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marking blue

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trevor jones 119/02/2010 19:31:02
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17 forum posts
whats the best way to apply marking blue bought some stuarts engineers marking today any tips.
Trevor.
JasonB19/02/2010 19:59:46
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25215 forum posts
3105 photos
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I just use a small artists paint brush. Don't need to clean between uses as any dried blue on the brush will soften as soon as you dip it in again.
 
Jason
John Haine19/02/2010 20:22:49
5563 forum posts
322 photos
I keep a box of cotton buds in the workshop - soak the tip of one in blue and paint it on - if it's a large area then put a little puddle on the work and spread with a bud.
 
Mind you, I just bought some permanent marker pens!
trevor jones 119/02/2010 20:55:16
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17 forum posts
ok john you say soak and puddle this thick like grease do i dilute it
trevor jones 119/02/2010 21:36:38
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17 forum posts
Posted by trevor jones 1 on 19/02/2010 20:55:16:
ok john you say soak and puddle this is thick like grease do i dilute it

 

Ramon Wilson19/02/2010 22:07:19
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1655 forum posts
617 photos
Trevor,
 
Are you talking about ''Marking Blue' - thick and greaselike in a round tin or tube or 'Marking Out Blue' sometimes called 'Layout Blue' - this is fluid - solvent based like ink in a bottle?
 
The first - 'Marking Blue' sometimes called 'High Spot' is for just that, finding high spots between two mating surfaces, This is best applied (neat) by spreading (smearing) it very thinly with a small piece of rag over one surface then mating it to the other- any high spots will be readily apparent. Marking Blue does not dry quickly and can be re-'smeared' .  It's not designed for marking out.
 
'Marking Out Blue' can be thinned with Meths for a easier to spread solution, again I use rag but this time soaking a good wet spot into it before coating the area. This dries very rapidly - in seconds and will 'pick up' if you try to apply another layer so get a uniform coating before marking out.
 
Both are a devils own job to get out of your skin if you end up with it all over your hands !!
 
The Permanent marker that John mentions are ideal for this latter task - especially those big wiide industrial ones - a much better and cleaner way of doing the job
 
I hope I'm not teaching Granny here but I guess you would not be asking were you not in the dark.
 
Hope this helps  - Ramon
trevor jones 119/02/2010 22:21:27
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17 forum posts
ok ray this is called stuarts micrometer engineers marking i asked the fella in the shop for marking out blue for scribeing.
Trevor.
mgj19/02/2010 22:47:55
1017 forum posts
14 photos
. Ramon is quite right - You want layout blue which is like an ink which dries.. You have a pale blue tin of dark blue grease?
 
That's for putting between two surfaces when you want to check a fit. Not the same stuff at all. The idea of the grease is that it transfers from one surface to another, indicating where you should scrape, where you are out of round or whatever.
 
The other you wipe on with a tissue or somesuch and it dries and you can scribe on it.
 
You have the wrong stuff - or a lifetime supply of something useful, depending on your point of view.

Edited By meyrick griffith-jones on 19/02/2010 22:48:23

Edited By meyrick griffith-jones on 19/02/2010 22:50:58

trevor jones 119/02/2010 23:09:42
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17 forum posts
ok thanks.this stuff will last me for ever then.
thanks to all.
Laurence B20/02/2010 11:45:01
58 forum posts
Trevor-I think what you need is marking out fluid (Reeves and others sell it) and as Meryck says what you have is engineers blue for checking fits,flatness of parts etc.
Circlip20/02/2010 12:35:59
1723 forum posts
Go for what John Haine has suggested, a BIG box marking pen (Staples etc) but get the PERMANENT version, NOT the wipe off notice board type.
 
  As long as the surface is oil free, it's fine.
 
  If you want to be REALLY frugal, when you've made a few silver soldered joints on copper bits and pickled them in PROPPER (Dilute Sulphuric acid) pickle, you'll find that the liquid has changed to copper sulphate, which you can apply to a clean surface with cotton wool or paper towel (PROVIDING you have a face mask, rubber apron, rubber gloves and do it OUTSIDE), or just do it outside and use some common sense.
 
  Regards  Ian.
Tony Pratt 120/02/2010 13:11:11
2319 forum posts
13 photos
Copper sulphate is hard to beat when used on steel but not too user friendly as has been mentioned. For most of my Toolmaking days I used a permanent marker which worked just fine, convenient too !
 
Tony
mgj20/02/2010 14:05:49
1017 forum posts
14 photos
Maybe Tony one can make it user friendly You made me think. Surely the garden spray, Bordeaux Mixture is just copper sulphate.Just crystals you mix with water.
 
Whats it like on cast iron?
Tony Pratt 120/02/2010 15:43:46
2319 forum posts
13 photos
Bordeaux mixture is indeed copper sulphate [plus hydrated lime] so I am not sure if it will work for our purpose. From very distant memory I think Copper sulphate will work on cast iron but don't hold me to it, I believe the classic way of marking out castings was to cover them with a paint like substance [maybe emulsion?] and scribe the lines on that.
Geo. H. Thomas reccomends a product called Spectra colour white for castings but I'm doubtful if it is still availiable.
Ramon Wilson20/02/2010 16:40:28
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1655 forum posts
617 photos
I've had a small bottle of the stuff for use  castings for years - the correct name escapes me. It's pink and very chalky. Looks like 'Calomine lotion' ha perhaps it is!?
Does stick well to cast surfaces though.
 
Just to confirm with Circlip it doesn't get much more 'user friendly' than one of those big industrial permanent marker pens. BTW You can twist the end out (normally L/H thread)once it's dried up and resurect it with a dose of acetone or cellulose thinner for a second life. Meths might work too.
 
 

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