Jack S Posted November 21, 2017 Share Posted November 21, 2017 What are some good substitutes for ferric acid to etch demascus. Any home concoctions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy k Posted November 21, 2017 Share Posted November 21, 2017 Simple vinegar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 21, 2017 Share Posted November 21, 2017 Hot vinegar super saturated with salt. Lime Juice Coffee Tea Soaked in a bog high in tannic acid HCl HNO3 H2S04 Note that the strong acids are much more dangerous to work with! The food based one will not provide much in the way in topography but often provide interesting colour effects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John in Oly, WA Posted November 22, 2017 Share Posted November 22, 2017 Equal amounts of table salt and RootKill (copper sulfate pentahydrate) in water. 1/3 to 1/2 a cup of each in a quart of water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhyfelwr Posted November 25, 2017 Share Posted November 25, 2017 Anybody actually use the tannic acid? I've got two quarts of distilled oak tannins, I might try it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 I have using strong loose leaf black tea "sludge". Purple black colours, no topography, First time I left it in the etch overnight and the next morning it looked like my piece had grown fur. I thought well that didn't work and went to wash it off and the glop slid off leaving the purple black colours. (I was trying the suggested echants available listed in "The Sword In Anglo Saxon England" H.R.Ellis Davidson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwistedCustoms Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 I don't have any home brew to add to the food based ones already mentioned but I have made some pretty stuff using Brownells cold gun blue. If you've never used it its a one part product, no mixing. It colors fast and cleans up with water. You wont have any silver color when you're done, even the high nickel stuff will be a cool, light blue and the high carbon will be almost black but the whole piece has a "wet" look when it's dry. Most gun shops/pawn shops in my area have the kit for under $10.00. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 Have you ever then burnished the high layers? (etch for topo and then blue and then burnish to bring back the bright layers?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwistedCustoms Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 I put a blade on the buffer without any compound once after bluing and it brought the highs to a lighter blue but not back to silver. I didn't try to go any further with it because I really like the light, "smokey" blue look. I am open to experimentation though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 28, 2017 Share Posted November 28, 2017 I was using a hard arkansas black and WD40 on a flat grind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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