# Etching w ferric chloride advice for a noob



## labor of love

Ive recieved some tips for using ferric chloride already and ive watched a few things on YouTube...just wanted to start a thread and see what new insight I could gather for using ferric chloride to reduce reactivity on some of my nasty iron clad carbon knives.


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## knyfeknerd

Don't drink any.
Don't leave anything in it too long.
Martell put a thread up a loooong time ago with a step-by-step. I used that as my guide.


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## jessf

You can dilute it pretty heavily. Not sure my specific ratio but I mix like I'm making iced tea. Wearing rubber gloves and safety squints is always a good idea. I dip the blade in, let it sit for 30 seconds or so then remove and scrub with steel wool. Repeat until you get the level of etch you want.


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## brianh

Don't put it in an aluminum pan. Can't believe I'm admitting this but I did that years ago when I was using the stuff to patina nickel guitar parts. One of the dumber things I've done, but not the dumbest.


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## labor of love

brianh said:


> Don't put it in an aluminum pan. Can't believe I'm admitting this but I did that years ago when I was using the stuff to patina nickel guitar parts. One of the dumber things I've done, but not the dumbest.



So plastic or glass container? Dilute w hot water? Scrub then repeat?


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## jessf

Any non-reactive container will do. Glass is ideal. I'm using an old juice jug. Adding heat is supposed to increase reaction, but you'll fine it's not necessary. We use heat when making circuit boards.


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## PolishAvenger

Better to do multiple, very diluted dips than a single, concentrated dip. Make certain your container (I use glass) has a tight fitting lid...the evaporating solution WILL corrode nearby metals. Oh, and remember to neutralize the blade after removal from the FeCl.
-Mark


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## labor of love

Neutralize w baking soda?


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## ThEoRy

There's a whole thread about this somewhere that Dave started years ago. I'm mobile so I can't really search.


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## aboynamedsuita

I think this is it:
http://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/showthread.php/6474-Damascus-Knives-amp-Re-Etchng

I have a 1L bottle of MG chemicals 42° baume ferric chloride so will have to read up myself


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## cheflivengood

dilute with white distilled vinegar...i use a 50/50 ratio. neutralize with tap water just by rinsing it off.


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## chinacats

brush it on, like this

[video=youtube;zNRQOwW-J-U]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNRQOwW-J-U[/video]


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## labor of love

So I'm not into making Damascus cladding pretty just looking to cut back reactivity. Which way works best for that? The old "dunk n scrub"?


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## ThEoRy

tjangula said:


> I think this is it:
> http://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/showthread.php/6474-Damascus-Knives-amp-Re-Etchng



That's the one.


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## Dave Martell

labor of love said:


> Ive recieved some tips for using ferric chloride already and ive watched a few things on YouTube...just wanted to start a thread and see what new insight I could gather for using ferric chloride to reduce reactivity on some of my nasty *iron clad* carbon knives.




Sorry Craig, iron won't etch. 

It may turn another color but it'll never be stable and will always rust/react.


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## labor of love

Dave Martell said:


> Sorry Craig, iron won't etch.
> 
> It may turn another color but it'll never be stable and will always rust/react.



Dude......talk about a buzzkill. Haha


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## labor of love

So...uhhh...I might have some ferric chloride for sale soon in BST. Ha ha


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## Dave Martell

Hey give it a try, I've been wrong before.


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## johnstoc

Will ferric chloride change the look of stainless cladding? Is it necessary to get even coverage on the cladding or just the AS core of a San-Mai (not Damascus) knife?


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## Dave Martell

johnstoc said:


> Will ferric chloride change the look of stainless cladding? Is it necessary to get even coverage on the cladding or just the AS core of a San-Mai (not Damascus) knife?




All steels etch to some degree. Some get dark instantly (high carbon) while others (mild steel) start pitting quickly, whereas stainless seems to gray with differing levels of intensity. 

Trying to etch just part of a blade makes me think "good luck to you".  Yeah it's not going to likely look good unless you can figure out a way to mask off the pattern or stay away from the cladding, etc. I'd just do the entire blade, see what I get, and then work on the project from there.


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## James

Hmm another question for you, Dave. When I've etched my knives until they're dark, the resulting surface leads to a lot of drag during cuts. Are a dark etching and smooth cuts mutually exclusive or is there some technique one can employ to mitigate this? 0000 steel wool or high grit sandpaper help a little, but they lighten the finish up quite a bit.


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## aboynamedsuita

It looks like something goes on the edge of a Kato (you can see how the Damascus (and core steel) is both above and below the etching:


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## preizzo

That look gorgeous &#128512;


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## New2

knyfeknerd said:


> Don't drink any.



Not ANY at all? 

This is health & safety gone mad.


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## LifeByA1000Cuts

Check what the electronics amateur community has written up on the stuff over time, some of them have probably gotten more experience using it than anyone else (not me, always been a fan of persulfate chemistry for such purposes).


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