You can also use laser printer ink to transfer images onto wood! Instead of using heat which could burn the wood, you instead use Polycrylic which you can get from any hardware store. First do a layer or two of polycrylic onto your sanded and cleaned wood(stained too if you like that) Then once the surface is flat and smooth with the poly, have a printed image ready(image reversed just like etching and I recommend using black ink for reasons that I'll get to later but any color you want will work), lay down a fresh layer of Polycrylic and carefully place your image down. Next use a credit card or something else hard and flat to work the bubbles out from between the paper and wood. This will also push out any extra poly from between as well. I've found it best that the more poly you use on this step the better since it will increase the time to dry and give you the time needed to carefully rub out the air. Just be careful that once the paper starts to soak through, you don't tear it. Once you're done just let it dry for at least a few hours under a fan, I usually just let it sit for a day. Then you can use water and an old toothbrush to gently remove the paper leaving the ink stuck to the polycrylic. I recommend using your brush at a 45 degree angle and gently move from one end of the image to the other. This will help reduce any of the ink getting brushed away. Let it dry again and you'll see any left over paper. At that point just get your hand moist and gently rub away the excess paper. Again don't go too hard or you'll take ink with it too. Now no matter how careful you are, I almost always have at least a small amount of ink get pulled away. The reason why I recommended using black earlier is because worst case scenario you can use a black marker or I use calligrapher's ink and a paint brush to go back over the image at this point and fill in any blank spots. Once it's all done just hit it with a coat or two of Polycrylic to seal up your work and it will look perfect. P.S. If you used ink for touch-up then you'll want to make sure you spray on your polycrilic(it comes in spray cans and paint cans, I recommend using the paint can version right up until this step because the spray stuff stinks and takes a long time to clear the air if you do it indoors during the winter like me) because using a brush will get the ink wet and cause it to run. I learned that the hard way when I ruined an image which make me go all the way back to sanding and staining to start over again.
I've been quietly watching because I tend to put my foot in my mouth whenever I open it, but this video specifically has helped me add a bit more finess to the armor I sell and I am breaking my vow of silence to come back and thank you so much for your effort. It helps more people than you might think.
For people like me whi don't have a Lazer printer! Go over the area you want to etch with nail polish (preferably colored) and scratch in your design with something fine like a small knife, a sewing needle, a sharpened nail, etc. It's not as pretty if you can't draw or whatever, but it's a cheaper way to get the same results as this method.
Pretty sweet. I use the toner transfer method on leather. I've tried a variety of papers, but found that the BACK side of photo paper works the best, out of the things I've tried. So you basically just peel off the glossy photo side so it won't melt and ruin your printer, then print on the back of that. The design sticks to the paper well enough for intricate designs, but also comes off easy enough to transfer.
I found your channel from Simon Whistler's recommendation. So glad to find it. I have watched nearly all of your videos, and there is so much cool stuff here! Not much time available right now for projects, but this etching is one that I should be able to do in a couple of weeks. Did not know about the plasticity of laser jet ink! MEAD and FORGE AN AXE! It doesn't matter so much anyway, because I will still watch the new videos!
Thank you for this, I too wanted to use a 9v battery and was going to wing it, but now I don't have to. BTW, MacGyver has been my personal hero since 1985 when I was 4 years old and I am pretty sure he would've come across a random alarm clock with battery backup and snipped out it's 9v connector instead of using alligator clips on it and since I'm accident prone and clumsy, there's no way those clips are going to stay connected for any amount of time so I'm going that route 😉
Favorite pocket knife company, found a few yrs back in Paris as a souvenir, first one I had for like 2 yrs and lost its edge and I'm rough on blades, set it down in my shop and it went missing, ordered another in its in my back pocket 18/7
You should try painting or staining with yellow mustard. It works really well tinting carbon steel giving it a protective patina. The longer you leave it the darker it gets and you can even use it like paint to get creative results.
I've done some etching before, but it was quite more complicated than this... I have a laser printer and 9v batteries, I'm surely going to give this a try! Big tip: you don't wanna breathe the fumes released from the etching...
I might try this one. My dad is big on the wild west, and I want to etch a Bowie knife to have my family's coat of arms and my dad's initials. His birthday is in May and there's not much he doesn't have, so if I personalize a gift myself I know it'll be one of a kind
You can use the laser printer / iron trick to transfer designs to leather... Just be careful not to scorch the leather and make your image monochrome/mostly black
How long does a 9v battery last you when etching? Say you would etch something similar to what you did on your hatchet? How many batteries would you go through? Thank you!
Good question. I am not 100% sure. After etching my knife there really was no sign that it discharged the battery a ridiculous amount. If I had to make a guess though, I would have 3 on hand to be on the safe side. Just switch them out if you feel your battery getting hot. Let me know your findings if you try it!
You can use a regular pencil to engrave 😉 just attach power source same way and connect clip to the graphite on an end of a pencil to engrave with a tip 😉
@@SkillTree use phone adapter, or something like that. I've use a router adapter, with 1.5A. More Amper - faster results. Also, you can add a bit of ethanol or vinegar to faster reaction.
I mean in solution for method, you showed us. For electric contact engraving you need just graphite electrode. In pencil we have almost pure graphite, so it works well.
@@SkillTree Remember, I've show you engraving method, with cup and 2 electrodes in a solution? That way you can etch much deeper and make a metal stamp for leatherworking 😉😁 your own logo 😎 pretty much everything 🤪🤪🤪
I will have to read more about it but there is a process cald bluing that will turn a blade a bluish color. It is mostly used for rust protection I believe. I will definitely have to look into it🤔
Blueing is used mainly as a rust preventative and is done with stuff called gun blue. It's basically tarnishing the metal but it can have a pretty effect. I use it at work for small pieces I dont want to send out for black oxide
Not a katana but a fishing knife... Yes you can heat blue steel with a gas torch but it's so easy to ruin the temper and therefore it's ability to be an actual blade that you'll get into so much crap with your dad that... Sorry, did I say that last bit out loud? Be cool if we could find out if there's a reliable way
You can also use laser printer ink to transfer images onto wood! Instead of using heat which could burn the wood, you instead use Polycrylic which you can get from any hardware store. First do a layer or two of polycrylic onto your sanded and cleaned wood(stained too if you like that) Then once the surface is flat and smooth with the poly, have a printed image ready(image reversed just like etching and I recommend using black ink for reasons that I'll get to later but any color you want will work), lay down a fresh layer of Polycrylic and carefully place your image down. Next use a credit card or something else hard and flat to work the bubbles out from between the paper and wood. This will also push out any extra poly from between as well. I've found it best that the more poly you use on this step the better since it will increase the time to dry and give you the time needed to carefully rub out the air. Just be careful that once the paper starts to soak through, you don't tear it. Once you're done just let it dry for at least a few hours under a fan, I usually just let it sit for a day. Then you can use water and an old toothbrush to gently remove the paper leaving the ink stuck to the polycrylic. I recommend using your brush at a 45 degree angle and gently move from one end of the image to the other. This will help reduce any of the ink getting brushed away. Let it dry again and you'll see any left over paper. At that point just get your hand moist and gently rub away the excess paper. Again don't go too hard or you'll take ink with it too. Now no matter how careful you are, I almost always have at least a small amount of ink get pulled away. The reason why I recommended using black earlier is because worst case scenario you can use a black marker or I use calligrapher's ink and a paint brush to go back over the image at this point and fill in any blank spots. Once it's all done just hit it with a coat or two of Polycrylic to seal up your work and it will look perfect. P.S. If you used ink for touch-up then you'll want to make sure you spray on your polycrilic(it comes in spray cans and paint cans, I recommend using the paint can version right up until this step because the spray stuff stinks and takes a long time to clear the air if you do it indoors during the winter like me) because using a brush will get the ink wet and cause it to run. I learned that the hard way when I ruined an image which make me go all the way back to sanding and staining to start over again.
Holy crap! That was awesome!😁 You basically just did a whole episode right there! I shall pin this to the top of my comments! Thanks for this!
@@SkillTree Thanks! I posted a photo to the Discord of some dice towers I made for my DnD group that have some image transfers on them.
"Science is a close to magic as you can get."
I completely agree.
I've been quietly watching because I tend to put my foot in my mouth whenever I open it, but this video specifically has helped me add a bit more finess to the armor I sell and I am breaking my vow of silence to come back and thank you so much for your effort. It helps more people than you might think.
For people like me whi don't have a Lazer printer! Go over the area you want to etch with nail polish (preferably colored) and scratch in your design with something fine like a small knife, a sewing needle, a sharpened nail, etc. It's not as pretty if you can't draw or whatever, but it's a cheaper way to get the same results as this method.
Dude, the Boston really came out in that one! And yes, SCIENCE!!!
Pretty sweet. I use the toner transfer method on leather. I've tried a variety of papers, but found that the BACK side of photo paper works the best, out of the things I've tried. So you basically just peel off the glossy photo side so it won't melt and ruin your printer, then print on the back of that. The design sticks to the paper well enough for intricate designs, but also comes off easy enough to transfer.
Great tip! I will definately give that a shot! Thanks!😁👍
Science is incredible. Great job!
I found your channel from Simon Whistler's recommendation. So glad to find it. I have watched nearly all of your videos, and there is so much cool stuff here! Not much time available right now for projects, but this etching is one that I should be able to do in a couple of weeks. Did not know about the plasticity of laser jet ink! MEAD and FORGE AN AXE! It doesn't matter so much anyway, because I will still watch the new videos!
Thanks for watching! It was so cool of Simon to do that and because of it I get to chat with awesome people like yourself! Have fun etching!
Thank you for this, I too wanted to use a 9v battery and was going to wing it, but now I don't have to.
BTW, MacGyver has been my personal hero since 1985 when I was 4 years old and I am pretty sure he would've come across a random alarm clock with battery backup and snipped out it's 9v connector instead of using alligator clips on it and since I'm accident prone and clumsy, there's no way those clips are going to stay connected for any amount of time so I'm going that route 😉
Well you know Clarke said any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. Great video as always
LOVE that quote. Thank you for watching 😁👍🐒
That's a cool skill to have, and now I really need to try this on something. Thanks for sharing!
Favorite pocket knife company, found a few yrs back in Paris as a souvenir, first one I had for like 2 yrs and lost its edge and I'm rough on blades, set it down in my shop and it went missing, ordered another in its in my back pocket 18/7
I was just about to try this! Glad I checked YT first! 😍
You should try painting or staining with yellow mustard. It works really well tinting carbon steel giving it a protective patina. The longer you leave it the darker it gets and you can even use it like paint to get creative results.
Wow ... seriously this great .. first time I EVER see this .. great great . Keep going
Thank you so much! I am glad you enjoyed it!
@@SkillTree Do this on you assassin's knife
I've done some etching before, but it was quite more complicated than this... I have a laser printer and 9v batteries, I'm surely going to give this a try!
Big tip: you don't wanna breathe the fumes released from the etching...
Thanks for the tip! Good point. I hope you share how your etching comes out!
I might try this one. My dad is big on the wild west, and I want to etch a Bowie knife to have my family's coat of arms and my dad's initials. His birthday is in May and there's not much he doesn't have, so if I personalize a gift myself I know it'll be one of a kind
You can use the laser printer / iron trick to transfer designs to leather... Just be careful not to scorch the leather and make your image monochrome/mostly black
No acid or battery required ;)
😍 I LOVE that idea.
@@SkillTree thanks for teaching me how to etch metal the easy way :)
It also works on copper and a few other metals.
You waving that knife around scares me. That's super cool though
😁 I didn't realize how animated I was being until I edited. Both eyes intact so I will count myself lucky!
@@SkillTree I talk with my hands as well, so I've done that before and got yelled at by my friend. Now I make sure to set down the pointy objects
@@therobotwolf 🤣 probably better that way.
@@SkillTree Yeah probably
How long does a 9v battery last you when etching? Say you would etch something similar to what you did on your hatchet? How many batteries would you go through? Thank you!
Good question. I am not 100% sure. After etching my knife there really was no sign that it discharged the battery a ridiculous amount. If I had to make a guess though, I would have 3 on hand to be on the safe side. Just switch them out if you feel your battery getting hot. Let me know your findings if you try it!
doesn't work great on stainless stell, but was a fun attempt!! pics to the discord shortly.
You can use a regular pencil to engrave 😉 just attach power source same way and connect clip to the graphite on an end of a pencil to engrave with a tip 😉
OH? Gonna give THAT a shot! Thanks for the tip!
@@SkillTree use phone adapter, or something like that. I've use a router adapter, with 1.5A. More Amper - faster results. Also, you can add a bit of ethanol or vinegar to faster reaction.
I mean in solution for method, you showed us. For electric contact engraving you need just graphite electrode. In pencil we have almost pure graphite, so it works well.
@@temurnariashvili7526 look what you did. Now I will etch my name into EVERYTHING 🤣
@@SkillTree Remember, I've show you engraving method, with cup and 2 electrodes in a solution? That way you can etch much deeper and make a metal stamp for leatherworking 😉😁 your own logo 😎 pretty much everything 🤪🤪🤪
Actual process starts at 5:00…
I did this a while ago etched my family's bowie knife with an assassins creed logo for fun.
That turned out Great, nice job 👍 😊
That's awesome!
Thanks for watching!
your sweater is wrinkled... and we have proof that you have an iron... Just saying, Love you buddy. :)
You also now have proof that I don't care 🤣. Ya jerk!
Neat !
Now, must find a magazine....
Did you do the same thing but with a stencil?
Can white masking tape be used for etching the process or does it have to be black?
Damn who knew!?
Right!? I know I didn't. I was so stoked this worked 😁
👍👍👍👍👍👍
Is there a way to permanently change the color of metal, for example, turning you katana's blade into to a blue blade if so you should try it
I will have to read more about it but there is a process cald bluing that will turn a blade a bluish color. It is mostly used for rust protection I believe. I will definitely have to look into it🤔
Blueing is used mainly as a rust preventative and is done with stuff called gun blue. It's basically tarnishing the metal but it can have a pretty effect. I use it at work for small pieces I dont want to send out for black oxide
Not a katana but a fishing knife...
Yes you can heat blue steel with a gas torch but it's so easy to ruin the temper and therefore it's ability to be an actual blade that you'll get into so much crap with your dad that...
Sorry, did I say that last bit out loud?
Be cool if we could find out if there's a reliable way
Awesome video. Especially bc you seem high.
why the hell doesn't he have more views?
Kosher salt😂😂
😁 I had it left over from my D&D turkey lol. Giant salt flakes that I need to find uses for. Thanks for watching!
Dude lets be honest we are all here for the nerd outs
OK real quick as you read this comment-RUN DOWNSTAIRS AND TURN OFF YOUR MIC- just trying to help :)
🤣🤣🤣 I read it. Then ran downstairs and shut off my mic🤣. Nicely done. Saved me a 9v battery.
Rechargeable 9v batts might be more environmentally friendly…