Another tip from a NEWB, how to keep your sharpie from washing off..

[b_rogers]

Im sure a lot of you use sharpie to mark your blades, and after repeated heating and dunking wiping etc..the lines can fade pretty quick. Heres a simple trick to keep the marks on quite a bit longer.

After you have all of your marks and lines, spray the blade with a THIN COAT of clear gloss polyurethane or enamel. Doesn't really matter as long as its clear and not a water base.

Let it dry, and go to grinding with way less re-marking. A soak in thinner or acetone will remove any overspray or excess build up. Works pretty good, I used this on a few longer blades and the lines were there until the very end.

Hope someone finds this useful

Brent

 

[Patrice Lemée]

A can of Dykem layout fluid is cheap, dries quick, will last a long time and stands up pretty well to heat and water.

 

[james terrio]

A can of Dykem layout fluid is cheap, dries quick, will last a long time and stands up pretty well to heat and water.

Yup! Some guys like the blue, I feel the red is easier to see. They both work, and have an added benefit of protecting unfinished blades from corrosion. I use the spray - zap zap let it dry a minute, you're good to go. It seems thinner than typical marker ink... it stays in the small scratches better; Sharpie seems to lift right out of them. (perhaps the spray poly would help that, I don't know) My only complaint is I can never find it locally, so I have to remember to order a can before I run out. That's maybe once a year... not a big deal.

 

[AVigil]

My only complaint is I can never find it locally, so I have to remember to order a can before I run out. That's maybe once a year... not a big deal.

Pick some up at your local Graingers


http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/ww...searchType=assoczips&input=&searchValue=54401

 

[james terrio]

Well, now I feel stupid We have a Fastenal store here too... why didn't I think to check there?

 

[javand]

Haha yeah James, you'd be surprised how much crap those guys'll have on hand or at the warehouse that you need. Grainger carries those locking levers that we use on tooling arms for instance.

I use dykem also, but since we're mentioning sharpie tips, I wanted to pass on one that I only recently became aware of, feel stupid for not knowing, and maybe some others don't know either:

Sharpies are supposed to be stored TIP DOWN!

I always hated finding dead dried out sharpies constantly, since I never realized this. Store them tip down and they mark like new until they're really dead. Apologies if I'm the only one that didn't know this already.

 

[SBuzek]

Sharpies are supposed to be stored TIP DOWN!

I always hated finding dead dried out sharpies constantly, since I never realized this. Store them tip down and they mark like new until they're really dead. Apologies if I'm the only one that didn't know this already.

May have something to do with that thing called GRAVITY
Stan

 

[javand]

Hey I realize that may be pure common sense to some, but bear in mind many pens and the like are supposed to be stored tip up. Perfect example: Sharpie Paint Marker, tip up, otherwise prepare for a mess.

 

[Jack O'Neill]

I do not think breathing hot enamel or polyurethane vapors is very good for your lungs or your brain cells . But I guess the choice is yours . Be careful the advice you give .

 

[12345678910]

I just read a post by Ed Caffrey on using a Sharpie "Professional" marker to colour in his etches.

Seems it won't wash away with solvents.

It's worth trying that one out and wouldn't need the over spray.

 

[b_rogers]

I do not think breathing hot enamel or polyurethane vapors is very good for your lungs or your brain cells . But I guess the choice is yours . Be careful the advice you give .

Never smelled any "vapors" while grinding but if you are worried about that compared to all the other hazardous things involved in making knives, you may wanna wear a helmet and flak vest as well.