CPM 3V acid etching

wallaceedgedtools

wallaceedgedtools

Active Member
What is the best type of acid to acid etch CPM3V ? I tried battery acid (overnight 8+ hrs ) and it looked great but has worn off rather easily.
Thanks !!
 
I use a mix ratio of 1 to 1 to 1 of ferric chloride, white vinegar, distilled water. You can remove the water from the equation if you want, just makes it faster. Generally I am doing other things while it is etching so it lets it be a little more forgiving and it allows me to get exact results desired by not etching too quickly.
Prep the part by blasting with a coarse AO (I use 70 grit) and it will get nice and dark. With my setup I etch for 7 minutes, rinse off with tap water and scrub oxides off by hand (very clean hands). Etch again for 10 minutes, rinse and scrub again, then etch for 15 minutes and then dunk in a distilled water/tsp solution to neutralize the acid without touching the part anywhere that will be seen. Then put some sort of oil, I use a high quality gun lube, all over the part without touching it again. Let it hang and let the oxides set for at least 6 hours or so. Then go back and wash it off and lightly scrub with your fingers to remove the majority of the black nastiness on the outside. Have a beer.
 
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