Author Topic: Inletting black (Read 13519 times)

Dennis Glazener · « **on:** July 13, 2009, 09:43:34 PM »

And another question (I am full of them today). Those of you that use black markers as inletting black, what brand of marker do you use? I had a large one that worked great, it transferred the black as good as anything I have used. It disappeared (wife???) and I bought a new large Sharpie brand and I do not like it at all. It takes a lot of pressure to transfer the black plus it seems to build-up a heavier layer of black than the old one I was using (boy I wish I could remember the brand).

I know, many of you say to use a candle and I do at times but I prefer the black marker that I was using! Yes I have regular inletting black but that makes such a mess I don't like using that either.

Dennis

Roger Fisher · « **Reply #1 on:** July 13, 2009, 09:52:43 PM »

So, how about mixing that regular black schmutz with vaseline?? That gives you the colour, makes the black supply last longer and is much easier to clean up and you wont have to give the wife H .

Course you did that already

davec2 · « **Reply #2 on:** July 13, 2009, 11:27:48 PM »

Dennis,

I use a torch to lay on carbon black. I have a very small ox-acetylene torch that I use for soldering, welding, etc., on very small parts. If I fire it up without the oxygen (or very little), the acetylene flame will lay down a very heavy layer of carbon black as fast as if it were spray paint. I like the carbon black rather than "inletting black" for several reasons but the candle trick takes forever to get a respectable layer of black. A kerosene lamp flame turned up until it smokes will put the carbon on much faster than a candle, but the torch is the fastest way yet.

As a thought, the marker you liked may have been a white board marker. They lay down a fairly dense layer of black ink that will transfer off most surfaces easily (unlike the Sharpie that is supposed to be a permanent marker).

Chuck Burrows · « **Reply #3 on:** July 13, 2009, 11:41:57 PM »

I've been using a mix of artists linseed oil and red ocher (you can buy it as the earth paints from Crazy Crow, etc. or go to the hardware store and buy the masonry stain}.
easy cleanup from the metal and it over time it just fades into the wood leaving a nice red/brown color........

rdillon · « **Reply #4 on:** July 14, 2009, 12:12:33 AM »

Dennis, That same "Shop Gremlin" stole my favorite file I use to draw file my barrels!!!!!

If he gives you back your Marker ask him where my file is!

Dennis Glazener · « **Reply #5 on:** July 14, 2009, 01:55:29 AM »

Quote

Dennis,

I use a torch to lay on carbon black. I have a very small ox-acetylene torch that I use for soldering, welding, etc., on very small parts. If I fire it up without the oxygen (or very little), the acetylene flame will lay down a very heavy layer of carbon black as fast as if it were spray paint. I like the carbon black rather than "inletting black" for several reasons but the candle trick takes forever to get a respectable layer of black. A kerosene lamp flame turned up until it smokes will put the carbon on much faster than a candle, but the torch is the fastest way yet.

That sounds like it would be the ticket but I do not have an acetylene torch only a Mapp and a small Ox-Mapp one. You are exactly right about the candle. I get so tired of holding the parts over the flame and not getting a good coat of soot on it. It depends a lot on the candle, then there is the thing about burning a hot candle when its hot and humid in the shop! I have not tried a Kerosene lamp but that probably would work much better. No the marker was one of the permament brand, I tired one of the white board marker once and it didn't do well, forget why.

Rich, the darn Gremlin can really move around I hear others having the same problems, tools/parts missing everywhere!
Dennis

Nate McKenzie · « **Reply #6 on:** July 14, 2009, 03:05:40 AM »

I use a kerosene lamp with no chimney and wick turned up. I blow it out when not actually sooting a part and light it with a Bic. Works for me.

Acer Saccharum · « **Reply #7 on:** July 14, 2009, 03:31:39 AM »

I won't be using the torch until I get the 5lb bag of powder off my bench.

Dave B · « **Reply #8 on:** July 14, 2009, 07:26:18 AM »

I have not tried it yet but I was asked by my front desk gal to deal with a waste toner container being full on our office copier and it needed to be changed. I guess the whole mess gets tosed but we wont have the replacement container till next week. Well it looks like powdered lamp black to me so I dump the container into a baggie to bring home and I will try it out for inletting black. It gets all over every thing so it must work good for inletting.

BobT · « **Reply #9 on:** July 14, 2009, 09:54:41 AM »

Dennis,

The one I have used with pretty good luck was a Sanford extra large permanent marker. I think the dry erase markers previously mentioned would do a decent job as well.

Bob

Dennis Glazener · « **Reply #10 on:** July 14, 2009, 04:24:00 PM »

Quote

Sanford extra large permanent marker

Thanks, that sounds like it might be the brand. Now to find one!
Dennis

Bill of the 45th · « **Reply #11 on:** July 14, 2009, 04:54:48 PM »

Look in the last place, cause it's always in the last place you look.

The sanford giant is what I use sometimes, but for locks I like candle soot. I've found the fat candles work best for me. I always try and buy two, and have a drawer in my shop that I labeled last place, that I keep my spares in, and generally after I dig into it, I find the item I was looking for. Right now the shop's at the clean it cause I can't move state.

Bill

flintriflesmith · « **Reply #12 on:** July 14, 2009, 06:49:45 PM »

If you want something faster than a candle, and cheaper than a torch, try a carbide light like miners and cavers used 20 years ago. We were issued those when I was on the Army rifle team for blacking the sights on our M-14s.

Carbide goes in the bottom and for quick use you can just spit in it :)instead of filling the water reservoir. That will give you about a minute of gas. These lights have a built in striker so you just cup your palm over the reflector for a few seconds to trap a little gas and spin the striker with the heel of your hand as you move it away.

Gary

Benedict · « **Reply #13 on:** July 14, 2009, 07:03:22 PM »

Quote from: flintriflesmith on July 14, 2009, 06:49:45 PM

If you want something faster than a candle, and cheaper than a torch, try a carbide light like miners and cavers used 20 years ago. We were issued those when I was on the Army rifle team for blacking the sights on our M-14s.

Carbide goes in the bottom and for quick use you can just spit in it :)instead of filling the water reservoir. That will give you about a minute of gas. These lights have a built in striker so you just cup your palm over the reflector for a few seconds to trap a little gas and spin the striker with the heel of your hand as you move it away.

Gary

If memory serves me right, Carbide lamps generate acetylene just like your ocy/acetylene torch. So as far as cheaper goes, it is a matter of whether you can get carbide or acetylene cheaper.

I do like the idea of the carbide lamp as it is low or zero pressure and probably safer than having the torch sitting there running.

Bruce

T*O*F · « **Reply #14 on:** July 14, 2009, 07:34:57 PM »

Ok, I'll give away one of my trade secrets, Old Fox's Super Goo.

Jerry Marsh at Friendship Trade Co (info in back of MuzzleBlasts classifieds) Sells an inletting blue that is water soluble, so you can wash your wood and hands to remove it when done. It works great and a small vial will last you for years.

I tried to figure out what it was made from and came up with an alternative, that is almost as good. Get some chalk line chalk, available in several colors, and either water soluble oil or permanent antifreeze. Add just enough liquid to make a thick paste. Apply with an acid or artist's brush with half the bristles cut down to make it stiff. Store it in an empty percussion or musket cap tin. It will separate on sitting, so you have to re-stir it with each use. Non-penetrating and water clean-up. Blue works well on light wood, red works well on darker woods.

C Wallingford · « **Reply #15 on:** July 14, 2009, 10:58:05 PM »

TOF, I use the same thing. I think it is called Prussian Blue. I first saw it in a tool and die shop where they used it to spot die steel. Works great for me.

Randy Hedden · « **Reply #16 on:** July 15, 2009, 12:32:45 AM »

Quote from: TOF on July 14, 2009, 07:34:57 PM

Ok, I'll give away one of my trade secrets, Old Fox's Super Goo.

Jerry Marsh at Friendship Trade Co (info in back of MuzzleBlasts classifieds) Sells an inletting blue that is water soluble, so you can wash your wood and hands to remove it when done. It works great and a small vial will last you for years.

I have used the inletting blue from Jerry Marsh since he first started selling the stuff. As Jerry said, "When you use inletting black it gets all over the gun, your tools, your clothes, and even on your bejeeber and it doesn't wash off very good. The inletting blue just comes off with water.

Charlie,

What Jerry sells is a liquid layout fluid. It is different than the usual Prussian blue that is kind of thick and comes in a small tube. When using the stuff in the tube at work we always had to use acetone to do the clean-up.

Randy Hedden

C Wallingford · « **Reply #17 on:** July 15, 2009, 01:00:58 AM »

Quote

Charlie,

What Jerry sells is a liquid layout fluid. It is different than the usual Prussian blue that is kind of thick and comes in a small tube. When using the stuff in the tube at work we always had to used acetone to do the clean-up.

Randy Hedden

Randy-- the stuff that I am using is in a small plastic bottle, is thick, and is water soluable. I would have to check but I don't think it has Jerry's name on it.

Randy Hedden · « **Reply #18 on:** July 15, 2009, 07:39:26 AM »

Charlie,

It might say "Friendship Trade Company" which would be from Jerry??

Randy Hedden

C Wallingford · « **Reply #19 on:** July 15, 2009, 02:17:03 PM »

Randy
It does say "Friendship Trade Co". I got it from Troy at Stonewall Creek.

Long John · « **Reply #20 on:** July 15, 2009, 03:57:42 PM »

I made a small oil lamp with cotton wick. I use commercial lamp oil in it. I just light it when I want to soot something and blow it out when it is sooted up. I can manage the depth of the soot layer and it is dry. As for clean-up, soap and water is all that is necessary.

Best Regards,

JMC

oldiemkr · « **Reply #21 on:** July 16, 2009, 03:04:01 PM »

If you can find them Listo grease pencils work real well. The "grease" is easy to remove and it doesn't get all over your hands or your work.

It transfers pretty good w/o a lot of pressure. It doesn't seem to have an oil base that could stain the wood. Many colors used to be available but I don't recall white which I always thought would be good for walnut.

Levy · « **Reply #22 on:** July 16, 2009, 04:05:39 PM »

Dennis: I've always used a china pencil in red or black. They peel down as needed and are similar to a crayon. They transfer pretty good with a tap and clean off the metal parts with alcohol.

James Levy

jerrywh · « **Reply #23 on:** July 16, 2009, 07:55:32 PM »

I just got a tube of black acrylic paint for artists. I take a dab and thin it with some common oil to prevent it from drying and thin it out. I don't like burning lamps around my shop. Burning lamps give me the creeps around 50 lbs of powder, Ether, lacquer thinner, cyanide, gasoline, permanganates, alcohol and such as that.

Sean · « **Reply #24 on:** July 16, 2009, 09:10:59 PM »

Cheapo sanford dry erase markers. The sharpie thing never worked for me. I used to use vaseline and a candle, but it was messy.

Sean

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Author Topic: Inletting black (Read 13519 times)

rdillon

BobT

oldiemkr

Levy

Sean