Etchung Solutions for Damascus
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Etchung Solutions for Damascus R 05-12-2008
Posted by R on May 12, 2008, 3:09 pm
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Good day folks! I'm new to this news group and trying to get some
information. I have been working a coal fired, hand cranked forge for
about 6 years. Recently I have bowed to local pressure to make Damascus
Steel, and to shape into knifes. My problem is that I'm having a
difficult time finding an etching solution ie. ferric chloride, or
nitric acid. All of the local Radio Shack's have discontinued ferric
chloride and I can't find a supply of nitric acid. Can anyone suggest a
supplier? I live in rural southern Illinois.

                                                                                
                        Thanks, Rich


Posted by Stuart on May 12, 2008, 5:58 pm
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> Good day folks! I'm new to this news group and trying to get some
> information. I have been working a coal fired, hand cranked forge for
> about 6 years. Recently I have bowed to local pressure to make Damascus
> Steel, and to shape into knifes. My problem is that I'm having a
> difficult time finding an etching solution ie. ferric chloride, or
> nitric acid. All of the local Radio Shack's have discontinued ferric
> chloride and I can't find a supply of nitric acid. Can anyone suggest a
> supplier? I live in rural southern Illinois.

You could try "Edinburgh etch" - 70g Copper Sulphate, 70g common salt
(Sodium Chloride) per litre of water

You need to make it up in hot water but you use it at room temperature.
We use it for etching designs onto steel plate. It's fairly slow but
comparativly safe. Gentle stroking with a feather (we don't want to remove
the etch resist) helps things along.

--
Stuart Winsor

For Barn dances and folk evenings in the Coventry and Warwickshire area
See: http://www.barndance.org.uk

Posted by John O. Kopf on May 12, 2008, 7:20 pm
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Isn't that likely to copper-plate the steel? I've had that problem even
with ferric chloride that's ever come into contact with copper.

John


Stuart wrote:
> SNIP
>
> You could try "Edinburgh etch" - 70g Copper Sulphate, 70g common salt
> (Sodium Chloride) per litre of water
>
> You need to make it up in hot water but you use it at room temperature.
> We use it for etching designs onto steel plate. It's fairly slow but
> comparativly safe. Gentle stroking with a feather (we don't want to remove
> the etch resist) helps things along.
>

Posted by Stuart on May 12, 2008, 8:39 pm
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> Isn't that likely to copper-plate the steel? I've had that problem even
> with ferric chloride that's ever come into contact with copper.

Surprisingly enough, no. I thought it would have done because I've
certainly copper plated steel by dipping in Copper Sulphate before but I
was recently shown this and it doesn't seem to. I don't understand the
chemistry but it must be something to do with the salt.

--
Stuart Winsor

For Barn dances and folk evenings in the Coventry and Warwickshire area
See: http://www.barndance.org.uk

Posted by Neon John on May 13, 2008, 8:42 am
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>Good day folks! I'm new to this news group and trying to get some
>information. I have been working a coal fired, hand cranked forge for
>about 6 years. Recently I have bowed to local pressure to make Damascus
>Steel, and to shape into knifes. My problem is that I'm having a
>difficult time finding an etching solution ie. ferric chloride, or
>nitric acid. All of the local Radio Shack's have discontinued ferric
>chloride and I can't find a supply of nitric acid. Can anyone suggest a
>supplier? I live in rural southern Illinois.

Re: ferric chloride. Google is your friend. I typed "ferric chloride,
Chicago, Il" into google and got a few hundred thousand hits. Kepro is just
one of dozens of companies that come to mind that sell printed circuit board
supplies. The stuff is very dense and is classified as HAZMAT so finding a
local warehouse would probably be a better option than trying to have it
shipped. If you do have to have it shipped, get it in dry form to avoid paying
lots of $$$ to have water shipped to you.

If that's too much trouble, simply make your own. Get some hydrochloric acid
(muratic acid) concrete wash from Home Depot or wherever. Place some in a
glass or ceramic vessel. Drop in wads of fine steel wool. Preferably, heat
the solution over a camping stove, sterno, etc. Outdoors, of course. Keep
feeding the steel wool until the reaction stops.

Re: nitric acid. Have you called to local chemical supply houses within
reasonable driving distances? Nitric acid is such a commonly used industrial
chemical that I can't imagine it not being available. Especially in an
industrial area like S. Il.

I get mine from a chemical supply company that caters to the textile industry.
It comes 4 one gallon glass jugs to a case. Technical grade should cost less
than $50.

You don't even want to think about paying to have the stuff shipped, which is
why I suggest limiting your search to convenient driving distance.

You might also try electrolytic etching. Make up a salt water solution
(experiment with concentration) in a non-metallic container. Suspend your
Damascus object in the solution using iron bailing wire. Drop a hunk of clean
scrap steel (stainless or carbon) into the solution. Connect the object and
the steel to a car battery or similar source of low voltage DC. It'll
probably etch best if the object is the + terminal. Control the current with
the salt concentration and with how much of the hunk of steel (cathode, -
terminal) is immersed in the solution. I'd start with about an amp per square
inch of Damascus surface area. The action can be greatly sped up by adding
some hydrochloric acid.

I know that this will etch ferrous metal quite well. The only unknown is
whether it'll develop the Damascus pattern that you desire.

John

--
John De Armond
See my website for my current email address
http://www.neon-john.com
http://www.johndearmond.com <-- best little blog on the net!
Tellico Plains, Occupied TN
What do you call 10 blondes standing in a row? Air line.


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