Re-blacking the numbers on a steel rule

[jimbob]

I picked up a 24 inch folding steel blacksmith rule. after getting all the dirt an light rust off with steel wool most of the numbers need re-blacking...how do you do this . my first throught is to use gun blue and a fine artist brush...anyone know a better way?

[Pault17]

Aaaaahhhhh

You must be a melancholic!! Us easygoing phlegmatics would paint the rule with black paint and lightly sand/polish the paint off of the high points - leaving the numbers and lines intact in black.

[jimbob]

Originally Posted by Pault17

You must be a melancholic!!

after they took my gall blatter out its mostly yellow now!

[S.Willis]

What pault17 said

[Dodge]

or machinist blue. it will soak in the lines more and its thinner. Just a thought

[jimbob]

Dodge you mean like Dykem

[Dodge]

Yes. I have never done it but it makes sense to me. If you have Dykem, hey!, give it a shot. What will it cost you?

[jimbob]

the Dykem wants to scrach off . I used the gun blue then sanded with 600 grit

[KevinD]

Nice!



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[Dan OHare]

Go look in your desk drawer, got a bottle of whiteout in there? Cheap and works wonders. I learned this one when I was 17 on the rifle range in boot camp. My shooting coach put some on the rear sight index marks on my rifle and it made them really stand out. It also lasted. You aren't looking for something to withstand the heat of reentry on a spacecraft so keep it simple easy and cheap. Go with the whiteout.
BTW, white catches the eye a lot better than black. Dan