Aluminum PFS build along

Looks like you are off to a great start!

That's a frame you can cut out with a hacksaw, too.

Try vinegar

When I was a kid we used to make hydrogen gas by putting aluminum foil in a bottle that had lye dissolved in water in it. The lye dissolves the aluminum and releases hydrogen (which we captured in a large balloon that we attached a self addressed stamped post-card to. We'd send it off and wait for someone to mail back the post-card. More innocent times).

I suspect that the lye/water solution might well give you the effect you want. But keep a close eye on it. With aluminum foil it really gets roiling. Also be aware that hydrogen plus oxygen in the presence of a spark will combine to form water which n turn releases a tremendous amount of energy. Explosive energy - so do it outside.

If I were to do it I would put the lye solution in a Pyrex baking dish and stay away from metal pans.

Maybe Ferric acid like is used with Damascus blades ?

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I found out copper sulfate , or ferric chloride, Unfortunately the big box stores are out of copper sulfate, but Ill keep looking, thanks guys!!

Good start!

Yup, lye is what does that. Leave it in a lye/distilled water bath for a few hours. Then neutralize with baking soda.

Nice cutting! I bet it took awhile, I use pure aqua regia for etching Damascus and meteorites. Extremely dangerous, it is a mixture of two acids but it gives great results.

That Andrey Bloblank frame looks very much like its sandcast to me. Ive been doing quality assurance product testing for railway welding for ten years now, i cast steel into sand molds, and thats nearly exactly how it looks.

For aluminium, you can shape a blank out of polystyrene and cast it inside of soft, loose sand.
Takes some decent understanding of metal casting principles though. Shrinkage, feed, bubble avoidance etc, all need to be built into the blanks design.

No flashing or sprue markings though. It does seem to have a bit of etching about.

the acid stuff worries me, I found a way to do a hammered finish I like and I believe will give the frame good grip. Im using kinda of a checkered face craft hammer

SteveJ said:

I got started on this last nite. Couldnt find good jig saw blades, or my "heirloom" hacksaw, so got a new on for 6 bucks,, well worth it. I only got this far. I just used the last of my Rem oil for the cutting lube, wasnt bad, but I figured Id stop before I got worn out , the wknd. is coming! The other pic is one I got from Andrey Bloblank,, from Ukraine. Do any of you have a idea how he gets this "aged" look. Sure would be cool to do that on this PFS , if it wasnt too many hard to obtain chemicals needed.

I want to thank you guys who gave me advice on the cutting.

Click to expand...

Is that 1/2 inch?you might have better luck drilling holes around the design,and using a coping saw-wood blades-.wear a respirator when drilling and sanding,or any machine work,and i use bees wax to *grease* the saw blades,burts bees chapstick is fairly cheap and works, i learned all these from on here,so figure i pass em along.Good looking PFS,solid shooter!

skarrd said:

SteveJ said:

I got started on this last nite. Couldnt find good jig saw blades, or my "heirloom" hacksaw, so got a new on for 6 bucks,, well worth it. I only got this far. I just used the last of my Rem oil for the cutting lube, wasnt bad, but I figured Id stop before I got worn out , the wknd. is coming! The other pic is one I got from Andrey Bloblank,, from Ukraine. Do any of you have a idea how he gets this "aged" look. Sure would be cool to do that on this PFS , if it wasnt too many hard to obtain chemicals needed.

I want to thank you guys who gave me advice on the cutting.

Click to expand...

Is that 1/2 inch?you might have better luck drilling holes around the design,and using a coping saw-wood blades-.wear a respirator when drilling and sanding,or any machine work,and i use bees wax to *grease* the saw blades,burts bees chapstick is fairly cheap and works, i learned all these from on here,so figure i pass em along.Good looking PFS,solid shooter!

Click to expand...

Good Morning, thank you! its just 1/4 but its a full quarter, I did a bit more w/ the mini hacksaw as recommended. I had one just needed new blades. I dont have a drill press, so drilling around is a bit laborious. But Im down to just some file work , and then the surfacing. Ive done enough to see any metals are prob not going to be my thing. Ive bent 1/4 oak into a hoop and that was easy compared to cutting this But have another shape I have to tweak and cut one of it. , I appreciate all yalls help. Im getting there slowly but surely lol

i like the 1/4 inchbetterthem more pocketable,and in my opinion thinner shoots better than thicker,but that might just be me.looks awesome though

Looks great!