Etching wootz, opinion needed.

[JT88]

Originally Posted by Ian

JT88, it sounds as though your ferric chloride solution is too strong. I would suggest a 1:20 solution of FeCl3 in water and see how that works for you.

A lot of this is trial and error. Fortunately the blade can always be repolished and one can start over.

Thanks for the response after reviving a long dead thread.

I did dilute it more last night and give it another go, looks pretty decent now. Still a bit of a brown tinge overall, but not too much. Wondering if stop now or keep trying to go darker.

I am still very curious about trying instant coffee, one of the other posters said they would do it after using ferric chloride. Hope they will respond with a process for it.

Has been an exhaustive process, many re-starts. I think the pattern looks better now than when I got it, but less uniform overall.

[Drabant1701]

Originally Posted by JT88

Thanks for the response after reviving a long dead thread.

I did dilute it more last night and give it another go, looks pretty decent now. Still a bit of a brown tinge overall, but not too much. Wondering if stop now or keep trying to go darker.

I am still very curious about trying instant coffee, one of the other posters said they would do it after using ferric chloride. Hope they will respond with a process for it.

Has been an exhaustive process, many re-starts. I think the pattern looks better now than when I got it, but less uniform overall.

i think it looks good. It is hard to get good results with ferric. As for the instant coffe. I had som good results etching pattern welded, but never wootz.
You could try vineger, or a lemon. Takes a long time but I find it easier to use then ferric. Every blade is unique so you never know what will get you the best result.

[David R]

Believe it or not "Lea and Perrins Worcester Sauce" works on Wootz. Recommended to me by a retired museum conservator, and it worked for me on an old blade quite nicely.
There are other brands, but I have not tried them.

[JT88]

What method do you use with Worcester sauce? Can’t believe I’m asking that 😂

[David R]

Originally Posted by JT88

What method do you use with Worcester sauce? Can’t believe I’m asking that 😂

You just paint or splash it on. It's no odder than instant coffee. It's a slow etch and needs renewing as it loses strength, but it does give results, is easily available and does not need special precautions. Rinse off when/if you get the result you want and oil the blade.

[JT88]

Originally Posted by David R

You just paint or splash it on. It's no odder than instant coffee. It's a slow etch and needs renewing as it loses strength, but it does give results, is easily available and does not need special precautions. Rinse off when/if you get the result you want and oil the blade.

What kind of timeline are you talking about for the application? May give it a try.

[A. G. Maisey]

I'm not going to say anything about wootz, I do not understand the material, and I do not know how to recognise the types nor how to etch & stain them.

But I do understand mechanical damascus and Malay World pamor. I have made quite a lot of both, and cleaned, etched and stained quite a lot of both, and I have been doing this with both recently made & historic material for a very long time.

The damascus I have made myself I have usually stained with ferric chloride, just the pre-prepared mix that is used for etching circuit boards. Yes, it can be difficult to achieve a satisfactory result with it. I apply with an old soft toothbrush, over the laundry tub, with the cold water tap running. I rinse off, dry, and reapply until I get the colour I want, then I paint on a slurry of bicarb of soda, let it sit for a few minutes, thoroughly rinse, dry with a lint free cloth, then a hairdryer. Spray with WD40.

On damascus I have used various other acidic solutions, but overall I have achieved the best results with ferric chloride.

On historic mechanical damascus, and on pamor --- which is essentially mechanical damascus sometimes with a nickel content --- I usually use laboratory quality white arsenic mixed as a paste with fresh Tahitian lime juice.

Let me be very clear:- I do not recommend that anybody without proper training and permits attempt to play with any kind of arsenic.

On just about any ferric material I am a big fan of white household vinegar. It cleans things beautifully and on some materials it will impart some degree of stain.