The reason it disappeared remained a mystery until just a few years ago. Etching Concrete: The Process. I'm not going to cover how to make damascus steel, there's lots of information online and it's pretty simple. Mix two-parts of diluted hydrogen peroxide with one-part muriatic acid. Asiatic Muriatic does not require dilution. With ferric acid, keep grit between 400 and 600. Step 4: Mix the Etch Acid Put on your rubber gloves. . 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. If you use muriatic acid, you can bring Damascus up to 1200 grit, or you can leave it 400 grit. Etching of Damascus is done after manufacturing or grinding of the blank to bring out the contrasting steel patterns. Be extra careful at this stage not to touch it! Use a sprayer or watering container to distribute the acid, scrubbing in as needed. Two popular acids to use are Muriatic acid or feric chloride. Ferric chloride is not an "acid" per se. Acid reaches well in the cleanest place. Bring your Damascus at the end of grit 400 to 600. Over the years, Damascus1 has produced various products using one of the four hairdressers of the nazel hair. Wet down the surface to be cleaned, using a sponge or a sprayer and allow the acid . Advice? For this reason, true Damascus steel is called wootz Damascus steel to distinguish it from imitations. 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? Add the acid to the water to avoid harmful splashing of acid. Klean-Strip Muriatic Acid can be used to etch concrete, brighten concrete and masonry, or remove excess mortar from bricks. I haven't done many damasuses (damasci? 8. For Pro's and DIY'ers, Klean-Strip is the leading brand of solvents, thinners, removers, and cleaners that are dependable for reliable results. Share Save Helvetica Comment CaiLei 3 years ago Follow It is an ultra high carbon steel that achieved liquid state which should, theoretically, allow you to get a homogeneous steel product with equal carbon distribution and no slag inclusions at all. Mix cup of baking soda with 1-2 quarts of water and spray the muriatic acid to neutralize it. This prepares your steel for an even etch. What kind of acid do you use to etch Damascus steel? Ive etched a couple of blades using lemon + lime juice and varying dilutions of vinegar. No need to go full strength to get results. The knife in the photo had 3 ten minute dips. I dont own any Damascus and this is my first, so is that normal? 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. How do I heat-treat 440C/CPM-154 Damascus billet? Earn the Windex deep deep hole so that you can fully fill your Dutch item. It truly is one of the best, if not the best, stainless damascus steel in the world. Everyone has a slightly different dilution and technique. Following. . NOT ALL DAMASCUS ARE MADE LIVING Damascus is made of many metallic combinations to form one piece. Do not change before creativity! I plan to buy some ferric chloride pretty soon, or go all mad scientist and make some, but I'd like to get a bit of use out of this $1 vinegar lol. You can do this by first mixing a small solution in your watering can starting at a 5:1 ratio. After heat treating, bring your Damascus to a 400 to 600 grit finish. Use ferric chloride it is much safer and not as corrosive. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg, https://www.etsy.com/shop/JStatesBladesmith. is mesquite good handle material and or scabbard materiel. When someone feels their ferric chloride batch has "gone bad", you can add a tablespoon or so of muriatic acid and regenerate it. These chemical compound work faster than acids. Then I remembered I'd been thinking of switching to re-usable etchant, created on the bench using muriatic acid (the store name for hydrochloric acid, HCl, used for cleaning swimming pools). No matter how effective it is. Ferric Acid will result in a double grey pattern (dark and light grey pattern) on either a matte or polished finish. I've since settle on at 4-1 dilution, and overall etching a blade takes 45-60 mins. KMT 106 - Etching Damasteel knife blades with muriatic acid JohnGrimsmo 76.1K subscribers Subscribe 126K views 7 years ago Damasteel is a powdered metallurgy stainless damascus steel. The one thing you DO NOT want when etching Damascus is "fast"..that always equals a poor etch. There are lots of ways and if they work they are correct. You will also need to wash a baking bar. The stronger the acid, the more damage will be done. . There are two ways (at least) to do Raindrop that are much easier than doing a mosaic of jellyroll, one for use with a hydraulic press and one for use if you don't have a press. ( That's where I just got a bottle, $14.59 for a quart. Before you begin, check the expiration date on your acid of choice to be sure that its not too old. How do I heat-treat my 1075 or 0-1 Carbon Damascus billet? A Pocket Sundial From a Broken Pocket Watch! Whats the proper technique for etching Damascus? Coffee Etching Damascus Steel | Knife Making How To/Tip. This chemical solution needs to be heated to a temperature of between 160-185F (71-85C) in order to properly etch the metal. Acid etching a concrete floor is typically a 6-step process: Prepare, clean, and degrease concrete. 03-25-2007, 09:56 PM. Very nice blade! Our first Etching Damasteel video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inzrn7kL-2UHere is more information about Damasteel and where to order it from. Step 2. Great sense of humor and good information. Adding HCl acid can restore the cutting ability of the FeCl3. Muriatic acid needs no dilution. The articles on this site are for informational purposes only. 4 years ago Muriatic Acid vs. Hydrochloric Acid Blotchiness in an etch is usually the result of oil somewhere in the system, either on the blade or in the etchant. It doesn't matter as long as the steel is as oil and wax free as it can be. Go MINIMUM of 3-1 dilution with DISTILLED water only. Whats the proper technique for etching 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. In other words, it is a mixture of ferric and cupric chlorides that is renewable effectively forever. A place for all things chef knives. I don't think I'd ever do this, but, dang, I found the whole instructable fascinating. The damascus is 5160/1018/15n20 nickle I heat treated in the canola got it cherry hot and dipped it tip down . The classic non-press method is to make a fairly high layer bar and then either drill it full of shallow holes that almost touch and onlygo about a third of the way through the bar OR punch those holes with a broad pointed punch, then forge the bar flat until the holes are at surface level. Warm your acid to room temperature. Joshua C States. Free delivery and returns on eligible orders. How do you prepare ferric chloride solution for etching? Mix this stuff 4:1 with distilled water. No, you'll be just fine etching after the heat treat process. Made To Order * VG-10 San Mai Steel Knife Blank Damascus Layered Raw Finish Knife Making / LPB#2 ad vertisement by 11Spartans. While high in carbon steel, the blade can easily rust if not cared for. I just etched my first Damascus blade. Collectors should ensure to keep their blades clean and dry to avoid rust or staining. Acid is generally mixed at a ratio of 3 parts water to 1 part acid for sufficient strength to etch properly. The worst thing about Muriatic acid is storing two gallons of it without eating up every piece of steel in the shop. Damascus etching is completed with either ferric chloride or muriatic acid. The only step I did not do was the boil in baking soda. It is a common mistake that when you work with Damascus, the risk of extinction - the layers of separation - is just what you should do. Yes. JavaScript is disabled. Ecommerce Site by NeONBRAND. Generally speaking, you want to be at about a 400 grit finish or better to get an even etch across the pattern. ( No odor, no smell, not a skin irritant, non-corrosive. Many hand-forged Damascus blades are made out of high carbon steel with small amounts of chromium in the alloy. Dilute by adding 1 part muriatic acid to 10 parts water, or about 1 cup acid per gallon of water. This is how I do it and it works for me. Begin the etching process. Can you use muriatic acid to etch a knife? [_wpnonce] => [woocommerce-login-nonce] => For example: "You can also use Windex with this step, but do not try to break your piece. Ive never gotten a uniform etch on an HI khuk, even when soaking the blade completetly in the solution. Erik takes the lead with this video because it's his specialty, he shows how to clean the blades, prepare them for etching, etch them, neutralize them, polish after etching, and a lot of other little tricks in between. Do this process a few times. Always use a 1:10 muriatic acid to water the mixture so that the acid is not too strong and difficult to neutralize. Never put acid on the microwave! No matter how effective it is. You can make a reasonable facsimile of ferric by dissolving steel wool in muriatic acid. It's expensive, but amazing. The concentration from such sources is typically ~8.9M, or 32% (by mass). Dampen the surface to be etched with clean water. Either is effective. I've heard lots of different solution strengths, but 3 parts distilled water to 1 part fecl has worked well for me. Copper can be etched with ferric chloride mixed in water to form weak hydrochloric acid. The best quality Damascus does not end. Question I did a simple twist as I like the way it looks. American Bladesmith Society bladesmiths represent the cutting edge of forged blade performance and design on six continents. Pretty much unreadable due to very poor English. Bought some muriatic acid and hydrogen peroxide, did a mix of 1 muriatic to 2 hydrogen p. Works great, happy with it, now what do i do with it? Ferric Chloride is an iron "salt" of HCl that is nonetheless very acidic, though not as "strong" as HCl. One of the reasons it is so popular is because of its versatility. Damascus Steel the two give much different results. Buffing closes steel pores, which will keep the acid from getting it and will end with an unusual etch. Using a broom, scrub the concrete with the acid solution. Some manufacturers like to roll and cut the pieces into the WD-40 to get the darkest difference. It fumes a lot (toxic) and the fumes will rust everything in your shop. Beyond that it's a matter of experimentation. We've made your buy experience less painful. You must log in or register to reply here. Any help would be greatly appreciated thanks guys. interesting, what's the science behind that? Weapons made from Damascus steel are vastly superior to weapons formed from iron! Each time acid is added, it will eat away at the travertine. I played with the hot vinegar, didnt like it. 7. What is the black coating on knife blades? I frequently etch damascus with ferric chloride.