[TheForge] Etching Damascus

[smith at blacksmithing.org]

Greetings all -- 

Just my 2 cents --HCL works as as etchment but it's a small and aggressive 
molecule. If there is any delaminations, there will be rust blooms (no 
relation). Boiling in a strong base (like NaOH) doensn't seem to help. I've 
done lots of blades in it but they better be perfectly welded. 

FeCl works but has tends to highlight grain - so the pattern ends up looking 
like dots rather than lines. I don't like the effect but it's a matter of 
taste. Neutralization is easier and rust blooms way less of a problem 
compared to HCL. 

Kano Labs Ex-Rust works (1:10 solution) but it's slow and dies after awhile. 
It also lays down a hard coat that is removable with a strong base if you 
let it go too long and/or the solution dies when you're not paying 
attention. If you use fresh solutions, wipe off the slime coat every few 
hours and can stand a 24-hour cycle, it works without the rust problems of 
HCL or the grain effects of FeCl.  It's what I use these days. 

Steve Bloom (Ironflower Forge)