PART 4: Etching with salt vinegar & battery charger; DOUBLE BLADED VIKING INSPIRED LONG-BEARD AXE

This is my informal process, step-by-step of etching by electrolysis.
1. I mixed at least 1 cup of table salt in 1 gal of white vinegar.
(DISCLAIMER) I AM NOT AN ELECTRICIAN. TAKE APPROPRIATE PRECAUTIONS TO NOT ELECTROCUTE YOURSELF!!!
ALSO BE AWARE: AREA MUST BE WELL VENTILATED DUE TO TOXIC FUMES RELEASED FROM PROCESS. TAKE APPROPRIATE PRECAUTIONS
2. DO NOT PLUG IN ANYTHING UNTIL STEP 7. Find an appropriate size reservoir and bend your metal wires to make a cage lining the inside of the reservoir.
3. Next you need an old 4-amp battery charger. The reason you need an old charger because most of the new ones have a safety feature that prevents the electrical current from continuously flowing once the metal is submerged. (If you cannot find one, you can substitute a 5-volt cellular phone charger. Just cut the phone plug end off and attach alligator clips to positive and negative.
You may have to experiment to find neg and pos by attaching the clips to the piece to be etched, and then the cage inside the reservoir. If the neg and pos are reversed it will turn the metal black, but not etch anything. I waited about 5 min to find out which way causes the etching.)
4. Once you figure out which is neg and pos, LABEL THEM. lol, It will save time later.
5. Find a hidden place that will not show on the finished product to attach the positive end to your metal piece. I put it in the wrong place on this axe. You can gorilla tape, or hot glue the pos wire to it. Submerge in the vinegar mix.
6. Attach the negative alligator clip to the cage in the reservoir.
7. Then plug in charger. Wait several minutes. I generally do 5 min increments. You will know it is working because bubbles and fumes will be coming from the cage in the reservoir. If you are etching very fine lines, I would suggest 1-2 min increments. You might try etching the deeper sections first, then do the fine lines after.
8. UNPLUG CHARGER BEFORE REMOVING FROM VINEGAR MIX
9. Once the metal is etched to desired depth. Use Acetone (fingernail polish remover) to remove remaining paint.

Acetone paint remover: https://a.co/d/iWbmbbn
Krylon Fusion Spray paint: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Krylon-FUSION-ALL-IN-ONE-Satin-White-Spray-Paint-and-Primer-In-One-Actual-Net-Contents-12-oz/1000460291?cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-pnt-_-bng-_-PLA_PNT_219_Stain-and-Spray-Paint-_-1000460291-_-Online-_-0-_-0&&gclsrc=3p.ds&msclkid=a3999a3bea601d8c0aa8fc33a86ee71a&gclid=a3999a3bea601d8c0aa8fc33a86ee71a&gclsrc=3p.ds

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