Etching problems

wmhammond

wmhammond

Well-Known Member
I'm having trouble with my etching process. Below are photos of my process. Pic 1 is my set-up: Neg on the knife, Pos on the Q-tip with salt water. Stencil taped to the blade with electrical tape. Apply Q-tip to stencil for about 5 min. Second pic is the knife just after I peeled off the stencil - what a mess. Pic 3 is after I have wiped the knife with Acetone - Still a mess. Pic 4 is after I have buffed the blade on my buffer with a fairly aggressive compound and a fair amount of pressure. As you can see it cleans up pretty good but I just
don't think it is supposed to work this way and the mark isn't dark. What do you think? Thanks,

Wallace

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Wallace , I would think that 5 min of actual etch time is excessive and I have found that salt water hives inconsistent results . I would try some universal etching solution from the Boss Dog and apply your etch pad in short 20-30 sec applications . Practice on some scrap steel and check your results with different applications , practice makes perfect.
 
I Agree with Fred, 5 minutes is way too long. I use the commercial etchant and three to five second swipes, and only about five of those for a max total of 25 seconds or so.
 
If I'm correct.....I believe you need to have the positive lead on the knife/blade, and the negative on the "wand". I also agree that I've never had acceptable results using a Qtip.


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When using DC to deep etch, you want the current to pull metal out of the knife blade into the applicator pad/block (qtip). Current flows from positive (red) to negative (black).
reverse the leads.

(disclaimer: I sell electrolyte so FWIW)
Electrolyte is fairly cheap and worth the money. It will work several times better than salt water. The type of electrolyte you use matters. Match the electrolyte to the material.

I'd guess too much water got under the stencil and gave you that dark halo. Use less solution.

To get a deep etch, the bristles of a deep etch pad actually poke through the stencil mark and conduct electricity deep into the mark. A qtip just doesn't have those stiff strands to go into the mark so you end up "scrubbing" the etch. It will work but you are going to get what you pay for.

You might consider budgeting an additional dollar in cost for a makers mark using a little better materials. It will be the cheapest advertising you can do.

DC current removes metal. Watch for polarity on your clips. AC removes and deposits metal back and forth 60 times a second and gives you the black mark as the metal removed and re-deposited gets all oxidized and mangled.

wmhammond said:
I'm having trouble with my etching process. Below are photos of my process. Pic 1 is my set-up: Neg on the knife, Pos on the Q-tip with salt water. Stencil taped to the blade with electrical tape. Apply Q-tip to stencil for about 5 min. Second pic is the knife just after I peeled off the stencil - what a mess. Pic 3 is after I have wiped the knife with Acetone - Still a mess. Pic 4 is after I have buffed the blade on my buffer with a fairly aggressive compound and a fair amount of pressure. As you can see it cleans up pretty good but I just
don't think it is supposed to work this way and the mark isn't dark. What do you think? Thanks,

Wallace

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Click to expand...
 
arock said:
Laurence-
Ive read about guys using windex to neutralize after the etch what does spraying it down first do?
Click to expand...

I was wondering this as well. It seemed like spraying the blade first it would cause the stencil to not lay completelyflush on the blade and allow the etchant to get under it and etch away metal that we don't want etched. Unless it is sprayed on then wiped right off only leaving a bit of residue?

I guess this would be apparent if I had my own etching setup, which I plan on ordering as soon as I have some extra cash lying around.
 
JPSWorks said:
I was wondering this as well. It seemed like spraying the blade first it would cause the stencil to not lay completelyflush on the blade and allow the etchant to get under it and etch away metal that we don't want etched. Unless it is sprayed on then wiped right off only leaving a bit of residue?

I guess this would be apparent if I had my own etching setup, which I plan on ordering as soon as I have some extra cash lying around.
Click to expand...

Check Brian Fellhoelter's YouTube channel. He has great video showing how he uses windex in his etching process.
 
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i just got a bottle from boss and i thought i was doing well before, now its even better and i liked what i was getting before
so i believe this stuff is much better then salt water.
 
Guys, thank you so much for your comments. I got my stencils from Ernie and I tape them off on all 4 sides to prohibit any fluid from getting under it. I am confused by the Boss's comment that fibers from the etcher pad "penetrate the stencil" and etch deeper - how does that happen? My stencils are a continuous film with color around my mark and "clear" within my mark. I don't think I'm clear about how these stencils work. How does the color on the film prohibit the etch while the etch can happen in the areas where the color is absent? Thanks again,

Wallace
 
Look closely at the stencils. The lighter areas have the mask removed and you will see a very fine screen. The fibers poke through there. Electrolyte also goes through this screen. If you use a lot of electrolyte it builds up and ponds between the stencil and the metal. Ernies stencils work fine. It does take some trial and error to get good, clean etch marks using anyone's stencils.

Practice on the same kind of heat treated metal and develop a good, documented process.
 
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One other thing - I just checked out Ernie's website and his schematic shows the black (-) connected to the knife and the red (+) connected to the wand. I am using an etcher that I built using Ernie's diagram and instructions.

Wallace
 
I do not get the cleanest results either I'm using a rigged up pad I made not a q tip but still salt water. Here is about what I get.
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One thing I found to help is using less solution I think before I was getting it way to wet and i do multiple cycles for short 3-4 second burst. I think I will be buying some solution.
I do my mark before handle glue up because I always have to clean my mark up. Like you wallace I have been putting the positive on the etcher and negative on the knife I will have to try it the other way to see how that works.
 
Justin,
Giving the area to be etched a light spray of Windex will help eliminate a lot of that halo and fuzz you are getting around the edges.

Try less salt and adding Vinegar to your solution, about 50/50 salt & Vinegar and then an equal of that total of distilled water or buy a bottle of etchant from Bossdog.
 
Justin, thanks for your comments. I may save you some time. I tried reversing the clips, putting the Red (+) on the knife and I got almost no etching at all. I think we're right following Ernie's diagram in that regard but something else is definitely wrong. I'm going to purchase the etching solution and I am going to try the windex. I will keep this thread posted.

Wallace
 
The deeper the etch, the more likely there is going to be a darker halo that will need to be cleaned up. It's just not a perfect process.
 
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