Resist for Damascus.

[Frank Niro]

I have used nail polish and Zap a Gap glue as a resist when etching Damascus but they are both not as effective as I would like. Would someone please tell me what will work properly. I want to use it in the area where the detent ball travels on a liner lock. Thanks in advance. Frank

[Ed Caffrey]

Frank,

I have, and continue to use the nail strengthening polish stuff. I was having some problems with it too, then I thinned is slightly with acetone..........problem solved. I've tried many different products for this very function, and the thinned down nail polish is still the best for me.

[Geno]

That's what I use too.
If it gets thin I use two coats.
Be sure to let it dry completely or it won't bond.

[Frank Niro]

Well there you go guys, I either put it on too thick or didn't let it dry. Then again I may have even done both. I will try again. I sure like where the information is coming from. Frank

[Geno]

Frank,
I have had some luck with wax.
Using the drip method, burning a candle over the masked area letting it drip into place.let the drops overlap while wax is hot and blade is warm(blow drier).
Etchant needs to be cold to do this, warm etchant will melt the wax.This works well in vinegur instead of ferric chloride.
(the 20% vinegur from the feed stores, not the 5% stuff from grocery store)
An alternate method.

[DiamondG Knives]

Gene,
Never heard of vinager from a feed store.
What do they use it for?


Mike

[Geno]

Mainly weed killer.
Venugar in groceriy stores is average 5% by volume.Not very strong.
20% venugar becomes an acid(mild of coarse).
Venugar has many purposes on a farm, it is a cleaner, preserver, an insecticied, dis-infectant,and makes pickes.
It will also put a neat light etch on your steel without the pitting or eating too deep.
Venugar also softens up the scale so you can wire brush it off instead of using up your grind belts on scale.

[tonyx]

Have not yet made a knife (though working towards one) so I speak as a printmaker. I speak as an etcher in particular.

You can also use etching grounds (available from art and printmaking supply houses (in a pinch thinned roofing compound) as your resist or ground. Another approach is to make your stencil, out of clear shelf liner or lanminating plastic. With the etching ground you could apply it through a stencil or just cover blade and with a tool lightly scrape away areas you want etched. With the plastic,, use enough plastic to totally cover blade and cut out pattern you want etched and just immerse in mmordant/vinegar, ferric cholride or whatever you want to use. The plastic is not affected by acids.

If you can not get the feedstore vinegar, photo-supply houses (and some art stores that sell textile materials) that sell darkrrom chemicals, will have acetic acid (vinegar) at an 80% solution and you can dilute to levels you want. (Though it is 80%, treat it as if it were 100%, ALWAYS TREAT MORDANTS/ETCHING ACIDS AND LIKE MATERIALS, AS DANGEROUS, CORROSIVE MATERIALS. DO NOT BREATHE IN FUMES, THOUGH NOT DANGEROUSLY TOXIC, IT WILL PUT A HURT ON YOUR SINUSES AND LUNGS.)

good luck
tonyx

[tonyx]

I meant to add, that the twenty percent vinegar is a nice effective etch. I do not like ferric chloride, as it leaves a deposit of metalliic particles at the base of the etched lines, which can result in a fuzzy looking line. (One way of minimizing the problem with metal particles, is to etch with the metal face down, thus the particles fall out of the line. I use Nitric Acid for ninety percent of my work, be it in steel, copper, zinc, brass or silver. With Nitric Acid, you get a track of air bubbles along the line, but if the solution is mild and you use a turkey feather to wipe away the bubbles, you can get a clean etch.

Tonyx

[dlpierson]

I just used Z*Acryl Stop Out resist for the first time (on a cast dendretic blade). Just painted it on with brushes I'd used for acrylic paint on minatures and my wife scratched the pattern in it. It worked great and came off easily with a fine steel wool pad and water. After a total of about 13 minutes in Archer's diluted to 2:1 with water the etching was sharp and clear and just barely visibly raised. The dendretic pattern seemed good to my newbie eyes.

The stuff is a non-toxic acrylic resist invented as a follow on to the use of Future floor wax as a an etching resist. It drys very quickly and works easily. Brushes, etc. can be rinsed off with water it you don't let them dry.

There are two varieties: the resist and the stop out. You probably want the stop out which is thicker, the normal resist is designed to be poured over a whole sheet to make a thin, uniform covering. The stop out was $8 for 8 oz from an etching supply store on the web.

--
Dan Pierson

[Sweany]

I haven't done it. But I've read you can freeze the store bought vinegar and pour off the acid.

[Geno]

That makes sence if the extra volume is water.

[Sweany]

Gosh i hope it is