Etching wrought iron

[Tenebr0s]

Hi guys,

I recently made some kataha blades, with wrought iron forge-welded to high-carbon steel. I want to bring out the grain of the wrought through etching, but this is my first attempt ever etching anything. So... some questions:

I have ferric chloride - will this be ok on WI? How fine a grit do I need to sand to if I'm planning on doing a very deep, rough etch (hopefully so you can feel the grain). There are a couple pits in the iron from forging. Do I need to remove the scale from the pits before etching, or will the ferric chloride remove it naturally? Finally, if I plan on sharpening after the etch, do I need to do anything special to protect the edge during the etch?

[John McPherson]

Ferric chloride is fine. The standard method is dip for 5-30 minutes, scrub with an old toothbrush in clean water, repeat, repeat, repeat until you like the depth. Warmer than room temp is faster.

 

Any scratches in the hardened steel will show up. 400 grit or finer finish recommended. Yes, you need to clean the scale out of the pits if you want an even etch.

 

If the edge is more than 1/32" thick (and it should be thicker than that for heat treating) it should be fine.

 

Now, let the other views commence. ^_^