Another question about etching

[Gavin Nugent]

Happy to be of service, please send me the results and or post them here, I am interested to see how you got on with it...I am eager to know if it is the Kilij you were restoring some time back.

Gav

[ALEX]

Thanks for the link, Gav! You're brilliant indeed!

Ariel, I'd recommend in this case not to keep FeCl on the steel for long, and instead do many short sessions in this manner: clean and polish the blade, etch and as soon as you see the colour change to yellow - stop, clean the yellow residue with steel mesh (not sandpaper!!!) with a drop of dishwasher liquid, clean and repeat the cycle. could take as many as 10 cycles or more, but it will work. The yellow residue will prevent etchant from developing the pattern, so you must remove it before each etch. Repeat until you see the improvement, clean with water and apply oil to the blade.
The yellow residue is indicative of particular quality of wootz, not the etchant.

[ariel]

By steel mesh you mean steel wool?
Also: how dilute should be FeCl?

[ALEX]

Originally Posted by ariel

By steel mesh you mean steel wool?
Also: how dilute should be FeCl?

sorry, it is steel wool of course.
1:5 is ok, no need to dilute more.

[Gavin Nugent]

Originally Posted by ALEX

Thanks for the link, Gav! You're brilliant indeed!

Ariel, I'd recommend in this case not to keep FeCl on the steel for long, and instead do many short sessions in this manner: clean and polish the blade, etch and as soon as you see the colour change to yellow - stop, clean the yellow residue with steel mesh (not sandpaper!!!) with a drop of dishwasher liquid, clean and repeat the cycle. could take as many as 10 cycles or more, but it will work. The yellow residue will prevent etchant from developing the pattern, so you must remove it before each etch. Repeat until you see the improvement, clean with water and apply oil to the blade.
The yellow residue is indicative of particular quality of wootz, not the etchant.

Thanks Alex.

Ariel, Alex is indeed correct, this method works well too, though I fast tracked it a little...I'm not the most patient man. See the results of one Amanremu I have here from the Kelling Hall collection. This is a method I used to show the 'Wootz' or 'Wootz like' Inserted edge.
Fine 0000 grade steel wool is my choice.
Dilution, well, I ain't to scientific.

Gav