etching - confused newbie

Yannis · 9th January 2005, 11:34 AM

So simple!

Thanks Rick!

Rivkin · 9th January 2005, 03:33 PM

ok, the blade is now yellow with ultra-ugly rusty spots...

Spunjer · 9th January 2005, 10:19 PM

jens, sorry, but i haven't tried alum.

incidentally, how do you strip the ren wax off the blade. battara recommended nevr-dull before. anything else?

Spunjer · 9th January 2005, 10:21 PM

rivkin asked:

Quote:

ok, the blade is now yellow with ultra-ugly rusty spots...

good question. any comments on this phenomenon?

Rivkin · 9th January 2005, 10:40 PM

Well, here is what I've got:

a. Dunking works way better than rubbing.
Rubbing produces yellowish-red cast, dunking is more blackish.

b. Vinegar produced arch-horrible yellow color, which looked like 5 year old rust.

c. FeCL was way more controllable - the color dependent on the time spent in the mixture - less than 2 minutes - simply acsents the pattern, 2-4 minutes - yellowish rust, 4-10 minutes - black+yellow.

In the end I had two "good" times - at the end of 15th 1 minute dunking the pattern appeared with no major changes in blade's color from grey. However the pattern was not really well defined.

After that I've started to increase the time in the bath until the blade got blackish - with the full pattern displayed. May be in time I'll reetch the blade to more grayish color.

Rick · 9th January 2005, 11:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spunjer

jens, sorry, but i haven't tried alum.

incidentally, how do you strip the ren wax off the blade. battara recommended nevr-dull before. anything else?

Nev'r Dull is a petroleum based polish .
I remove Ren Wax with acetone and 0000 steel wool , then I scrub the blade in a smooth full length pattern with a paste made from Bar Keeper's Friend or Bon Ami and water applied and rubbed in vigorously with a rag .
After that I wash the blade with a liquid dish soap and rinse with hot water.

Any kind of oil on the blade will ruin an etch .

9th January 2005, 11:34 AM	#1
Yannis Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Athens Greece Posts: 479	So simple! Thanks Rick!

9th January 2005, 03:33 PM	#2
Rivkin Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 655	ok, the blade is now yellow with ultra-ugly rusty spots...

9th January 2005, 10:19 PM	#3
Spunjer Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Witness Protection Program Posts: 1,730	jens, sorry, but i haven't tried alum. incidentally, how do you strip the ren wax off the blade. battara recommended nevr-dull before. anything else?

9th January 2005, 10:40 PM	#5
Rivkin Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 655	Well, here is what I've got: a. Dunking works way better than rubbing. Rubbing produces yellowish-red cast, dunking is more blackish. b. Vinegar produced arch-horrible yellow color, which looked like 5 year old rust. c. FeCL was way more controllable - the color dependent on the time spent in the mixture - less than 2 minutes - simply acsents the pattern, 2-4 minutes - yellowish rust, 4-10 minutes - black+yellow. In the end I had two "good" times - at the end of 15th 1 minute dunking the pattern appeared with no major changes in blade's color from grey. However the pattern was not really well defined. After that I've started to increase the time in the bath until the blade got blackish - with the full pattern displayed. May be in time I'll reetch the blade to more grayish color.