If you’ve ever dabbled with acid etching, you’ll know the chemicals used are either strong and caustic, with nasty smells and poisonous fumes (muriatic acid, cleaning products), or weak and very slow acting (vinegar).  You need good ventilation and protective gear for the acids, and a lot of patience for the vinegar.

Acid magic combines the best of both types of etching fluids.  It works quickly, but is non-toxic and does not burn intact skin.  Certol has somehow stabilized hydrochloric acid so that its toxicity is minimal (trade secret, apparently). 

I use Acid Magic when writing white pysanky, to remove the color and a little bit of eggshell.  In old days pysankarky got this effect by soaking an egg for a long period in sauerkraut juice; I can get it in a minute with a brush and a water bath. The small amount of relief is similar to that of traditional white pysanky.

Because Acid Magic was created with swimming pools, and not egg etchers in mind, it is generally sold in gallon jugs.  You can find it in the pool maintenance section of your hardware store, with ordinary muriatic acid.  Certol wants you to try their product, though, and offers a free quart through their web site.  It may take a while for the bottle to arrive, but it is worth the wait.......and you can refill this handy sized bottle with more Acid Magic from your gallon jug when you use it all up.   You can try and find the link, or contact them at (800) 843-3343.

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