Granite Surface plate

[moe1942]

Originally Posted by jpill

Moe are you talking about hard blue or soft blue? We call toolmakers die at work hard blue, it comes in a spray can and when dry is hard to wipe off used for layouts. The prussian blue we use is what we call soft blue one drop of the stuff on you and you will have it everywhere. We use it for contact checks on gearing it doesn't ever dry.

I used prussian blue. Don't know if it was hard or soft. Layout dye is all I know. Ours came in a small can with a wool dauber like shoe polish.

Similar to John Wayne toilet paper. Hoped you lived long enough for it to wear off.

[Dave Lee]

Hi Moe,
If it was layout dye, it's not the same as real Prussian blue. I've used gallons of layout dye over the years and it definitely drys hard. Actual Prussian blue comes in a tube. The stuff I have is called High Spot Blue. It's confusing because, Dykem makes both of them (along with others but, I like Dykem the best). Like jpill says though, the spotting stuff gets all over everything and never drys. That's the quality that makes it ideal for spotting and scraping parts to fit-(I'm told). I have yet to learn that skill. I've heard of guys playing a prank with it by putting just a tiny bit under the door handle of someones car-NASTY!
Dave

[moe1942]

Originally Posted by Dave Lee

Hi Moe,
If it was layout die, it's not the same as real Prussian blue. I've used gallons of layout die over the years and it definitely drys hard. Actual Prussian blue comes in a tube. The stuff I have is called High Spot Blue. It's confusing because, Dykem makes both of them (along with others but, I like Dykem the best). Like jpill says though, the spotting stuff gets all over everything and never drys. That's the quality that makes it ideal for spotting and scraping parts to fit-(I'm told). I have yet to learn that skill. I've heard of guys playing a prank with it by putting just a tiny bit under the door handle of someones car-NASTY!
Dave

Trust me Dave. It was Prussian blue, said so on the can and I used it for layout work. Never saw prussian blue in a tube. I must be too young for that.

My Dad was a machinist and I used his. Probably early fifties vintage.

[jpill]

Originally Posted by Dave Lee

I've heard of guys playing a prank with it by putting just a tiny bit under the door handle of someones car-NASTY!

A small drop of it placed on a coin, with said coin layed somewhere with the bluing on the bottom side will blue hands, keys, other coins in pocket, inside of pocket, and the thigh that the pocket is against if you have someone in the shop that can't resit picking up dropped change......(course I wouldn't know anything about doing that sort of thing)... :evil:

It also works good on the earpieces of black telephones, black knobs on machines, the collars of navy blue uniform shirts, and black toilet seats in shop restrooms.

[jpill]

Back years ago (before the days of sexual harassment, and assault charges) there was a shop tradition of "honeymoon blue nuts, or do-nuts" When a guy was getting married the day before the ceremony, he was expected to bring a cake, do-nuts, or some other dessert to appease the bluing gods. If the poor guy refused, or forgot, weeelllll lets just say the blushing bride got quite a surprise on the honeymoon night...lol

[Dave Lee]

Wow jpill,
You guys found lots of uses for that stuff that stuff! LOL :evil:

[hench861]

when we had our waterbury cold header we rebuilt the gibs on the slides and a elderly guy from waterbury hand scraped the gibs and ways using red lead to show high spots,very interesting to watch him at work,he was a artist at his job

[Dave Lee]

That's something I would like to see. I've read several articles on hand scraping but, I don't think you can learn something like that by reading about it. It's an art and sadly, I fear, a dying art.

[GWIZ]

Originally Posted by moe1942

Why would you get the prussian blue on the plate? When applied to metal it dries very quick. It doesn't rub off that easy.

Here you go.
Non drying, Prussian Blue in a tube.

See picture.

[jpill]

About the only scraping i have done myself is babbited bearings in high speed gear units. It was only for final fitting to get full contact across the bearing, usually only to take out a slight taper after the bearing was bored.

I have seen older mechanics here hand scrape machine ways and tables during rebuilds it definately is an art.