Wednesday 15 May 2013

How to make you own wedding ring Part 3


Shape the outside of the ring using an angle grinder, abrasive paper and files.


Create the profile inside the ring using a Dremel with an abrasive drum, then polish with a buffing wheel.

As you can see, after polishing the Damascus pattern is no longer showing. in order to bring the pattern out the ring needs to be acid etched.

Acid Etching

Titanium is tricky stuff to etch and you need some really aggressive chemicals to do the job.

i would not recommend attempting to etch titanium. 

if you are in any doubt, have a read of the material safety data sheet for Hydrofluoric acid. this stuff is really nasty and according to the experts that i spoke to, it shouldn't be handled without a full protective suit and a respirator with a face shield.

So, the original plan was to have someone etch the ring for me but very few people will etch titanium given the potentially risks of working with such dangerous chemicals. after exhausting all of the options both here and in America and doing a lot of research, it turns out that it's possible to do it in your shed with a pair of rubber gloves and some chemicals contained in readily available products that you can buy on-line. still a little scary but the quantities of acid that you need are relatively low and the risks are manageable.
still wouldn't recommend it though.





1 comment:

  1. Hey I actually work with HF a bit... well actually contract out with some lads in another department. That said it is fairly common in many of the universities researching semiconductor devices. I do not know when you need the etching done by but I could talk with the guys I work with and they might be able to slide it in with my next wafer batch......

    email me at j dot einsle at qub dot ac dot uk

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