Inletting black

[Meteorman]

A couple of full time stockers I know use lipstick. Red for walnut seems to be the choice .
I tried it and it works well. I just didn't like the way I had to carefully scribble it onto and into all the corners of the parts. Not easy to coat the areas down in between where the lipstick won't fit either.

I use lipstick exclusively.  With a small paint brush (like you used to use with Testor's paint to paint your model cars) dedicated as an applicator.  I dont apply the actual cylinder of lipstick to the parts, the brush is loaded from the tube of lipstick and then painted thinly on the parts; the small paintbrush can access everywhere.
/mike millard

[WadePatton]

i needed a wick for my oil lamp (small squat wide base (about 4")) and thought about a shoestring, then realized a had a bag full of discarded clothes for rags...so i cut a wick from an old heavy cotton shirt.  Then i ran out of kerosene/lamp oil, so i loaded it up with OTR diesel fuel.  No problem at all with soot.  I turn up the wick to soot parts, turn it back down to a flicker for the rest of the time.  But i'm going back with citronella spiked oil tonight to combat the flippin' 35-generations-in-one-summer-plus-oversized mosquito crop we have going on this year...plus i kinda like the smell.

When i get bored with soot, i'll use cosmetics using a cotton swab to smear the stuff on thinly--or using the ? "pencil" (i'm no cosmonaut  )   i found which is much harder and easier to apply than lip goo.  i'm going to seef i can find an artists brush i have stashed here somewhere for tonight.

I've found that my hands stay cleaner if i wipe away (rag pulled tight over wood for "precision") all the excess soot from the areas of the metal that aren't necessary to be sootified.

I might settle on some regular thing eventually, but as you see i'm still going at it from multiple angles (and sometimes with loud music).

also, cleaner...faster?  For the non-HC,  try aerosol ether (away from open flame you know*) a/k/a starting fluid.  That and carburetor (remember those?) cleaner are my fast and furious cleaning solutions.  Yes, aero brake cleaner is great too, but leaves a bit more residue than carb cleaner. 

*I actually know a guy who had an ether can "backflash" and explode on him.  it _is_ that volatile, do pay attention-and know that it will rupture in the direction of the seam.

Also "denatured" alcohol is grain alcohol (ethyl) with poison added.  I use "grain alcohol" from the liquor store (more uses, less toxicity) when alcohol of that type is needed. 

[eddillon]

Cheap lamp oil:  Charcoal lighter or mineral spirits. 

[SuperCracker]

I know this will sound completely ridiculous but I did try it on a lock and it works once you get used to it

I took a blush brush from my girlfriend, cleaned it up then charged it with a tiny bit of petroleum jelly.  Really tiny. Then I rubbed it all over the cleaned up internals of the lock so it left a very fine coating.  I then sprinkled paprika all over the internals which stuck to the fine film. The paprika transferred to the inlet when the lock was trial fitted and you can scrape it right off without it leaving residue. It worked well indicating the contact areas but was easy to clean up and didn't make a mess.

I got the idea when I noticed something like it being done in the background of a picture of the Westley Richards shop. Although I imagine they were using very fine walnut sawdust. Paprika was the closest thing I could readily come up with. I used it once the inlet is close with lamp black but there's still enough wood left to go that finishing will clean up the residual soot.

[billm]

I was at dixons one day and bought some black.Chuck pulled an old soup can with a flux brush in it out of the back.He takes a small dab on the brush and then swirls it aroungd the inside of the empty can and then uses what little is inside the can till its all gone..Works real well little mess..

[Martyman]

As I believe inletting black is the devil, I use a carpenters pencil as inletting black. Works great and is WAY less messy.

[SteveMKentucky]

I use a carbide lamp.  It makes a nice dark black soot.

[Hank*in*WV]

Taylor, thanks for the WD40 trick. I'll have to give that a try.

SteveMKentucky , would that be a 60s era A65 I'm looking at in your avatar?

[TNVolunteerEngineer]

I'm surprised that no one mentioned using a solder flux brush as an applicator. You know, the type that has a metal tube for a handle and has a stiff brush on the end.  I use mine to apply the blue and then use it to redistribute it once contact has been made.  I use both the black and blue stuff that Brownell's sells.  Right now I'm using blue.  A tube will last for about 30 jobs.

[moleeyes36]

I just did the final inletting of the butt plate on my current project and I used the felt tip dry erase marker suggestion.  For the final inletting of a piece, I'm now a dry erase felt tip pen convert.  The lipstick suggestion was good but I'd never explain to my wife of all these years how I got lipstick all over my clothes.

I'll probably continue to use Jerrow's inletting black for some jobs.  I got some good tips here on how to apply it and how much to use.  I was definitely using too much and when I do I'm capable of getting it on the ceiling.

Mole Eyes

[R.W.D.]

I'm gonna try the dry erase marker. Never thought of that before. I've used lipstick, boot polish, Vaseline, red grease...etc. Just about everything that would leave a mark. Seems that no matter what I end up with it everywhere. Inletting black works for me as well as anything. I'm sure gonna try that dry erase maker though.

Ross

[rwalt]

I use chalk for a chalk line( the powdered stuff ) mixed with WD40. Can make it as thick or thin as you want. I've used the same batch months later, when it dry's  just add a drop or two of WD 40 and mix. The red shows up well on maple. Great for these old eyes.