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The Newbies Arena Are you new to knife making? Here is all the help you will need.

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  #1  
Old 07-16-2017, 02:14 AM
KevBooth KevBooth is offline
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Acid etch question...

Full disclosure, I'm being cheap and don't want to spend my money on ferric acid. Are there and common and/or cheap ways of obtaining the type results? Maybe something that just takes more time? Mostly I'm looking to reveal a hamon, should I try to attempt one.
Thanks.
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  #2  
Old 07-16-2017, 05:19 AM
WBE WBE is offline
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Try vinegar. Cider vinegar is slightly more acidic than white. Vinegar will dissolve steel, given time.
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  #3  
Old 07-16-2017, 06:06 AM
dtec1 dtec1 is offline
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anything acidic, vinegar I recently heard coffee.....ferric is not expensive find a radio shack and tell them you want PCB etchant....1 bottle is about 10$ go get a bottle of disteled water maybe 2 bucks....take the ferric and pour it into a container then fill that bottle up with the distilled watter pour it in one more bottle of watter so maybe 12-13 buck....there is nothing that is going to be crazy cheap ....you still have to buy the vinegar or what ever else....don't use tap water it will junk up the etch
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Old 07-16-2017, 12:23 PM
jimmontg jimmontg is offline
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There is also Jasco Metal Prep which has phosphoric acid in it watered way down,(has to be as it is just about the most powerful of the acids) it will etch anything including stainless. You can find it at most paint stores and I think Lowes may carry it too. Comes in one quart bottles and it will turn rust into iron phosphate so it is more than just an etchant. About $8 a bottle, I think most Radio Shacks have closed by the way.


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Old 07-16-2017, 02:15 PM
dtec1 dtec1 is offline
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Yes you can find phosphoric acid (don't know about the brand name the stuff I used just says phosphoric acid on it) at my local home depot it is in the paint dept. but also the cleaning isle...

MOst of the time I will use ferric and distilled water and sometimes muriatic sometimes I will do muriatic first to start the etch and then ferric to color the one alloy wich works really good on stainless Muriatinc will be in the paint dept. at home depot its in a gal bottle the bottle it self is white with a blue and green label
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  #6  
Old 07-16-2017, 03:02 PM
WBE WBE is offline
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Muriatic acid is common pool acid and is watered down hydrochloric acid. Phosphoric acid is the not really the strongest acid. Maybe at 100% concentration it is pretty strong. Common cola drinks contain phosphoric acid. That's what cleans corroded battery posts when you pour Coka Cola or Pepsi on them.
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Old 07-16-2017, 03:28 PM
jimmontg jimmontg is offline
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At 10% concentration the phosphoric acid had to be in Tantalum tanks (I welded them) and would dissolve aluminum overnight, we used it to etch parts and yes they put it into soft drinks and it eats the enamel off your teeth and stops your body from absorbing calcium/magnesium which is probably why osteoporosis has reached the proportions that it has.


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Old 07-16-2017, 04:05 PM
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Ray Rogers Ray Rogers is offline
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Not that this is in any way useful for knife making but there is a family of acids called carborane that is considered the strongest but it has some characteristics that might lead you to think it wasn't very strong if you see it work. The second strongest is fluorosulphuric acid which is so strong that it will rapidly dissolve any glass container that it is placed in.

My thanks to Google for supplying this interesting but fairly useless information...


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  #9  
Old 07-16-2017, 04:39 PM
damon damon is offline
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all these other suggestions and the only one cheaper could be the vinegar.
ferric chloride isn't expensive, and its not a single use product. a $10 bottle will last you a while.
sure a gal of white vinegar is under $4, but itll not etch the same as ferric chloride.
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Old 07-17-2017, 05:42 AM
dtec1 dtec1 is offline
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damon that's what I was saying 12-13 bucks for a bottle of ferric and distilled water and your good...and your right its good for a while...now I don't etch every blade but I don't think I have ever thrown away acid cause it went "bad" just saying with all the other cost's in knifemaking I don't think 12 bucks for some acid is a area to worry about cash too much.....and damon you pointed something else out...all of these options wil give you a different etch wich is why I use muriatic and then ferric for stinless but only ferric on carbon.
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Old 07-17-2017, 11:00 PM
KevBooth KevBooth is offline
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Ok. I'm convinced I'll just pop for a bottle of Ferric. Honestly I didn't realize it was that inexpensive. Live and learn I suppose.
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Old 07-18-2017, 01:07 AM
jimmontg jimmontg is offline
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There is a catch about phosphoric acid. It will do the same as ferric and also turn rust into iron phosphate. I have purposely rusted a blade with brine and turned it into black iron, iron phosphate and it is more sturdy than parkerizing.


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Old 07-18-2017, 05:15 AM
dtec1 dtec1 is offline
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ive done a similar thing with a wrought iron guard.....came out real nice
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