Author Topic: Homemade marking dye  (Read 3931 times)

Offline Toolshed

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Homemade marking dye
« on: June 22, 2016, 12:47:48 PM »
Running this one by the folks here.  I am getting ready to start casting my Gingery Milling Machine parts.  Hopefully will have something to show soon.

Anyway, not wanting to spend half a paycheck (so it seems) on some professional marking fluid, I have decided to TRY making some.

Lo and behold I had a pack of black RIT dye lying around, as well as some denatured alcohol.

Mixed those two together and I do believe I have made some very inexpensive marking fluid.  It seems to have worked well on the different surfaces I have tried it on. 

I have to admit the stuff is a bloody nightmare on skin.  Also not sure on cleanup, though I know denatured does work.

I have used regular 'magic markers' before, but I tend to go through a lot of those it seems (sure, leave a cap off for a few....)

Anyone else have experience with marking dyes and such they'd like to share?? 

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Offline efrench

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Re: Homemade marking dye
« Reply #1 on: June 22, 2016, 01:27:41 PM »
Have you tried Prussian Blue from an artists' supply store?

Offline nrml

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Re: Homemade marking dye
« Reply #2 on: June 24, 2016, 03:09:34 PM »
I haven't tried it as layout fluid yet, but I use a tiny dab of nail varnish on nuts and bolts to serve as a visual indicator of loosening.

Cheap nail polish either neat or thinned out with a suitable solvent should adhere well, is non toxic and can be removed easily with acetone, You can get it in lots of different colours too.
« Last Edit: June 24, 2016, 04:29:04 PM by nrml »

Offline NormanV

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Re: Homemade marking dye
« Reply #3 on: June 24, 2016, 03:35:42 PM »
Prussian blue dries very slowly and is best used as an indicator when scraping a surface. I've used ordinary gloss paint for this, it does the job but is very messy.

Offline borriss

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Re: Homemade marking dye
« Reply #4 on: June 25, 2016, 05:53:45 AM »
Hi,
What I have found works well is a mixture of old ballpoint pen ink mixed with methylated spirits with a few flakes of shellac added.
Make the recipe to suit how light or dark you need by varying the constituents.
Store in a sealed bottle with a small paint brush jammed in the lid.
Good luck.
Borriss