Etch METAL with Battery Power! TKOR Shows You Everything To Know About Metal Etching

[@MrWorth66]

If you build up around the sides with modelling clay so it holds a bath, with the stencil at the bottom, then just leave one electrode submersed in the bath. you get a very even etch because it etches the entire pattern at once, and you can vary the depth by timing it, more time or more current means a faster rate of etching. it also means you can walk away, and not have to sit there moving the cotton swab

[@kingslayer9097]

Doesn't it matter how big is the plate or cup of metal when you put electricity through it? Make a difference?

[@drewster3046]

I was coming down to write a comment about this but I see it has been done. I assume that the more water you put in the more power but I think that it is more dependent on the surface area that you are trying to engrave. I might try that but if you are planning on engraving more than a square foot I would make sure that you are using at least 4 9volts and make sure the negative is in or close to the average surface area of the area you are trying to engrave so one side is not deeper than the other.

[@MrWorth66]

@Drewster 30, size of the bath dosnt really matter, you can just leave it for more time, with the same amount of current. there is a guy on YT called michaelcthulhu and he makes swords, he has an 8 or 9 foot bath that he uses to remove rust, though the same process. sometimes he builds a fire under it to speed it up.

[@Abion47]

I wonder if it would actually result in an even etch. My (admittedly under-educated in this area) assumption would be that it would etch more quickly if not almost exclusively in the spots that closest resembles the path from the electrode to wherever the clip is placed.

[@john-paulchase4882]

I wanna see this now

[@helloworld610]

I think this video marks a progress in the right direction... More content, less 'RECAP' and interesting experiment too. Keep it up.

[@CollinCF3]

Yeah, the recap gets SOOOO annoying. Like, dude, I watched the video already, you don’t need to tell me what I already know.

[@taoyakaprincess]

I agree entirely 👍👍👍

[@michaelgasperik4319]

When using vinegar you still need to use salt.

[@philmerrifield1163]

Yes you do as you still need the electrolyte for it to be effective. If you don't, then it may work but all you are really doing is acid etching

[@michaelgasperik4319]

@@philmerrifield1163 correct! I'm glad we agree.

[@yuxin7440]

The chemistry behind it: 1. The DC power provides an electric motive force (EMF) that make electrons flow from positive terminal (Iron Plate) to negative terminal (cotton swab). On positive terminal: Fe(on the plate) --> Fe2- (dissolve in solution) + 2e-. On negative terminal: 2Na+(in solution) + 2e- --> 2Na. 2. The newly formed sodium then reacts with water: 2Na + 2H2O --> 2NaOH (dissolve in solution) + H2 (which explains the gas bubble). 3. Finally, NaCl regenerates with the double displacement reaction: FeCl2(aq) + 2NaOH(aq) --> 2NaCl + Fe(OH)2 (which is the dark precipate formed on the cotton swab). The overall reaction: 2Fe ---NaCl, electricity---> Fe(OH)2 (which is essentially the same reaction that makes iron rust, except this reaction occurs in an observable rate given energy input (electricity)

[@69CamaroSS]

Yu Xin wonderfully explained chemically......however, electrons *ACTUALLY* flow from negative to the positive

[@MrWnw]

So by doing this you "destroy" the stainless property of stainless stell and your flask will now rust, right? Why to do that?

[@TechySeven]

@@MrWnw If it's legitimate stainless-steel then All of the steel is properly treated, even below the surface. Or at least that's what I've heard. It just Seems like it is exposing a non-stainless underlining from the discoloration, but that's just because the etching makes it lose all of its lustrous glossy and polished sheen.

[@jamesf9610]

EMF stands for electro magnetic field

[@zevfeitelson]

Cool, do you know if this would work on aluminum or other metals and their alloys?

[@luvmuchine]

If you have a cutting machine you can get a roll of vinyl to cut out masks. It's the best way to get fine details cut out.

[@ericgeraghty3054]

Your supposed to mix the vinegar and the salt together seen it on chris fix

[@Kristo99]

Eric Geraghty yes chrisfix is cool

[@youss8378]

Ive seen it on chris fix too. You can also use shapie to make a better color.

[@blogengeezer4507]

Vinegar with a bit of salt, cleans coins that have been stained from being buried.

[@4guys1gun18]

Thought i was the only one that watched him

[@laurentpierce1561]

You watch Chris fix? I love you! HEY GUYS CHRIS FIX HERE

[@sobeit1x100]

Finally something I can afford to do at home

[@lunchboxbandits]

You had no idea how relevant this comment was going to be for 2020 😂

[@sobeit1x100]

Fernando Salcedo 🤣

[@Smilomaniac]

Regarding the stains/splotches, you should probably polish the etching with some Autosol or other metal polishing product. As for stickers, there are some custom masks out there that people use for painting miniatures and the like. They should work just fine for this as well.

[@JesusUnoWTF]

Would definitely like to see the metal after they polish it. Right now, it looks like a decent etching, but not very aesthetically pleasing.

[@haf816r]

Cool, I was wondering if it could be fixed rather than looking like butt.

[@XtremeCookiez]

I think using the batteries in parallel might yield better results. I think the limiting factor in the engraving is the current, so allowing more current rather than more voltage (as used in the video) could increase the engraving depth/speed.

[@wrestlinbulldog]

Anyone else think chrisfix when they saw this?

[@Zerokey789]

Vance L what I was thinking

[@benlogic8592]

Yep but Chris fix actually does it right

[@karenpittman6266]

Yes

[@shoutdoorstuff2447]

Yeah

[@j.automotive]

Vance L hey guys king of random here

[@joshuakrieger4398]

Hi Nate, I believe the reactions going on are something like this: Fe(steel) + 3 NaCl(salt)+ 3H2O --> FeCl3 (iron(III) chloride) + 3 NaOH (sodiumhydroxide) + 3 H2 (hydrogen gas) So the gas developing is hydrogen and the greyish-black substance on the q-tip is probably the iron(III)cloride, which is dark-grey when in pure form and yellowish-brown when dissolved in water. Hope it helped

[@mgb360]

Seems plausible, though I'm not especially familiar with this reaction. It would be interesting to know if you could avoid the greenish stain if you used a different solution rather than NaCl. The hydrated form of FeF3 is pink which might look quite nice, although I'm generally hesitant to experiment with fluorine compounds.

[@loempiaboer-up2dh]

I think you forgot some e's since electricity is added

[@joshuakrieger4398]

@loempiabor1000 s.l. geerlings: In general you're right, but since the amount of electrons added before the reaction equals the amount of electrons removed afterwards, you don't have to write them down

[@loempiaboer-up2dh]

Surjo Ganguly that means the colorisation should be restant salt

[@fluffycritter]

Man I miss when TKOR was like this and not just unending "experiments" of throwing stuff into a cotton candy machine.

[@KenpachiBeast]

Use mineral oil to darken metal not vinegar!!!!!! (edit: mineral oil is suppose to make it a dark grey almost black, the process is used for guns) (edit2: heat is important... usually needs a boiling process, but i'm thinking that the electricity from the etching would make it hot enough)

[@SeaReverie]

Did you do this with successful results? In the electrical industry we use mineral oil as an insulating coolant within transformers. It's non-conductive.

[@Excludos]

+SeaReverie Mineral oil is entirely non conductive, yeah. It's why you can (and people have) drop your entire computer into a mineral oil bath without any problems. But you can paint the metal itself with different types of oil directly and just let it dry. Depending on the oil it will give different types coloration. I think it also needs to be heated tho? Don't have much personal experience here

[@KenpachiBeast]

Yes heat is important... usually needs a boiling process, but i'm thinking that the electricity from the etching would make it hot enough.

[@MTGOFerret]

I can confirm mineral oil will not very well with the shown method you'd need an alternative way to heat it

[@KenpachiBeast]

I think your right, the electricity might not heat it enough...

[@LaurentSparksMusic]

ive seen this done so many times on youtube, but this video was so clear about what you need how to go about it. Seems like such a simple process now

[@ashblack5378]

HOOKED!!! Started with an experimental etch on a hip flask. Just sea salt in water, a cue tip and a 12 volt battery charger. Done my Leatherman, Zippo, belt buckle and cutlery. Have built a custom kit and getting a vinyl cutter, to save time. Everything is getting etched. Thank you!

[@auntymammalia9384]

Thank you so much for doing this KoR! It's exactly what I was looking for. As for the nail polish, I am definitely going to try this for reverse etching by using the brush to make my design and then use this process to etch out the metal around it to wind up with something like a negative space frame around the prominent image or word. Thanks again!

[@pureslowmotion2918]

*_this_** is what I subscribed for!* 👑 ✌️

[@pandepoo]

Pure Slow Motion cool ur forst comment

[@BadlandSurvivor]

Try putting molten salt in water...and then in liquid nitrogen... And putting frozen turkey in hot oil... And try quenching a knife in liquid nitrogen... I know... no one's gonna like this...

[@jenniferwang2266]

🎬🏆🥇🔑

[@TheCrystalGlow]

Badland Survivor no one is going to see this here. Put this in the main comments

[@sweettred78osteen43]

Pure Slow Motion

[@demonslayer7589]

U guys should show how to make metal roses since Valentine's Day is around the corner

[@anthonyheckel4368]

Tried this experiment and the results were awesome. Great way to make designs on personal projects.

[@greenbillslawncare]

I have used the salt method several times. With patience it works very well. Crisp and clear lines are very nice. Lock forward to darkening it with vinegar to highlight even more. Thanks

[@youss8378]

I suggest you use vinegar with salt and then color the shape with black sharpie tobgive it a better color. The sharpie will stick in the etching and it will come off around it.

[@bestoftiktok4114]

Can you make a video that shows how to anodize aluminum

[@sinformant]

Stephen Newman there are many videos on KZbin describing the process in detail.

[@stevenspall8257]

Yeah but not in King of Random format :p

[@bestoftiktok4114]

Yes I know there is but the king of random does everything better

[@velizar314]

More batteries experiments video.

[@velizar314]

Eng Sherwan I know you want to promote your channel but that's not the place but I watched one of your videos and they were amazing.

[@drd1449]

use rechargables because they catch on fire

[@lucyswannsunsafespace7313]

Saved me some time, THANKS! I did a stainless steel cup last night. Spent 2 hours and only got 2 words, which weren’t very deeply etched and some spots didn’t etch at all. I used vinyl sticker, only a little salt and one of those large 9v camping batteries, that is possibly drained. I was planning on testing all these methods today and now don’t have to! 😊

[@gadgetmantwincities]

The ring of kandom!

[@agelectronics1]

Wow, that was a shocking result!

[@shina7418]

AG Electronics gtfo 😂

[@forestlampcraft472]

These videos are so interesting! !!!!!!

[@V2weapons]

I love how random your projects are, thanks for posting👌👌

[@jakepalko6319]

V2 weapons ....... king of random

[@robertlangley258]

Excellent thank you for taking time to show us.

[@martindonohue371]

I made my electro etcher from an old screwdriver with a brass block soldered to it and a PC power supply. Works like a charm. Salt water works the best, too.

[@toaster_gr4696]

These videos are so interesting! 😃

[@Jordan1206]

alex kirk interesting*

[@toaster_gr4696]

x_ _Texy ok thank you

[@toaster_gr4696]

Eng Sherwan lol no thank you!

[@WolfMotivations2024]

Okay...

[@dhruvthakur1036]

Aye *Awesome* I genuinely wanted them to this project/experiment

[@dhruvthakur1036]

Eng Sherwan actually I do Who doesn't??

[@SpecificLove7]

Very Cool

[@Samiahusain]

UI

[@MoonHowler340]

The experience with the steel cup is art :D

[@TacticalSoftwareDev]

I did the nail polish technique about 2 years ago. I used gel nail polish over small vinyl letters. When the nail polish was almost dry I used a razor to pick at a corner and peel up the vinyl lettering. After that I allowed the nail polish to completely dry and proceeded with etching. I used it on brass, not sure if the metal types affect how nail polish sticks but it did come out much better.

[@arweninnj]

"ETCH" not "engrave". Different processes- one removes material with a chemical reaction, the other removes material using mechanical action.

[@dakotablaylock1116]

The vids name is about etching

[@arweninnj]

@@dakotablaylock1116 and then he consistently uses the incorrect term throughout the video. What's your point?

[@dakotablaylock1116]

@@arweninnj I'm sayin everyone makes mistakes and I understand why he says engraved bc it kinda looks engaved

[@dakotablaylock1116]

@@arweninnj even tho u are right no need to be a critic

[@dorinartene2844]

I like this idea:))

[@evovanner]

Vinagar with salt to make an acid solution

[@MilesProwerTailsFox]

want to explode the universe?

[@sageminentjunky5197]

Common household vinegar is a "acid solution" usually 10 parts acetic acid in 90 parts water giving you a %10 solution of acetic acid or common vinegar. No chemical reaction occurs by mixing sodium chloride (salt) with 10% acetic acid solution (vinegar)

[@valeriaatchison3371]

I make a vinyl stencil with my cricut, the painted over it with the nailpolish. After 24 hours, removed the vinyl and then etched with qtip dipped into salt water. Turns out great.

[@umangjain7599]

I tried it on my bottle and it worked for me. Thanks

[@luhdooce]

*sees sponsorship ad for shaving cream* Now i know why you're called the king of random

[@clairemayes6218]

This is so easy , I should try this , thanks for an idea for a Sunday Afternoon 😂

[@Qcder]

You need a better quality nail polish maybe even a nail gel but that gets pricey honestly your best bet is what I use to engrave my tools and equipment and it’s plasti-dip it’s a sprayable peal-able colored plastic that looks and dries like spray paint

[@VonNikdenitz]

thanks for the tip

[@konzekuenze]

Great tutorial... I was looking for this for some time. Thank you.

[@chrislyday]

That's it! The coffee cup is getting it!

[@infinitepower6780]

Just yesterday I was using Vinegar and salt to clean the copper surface on coins.

[@h20boii85]

InfinitePower soda will work too

[@A-Goose-]

Please tell me, is it working ? if it is, how do you preserve the copper coin ? do you coat it with clear nail polish ?

[@ryanl40]

You do realize cleaning coins lowers it's value right?

[@michaelkenway-allanach2173]

Same

[@thatgoose2639]

The two nine volt batteries were connected in series so it was about 18v

[@thatgoose2639]

You're also making chlorine gas by the way

[@gemunujayasinghe618]

Great video , sir . Thank you so much . From Sri Lanka.

[@khentrebleza5255]

i love this channel...SCIENCEisEVERYWHERE!

[@dannyjuarez4941]

I would really love to have TKOR stickers

[@cal30m1]

How about trying different solutions to try to etch aluminum, brass, etc.

[@raycert07]

Works with anything but depending on power source and what you hold the salt water in it night just stain or anodize it grey which is pretty cool

[@ethanelzinga1175]

I love how scientific he is with the scary 9v batteries😂 I eat these for breakfast nick

[@CurtMudgeon]

I eat AAA, C, and D batteries for breakfast for their vitamin content.

[@josephcortini3986]

Nate not nick

[@1lazuligaming58]

I love this video, I'm probably gonna do it at my science fair! :)

[@ArtistryBranson]

Yup. Gonna have to do this one!

[@geothermalvents5079]

You should try doing woodburning art

[@CrazyNerdInventor]

Zachary you mean lichenburg figures

[@Isheian]

Well. Wood burning is also a thing and can be used to create art. But yes, I’d assume given the channel lichenburg figures is what was meant.

[@richardphan3644]

Can you melt down those silica gel beads used to keep dry to make glass? Silica is the main ingredient in some glass

[@Joanyan]

"I'm gonna make a square" *Makes a rectangle*

[@eochaid5219]

You must be a viking. Make the holmgang!

[@moonrlock]

This is "Shockingly" great!

[@dreamlessfull]

I used candle vax melted on the surface which I after scribed with a pointed metal tip. Worked great

[@mokhahlethabo7430]

Can you do big prince rupert's drop, by melting glass and pouring it in liquid nitrogen.

[@arsani6622]

the first one i saw who etched metal with electricity was a car youtuber called ChrisFix

[@arsani6622]

and honestly, chrisfix did it better

[@harmonic5107]

Da Noob Pvper the process has existed for a *long* time. And it's cool if you like his video better, I like this one better. No one cares about either of our opinions.

[@arsani6622]

ik kieran that it did, i was just saying my opinion, i repect urs too. and yes no one will care about our opinions :p

[@arsani6622]

btw he made a way using stickers.

[@harmonic5107]

Da Noob Pvper vinyl stickers for etching have also existed for quite a while. The process is common.

[@dacosu]

Can you show how to make knives with household items?

[@guddidevi2153]

DanDoesGames and why exactly do you want that? 🤔🤔

[@dacosu]

I want to make a knife but i do not have any items to do it

[@jaemoo7574]

buy rhem lmao

[@devandecapua]

Just make a prison shank

[@DIVAD291]

step 1: grab the household item known as a knife. step 2: grab a second knife. step 3: congratulate yourself for making knives from household items.

[@TheHitmanAgent]

One King to rule them all

[@shantanuchaudhari8548]

I love it !! Can you make more of such videos That's the reason I subscribed this channel for such amazing stuff in so much detail even how to cut the wire !!! Just love it!!

[@rafiquzzaman100]

Use your large metal foundry please please please.

[@joshuapenner6749]

Rafiquzzaman ok

[@arminmoosmann8568]

Does this also work with aluminum ( I would like to do this on my bose soundlink mini)

[@mgb360]

Aluminum can be oxidized, so potentially, but I'm not familiar enough with the math to be certain whether salt water would be effective on it. Test it out on a soda can or some aluminum foil and let us know!

[@arminmoosmann8568]

I just hafe to try it out but probably with a higher voltage like 25v

[@mgb360]

Go for it, although I don't think the voltage would change whether or not it worked, just how quickly it worked. So, if it wasn't going to work at 9 V, I would think it wouldn't work at 25 V either.

[@nicholasgarrett8594]

I did an etching in aluminum using salt water, works great.

[@mofotimm3r]

That looks like aluminum

[@hacondn1748]

4:35 turn turn turn oh... its a flip top

[@drakeisacake]

Noice I did not catch that!

[@noidea1169]

This Chanel has grown so much

[@brianmarshall7214]

Fantastic video thanks mate, very simple and cost efective method. Thanks for sharing it. One suggestion, if people intend to do quite a bit of etching, pick up the female end to the power adaptor which will make connececting the leads easier as well as getting the polarity correct. they cost next to nothing. Plus you don't have to masacre the adaptor lead!

[@ffuukkyootoobffuukkyootoob1411]

For the mask, try some vinyl paint.

[@liambrull4066]

Ring of Random

[@nontoxicsprite]

King of Kandom

[@tal3783]

Felon of random

[@udaykarthikeya]

Do it with copper ! (PCB)

[@myrrandasalmon1217]

For the nail polish, try putting what you want as the design down before you put the nail polish down. Like put a sticker in the shape of what you want down. Than paint the nail polish down on top of and on the sides of the sticker. Then peel up the sticker while the nail polish is still wet or else it will do what it did in the video (come up in flakes). Also let the polish dry a little longer than you did because it possibly could have still been wet on the bottom portion of it but looked felt dry on top. Just some suggestions and thanks for the amazing video!

[@TheSickboy1986]

When I did this with acid etching I used black all surface spray primer. Similar to the nail polish idea but it sticks much better and makes cleaner lines when scratched off. Then is easily cleaned off with some paint remover and light sanding

[@mustafaameer50]

U have been using a removable nail polish 👌🏽👌🏽 try another one ☝️

[@justuskoskinen6204]

Try to smelt glass and metal and mix it

[@axtra92]

Justus Koskinen How old are you??

[@justuskoskinen6204]

axtra92 i'm 14

[@ffejkk37]

This kind of alchemy intrest me.

[@compuwise]

Heh. Your "k" turned out to be a Playboy Bunny.

[@venkya2790]

Very satisfying !

[@4hedgesfamily]

I've done this on knife blades. I was using a very high carbon steel (old farrier's rasp), and a car charger with vinegar. For nail polish, I used some my wife had left over. It took some time, but the longer and slower I went, the deeper the etch went, at least a millimeter or two. If you like, I can send you pictures.

[@chiragaparadh1417]

Ring of random😂😂

[@naidanglover]

Use sharpies, it's easier

[@Cameron-rc5ef]

Naidan Freerun you can’t peel that off though

[@naidanglover]

Pumpkinpie3080 I ment to just draw on the metal

[@harmonic5107]

Naidan Freerun it's easier to remove tape. And you can get sharper lines. To each their own I guess.

[@naidanglover]

Kieran M I ment u only need a Sharpie and a bit of metal and just draw like u would on a bit of paper and don't do the electric part

[@dragonsnack1335]

Naidan Freerun the point of this project is to make it permanent. Sharpies will wear off over time

[@ajl9491]

bad idea to engrave your name on homemade shives...just saying....

[@gabeelkins9059]

It's a makers mark bud.

[@phantom99991]

Do you want to get framed for murder? Because that's how you get framed for murder.

[@BLAZE084]

That’s the kind of video that made me subscribe to TKOR! Awesome!

[@siddharthsrinivasan6100]

I would use clay as a modeling tool and a salt water tub for one electrolyte to sit it, a little like gold plating. That will be even and smooth. Great start!

[@smaranteja960]

TKORMY

[@jarchive4267]

Eng Sherwan, Doesn't everyone like eating because you have to eat to not die???

[@abhishekgourav6144]

Joeshmoe nah i don't like eating...😂😂😂i'm still alive *RED BOoooooLL*

[@_3nlil]

doesn't that release chlorine gas??

[@lytz]

Yes it does ...

[@abhishekgourav6144]

spiritual fart yep definitely...

[@joshuakrieger4398]

No, the gas is hydrogen, the chlorine from the salt reacts with the iron from the steel to ironchloride(FeCl3)

[@mgb360]

I don't think it does, but if it did it would be in tiny amounts. You'd breathe in more going swimming than you would doing this.

[@doubledarefan]

Etching Stainless Steel will produce Hexchrome.

[@markmarkw1919]

And so...? (BTW, is that the same as hexavalent chromium?)

[@Skruddgemire]

Something to try, try dissolving salt in vinegar and see if you get a better result. I once tried using salt water to clean copper bottomed pots...noticeable result but not that great. Tried vinegar...about the same. Salt mixed with vinegar and it cut through the patina in nothing flat. Perhaps salt in acid might be better?

[@dam1371]

for clean up use steel wool after etching. also repeating the process with the Q-tip repeatedly works great. Key point be patient. If on something like the cup go the same direction as the brushing pattern.

[@Daniel-vq9zb]

I just want to point out fractions and millimeters shouldn't ever be in the same sentence lol

[@sparkythebuilder]

Wouldn't .1 mm be one tenth of a millimeter? Also can be written as 1/10 mm.

[@4450krank]

He means its also a fraction from here to the moon, why not justy say 1/10 of a millimeter.

[@ZyNosS24]

"Mask off" lol

[@rinfeast3445]

Richoux we need more likes on your comment

[@paulameloot9380]

Can you etch your skin with this method without pain ? If so, try it plz (on meat or whatever). DIY TKOR tattoo !!

[@kennyyo2705]

Without pain? It literally eats metal.

[@paulameloot9380]

LongWaveGT you’re right with pain, but still sooooo badasssss

[@nicholasrohde771]

No, it wouldnt work. It only works on metal.

[@paulameloot9380]

Nicholas Rohde oh really why ?

[@dzello]

Metal is more consistent, your skin isn't. Putting electricity in your body makes it follow your nervous system. What that means is no matter what, you'd etch the patterns of your neural system and stuff. The same way people get tree-like burn marks when they get thunderstruck.

[@tinygunner4703]

Bro I hope you know you the new age bill nye. Teaching millions of people. Be very proud of your self

[@tanyaleef5138]

What a great exhibit

[@SipsalotASMR]

I used the nail polish method and I got great results using a clear coat over top. It seemed a bit excessive at the time (one of my friends suggested I try it) but after I got 2 or 3 different etches using this method I was rightly shocked and have been using it as a mask instead of electric tape. (I still prefer free handing everything for a more homey touch but when I have to do something specific I use nail polish)

[@HomeBibleCollege]

Brilliant, must try this

[@JP-iu4vz]

Back when tkor was exciting and worth watching

[@clintonraubenheimer5879]

A handy tip with regards to the DC power supply. The positive wire normally has the broken line on it, where on some the positive will have a slight ridge down the outer edge of the cable. In some cases, if not most, both the broken line as well as the ridge are present on the positive wire.