How to electroetch a maker's mark

After this video I talked to Patricia at IMG-Electromark, she gave me some good advice! Here are the points:
- Cracks and curly is from heat and spider lines come from marker being too hot
- Keep stencils in a cool dark place and keep them clean with luke warm water...
- The graphite head may make the power much stronger from your machine which will end up burning the stencil. there are other options to lower the power by using a different marker. If your Power unit is really strong.
- I tell the knife makers to put the stencil down like a door with a hinge, and the other side a door knob, that way one side stays put and you can lift the stencil and put it right back.
- The Sc-44 electrolyte is used mainly for etching.....after you etch you can neutralize it..don't mix the wiping cloths
- Using the correct solutions with give you better results The solution for the High carbon steel is Electrolyte 94. / 110A. Stainless solution is E-600, these are marking solutions
- The ammonia probably isn't great for the blade.
- NO Q tips, you don't have the conductivity of a graphite head or metal piece
- No Windex....Use Neutralyte - contains a rust inhibitor....Stencil material doesn't like Windex
it's not mild. Clean it with water..lukewarm, manipulate the stencil to get the grit out...
- You can warm the stencil before using it with warmer water...to get it to flatten.
- Can you try painters tape instead of the electrical tape? We don't know if the electrical tape has qualities that help mark the blade in the wrong place.( like along the edge
I see a greyish hue to the blade all around the mark and the mark doesn't look black.
- I think your technique of marking is fine, I don't think we mark as may times as you do...
- Neutralyte at the end is good!
Thanks so much Patricia.
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Video edited by: Sam

[@seekerend]

Crazy how much I've changed my processes after your videos, and I've watched a lot of YT on knife making. Keep it up and thanks for taking the effort to put the knowledge you have back out into the world.

[@mavetalentless7049]

Nice! I´m very happy that you are making yt videos again. I´m looking forward to see your content. Best regards from Jena/Germany

[@davidmcmutrtey979]

Love how Sam pays attention to the top of the D. :) Great video guys. These have seriously saved me as a maker. Had an accident in the shop 10 stitches in my thumb later the grinding tricks with the push stick are keeping me going.

[@mattwhatevz]

13:06 comfy pup cameo🥰 I love it!!!

[@BalticBlades]

Loads of quick tips from you both! Love these videos.

[@73FORGE]

Great tip! That’s what she said, nice work gentlemen 🤙🏼

[@js280]

Incredible video. Love the work you guys are doing! Would love to see a video on how you visualize intersecting planes when you facet a handle. I'm having a tough time visualizing which angles (and how deep) to file when I'm attempting to make geometric shapes in my handles.

[@noahnipperus7320]

Don Nguyen Knives "I like the tingle"

[@bogower4216]

Seriously? Sam says "tip of the D" and no one says anything???? Hahahaha, great video guys!

[@CuchillosyTecnicasdeAfilado]

Great video. I couldn’t catch well the name of where you got your stencils. Would you mind writing it? Thanks a lot. You are a great inspiration.

[@DonNguyenKnives]

IMG-Electromark

[@CuchillosyTecnicasdeAfilado]

@@DonNguyenKnives thanks!!!! Have you seen the brother printers that can print stencils?

[@karlo3219]

Cool......

[@jackcraft3054]

Don can you tell me more about the part that you are using to etch with instead of using a Q-TIP? Is it something you made or a part you bought?

[@DonNguyenKnives]

I've seen them called "hand markers" on online knife supply stores. It works great, more consistent than a q-tip for sure.

[@jackcraft3054]

@@DonNguyenKnives Thanks

[@valentinechave]

Hi! what's the purpose of the coffee? i've seen it in other videos but I dont know what is it used for. thanks!

[@karlo3219]

it brings out the contrast more in an etched blade that's at least to my understanding.

[@DonNguyenKnives]

It's to darken a blade. On damascus for example, you can use instant coffee to get crevasses darker, then sand the peaks, and you get a more drastic contrast.

[@valentinechave]

@@DonNguyenKnives so it is not enough with the ferric chloride? in a high carbon blade for example, not damascus

[@DonNguyenKnives]

@@valentinechave ferric is good at establishing the etch and the activity, but coffee makes it even darker

[@valentinechave]

@@DonNguyenKnives ty!

[@Noahlochner0]

Where do you get stencils at?

[@DonNguyenKnives]

IMG-Electromark

[@timjackson5555]

Where can I find the plans for that? My Snap-On battery booster smokes my temples after one use. Can't justify buying a stencil machine, might as well purchase an electric etch instead.

[@DonNguyenKnives]

chriscrawfordknives.com/tutorials/written-tutorials/electro-etcher/page-1/ is what mine is based off of

[@timjackson5555]

@@DonNguyenKnives thanks man

[@glenpaul3606]

how do you get it black? different voltage? some chemical?

[@DonNguyenKnives]

Flip the polarity and it darkens instead of etches. So you etch first to get the depth, then switch and darken.

[@glenpaul3606]

@@DonNguyenKnives oh cool. thank you. I was told it only darkens with AC voltage. I will try it.

[@glenpaul3606]

@@DonNguyenKnives I tried it this morning and sure enough it darkened. Thanks for the tip !!

[@DonNguyenKnives]

@@glenpaul3606 Glad to hear!