Need help - how to etch Damascus Flashlight?

I am looking for some input before I go ahead and do some additional etching on a flashlight of mine.

I have a damascus that had very light damascus etching and also some scrape looking marks. I sanded off the scrapes and polished up the light but in the process the etching was made even less deep. I want to re-etch the light but have a few questions before proceeding.

When people etch their lights do they do it with the light completely assembled relying on the seals to protect it?
Or, do they remove everything and etch the whole light inside and out? Does etching the inside present any concerns?
If you don't etch the inside what do you use to protect the metal so it doesn't etch?

My main thoughts about inside etching are: It could mess up all of the threaded action if the threads are etched and also the seals may not be solid.

Now - onto what to etch with. I have read muriatic acid and sulphuric acid, but those are out of my comfort level (and I have kids so way to risky just having that stuff in my house). The other thing I have read is using PCB Etchant Solution (my RadioShack has that) will work. One YouTube instructional video showed using a 1:1 mixture of white vinegar and etchant solution (with a warning of pouring etchant into vinegar and not the other way around).

Some input would be appreciated for best results. Thanks.

You definitely do not want to etch the threads on your light, nor should you let the insides be etched either.

You need to mask off the threads, the O-ring seat and the interior surfaces. A cheap way to do that is to use nail polish, but don't buy the cheap stuff. I'd suggest a couple of thin layers, letting each layer dry well before proceeding.

The etchant mix that you mention, 1/2 Ferric Chloride and 1/2 vinegar is fine, but you could also dilute that with some distilled water. Sometimes a weaker solution will give a nicer etch than a strong one. Also, it wouldn't hurt to warm the etching solution up to 100 degrees F.

Keep you eye on the light while in the solution--don't just drop it in there and walk away. Taking the light out, then rubbing gently with some fine steel wool, will let you see how the etching is going. After the final etching (do not use the steel wool at this point), I'd suggest spraying the light with Original Windex and let it sit for a while, then do the neutralizing mentioned below as well.

After etching, make sure you neutralize the surface by using a strong solution of baking soda, then rinse well and dry thoroughly. Apply some sort of oil, or other rest preventative, to stop any future rusting.

You can remove the nail polish with Acetone, btw.

I'd suggest doing any of this in a well ventilated area. :devil:

Thank you for the input. The nail polish idea was very helpful and did work very well except for a few tiny spots where it may have too thin.

The results, I think, speak for themselves.

This is the light before the etching. You can see that the etching is very light and there are an extreme number of what appear to be scratches or machining marks circling around the light.



I sanded and polished the light up to remove the scratches and then etched it for ~20minutes in a solution made of a 1:1 mix of white vinegar and PCB etchant. The results are spectacular and really bring this light to life!

Very nice!

Thank you.

Nice! I wonder if anyone's come up with a method for doing pseudo-damascus aluminium? (can't find anything on google)

ShineOnYouCrazyDiamond said:

Thank you for the input. The nail polish idea was very helpful and did work very well except for a few tiny spots where it may have too thin.

The results, I think, speak for themselves.

Click to expand...

:wow: The results certainly do speak for themselves! :goodjob:

I know, I know. dredging up and old thread. Just wanted to add that I had good luck with using heated up lemon juice... on SS Damascus.

I had uses some steel wool to shine up the light, and the darker areas got a lot lighter. The heated up lemon juice brought the darkness back to just about where it used to be with only about 5-10 minutes of soaking. I'm going to do another round to see if I can get it to darken even more...