Spotting dye idea

eKretz · Jun 30, 2021

So I was reading the Canode thread this morning, and an idea came to me. I was thinking back about another thread where a fellow was using two different dye colors to help discriminate his spotting with a little more contrast.

What if one used some fluorescing oil soluble dye and mixed it in with one of the spotting colors? Then when you've done your spotting, shine a UV flashlight on the surface. I'm guessing that would make for some very easy to see contact spots. Gonna have to try that. Most of the time I just use Dykem bluing, but that idea might prove useful on occasion if it works.

TGTool · Jun 30, 2021

Now that's a very interesting idea. I'll have to check various substances around the shop now to see what they look like under UV. I'm told UV will show up cat piss, so I guess I already have one possibility if one of them will just hold still.

eKretz · Jun 30, 2021

TGTool said:
Now that's a very interesting idea. I'll have to check various substances around the shop now to see what they look like under UV. I'm told UV will show up cat piss, so I guess I already have one possibility if one of them will just hold still.

You could just chase it around with a wiffle ball bat. I scared the piss out of one that way plenty of times.

Richard King · Jun 30, 2021

There are sorts of idea's I guess. Borne & Koch makes a red part out of concrete dye mixed with grease and black carbon mixed with a grease and lacquer thinner ... I think they said. Tom Lipton showed me how he used an engraving ink called Charbonnel. Ive tested Walmart acrylic paint I found in the hobby section by accident. For now I have a lot of Canode so my fingers don't get stained. RC 99 and phil told us about some mixture they use down under. I used Dykem Hi-spot for over 1/2 my scraping career and had a blue nose, blue ears, etc. use your imagination...lol I hope you can figure out a better and cheaper way. Good luck,

Dresden · Jul 1, 2021

Dykem is made of :
Petroleum jelly 90%
Tallow. 10%
add this melted to Prussian blue making a stiff paste, add black to darken more, better yet buy Dykem, it works

eKretz · Jul 1, 2021

Yes, no kidding! As already mentioned, I do use it... As I noted, the point of this idea was to get extra contrast, beyond what is available using a single spotting medium. Sometimes that is helpful. It might even be as simple as adding some fluorescing oil soluble dye to the blue Dykem, and using the regular non-fluorescing blue stuff on one surface and the fluorescing blue stuff on the other. The fluorescence might create high contrast all on its own when viewed under a blacklight.

Richard King · Jul 1, 2021

Another key when using any blue is to rub the part for at least 10 seconds so you can distinguish the different heights of the high spots. When I used to rebuild heavy castings I switched back to Dykem as it is slipperier then Canode. The longer you rub the higher points polish the higher points. Highest even get shinny a bit lower turn black and the lowest stay the same color.

Orbital77 · Jul 1, 2021

eKretz said:
So I was reading the Canode thread this morning, and an idea came to me. I was thinking back about another thread where a fellow was using two different dye colors to help discriminate his spotting with a little more contrast.

What if one used some fluorescing oil soluble dye and mixed it in with one of the spotting colors? Then when you've done your spotting, shine a UV flashlight on the surface. I'm guessing that would make for some very easy to see contact spots. Gonna have to try that. Most of the time I just use Dykem bluing, but that idea might prove useful on occasion if it works.

Excellent idea. A/C dye maybe ?

JST · Jul 1, 2021

Dresden said:
..................... better yet buy Dykem, it works

It works REALLY WELL. Totally different from and far superior to Canode.

But, it does make you turn blue.

I suppose gloves would fix that, if you can stand wearing them. I cannot.

PeteM · Jul 1, 2021

Interesting idea. One possible drawback is that fluorescence is often pretty weak and "drowned" in ambient light. Rock collectors turn the UV on and the lights off. Biologists look for the highest numerical aperture objectives they can get - and use filters to enhance the signal. 60's & 70's dance parties had the blacklights on, the room lights off. Even a hunt for wayward cat's piss wants the room lights off.

So, if an appropriately using fluorescence material is found, it may have to be used with the lights dimmed or filtering goggles in place (much as red ones are used for laser levels outside).

swarfmeister · Jul 1, 2021

I've used Dykem but usually use a mix of Jeweler's Rouge and a light oil to liquify it. The Jeweler's Rouge is red in color but will either rub off in areas of very high contact, or turn black in areas of less contact. The nice thing is it cleans off easy and doesn't accumulate over several applications. I think the stuff I have was a Scotch product.

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