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   Blue Lightning Stencil

 

Blue Lightning Stencil Etching Technique

Home Crafted 


 

Stencil Etchh 1              Hand etcher

     The pictures include the following parts needed to etch your knife.  This power supply is homemade.  Your power supply voltage can be different.  The voltage outputs are 24 volt D.C, and  7 volt A.C.  .  The Electrolyte in the white bottle is handmade.  It can be found on my " Etch your logo into Damascus".   The hand piece is Micarta with a brass front.  The rubber band holds the felt onto the handle, any color is OK    Put felts two pieces thick on the etch handle....the same as the picture on the right.

 

 

  The handle head of brass is cleaned by rubbing the face on a piece of flat 220 grit carbide sandpaper.  The sandpaper is supported by my desk top under the sandpaper.  It is convenient and flat.

 

Stencil 5  If you want to etch your logo into the hollow ground blade portion of the  knife blade, just make a pad holder with a slightly smaller diameter than the grind.

You can rotate the pad but keep the diameter of the pad tight against the stencil.

That will work better than a flat pad in the hollow ground part of the blade. The flat/square pad is best for a flat areas like the Ricasso. Use a good firm down pressure when etching your logo.  You can cut down the pad size to suit you, flat or convex

I make my own pad using brass for flat or diameter etching.
   This picture shows the handle is ready to accept the Electrolyte.

  Stencil 2  

  

 

 

 

 

The picture includes the Electrolyte with the felt pad on the handle that has been lightly soaked ...ready to use.

 

 

Stencil 6   The Stencil is surrounded with Magic Scotch tape used to attached the stencil to the knife.  Apply pressure, you want the stencil slap against the steel, double slap pressure if you can do it. Electrical tape is hard to deal with and totally unnecessary. It may not be necessary to tape completely around the logo.  Just tape the sections of the logo that may be accidently etched. 

 

Stencil 3 The stencil is taped with Magic Scotch Tape surrounded  where ever the knife steel may get accidently etched.  The clip at the top of the picture is the power supply connector.  It can be attached to your knife any place that will complete the circuit.  Attach it before you begin etching.  Add good firm down pressure .  Run 3 or 4 seconds release and add pressure again 2 or 3 more times.  

 

Stencil 4 

 

 Put a 1/2 drop of dish detergent between your thumb and forefinger and then place the image between the two fingers and lightly scrub back and forth. Don't use a toothbrush. Rinse with tap water so that there is no soap left in the image.  Pat dry with a paper towel then air dry and you're ready to etch again.


 

 

 Blue Lightnin Clean Dry the logo and your ready to store away for your next knife.  OK to hold it upside down.