Question: Acid Etching Carbon Steel

DavidFox

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Feb 24, 2014
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Hi, my name's David, I'm a gunsmith in training, and I've become very interested in engraving. However, I must confess I know very little about it. I'm interested in acid etching, as this seems to have a relatively shallow learning curve compared to other methods. I have done a few experiments on my own, involving 1018 steel blocks, muriatic acid, and various resists and temperatures. However, I have not found a resist that the acid will not remove. If anyone has any advice on how best to get started with this sort of process, I would be grateful.
 

silverchip

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Barry Lee Hands did a very nice step by step on a rifle he did and it probably is in the tips and archives. If you read through it, it should help you tons!!!!!!
 

Marrinan

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if you are interested in acid work do a search on Montejano in the search box. He is one of the best there is anywhere in the world. Fred
 

monk

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i've used ferric chloride with good results. for this, plain old fingernail polish has worked. this technique is lo-tech, but an eye must be kept on the part being etched. or--- may well etch way too deeply. it's not real fast, but is easy to over etch your part.
 

Ron Spokovich

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For the time being, until you get more familiar after following the advise previously mentioned, you may want to practice drawing skills with some plain, ordinary women's nail polish in masking off areas not to be etched. For the etch, I believe ferric chloride would do the job, and the piece can be neutralized with baking soda and water. To remove the mask, acetone will work as that's all nail polish remover amounts to. Use nail polish with some color so you can see what you're doing, and fine brushes with maybe some sharpened toothpicks for detail. This is just a suggestion, and consult with the experts out there, of which I am not, and read all you can.
 

Mike Fennell

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On January 20, 2014, Bob Evans did a live tutorial on acid etching at the FEGA show in Las Vegas. If now one else has done so, and if you are wish me to, I can type out my brief notes of that seminar and post them here.
 
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DavidFox

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Feb 24, 2014
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Minnesota
Yeah, I've seen some of his work, in fact it one of his knives that was my inspiration to try this out!
 
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