub it.
> Joe



I have always washed mine off under water rubbing baking soda all over it (while under the hot water) to neutralize it. I see that y'all don't do it that way, so you keep it dark as possible. My question is HOW do you neutralize with baking soda but NOT rub it in?????


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## HawgJawl (Feb 21, 2011)

My blade blank was heat treated from the factory.  It also had a medium color variation from the factory.

I sanded the blade (by hand) and did nothing to heat it up or change it in any way other than sanding.  It was shiny from the sanding.

I used Radio Shack PCB Etchant Solution, which is a solution of water, ferric chloride, ferrous chloride, and hydrochloric acid.  The bottle states to use full strength for PC boards.

I used rubber gloves, cleaned the blade with acetone, and used a wire through a pin hole to move the blade.

To neutralize the acid, I washed the blade with water, then submerged the blade in a solution of about a half a box of baking soda in just enough water to cover the blade.

At no time during this process did any color variation appear.  

Should it appear while the blade is in the acid?  Or does it not appear until it has dried?

I can't even get the amount of color variation that was in the blade blank before I sanded it.


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## sharpeblades (Feb 22, 2011)

The acid should change the blade within just a few seconds of putting it in the acid.If you would send it to me i would be glad to try it for you ~Raleigh


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## Blue grass in Georgia (Feb 22, 2011)

sounds like you need to cut the etchant with water and vinegar like stated above. pure etchant alone will give it the parkerized look you were talking about. good luck


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## HawgJawl (Feb 24, 2011)

Thanks for all the help, guys.  I'll sand it again this weekend and try it with a warm solution of 50% ferric chloride solution and 50% vinegar.  We'll see how that works.


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