Some questions on Etching names/logos

[oconeedan]

What if you are etching a polished blade? How do you clean it up, buff it knowing that you'll buff the black out of it?
Dan

 

[Glenn Dykes]

So do i understand correctly that you are using the actual Q tip instead of the block with the felt pad?

Thanks!

God Bless
Mike

Does anybody have a picture of this. I use the block and felt pad but would like to try this just cant get it in my head how to
attach the Q tip to the lead. Thanks in advance.

 

[silver_pilate]

I don't have a way of taking a picture right now since I'm out of town, but I'll see if I can explain it better.

Just picture the very end of one side of the q-tip. That end consists of cotton on the end of a paper or plastic stick. You dip this cotton into your solution and dab it so it's just moist, not dripping wet. Then, you clip your alligator clip of your etching lead to this same cotton end that you just dabbed, placing the aligator clip on the cotton, but close to the stick. Then you use the exposed very end of the cotton of that same side as your etching pad. The current will travel through the electrolyte-soaked cotton from the alligator clip to the steel.

Just make sure that the metal alligator clip does not contact the steel or it will arc and create a mark on the steel.

--nathan

 

[Ricky Finch]

I have the Personalizer, for several years. I use 40 seconds to etch and 35 seconds to mark. I have tried different times and this works for me.

Rick

 

[Glenn Dykes]

Thanks nathan I got it now , getting old and slow . I have the TUS mark M and have pretty much retired my tang stamp. I think Bruce Bump is etching a lot these days.

 

[oconeedan]

Anybody have an answer to cleaning up etching on polished blade? Do you live with buffing the black out of the etching?
Or just lightly etch black and lightly hand polish to clean it up?
Thanks, Dan

 

[Frank Niro]

Dan I have a hand made etcher that only uses DC I do not get the dark colour. I don't believe it's to ugly looking and it is clear. My name is so small it will fit on a bar .105 wide. Frank

 

[oconeedan]

Thank you Frank. My etcher is dc also. Dan

 

[cantax]

Ed, You said you got your stencils from Ernie. Could you specify where you get them from? I am now just getting ready to start etching, and would like a reputable maker.

Thanks all of you for your comments, they are most informative.

Alex

 

[EdCaffreyMS]

Alex,

Here's a link to Ernie: http://erniesknives.com/knifemaker_stencil.html

My experience with him is that he's a super nice guy, who is very helpful and produces an outstanding product (stencil) at a very reasonable price. I know that I will be going back to him with all my stencil needs.

 

[silver_pilate]

I agree, Ed. Ernie is a very helpful fella, and he is FAST with response/shipping. I emailed him at like 9 or 10 at night one time. I got a reply within 5 minutes (he just happened to check his email). By 9 the next morning, the stencils were in the mail. That's an exceptional instance, but the normal response from Ernie isn't that far off of it. My stencil almost always ships the same day or the next day unless there is something that I need to verify/change on the order.

He's very helpful on the phone as well, and he can help you figure out what you need and what will look good on a blade.

--nathan

 

[Diamond G Knives]

Nothing but good words about Ernie! Had my order in hand withing 4 days of placing the order! And this was during the Christmas rush

Ernie was helpful and very knowledgeable on what would look good and what size to choose. These stencils are much heavier than the green ones I got from marking methods many years ago. Will post later once I get to use them.

God Bless
Mike

 

[Duncan Tipton]

I have the Personalizer. I get my best looking etch if I use the mark setting only. Do you folks think an etch like such will hold up being so shallow? Thanks for your thoughts. D

 

[DLBrothers]

I got a q-tip question: do/can you move the q-tip around during the etch to cover the whole stencil? My logo is larger than the standard q-tip cotton end>

 

[Allen Rumme]

I got a q-tip question: do/can you move the q-tip around during the etch to cover the whole stencil? My logo is larger than the standard q-tip cotton end>

I use the q-tip method and just move it back & forth across the stencil. My logo is bigger than the q-tip also, and I have no problems with inconsistent etches.

Allen

 

[rreidiii]

Read through these pretty thoroughly and found them eduational. In ya'lls opinion what is the best etcher money can buy and on the other end of the spectrum what has the most bang for the buck. Does anyone have plans to build a kit(there is a kit for everything else here). I know absolutely nothing about electronics but aren't these thins just transformers?

 

[Ernie Swanson]

Read through these pretty thoroughly and found them eduational. In ya'lls opinion what is the best etcher money can buy and on the other end of the spectrum what has the most bang for the buck. Does anyone have plans to build a kit(there is a kit for everything else here). I know absolutely nothing about electronics but aren't these thins just transformers?

Here is a great tutorial on building an etcher, I built mine from it and it was pretty easy.
http://chriscrawfordknives.com/#/electro-etching-unit/4535265119

 

[JAG]

I have to agree with Ed and Nathan, Ernie was easy to deal with and very helpful! The biggest jump in quality of my etch was a friend of mine told me to dab the pad on paper towels after dipping in the solution. I had almost destroyed a blade by using too much solution, it created a dark cloud all over. That little tip could save you a major headache!

 

[Bob Warner]

DC removes metal but creates a lot of gassing. DC etch for just a few seconds then get off for just as long. Do it again 5-15 times or so to get the depth you want. Then turn to AC. AC is Alternating Current so every 60 seconds the current changes. It removes metal and puts it back on, then does it again and again, 60 times a second.

One you have your etch, put the blade in boiling water with TSP in it. Let it boil for a minute or two and then dry it off and let it set. This seems to set the oxides.

Then a very light buff, no pressure, will clean up any halo but if you put pressure on it you will reach in and remove oxides.

I use a full pad on the etcher/anodizer machine I built.

After use I clean the stencils in running water and dish soap, dry in a folded paper towel then put inside another paper towel and place inside a small metal breath mint box to store.

 

[LR Adkins]

Read through these pretty thoroughly and found them eduational. In ya'lls opinion what is the best etcher money can buy and on the other end of the spectrum what has the most bang for the buck. Does anyone have plans to build a kit(there is a kit for everything else here). I know absolutely nothing about electronics but aren't these thins just transformers?

Ernie is right, the electro-etcher is easy to build and looks professional when you are finished. I just built mine and have $65 to $75 bucks in it and it works great.

And yes, it does seem to be an art of it's own to get a good etch. Practice, practice.

Larry