Cleaning Inletting Black

[QuanLoi]

What is the method used to clean inletting black stains off of a raw stock?  In the past, I've sanded it off... Is there another way?  (Solvent perhaps?)

[Jim Kibler]

Best way is to not get it on the stock in the first place.  A touch is expected, but I've seen stocks that looked like they were handled by a mechanic with greasy hands.  Best to use the stuff only when absolutely necessary and use it sparingly.  It will go away with finish sanding or scraping. 

[WadePatton]

solvent might allow it to penetrate deeper...oops.

[b bogart]

The little bit I get smeared around usually comes roght off with denatured alcohol.

[T*O*F]

Use inletting blue.  It's water soluble.

However, I don't know if Jerry Marsh is still with us.  I don't see his ads in Muzzleblasts anymore.

[mjm46@bellsouth.net]

Like bogart I find that a little denatured Wood alcohol takes of most of it. The little stain if any that remains will disappear with final staining the stock.

[Acer Saccharum]

I finish all my inletting before the final scrape, so all the black goes away before the finishing.

[Mark Elliott]

I use magic marker so it only goes where I want it to go, which is in the inlet.   There is nothing to clean off.   As I build more guns,  I use less and less of the magic marker.   I just look for the indentations left in the wood when I hit the part with a fitting hammer.   This works really well for the lock which I inlet completely finished and assembled.

[WadePatton]

Hey Mark,

Tell us more about this inletting hammer.  I whack the $#@* outta stuff too.  Of what is it constructed?  Pretty sure i've used wood, brass, plastic, and copper 'twixt a ball peen and the inlettee.  Suppose it would be handy to not have to use to items to do one job.

[TMerkley]

Hey Mark,

Tell us more about this inletting hammer.  I whack the $#@* outta stuff too.  Of what is it constructed?  Pretty sure i've used wood, brass, plastic, and copper 'twixt a ball peen and the inlettee.  Suppose it would be handy to not have to use to items to do one job.

I believe it is either leather or wood.  I use a piece of white oak fire wood that I scraped the bark off of. 

[Mark Elliott]

I just use a double headed rubber/nylon hammer that I got from Sears many, many years ago when I was a kid.   That is what I have always used for fitting parts that I am inletting.   I hardly ever use my Lignum Vitae mallet.   I do have a beech carvers mallet for heavy inletting or carving.    I really don't tend to whack at stuff.   I can break things just fine without resorting to an all out assault on them.     

[James Rogers]

I just use a double headed rubber/nylon hammer that I got from Sears

Me too

[Waksupi]

I use laquer thinner if I really need to clean up the stock. I use oil instead of black, so generally have little clean up to do. If I use black, by the end of the day I look like Al Jolson singing Mammy.