Sulfuric Acid to etch.

[trentu]

Is sulfuric acid strong enough to etch logos with?? It is all I can find locally. Thanks guys.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Etch Logos? Are you referring to masking with wax or asphaltum and cutting the logo in by hand?
Or, are you referring to electro-etching, with a decal taped to the blade and a power source?
If true etching with the metal being eaten away by the etchant, the acid used is Aqua Regia - a mixture of sulfuric and hydrochloric acids.
If you are referring to electro etching - there is no etchant acid, only an electrolyte that allows the current to pass through the decal to the blade metal. It is not sulfuric acid in either case.
Stacy

 

[SR_matt]

i think i know what your talking about,

i cant remember the acid used but there is "acid etching" that does waht you are talking about (i dont remember the types of metals it works on though).

it might be better to find a lazer etcher and get them to do lazer etching/engraving on the blades (IIRC it will work on steel but im not positive.

-matt

 

[fitzo]

.......the acid used is Aqua Regia - a mixture of sulfuric and hydrochloric acids. ........

I'm sure Stacy's comment has to be a momentary brainfart since he certainly knows this, so I will respectfully say that Aqua Regia is actually a mixture of concentrated nitric and hydrochloric acids, no sulfuric.

It is a hazardous mixture. Please read up on it thoroughly before mixing or using any.

 

[Bailey Knives]

I used ferric chloride and beeswax to do my logo for a long time, but today I got my stencil from TUS technologies, and built an etching machine using Warners plan. It works great and is so much easier than the method you are planning. The initial cost is higher, (I built the etcher for $65 +- and got the stencil for $39) but I will save a ton of time, plus it looks much more professional.

 

[blgoode]

I used ferric chloride and beeswax to do my logo for a long time, but today I got my stencil from TUS technologies, and built an etching machine using Warners plan. It works great and is so much easier than the method you are planning. The initial cost is higher, (I built the etcher for $65 +- and got the stencil for $39) but I will save a ton of time, plus it looks much more professional.

yeah..that :thumbup:

 

[C_Claycomb]

I used to use ferric chloride and bees' wax myself, but I too have just got a stencil for an old second hand electro-etcher. The acid and wax works for logos, but not so well for writing your name, which, unless you are either very good, or lucky, seems at some point to look more like a 5 year old's scrawl rather than a proffessional mark

As for sulphuric acid, the materials engineer where I work said that nitric was a lot better for cutting metal. Aqua Fortis used nitric. He said that nitric has a greater affinity for steel than sulphuric does, while that sulphuric has a greater affinity for skin

 

[trentu]

Thanks for the help guys. I think I am going to farm it out to my local engraver first and if that doesn't look good go with the electro-etch. Seems safer than messing with all those chemicals.

 

[Raymond Richard]

Thanks for the help guys. I think I am going to farm it out to my local engraver first and if that doesn't look good go with the electro-etch. Seems safer than messing with all those chemicals.

If your local engraver is one that just does trophies and that sort of thing most likely he won't be set up to do steel.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Fitzo - Man, That 57 BD coming up this month must be slapping me hard. I was commenting on his sulfuric question and typed it in. As you said - It is NITRIC and Hydrochloric. (as the next sentence said, "It is not sulfuric in either case") Thanks for catching that Bro.
Stacy

 

[fitzo]

LOL. You're welcome! I knew exactly what caused it, Stacy, sure as I knew that you knew better, too! Sufuric was already in the "clipboard" so to speak.

Ah, yes, Golden Years my ass.... It pretty much sucked when I started to notice I wasn't quite as sharp as I knew I once was. Not that it was necessarily really sharp, but sharper than now. LOL

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Fitzo,
The only pleasure we get out of age and experience is knowing that we forget more than a lot of youngsters know.
Stacy

I check things more carefully now to avoid mistakes and accidents.The other day I had set half the diamonds in a ring when I noticed that the mounting was sent in the wrong color gold. I had to finish it to use for inventory and order another one for the customer.