Marking out

[Alan Wilkinson 1Participant @alanwilkinson1]

what do you use

[Alan Wilkinson 1Participant @alanwilkinson1]

Hi all what do you use for marking out I used to use blue but its dried up so was looking for somthing else, I heard you could use Copper sulphate now I have some of this its a blue powder not sure what to do withit any ideas or alternatives. please i want to mark on cast iron.

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

Quite often, for small jobs, I use a blue felt tip with a wide (chisel) tip.

Howard

[David George 1Participant @davidgeorge1]

Hi Alan I use a wide marker pen most times but for large areas I use this Dykem Steel Blue Layout Fluid

**LINK**

David

[Anonymous]

I don't; I almost never need to mark out. The only exception is sheetmetal work where I will be using hand tools, ie, saw, hand drill, files and folder.

Andrew

[roy entwistleParticipant @royentwistle24699]

For cast iron, use white wash

Roy

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Put the lid on it properly, I have just finished a bottle of blue that I mast have bought 30yrs ago, would have got even more use if I had not dropped it and spilt the last 1/2"

I still find blue is a bit more resistant to cutting fluid and paraffin than marker pen so use it on larger items and keep the pens for small stuff but since I got a DRO for the mill don't do as much marking out as I used to.

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

Most of what I do can doesn't require a lot of fluid; I tend to find that a Jumbo permanent marker, chisel tip, Black or blue, is more than enough to cover fairly large areas… not sheet metal size tho'

George.

[John RuddParticipant @johnrudd16576]

I use the usual layout blue from the various suppliers….have done so since my apprenticeship days…

[Alan Wilkinson 1Participant @alanwilkinson1]

thanks all we used to use a white paint at work which showed up well but not sure what it was, ordered some blue now.

still no ideas on copper phosphate?

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

If you put "copper sulphate" into the google search on the homepage you will get a lot of results for it's use in making marking blue.

Edited By JasonB on 05/12/2018 15:46:02

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Alan Wilkinson 1 on 05/12/2018 15:36:25:

still no ideas on copper phosphate?

.

the chemistry seems to have changed

Assuming that you still mean copper sulphate: It is excellent for fine work on bright steel surfaces.

… I've never tried it on Cast Iron

MichaelG.

.

Lightning Jason wins again !

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 05/12/2018 15:48:07

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

Copper Phosphate or Copper sulphate? Copper sulphate, dissolve in a little water, then paint onto steel. Once a copper coating can be seen, wash off and dry. I never found it better than marking blue and you have to emery cloth off the coating once finished with.

Marking blue – thin it out with metylated spirit, or use felt marker pens as others have said.

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

A strong solution of Copper Sulphate with a dash of Sulphuric Acid.

I wouldn't bother. The only advantage is that very fine lines can be ruled on it. The copper film is supposed resist wear and tear but my experience was disappointing.

Everything else about Copper Sulphate is a faff. You have to make up the solution and avoid spilling or drinking it. Don't get it in a cut. Only works on clean steel, not stainless, and has to be applied liberally and left until the copper film forms. Has to be dried before use. The resulting film isn't all that clear and the lines can be hard to see.

All the alternatives are better. Try a good felt-tip marker (not pound shop cheapies) – they work nearly as well as proper marking fluid.

Dave

[Paul AinsworthParticipant @paulainsworth93685]

Dykem for big jobs, marker pen for smaller jobs such as the odd line or hole crosshairs.

[Author]

Posts