PVC etching container

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deepobs

Joined
Feb 7, 2019
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im building a tank to etch some blades out of 3" pvc and was curious if the primer/cement sold for sealing pvc pipes will hold up ok with ferric chloride? Im using the toilet flange idea i saw on another thread here. Any advice would be much appreciated, thanks
 
SS369 said:
Yes, it will. Screw the flange to a wide base of , say plywood.
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Great! Super excited to get into etching and messing with different finishes.

That's the plan, affix the flange to a wide base of plywood or something and be able to remove the container easily. It has those twist screw slots like a smoke detector that im hoping to take advantage of.
 
I use a closet flange closed toilet drain foot) for the bottom and either a screw in cap or a slip on cap for the etch tank. As suggested, it is a good idea to screw the flange to a 12X12" piece of wood to make a stable base.
 
deepobs said:
im building a tank to etch some blades out of 3" pvc and was curious if the primer/cement sold for sealing pvc pipes will hold up ok with ferric chloride? Im using the toilet flange idea i saw on another thread here. Any advice would be much appreciated, thanks
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What the “adhesive” does, I believe, is actually somewhat dissolve the pvc, so the two pieces being attached actually sort of “melt” together ... so the joint actually ends up being continuous pvc, which of course withstands the etchant
 
Correct, PVC cement is a solvent weld, meaning it dissolves the material and lets it join as a weld.
 
PVC pipe in a bucket of sand. Makes it portable and the sand catches any drips.

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Thanks for all the helpful information. One more question, what's the preferred dilution ratio? ive heard of many different mixing ratios, some with vinegar and some with distilled water. Im just looking for a classic dark grey, im not using damascus or doing hamon, i will however plan to do some Stone washed blades.
 
I find 3:1 to 5:1 works well. That is the dilution rate from the standard stock solution strength of 42°Baume.

The stock is made by dissolving 1Kg of dry FC in 1.25liters of water (1 pound in 18 ounces).
 
I'm resurrecting this thread for a clarification. It is finally time for me to do my first etch .... and was planning on going the PVC container route. Stacy and deepobs mention using a "closet flange" as the base .... Stacy mentions a closed flange ... BUT from what I can see on line, these flanges appear to have an opening to connect the toilet to the drain pipe below. How/where do you obtain a flange with a closed bottom????
 
Cushing H. said:
How/where do you obtain a flange with a closed bottom????
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Home depot, Lowes, Ace hardware, Menards. Any well stocked hardware/builders supply store that carries abs/pvc should have one, and if not should be able to order one. In fact, I'd probably try the more regional/local stores before Home Depot/Lowes.
But you don't need one. I just have a cap on one end and the other is a threaded cap. The closet flange is only useful if you are planning on mounting the container to something (IMO).
 
The test cap is secure enough that you don’t have any concerns with leakage over time if the solution is stored in the pipe? Sorry for the dumb question... I have never used one of these things...
 
Test Closet flanges are meant to hold pressure from the weight of water in the waste system for inspection. So, I believe it will handle the small amount of fluid for etching.
I use a 2 inch PVC pipe with a cap solvent welded on the bottom, and a threaded clean out cap on the top. I built a simple stand for it, but it could be anchored to a leg of a table, etc..
 
SS369 said:
Test Closet flanges are meant to hold pressure from the weight of water in the waste system for inspection. So, I believe it will handle the small amount of fluid for etching.
I use a 2 inch PVC pipe with a cap solvent welded on the bottom, and a threaded clean out cap on the top. I built a simple stand for it, but it could be anchored to a leg of a table, etc..
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Thank you for the clarification. I will go into the store live and take a look for one with a test flange. I would like to just attach this to a square wood bottom rather than make some more complicated stand....
 
YW.
One of the nice things about anchoring to a table leg is that there is zero chance of knocking it over and it is pretty much out of harms way.
 
Most closet flange/toilet flange are also made to fit both 3" and 4" PVC pipe. The pipe goes either inside or outside the collar.
 
Thanks Stacy. I suspect I will go 3”, but I DO have one Chinese cleaver that would need the 4” ... but that is a REALLY big piece of Damascus, should I ever try to create one....
 
I just made one of these. I epoxied (with g-flex) a removable test cap on the bottom and have a removable test cap for the lid, using an open toilet flange for the base. I do feel a bit nervous about the epoxied test cap as the bottom, but I made sure it held water for a few days without a leak. Am I crazy for trusting that? Will the ferric dissolve the epoxy? I thought I had read of other people using epoxy for this as well.
 
Lee Hester said:
I just made one of these. I epoxied (with g-flex) a removable test cap on the bottom and have a removable test cap for the lid, using an open toilet flange for the base. I do feel a bit nervous about the epoxied test cap as the bottom, but I made sure it held water for a few days without a leak. Am I crazy for trusting that? Will the ferric dissolve the epoxy? I thought I had read of other people using epoxy for this as well.
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I dont for sure know the answer to this ... but my experience in industry is in general you really can not trust bonds with adhesive to be "forever". Some you can deal with the risk of the loss of the joint. Me personally ..... I would not want to risk a large leak of ferric all over the floor. If I can not be assured of that with the "test flange" approach, I will use a solid cap and create a stand of some sort....
 
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