RE: [meteorite-list] How to etch meteorites
Ruben, My experience with Ferric Etching is the opposite!, I have found Ferric Chloride etching to be much better and more stable than Nitric!, but you need to neutralize it properly in NaOH / or Bicarbonate and dry the meteorite well with anhydrous alcohol. The length of time to etch is a little tricky with ferric, but experience gives you a good guide. And I found it is better to etch for longer with a weaker solution than quickly with a stronger one, this gives a more controllable etch! (A coating of mineral oil is also a must!) Mark Ford -Original Message- From: ruben garcia [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: 17 November 2003 02:15 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] How to etch meteorites Hi Rene and list, I just saw the link that was sent to you regarding ferric chloride etching. Although the link does explain etching with ferric chloride quite well, it doesn't go into much detail about the stability of that type of etch. There is a place for ferric chloride in etching, after all it does give a better separation of the pattern as well as a great holographic type etch. However after years of experimentation with it and nearly every other type of chemical that will produce an etch I would say without a shadow of a doubt that Nitric acid and alcohol does a better overall job. The Nitric solution leaves a meteorite more stable ( all things being equal that is)as far as rust goes . Of course if you are etching something as inexpensive as a Campo you may not mind a little experimenting. Ruben Garcia ( mr-meteorite on ebay) __ Do you Yahoo!? Protect your identity with Yahoo! Mail AddressGuard http://antispam.yahoo.com/whatsnewfree __ Meteorite-list mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list __ Meteorite-list mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
RE: [meteorite-list] How to etch meteorites
Hi Mark,Rene and list.. I don't necessarily want to get into a debate as to which is the better etching solution nitric acid or ferric chloride. Over that past 5 years I have and currently use both very successfully, but there are many variables. 1)Type of meteorite being etched 2)Process in which both are used 3)Long term care of a meteorite after etching. In my experience I would say that when all things are considered Nitric acid does a better overall job than ferric chloride on such meteorites that have a tendency to be unstable like campo or nantan. Gibeon is another meteorite that in my opinion looks better with a deep etch done with nitric, as ferric chloride somehow looses something on a finer pattern. However, properly done ferric chloride looks and usually lasts very well on more stable meteorites with a larger pattern such as Canyon, Odessa, and Toluca, Henbury...etc. As I stated earlier I use both and have for quite a while, but I think we all agree it can take some experimentation to get a system that works well on all etchable iron meteorites. Iron meteorites are after all... are..well, iron and iron will eventually rust, regardless of the type of etchant used, especially if not cared for properly. My advice is to experiment and see what works for you, after all that is half the fun. Who knows maybe you'll discover something new that we could all learn from. P.S. O Richard Norton's book Rocks from Space is a great place for the beginner to learn about nitric acid etching. Ruben Garcia (Mr-Meteorite on ebay) --- mark ford [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Ruben, My experience with Ferric Etching is the opposite!, I have found Ferric Chloride etching to be much better and more stable than Nitric!, but you need to neutralize it properly in NaOH / or Bicarbonate and dry the meteorite well with anhydrous alcohol. The length of time to etch is a little tricky with ferric, but experience gives you a good guide. And I found it is better to etch for longer with a weaker solution than quickly with a stronger one, this gives a more controllable etch! (A coating of mineral oil is also a must!) Mark Ford -Original Message- From: ruben garcia [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: 17 November 2003 02:15 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] How to etch meteorites Hi Rene and list, I just saw the link that was sent to you regarding ferric chloride etching. Although the link does explain etching with ferric chloride quite well, it doesn't go into much detail about the stability of that type of etch. There is a place for ferric chloride in etching, after all it does give a better separation of the pattern as well as a great holographic type etch. However after years of experimentation with it and nearly every other type of chemical that will produce an etch I would say without a shadow of a doubt that Nitric acid and alcohol does a better overall job. The Nitric solution leaves a meteorite more stable ( all things being equal that is)as far as rust goes . Of course if you are etching something as inexpensive as a Campo you may not mind a little experimenting. Ruben Garcia ( mr-meteorite on ebay) __ Do you Yahoo!? Protect your identity with Yahoo! Mail AddressGuard http://antispam.yahoo.com/whatsnewfree __ Meteorite-list mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list __ Meteorite-list mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list __ Do you Yahoo!? Protect your identity with Yahoo! Mail AddressGuard http://antispam.yahoo.com/whatsnewfree __ Meteorite-list mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] How to etch meteorites
Hi Rene and list, I just saw the link that was sent to you regarding ferric chloride etching. Although the link does explain etching with ferric chloride quite well, it doesn't go into much detail about the stability of that type of etch. There is a place for ferric chloride in etching, after all it does give a better separation of the pattern as well as a great holographic type etch. However after years of experimentation with it and nearly every other type of chemical that will produce an etch I would say without a shadow of a doubt that Nitric acid and alcohol does a better overall job. The Nitric solution leaves a meteorite more stable ( all things being equal that is)as far as rust goes . Of course if you are etching something as inexpensive as a Campo you may not mind a little experimenting. Ruben Garcia ( mr-meteorite on ebay) __ Do you Yahoo!? Protect your identity with Yahoo! Mail AddressGuard http://antispam.yahoo.com/whatsnewfree __ Meteorite-list mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] How to etch meteorites
Hi Rene and list, I just saw the link that was sent to you regarding ferric chloride etching. Although the link does explain etching with ferric chloride quite well, it doesn't go into much detail about the stability of that type of etch. There is a place for ferric chloride in etching, after all it does give a better separation of the pattern as well as a great holographic type etch. However after years of experimentation with it and nearly every other type of chemical that will produce an etch I would say without a shadow of a doubt that Nitric acid and alcohol does a better overall job. The Nitric solution leaves a meteorite more stable ( all things being equal that is)as far as rust goes . Of course if you are etching something as inexpensive as a Campo you may not mind a little experimenting. Ruben Garcia ( mr-meteorite on ebay) __ __ Do you Yahoo!? Protect your identity with Yahoo! Mail AddressGuard http://antispam.yahoo.com/whatsnewfree __ Meteorite-list mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
