Steel Rule Graduations Re-Blacking

Question for you all, some of my steel rules are getting difficult to read as the graduations are no longer black. Any ideas how best to restore them please?

My best attempt was with shoe polish, but printers ink is recommended in one my old books. I believe they mean the old-fashioned sticky ink full of carbon, not the modern fluid types. The rule face is coated with it and then the surplus is removed squeegee fashion with a straight edge, leaving the ink behind in the engraving to dry. Not tried it, but I believe Letterpress Ink is the modern equivalent.

Dave

Engraving wax should do the track, it is rubbed in and then lightly polished with a tissue.

Brian

Clock dial engraving is filled with black engravers wax ( a.k.a elephant wax). That might work OK. It is applied by heating the engraved Item to melt the wax into the engravings. Squeegee excess wax off using a knife while soft. let it harden then remove the film of wax left using wire wool or fine wet and dry. Then polish.

A new steel rule might be cheaper and far quicker

Black cellelose paint! but don't know if you can get it now!

If they were originally engraved, they would have been chemically blacked all over and then rubbed down leaving the black in the numbers and scales. There may not be enough depth to repeat the process.

I used to fill lettering etc on labels for tooling pre engraved I used paint sticks from RS components. Paint over engraving let to dry and clean off with a solvent damped cloth. I had red black and yellow. Edding Black 10mm Broad Tip Paint Marker Pen for use with Metal

David

Edited By David George 1 on 26/03/2021 22:21:30

Thanks for all the replies, I have ordered some Black Engravers Wax to try that. Will report back when I have tried it.

Well I tried the Black Engravers wax and that was a failure. I think the trouble is that the markings are not deep enough. Might give up and buy a new rule!

The traditional material is gunge from the swarf tray...

Neil

Applied by loosing the rule for a few weeks under the swarf?

Russell

I use a black "Sharpie" pen, and rub the unwanted overspill away with a fine garryflex block.

Phil

Thanks Phil, I’ll try that.

Alain

This stuff is very good. The trouble is that post Brexit, they want a fortune to send it from Germany.

https://euro-industry.com/main.php?index=details&cat=91&prod=23197370

Brownells unfortunately no longer list it.

H S Walsh and Son normally stock both hard and soft engraving waxes .

If you are looking for Markal products there is a company called Walters & Walters in Hertfordshire who stock the make.

A quick search should locate their website.

Edited By V8Eng on 06/04/2021 22:39:13