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Blackening

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8Ball said:
Hi everyone. What stuff you people use for blackening metal parts when you want to check the fitting on wood? I use a candle but I am always looking for the damn lighter. I think this thing alive and it moves from places to hide by itself...
Click to expand...
Candles smoke, I’ve bought inletting black, and that’s handy, but cheap red lipstick is real cheap at Wally World
 
8Ball said:
Hi everyone. What stuff you people use for blackening metal parts when you want to check the fitting on wood? I use a candle but I am always looking for the damn lighter. I think this thing alive and it moves from places to hide by itself...
Click to expand...
your lighter must be related to mine.
I use a big diameter, short height candle. set off to the side. let it burn while working.
this is the reason i have no hair on my left arm, but who cares! the smoke works for most stuff but this last barrel at 42 inches took forever to smoke.
i switched back to charcoal powder mixed with olive oil. have never had it interfere with finish and it is really, really black! and transfers well. but it can be messy if you knock over a pint jar full of it on the work space.
 
I bought a small jar of inletting black in 1979 and my instructor told me to cut it with Vasoline. I’m still have a good bit of it as I use very little on a job. A acid brush to apply it and rubbed very thin. Works on walnut, maple, cherry and any wood. Easy to wash off where needed.
69B57E06-5B49-4D22-866F-F1AC2C1749C1 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr
 
Thanks for the advices gentlemen. I forgot to state that I do no want something which is going to interfere if I use aquafortis on a maple stock!
 
8Ball said:
Thanks for the advices gentlemen. I forgot to state that I do no want something which is going to interfere if I use aquafortis on a maple stock!
Click to expand...
Then don’t use it heavily, transfer black or what ever you use should be just enough to see. It’s called inletting black but it doesn’t actually do any of the inletting! This is how much it takes to see where to cut.
BD12E310-8E5B-48BE-B86A-A8A54392E434 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr
 
I've used what used to be called 'Jerrow's inletting black' for about 36 years. On my second tiny jar. They also make a yellow/gold color for dark wood.
I use an acid brush or Qtips to apply. Thin layers gents..
 
Been using dry erase markers for years, no problems when staining. Before that, I briefly used Prussian Blue (can cause problems staining). Before that--on my first several guns--I used red lead in 3-in-1 oil, which can also cause some problems with stain/finish.
 
Funny .... The first two gun I made I used bright red lip stick ! Works good but ... Its weird ... LOL ... The next 5-6 guns I used an old antique oil.lamp made to put off lots of black sout when the wick is turned up a bit ... It worked great ! Loved it ... Ken Netting showed me that trick ...but then ....I couldnt get that d@&# lamp.to work correctly ! Never did figure out why ... Ive been using T.O.W. s inlet black and it really works great and lasts a long time too ....its good stuff , is messy though but works great .
 
ChuckJonesWagon said:
This (to me) seems to be an odd method of a transfer material. Why would you want to subject your wood to soaking up old motor oil?
Click to expand...
It washes right off with lacquer thinner or acetone, and is certainly easier to clean up than inletting black. For that matter, I always used those same solvents to clean up the black, since it has an oil base, as does lip stick. Using the oil, I didn't end up looking like a black face minstrel by the end of the day.
 

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