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Sword Etching

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SirNathanQ:
Does anyone here know how to give a sword a light etching? I hear it involves covering with wax and then stenciling out a design, and then apply an acidic substance. But what should that substance be, and what do you do after that? Let it sit? and how long?

Sir Edward:

I've never done it myself. One of the videos out there that shows Albion's process shows the etching of their maker's mark, and it looks pretty quick. It would be cool to do a custom etching, but boy, I'd hate to screw it up.

Sir William:
Same here...but if you have a sword for which you don't much care for- that's your guinea pig.  I've heard of people using lemon juice as an etching agent...if I come across where I read that I'll post it, altho the odds are a bit long on that happening, just so you know, Nathan.  :)

Sir James A:
Muratic acid (in the pool chemicals section) is what I've heard before. The rest is as you said, basically covering the steel completely, etching out the design, then submerging in the acid so that it eats away the 'unprotected' metal. Fair warning, though, this is based off memory and having never tried it, just filed it in my 'when I retire I will....' mental list.

Sir Robert:
Oh so you want to do etching???? Well take a seat on that stump and we will just have to give it a talk.

First you must KNOW your metal, nothing we hold today is just steel, or whatever, they are all very sophisticated alloys. But dont let that bother you too much, we just need to know how to attack it.

Acids and Alkaloys all will etch metal, some faster than others, almost all are dangerous as they work through a reduction reaction where (typically) hydrogen is displaced from its compound- Nitric Acid (HNO3) will etch just about anything, even glass, but the reduction reaction frees Elemental Hydrogen which can easilly explode, as well as salts. It is very toxic, and very dangeous to use, yes it works well and is excellent of your catious.

Muratic Acid is better known as hydrocloric acid- same warnings here, its very week in it pool low molar form and really you would want it much stronger to etch well.

So what are the alternatives??? There are metallic acids rather than being true acids they are only acids to metals, still toxic, but generally they are much safer to handle and dont explode. There is electro-plating and hard anodization, also there is poweder coating, and mechanical etching (sand blasting)

Of all of these sand blasting is the safest and maybe easier to obtain as you can rent a sandblaster- its not what I use but its effective and very fast.

Yes lemon juice, nettle sap, and lime all work as etching agents, just very slowly, they were traditional etching agents and used in gilding.

The most impoirtaint thing is your masking agent- it has to hold your design and stand up to whatever your using as the etching agen- wax is ok, bees wax is better, but they all have limited use in detailed patterning, they are also time consuming to use but clean-up is easy.

You do have to consider how to get not only your design in the agent but how to then safely remove the agent without marring your design or the metal your masking. Piant may be a obvious choice but how will you remove it? Unless of course you dont want to. Burning it of is not a choice for many reasons.

So what- specifically do you want to etch and with what? Whats your design size?

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