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Nitric acid etching

I wish to mark mild steel using nitric acid. What can I use to coat the steel before scratching in my design.

Jim Morris
- Somerset, England
2002

2002

Jim,

Presumeably you'd want to easily remove the 'coating' (but 'ee didn't zay zo, did 'ee naow!)

Consider ordinary tar or pitch. That you can remove with gas (petrol). Don't consider 2 component paints as they are a problem and a half to remove! For a greater accuracy in marking consider lacquer ... borrow some ladies nail varnish and try it out ... easily removeable with acetone [on eBay or Amazon].

Maybe (I dunno) you'd have better success with muriatic acid [affil links] than nitric.

Regards to Zomerset !

Freeman Newton [deceased]
(It is our sad duty to advise that Freeman passed away
April 21, 2012. R.I.P. old friend).

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