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The Newbies Arena Are you new to knife making? Here is all the help you will need.

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  #1  
Old 03-03-2013, 12:16 AM
redbuda redbuda is offline
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Stencil Etching help

Is they a diy way to make stencil logos for etching? I've used the salt vinager mix with a charger to put initials on hand tools before. Results look like chicken scratch. I want to do something that looks good. Do you guys get them made or make them yourself? How do you guys do it? I see some people on you tube with those little blue logo stencil. They show how to etch but not make the stencil.

Anybody use this method?
http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=kROUeOtuXmE

He uses a laser printer and then transfers the toner. Pretty interesting.

If I can get pointed in the right direction, I would be thankful. Thanks!
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  #2  
Old 03-03-2013, 08:47 AM
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ricky_arthur ricky_arthur is offline
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http://www.etch-o-matic.com/index.html

That link sells kits to make your own stencils. Most people find it cost prohibitive to make their own stencils when 50-60 bucks will get you some made by a pro.

Look down a few threads on this page at the thread titled "etching stencils."
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  #3  
Old 03-03-2013, 09:14 AM
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Ray Rogers Ray Rogers is offline
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Yes, you can make your own professional looking stencils but, like Ricky said, it's easier-cheaper-faster just to have them made. To make your own, you need a laser or ink jet printer. You'll need transparency sheets suitable for your type of printer (get these at an office supply). You'll need to know how to use Photoshop or some similar graphics development software. You'll need the stencil material itself and the developer for it - I forget the place that sells that right now but it's a bit pricey and the stencil material must be kept and handled in the dark (or under weak yellow light). Then, you need to build an exposure box for the stencils. This consists of a box, a mirror, a couple pieces of glass sheet about the size of a postcard, and a white light source - real white light at 5100 K degrees if memory serves, and a frame to hold things together.

Design your logo on Photoshop, print to the transparency, cut a piece of stencil material large enough for the stencil in total darkness (or weak yellow light), put the stencil material and the transparency together in the proper way pressed between the glass sheets inside the box, close the box and turn on the white light for a specific amount of time (about 2 minutes but you have to experiment to find the right time for your set up), remove the stencil and swish it around in the developer (in the dark) for about 4 minutes (experiment again). Then you can turn the lights back on, wash the stencil, let it dry, and trim it to size.

For all of that, you get a stencil that will give you professional looking results but it will probably be a little soft and scratch easily so you'll need to make a new one periodically. This whole process might be worth the effort if you need to put someone's name or motto or some type of commemoration on a blade one time, or maybe some kind of custom graphic, or some other kind of 'one off' purpose but you can probably see that it's too darn much trouble for your everyday logo. Pay somebody else, it's cheaper in the long run ....


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  #4  
Old 03-15-2013, 07:33 PM
bob levine bob levine is offline
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instead of the dog and pony show, contact Ernie Grospitch at 407 568-5438.He da man. he can make up any size or style stencil you can imagine. And he's a fraction of the cost of Marking methods and some of the others out there. Tell him Bob Levine sent you.Hes in the Orlando area and his turnaround is FAST
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  #5  
Old 03-15-2013, 08:30 PM
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BCROB BCROB is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bob levine View Post
instead of the dog and pony show, contact Ernie Grospitch at 407 568-5438.He da man. he can make up any size or style stencil you can imagine. And he's a fraction of the cost of Marking methods and some of the others out there. Tell him Bob Levine sent you.Hes in the Orlando area and his turnaround is FAST
is Ernie back to work , I received an email from his son , said he had a bad fall.......
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  #6  
Old 05-01-2013, 09:52 PM
bob levine bob levine is offline
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Ernie ,last i talked with is fine and turning out work.
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  #7  
Old 05-02-2013, 08:53 PM
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ckluftinger ckluftinger is offline
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If you want to DIY, there's a company in Washington state which sells the "Etch-o-matic" and all the bits which go with it. It's just like Ray described - make a design on your computer (I use WordArt), print it onto the transparency and then do as Ray said. It's simple and easy, but the results are not really that great, I find. You can't get smaller than a #6 print to look decent and fine lines get easily washed out. Stick with something really basic as far as the design goes. I use it as a simple logo on stock removal blades I can't stamp with my punch. The etch-o-matic works well if you have to do a monogram - the "one-off" Ray was mentioning - I put them on the pommel of some knives if the customer requests it. Ray, Bob, Carl - if you use a custom made stencil, how do you apply it?


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  #8  
Old 05-02-2013, 09:20 PM
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Ray Rogers Ray Rogers is offline
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I apply my custom stencils the same way as I do my commercially made stencils. However, the stencils I make usually need to burn longer than the commercial stencils and they are more delicate and easily damaged. Despite the drawbacks, the custom stencils will make just as nice a mark as the commercial ones. They don't hold up well for me and they are a pain to make but they do work well...


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  #9  
Old 05-03-2013, 07:09 AM
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ckluftinger ckluftinger is offline
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Ray, what do you use for burning them in? an etch-o-matic or do you have your own tool? I find the etch-o-matic needs to have just the right amount of catalyst on the pad, otherwise it either doesn't burn consistently or else it leaks around the lines and makes a halo. I probably don't do this often enough to get proficient at it and I had to sand out the stencil mark on more than one occasion and start again. Pain in the rump when it's the last thing that can almost ruin a knife at the very end...


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  #10  
Old 05-03-2013, 08:26 AM
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Ray Rogers Ray Rogers is offline
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I've used an Etch-O-Matic for 20 years. Just wore out my first one about two months ago and bought another one.

What you need to know is 'the trick'. Seems like there's always a trick to getting the best results from any process.

First, soak the pad. Yes, that liquid can run if you get too much on there so blot the excess with a paper towel - press it right down onto the pad. Etch your mark, I use 25 seconds for both the AC and DC steps but it's done in 5 second steps - down for 3 seconds, up for two seconds, repeat 5 times.

After that, you should have a nice mark but you might also have a brown halo as you have seen. Apply some Semi-Chrome to your blade and the halo wipes right off ....


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  #11  
Old 05-03-2013, 05:29 PM
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WynnKnives WynnKnives is offline
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I am definitely going to have to try your technique Ray, I always have an E-O-M and sometimes it works great and others just not quite up to par.
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  #12  
Old 05-06-2013, 06:44 AM
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Crex Crex is offline
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Chris, I hot stamp my blades as part of the forging process. I have a Personalizer-Plus sitting in the box that I bought slightly used a while back, but probably won't ever crank it up (if anyone is interested, send a PM). Hot stamping is kind of automatic for me, just sort of happens during the final finishing forge work before HT.


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  #13  
Old 05-06-2013, 09:13 PM
bobasaurus bobasaurus is offline
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I just started using the technique shown in the video you posted. Toner transfer works well if you use very shiny paper and an iron. I kludged the etcher from a battery charger and some tweezers wrapped in cloth, dunked in salt water. Worked okay, though I'll build a more advanced one someday. Here is a picture of my test etch, though I got the logo backwards:

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  #14  
Old 05-07-2013, 06:43 AM
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WynnKnives WynnKnives is offline
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Haha, digging the logo
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  #15  
Old 05-08-2013, 02:03 PM
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Peldor Peldor is offline
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I have access to a laser engraver; I am going to see what happens when I paint the blade then laser off a logo. Then I will electro etch it to see how it comes out.
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