After etching

[youngsmith]

Atfer you etch something that is pattern welded, how do you keep it from rusting?

[EdCaffreyMS]

After etching, it is important to neutralize the etchant. Use a solution of TSP (tri-sodium phosphate) which you can get at any local hardware store. (its sold mostly in granular form as a product to wash walls prior to painting). Mix it up with distilled water until the water will not dissolve any more. After etching, place the blade in the solution for a few minutes. Afterward, use some #0000 steel wool and water to scrub the "gunk" off the blade. Dry the blade completely. I personally use Mother's Caranuba Cleaner/wax to protect all my knives. There are also many type of oils you can use, but they required repeated application and are somewhat messy, and any oil will draw/hold dirt and grit. Stay away from products that contain silicon. Silicon will trap moisture, causing small rust spots to form, especially in humid climates. What I like about the waxes is that you can apply them to the entire knife, lightly buff them off by hand, and you have protection that is complete and last a very long time compared to oils.
Over the years I have tried many products to protect blades, but I always keep coming back to the Mother's wax. It can be found at most Walmarts, and places like Checker or Autozone. It's about $10 a can, and a can will last a LONG TIME.

[HWooldridge]

You know, Ed, that Mother's Wax is probably a really good kink to protecting any type of ironwork, even things other than knives. I'd be tempted to use it on food products like BBQ forks and ladles - especially on the handles, then oil the lower contact portions with canola oil.

[julian]

I use Windex to neutralize the acid on an etched blade; you can use any sort of glass cleaner as long as it contains ammonia, which is the ingredient that does the actually neutralizing.

[cwilliams]

I keep a 5 gallon bucket of water that was mixed with a box of baking soda. I just drop in the knife to neutralize the acid. Next I wax it with a car wax as Edcaffrey mentions.
Chris

[Robert Mayo]

I sand to 1500 then after etching i neutralize in baking soda then just polish with flitz.

Bob

[Steve Sells]

after all that dont forget the basic Oil.

[medieval]

I started making damascus this year. I thought that it would be good forge welding practice. I have done cable, chain and layered (1080 and 15n20). I have two questions:
The nickle part of the finished blades don't shine as much as I have seen on other peoples blades (even though I polish before etching)
After etching I use baking soda and water to neutralize the acid. When I have used a toothbrush to make sure that the neutralizing solution gets at everything. It washes off the black residue in the etched areas. It seems that the etched areas are fragile. At what point do they become permanent? After sealing? :confused: thanks, Bert

[LDW]

After you etch and neutralize if you will take sandpaper and lightly sand, this will highlight areas. Do this sanding with whatever the finest grade was that you used when you did the sanding prior to etching. This is when it makes everything stand out. You can also use a hair drier on the blade after neutralizing to "set" the black color, once dried you can then spray it down with WD-40 or any light weight oil. Some of the black is going to come off no matter what you do. I mainly work with cable, therefore the etch I do is deep enough to create raised areas, this light sanding really stands out on a deep etch. Good Luck

[mcraigl]

Also if you etch deep enough to create some topography you can hot blue the blade, then send/polish and it will really make the nickel layer "POP" as the kids say.