The mayo idea seems like a good idea. You can make mayo using vinegar, oil and egg using a hand blender. If you are going to use it to etch then you can adjust the vinegar content upwards to help with your etching. The fact that it will be thick will make it easy to brush on or apply with a q-tip. Good idea! I would suggest a piece of clear scotch tape (not packing tape) to cut the stencil and a sharp blade.
Bringing out faded etch at all?
- Thread starter Munxcub
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The problem I see with the mayo, mustard, ect. idea is that most etching have open spots to allow the pattern to come through (think of a stencil)
When you use the acid from mayo, mustard.. you are going to be affecting everything that is not taped.
Also you don't know how it going to react to me metal over the entire area marked off.
I've used the same method to force a patina on a few blade and most of the time doesn't work in a uniform way.
I would suggest trying your ideas on a different blade to see what's happening and how it works before using it to try and enhance the etching. Otherwise you may just end up with a rusty spot on what use to be the etching.
When you use the acid from mayo, mustard.. you are going to be affecting everything that is not taped.
Also you don't know how it going to react to me metal over the entire area marked off.
I've used the same method to force a patina on a few blade and most of the time doesn't work in a uniform way.
I would suggest trying your ideas on a different blade to see what's happening and how it works before using it to try and enhance the etching. Otherwise you may just end up with a rusty spot on what use to be the etching.
There are several ways. A few that require too much work and would take me too long to explain. The easiest way is to get a tube of black printer's ink and some watch paper. Yes, it's called watch paper. It's kinda like the paper that good shirts are wrapped in from clothing stores.
Use a small artist paint brush to apply the ink to the recesses. A little overlap is just fine. Then use the watch paper against the big muscle of your thumb to wipe the ink off the high points. The tips of fingers removes too much ink. Keep going over the areas where too much ink has been unintentionally removed. After you have as much of the cavities filled as possible, let it dry for a day or two before you use it.
Clean up brushes and stuff with acetone or denatured alcohol.
Use a small artist paint brush to apply the ink to the recesses. A little overlap is just fine. Then use the watch paper against the big muscle of your thumb to wipe the ink off the high points. The tips of fingers removes too much ink. Keep going over the areas where too much ink has been unintentionally removed. After you have as much of the cavities filled as possible, let it dry for a day or two before you use it.
Clean up brushes and stuff with acetone or denatured alcohol.
- Thread starter
- #24
Cool Bill, thanks for the tip! I actually work at a newspaper and have access to all kinds of their ink if I ask nice. Is that the kind of printer's ink you mean? It's pretty thick stuff.
That's the stuff. Make sure it's not the water soluble kind. It doesn't take much to do the job.
Thanks Bill!
- Thread starter
- #27
Cool legumes, thanks Bill!
Liquid cold bluing... just do a search for: "saw restoration gun blue". Old hand saws were usually manufactured with an acid etch displaying the maker, model #, etc...it was like a 19th century sticker label. Collectors have done a lot of experimenting with ways to revive it, and they've discovered that "bluing" (a process/protective solution used in gun metal preservation) helps to embolden worn and faded etchings on steel.
I have just bought three French razors off Fleabay with extremely faded engraving on the blade. I would be very keen to get them brought back to their former glory.
Especially as one of them, a P. Luent frameback has "Le Marin" on the blade. "The Sailor" - especially relevant for me as I have a sailboat and do a lot of sailing. It was so faded that you couldn't see it on the Fleabay pictures, so it was a pleasant surprise when I opened up the package and inspected the razor.
My biggest concern is that when I clean up the blade, either with fine wet and dry, or some sort of metal polish, the engraving will disappear completely! And then it won't be a sailor's blade any more
Is there any way I can avoid this as I really want to get this razor restored.
Especially as one of them, a P. Luent frameback has "Le Marin" on the blade. "The Sailor" - especially relevant for me as I have a sailboat and do a lot of sailing. It was so faded that you couldn't see it on the Fleabay pictures, so it was a pleasant surprise when I opened up the package and inspected the razor.
My biggest concern is that when I clean up the blade, either with fine wet and dry, or some sort of metal polish, the engraving will disappear completely! And then it won't be a sailor's blade any more
Is there any way I can avoid this as I really want to get this razor restored.
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