Candle soot vs. Inletting black

[Old Ford2]

To remove soot from your stock, simply scrape it with the blade of your pocket knife.
Make sure your blade is very sharp, it does a better job.
Aceteylene soot from a torch, mixed with cold cream, makes great black transfer, paint it on with a small artist brush.
Old Ford

[Dphariss]

Hello again fellas...Got another question for ya's. I'm half way in with my lock plate inlet and I have no inletting black handy. I know that soot from a candle can be used. As stupid as this may sound here goes........how do I get the candle to produce enough soot to create a film on my lock plate???!! Am I doing something wrong here or do I happen to have some sort of "sootless" candle??!! When I burn the candle I have....I see no visable soot/smoke coming off of it. Works great though for heating up the lock plate!! No laughin' please.

Beewax candles should work but you may need to hold the part in or very close to the flame.

Inletting black is often too oily and I generally mix in some black of old hardened containers to "dry" it up some.
It should be applied with a soft toothbrush or such.

Dan

[caliber45]

Magic Marker. I think the old original 'smiths would forgive you . . . -- paulallen, tucson az

[Dave Waters]

I used a kerosene lamp and got a reaction to the smoke. (Must be my age)

Been using a candle and works fine

[Waksupi]

I use plain old motor oil. Brush on a light layer, it marks well enough for me to see, and I'm a blind old @$#%. Lots cleaner to use than inletting black, and excess can be removed from the wood with rubbing alcohol or thinner.

[BrentD]

White-board, dry-erase markers beat anything else out there.  Candles, lamps, inlet black, sharpies, you name it.  Dry-erase markers whips it, hands down.  Won't burn down your shop either. 

[JCKelly]

Appologize for my apparent ignorance, but isn't all this making a mountain out of something so very simple?

Just plain wax Candles are easy to use, don't have to keep kerosene around.


Ahh - but you do have to hold the metal part IN the flame, which cools the flame so that soot deposits. 

Remember when Grampa (great-grampa, to most of you) said he "smoked" his bullet mould? No actual smoke was involved, he just held it IN the flame to get a black soot deposit.

Lipstick, kerosene lamps - aaaaagh.