Playing with electro etching

J

Jonthepirate

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Jun 8, 2013
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This is the first axe head I've tried to electro etch. Learned some lessons (one of the is cover the other metal better as you can tell from the divot out of the bit). It's a true temper A9 boy's axe size.

I think with a little practice I'll be able to make it look pretty dang good. Questions, comments, or tips welcome!





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Jon
 
I know he used a nylon sticker to mask it off - and a battery charger in saline solution to do the electro etch - but the specifics beyond that would be cool to hear about.

TF
 
Well done. You should practice drawing ravens.
182974-whistlingron.gif
 
Ok so if you don't want to read the link, I'll give you the reader's digest version.

1. I used a vinyl sticker to cover the TT to prevent the etching from effecting the TT itself. Then I boxed out the TT with electrical tape and covered the ret of the axe head in electrical tape with wires connected to one side of the axe head and fully sealed with tape. (The tape didn't seal well right at the bit so it was not protected from the etching process)
2. Put water in a plastic (or glass would work) container and put in salt until it stops devolving.
3. Place a piece of "sacrificial" metal in the water with a little piece hanging out of the water (to connect to later)
4. Put the axe head in the water with the part you want to etch facing up, and the wire out to the side of the container (make sure this wire is fully sealed from the salt water solution with tape or other insulation.
5. Using a car battery charger, connect the positive (+) terminal to the axe. Connect the negative (-) terminal to the sacrificial piece (I used a piece of metal that was used to support my old microwave... Anything steel works)
6. Plug in the battery charger and I set it on high (6amps and 12 volts) for about 6 hours. I was checking on it too much and messed up a little piece of the sticker trying to clean all of the gunk off the axe while it was etching, so if you close in person you can tell it's a little messed up. While it's etching a nasty gunk will build up on the part that's etching and make it look like it's massing everything up. Next time I'll set it and forget it so I don't screw it up.

Bubbles will come off both pieces of metal, my sacrificial piece bubbled MUCH more than the axe head, which was contrary to the instructibles notes, but it was working right.

The salt water solution will get NASTY brown black stuff on it. The bubbles are a mix of Hydrogen and Oxygen so do this somewhere well ventilated so you don't die and blow up your house. That would suck.

On a side note. Does anyone know where I can get a high or medium resolution picture of the Kelly Black Raven sticker, or a really good straight on picture of a really clean stamp on an axe. I'd like to try to recreate the stamp (on a Collins or something that would make it obvious and unsellable). My goal is just to see if a forgery can be made and how it would differ from an original to help people make sure they are legit. I've seen them go for CRAZY prices on the bay, and would hate for someone to get douped. Plus a Collins legitimus/black raven would be a Great Wall hanger lol

Let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Thanks!
Jon
 
Square_peg said:
Check Google Images.
Click to expand...

Yeah, there is one that's pretty good, but if someone owned a sticker or really clean stamp it might be easier to trace out a really high resolution scan. What I have will work, but always looking for something better :)

Thanks Square Peg.


Jon
 
Jon

I've been thinking about the electro-etching. It seems like it would be pretty easy to braze or solder a sacrificial electrode onto the poll of the axe head. Then you wouldn't get damage from where the electrode was connected. After the etching was complete, it would be easy to grind or file the brazed electrode off. That way you would be able to seal up the rest of the head better before etching. There's usually plenty of metal at the poll and a little damage would be easy to repair. Do you think that would work? The poll isn't hardened like the bit so you wouldn't risk hurting the axes temper. Just need to use a wet rag or as others have suggested, a potato to keep the bit cool when brazing or soldering.

Later.
 
Jon

I've been thinking about the electro-etching. It seems like it would be pretty easy to braze or solder a sacrificial electrode onto the poll of the axe head. Then you wouldn't get damage from where the electrode was connected. After the etching was complete, it would be easy to grind or file the brazed electrode off. That way you would be able to seal up the rest of the head better before etching. There's usually plenty of metal at the poll and a little damage would be easy to repair. Do you think that would work? The poll isn't hardened like the bit so you wouldn't risk hurting the axes temper. Just need to use a wet rag or as others have suggested, a potato to keep the bit cool when brazing or soldering.

Later.
 
Bb did you check out that link in post #6? I basically connected the same way he did, by taping the wire to the opposite side of the axe head. When you cover it in tape or whatever make sure it seals good. I took a big chunk out of the bit because some tape de-laminated at the bit. You could attach something to connect to, and then take it back off, but I just taped the wires on the back side of the axe head and they did no damage.

Jon
 
Jonthepirate said:
Bb did you check out that link in post #6? I basically connected the same way he did, by taping the wire to the opposite side of the axe head. When you cover it in tape or whatever make sure it seals good. I took a big chunk out of the bit because some tape de-laminated at the bit. You could attach something to connect to, and then take it back off, but I just taped the wires on the back side of the axe head and they did no damage.

Jon
Click to expand...

Jon

I read the whole post in #6. I think it's an outstanding way to customize axes or any metal project. The author of the post was working with some fairly uniform metal, not like axe heads which have very few flat surfaces. I was just trying to think of a good way to mask off the parts you don't want etched. It sounds really difficult to mask a clip. I just thought a little damage on the poll was easier to correct. A brazed or soldered connection would be easy to remove,after,etching.

I'm amazed you were able to mask your axe head as well as you did. Just thinking things through before I try it myself.
I think you did an awesome job.
 
Use the tape to make a negative mask. Then coat the axe with a brine-proof coating. Then remove the tape and dunk it.
 
That's true, but I think masking it wasn't too bad. What I did was wrap the whole thing in electrical tape like he did. Next time I'm going to probably use some duct tape over the top to get a little better seal. Or use more overlap with the electrical tape. Another thing I did was use a belt sander to clean up both the area I wanted to etch and the area I wanted to connect the wires to.

My neighbor suggested that once I get it masked off. Protect the area I want to be etched and paint over everything to get a good seal. If I end up etching
a really nice axe head I'm likely to do that for a belts and suspenders approach.

I also need to get better about taking pictures as I do stuff instead of just before and after. Sorry about that :)
 
Nice job! I have used PCB Etchant to etch some hawk heads. I used masking tape in the shape of my design, and then spray painted the whole shebang. Once dry, I peeled off my tape to expose the design in bare metal. The paint protected everything. Wonder if that would work in this application?
 
Grunt, thanks!

I'm pretty sure that would work except where you connect the wires on the back. You'll need a clean place to attach those somewhere (in bb's case maybe a hook soldered on the pole).
 
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