Dry Moly issue

I read a couple threads on dry moly and bought some cheap dogtags to try out. Not having much luck. Last try was 100 speed, full power… three coats of moly with about 5 minutes or so between coats and about 20-30 minutes before I tried to etch. Got almost nothing. One small spot towards the end of the etch looks ok but that’s about it. Just a very very faint image in the rest of it. Could it be the cheap dogtags themselves? I notice now that I just assumed they were stainless, but it just says they are “metal”. :sweat_smile:

The dogtags on amazon

Are they magnetic? Cuz if not, they’re probably aluminum - if so they could still be tin…

Some folks on here have had good luck spraying things with paint and then etching it off.

Unfortunately I don’t ahve a magnet handy… But that’s what I’m guessing. I’ll just order some stainless steel blanks like I should have to begin with. Tried to get off cheap and that’s what I get.

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Eh, try the spray paint thing - you might like having access to colours other than black!

So etch the paint off of the negative space, leaving the color where I would normally etch?

In retrospect probably a silly question… etch off what I want off regardless. :smiley:

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Go both ways :stuck_out_tongue:
Negative space would give you silver letters, positive would give you letters on silver :slight_smile:

Found an old knife and tried that. OBVIOUSLY the dogtags were aluminum or tin. This turned out muuuch better. :slight_smile:

Actually surprised it turned out as well as it did. I just guessed at the focal height. :smiley:

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Love it, my brother makes knives so I’ll have to try it on the one he made for me.

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