Thank you for your service. Sounds like you got a good truck mechanic! I've actually got somethin' of a similar deal. My great uncle gave me my anvil, (RR, but it still works) when I was just a little kid. Now that I've started forging, I'm trying to make him a good knife.
Hey, would you look at that. I'm OH too. Cincy. I figured if I wanted to do some good etching I'd have to bite the bullet and get some FeCl3. I'm just on a fairly tight budget (railroad anvil, homemade forge, rebar) and wasn't sure how much use one could get out of a bottle of Ferric Chloride. I'll probably check the Lowe's that's 1/4 mile away. What would you suggest for a dark, even protective finish? Cold bluing or FeCl3? Thank you.