# Electro-Etching Maker's Name



## Marko Tsourkan

I like stamps, but at times I might have to work with a thicker stock, so I have to look for alternative ways of marking my work. 

So, I would like to explore Electro-Etching. Can you guys chime on this? I would be interested in quality equipment (plan to keep for a long time without upgrades), so would like to know what the startup cost is. 

Thanks,

M


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## lowercasebill

talk to butch .. he did a demo last year at warrens ,, the equipment was not too expensive

http://www.etch-o-matic.biz/knifemaker.htm


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## Pensacola Tiger

Marko,

Butch had a thread on this over in his forum:

http://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/showthread.php?712-Butch-how-do-you-do-it-A-etching-question

Hope this is what you need.

Rick


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## Marko Tsourkan

Pensacola Tiger said:


> Marko,
> 
> Butch had a thread on this over in his forum:
> 
> http://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/showthread.php?712-Butch-how-do-you-do-it-A-etching-question
> 
> Hope this is what you need.
> 
> Rick


 
Will look at it. Thanks!


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## Dave Martell

Yes talk to Butch, he has the deepest clearest mark possible, looks stamped sometimes.


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## StephanFowler

I'm not the guy to talk to here.

I've been using a trickle battery charger for years. it works but it's frustrating as hell sometimes.

just haven't stepped up to a personalizer yet, I'd really like to.

Stephan


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## l r harner

the personalizer + is $$ well spent if you aew in this full time or even if you jsut want stupid easy makers marks


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## Marko Tsourkan

l r harner said:


> the personalizer + is $$ well spent if you aew in this full time or even if you jsut want stupid easy makers marks


 
I would love to stick with a stamp, but it has its limitations. Plus, you can change your mark or logo, for less than ordering a new stamp. I will adapt my stamps for wood products, so I don't feel bad about money wasted.

M


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## Diamond G

Ill second the Personalizer plus!
Had one for years. Love it.

God Bless
Mike


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## Michael Rader

+1 on the Personalizer Plus. Just do it - you won't regret it.
-M


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## Marko Tsourkan

What is the deepest you can etch with Personalizer Plus? Can it do .020"?


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## Dave Martell

I bet it'll burn through all the way if you want.


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## jmforge

The Personalizer works great. It has two setting, etch and mark. One is AC and one is DC, can't remember which. Etch will get you down into the steel, as much a 20 thousands, from what I have been told. The mark setting will either just put a black mark on the surface or blacken your etched mark. For stencils, you go to Ernie Grospitch. He will sell you a sheet of them with up to 14 stencils for around $45. Unless you try to burn them up, each stencil will last you for at least 25-30 knives and longer if your mark is pretty bold. I gave up on stamping my blades almost three years ago and went with etching. I never looked back.


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## Marko Tsourkan

Thanks! PP is my next (and hopefully last) big purchase. Well, I am not counting belts, and other replacement supplies. 
Can one make own stencils?


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## PierreRodrigue

ou can buy a kit from etch-o-matic, and do your own. I bought one years ago, still using the origional stensils.


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## jmforge

You can do a lot of things yourself, but most of them I wouldn't recommend.:lol2: A sloppy mark on even the best knife will detract from the look of the piece.


Marko Tsourkan said:


> Thanks! PP is my next (and hopefully last) big purchase. Well, I am not counting belts, and other replacement supplies.
> Can one make own stencils?


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## Chef Niloc

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002DVEZA/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

One of these would do anything the Personalizer could do and more.


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## Marko Tsourkan

Chef Niloc said:


> http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002DVEZA/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
> 
> One of these would do anything the Personalizer could do and more.


 
Where do you get this rest? This is just a transformer.

M


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## Chef Niloc

http://www.usaknifemaker.com/etching-supplies-c-53.html?zenid=db63cfa06914334f04316775bca32fa1

All you need is the marker head 20-40$$, well pads and electrolyte ext but that's the cheap stuff. This setup will not save you much money over going with the personalizer but it's more powerful so it can make etch deeper and mark darker. It can be fine tuned and adjusted more so it can make cleaner marks. It can be used to revert rust back to steel or turn rust ( red rust) into black oxide, I do this on my old Beatty Cleavers I get on eBay. Can be used for tattoo guns ( if your into that ) or a number of other hand tools, makes D/C tools veritable speed by ( won't help with A/C tools). You can gold or silver plate things with it. Lots of useful stuff, the persanalizer is a great machine lots of people say so but this unit is made by a very reputable company. Can be fixed if ever needed to be ( don't know if the personalizer can be?)) and has a better warranty ( I think ?). 
As for stencils you can just buy some photo sensitive silk screen material ( used for printing) and some developer ( like for photographs). , can get it were you find the silk. I have the one from etch-o and was disappointed as it's just what I described above but comes with a 150 watt light bulb, the silk it thiner then what you can get on you own too. Or you could just go to a silk screen shop and ask them to shoot it for you. A lot of times these tee-shirt shops are run by young kids who will just do it for $20 bucks or som pot if the boss is not around


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## jmforge

So why would this kit be worth $100+ more than a base model Personalizer?


Chef Niloc said:


> http://www.usaknifemaker.com/etching-supplies-c-53.html?zenid=db63cfa06914334f04316775bca32fa1
> 
> All you need is the marker head 20-40$$, well pads and electrolyte ext but that's the cheap stuff. This setup will not save you much money over going with the personalizer but it's more powerful so it can make etch deeper and mark darker. It can be fine tuned and adjusted more so it can make cleaner marks. It can be used to revert rust back to steel or turn rust ( red rust) into black oxide, I do this on my old Beatty Cleavers I get on eBay. Can be used for tattoo guns ( if your into that ) or a number of other hand tools, makes D/C tools veritable speed by ( won't help with A/C tools). You can gold or silver plate things with it. Lots of useful stuff, the persanalizer is a great machine lots of people say so but this unit is made by a very reputable company. Can be fixed if ever needed to be ( don't know if the personalizer can be?)) and has a better warranty ( I think ?).
> As for stencils you can just buy some photo sensitive silk screen material ( used for printing) and some developer ( like for photographs). , can get it were you find the silk. I have the one from etch-o and was disappointed as it's just what I described above but comes with a 150 watt light bulb, the silk it thiner then what you can get on you own too. Or you could just go to a silk screen shop and ask them to shoot it for you. A lot of times these tee-shirt shops are run by young kids who will just do it for $20 bucks or som pot if the boss is not around


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## jmforge

Remember also that the depth of the mark is not quite as important with electro-etching because you mark your blade when it is hard. I do mine after the blade is finished. Etching damascus can be a bit tricky so I recent went to an oval mark where I can mask it off with resist like a Sharpie or nail polish. I saw Bruce Bump do that.


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## Salem Straub

I moved from stamping to etching late last year. I built my own electro etcher. It cuts on DC and darkens on AC like the Personalizer. Many of the guys over at BF and elsewhere have done the same, there is a good set of easy to follow directions and a parts list for the build at this page: 

http://chriscrawfordknives.com/electro-etching-unit/4535265119

All of the electronic parts can be ordered online from Radio Shack, the parts list has the RS part numbers and all. My out-of pocket for the whole build was about $65. It took me probably three hours to build, and the result is a very good marking machine. Many who have built the machine have added a 12V/24V selector switch so that one may choose how aggressively the machine cuts. Others have used an 18V transformer instead of the 12V, and arrived at the current they wanted. Searching in shoptalk at BF will yield good explanations of these mods.

I use mine as the original plans show, at 12V. It works fine. 

Then I went and ordered stencils from Ernie Grospitch, who is great to work with. He was very helpful with mark design and sizing, and I think he shipped the stencils before I even payed him. They got here fast and work great, you may burn a couple while learning but after that they are very durable and one will make MANY marks.

http://www.erniesknives.com/knifemaker_stencil.html

Just my $0.02.


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## Marko Tsourkan

Thanks Salem. This sounds like something I will end up doing. 

M


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## Dave Martell

You knifemakers sure are cheap bastids! LOL :razz:


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## Eamon Burke

Salem Straub said:


> I moved from stamping to etching late last year. I built my own electro etcher. It cuts on DC and darkens on AC like the Personalizer. Many of the guys over at BF and elsewhere have done the same, there is a good set of easy to follow directions and a parts list for the build at this page:
> 
> http://chriscrawfordknives.com/electro-etching-unit/4535265119
> 
> All of the electronic parts can be ordered online from Radio Shack, the parts list has the RS part numbers and all. My out-of pocket for the whole build was about $65. It took me probably three hours to build, and the result is a very good marking machine. Many who have built the machine have added a 12V/24V selector switch so that one may choose how aggressively the machine cuts. Others have used an 18V transformer instead of the 12V, and arrived at the current they wanted. Searching in shoptalk at BF will yield good explanations of these mods.
> 
> I use mine as the original plans show, at 12V. It works fine.
> 
> Then I went and ordered stencils from Ernie Grospitch, who is great to work with. He was very helpful with mark design and sizing, and I think he shipped the stencils before I even payed him. They got here fast and work great, you may burn a couple while learning but after that they are very durable and one will make MANY marks.
> 
> http://www.erniesknives.com/knifemaker_stencil.html
> 
> Just my $0.02.


 
Bookmarked. :biggrin:


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## Marko Tsourkan

I took a lazy route and ordered Personalizer Plus. But great info, thank you.

M


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## Dave Martell

Marko Tsourkan said:


> I took a lazy route and ordered Personalizer Plus. But great info, thank you.
> 
> M




Aside from the extra $$ being spent you'll love this thing because (after a few screw ups) it works like charm.


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## Marko Tsourkan

Dave Martell said:


> Aside from the extra $$ being spent you'll love this thing because (after a few screw ups) it works like charm.


 
I barely have time for anything these days, but wasn't it the case, I would have gotten the parts and put one together. 

Look forward to. Thanks for warning, Dave, I already put aside a few scrap pieces for etching.

M


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## jmforge

Marko, If you etch deep and then mark, don't freak out the first time you lift the stencil and your mark is smeared. Just hit it with some polishing paper or 2000 grit sand paper for a couple of strokes to clean the gunk away and you will be amazed.


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## Marko Tsourkan

thanks for the tip.

M


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## jmforge

The scraps probably aren't all that necessary. The only real trick is making sure that you get the stencil taped onto the blade straight. If you want a deep etch, don't leave the wand on the blade for a long time. Do multiple etches of like 10-20 seconds. Just let it etch and then remove for a few seconds and do the next one. That in theory will make your stencils last longer. When you pull the wand away, you should see the etching liquid "fizzing" a little bit. if it doesn't, that means that you don't have a connection. I did that once and realize that I had forgotten to clamp the other lead to the blade. LOL. I put my blades in a Moran vise and clip the alligator clip to the tang so that there is no chance of any of the polished part of the blade getting marred or discolored.


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## Salem Straub

A couple other tips:

I find scotch "magic" tape to work well, it's thin and bonds even. This is important. After taping, I take my fingernail and press the tape down at all the seams and all over, electrolyte can creep through a little tape seam that you didn't even see and etch a little line or pit where you did not want one. Also, a stencil taped down tight and flat will give a sharper and clearer etch.

10-20 second etches are a little long IMHO, I as well as others have burnt up stencils with too long of etches. I currently etch for 3 seconds on, 2 seconds off. 20 cycles of this on DC, then 20 cycles on AC. As well as the electrolyte looking a little fizzy, when etching you should hear a light "frying" sound, indicating action.

After etching, neutralize the blade thoroughly and well- I use Windex and let it soak on for 10 seconds or so.

Cleaning your stencils makes them cut clearly and last longer. Ernie's site has good tips on all of this stuff.


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## Marko Tsourkan

Cool, thanks guys.

M


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## Daniel Fairly

My personalizer plus does rock!


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## jmforge

The scotch tape is a good idea. Electrical tape seals very well, but it is very gummy. Another piece of advice is to cut your individual stencils out large. Use all of the extra material on the sheet so that the stencil is bigger than the wand or, in the case of etching on the ricasso, so the edges of the stencil hand over the sides.. That and clamping the alligator clip to the tang instead of the blade will eliminate most, if not all staining and pitting issues. Also, don't soak the pad. Blot it on your hand before etching.


Salem Straub said:


> A couple other tips:
> 
> I find scotch "magic" tape to work well, it's thin and bonds even. This is important. After taping, I take my fingernail and press the tape down at all the seams and all over, electrolyte can creep through a little tape seam that you didn't even see and etch a little line or pit where you did not want one. Also, a stencil taped down tight and flat will give a sharper and clearer etch.
> 
> 10-20 second etches are a little long IMHO, I as well as others have burnt up stencils with too long of etches. I currently etch for 3 seconds on, 2 seconds off. 20 cycles of this on DC, then 20 cycles on AC. As well as the electrolyte looking a little fizzy, when etching you should hear a light "frying" sound, indicating action.
> 
> After etching, neutralize the blade thoroughly and well- I use Windex and let it soak on for 10 seconds or so.
> 
> Cleaning your stencils makes them cut clearly and last longer. Ernie's site has good tips on all of this stuff.


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