Marking steel

The local tool suppliers here in LA sell "grease pencils" in several colors and I have used them. They are OK but to do it properly you want to paint the AISI color code on the bar. The determining factor would be the amount of post marking handling the material is going to see.

Its called a Paint Pen or Paint Marker.

Dychem and a host of other people make em. Check with your local bearing supply house, as they tend to stock the 8 or 9 colors they are available in.

?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=2 Also check ebay..but becareful..they may be dried out.

For quick and dirty.. a yellow carpenters crayon (like the kind in tire shops) works, but wipes off easily

Paint pens/markers tend to dry out fairly quickly....least here in the desert..so store em someplace cool and in a zip lock bag.

Gunner

Confronting Liberals with the facts of reality is very much akin to clubbing baby seals. It gets boring after a while, but because Liberals are so stupid it is easy work." Steven M. Barry

On Mon, 03 Oct 2005 04:53:28 GMT, with neither quill nor qualm, Ignoramus14408 quickly quoth:

Soapstone, crayons, paint pens, carbide scribes. Take yer pick. Paint pens are probably what you describe.

The brand I usually buy is Markal. - GWE

Thanks, Larry, Gunner, John, and Grant. I will check out paint markers, but in the meantime, will use chalk (which we have in large quantities).

i

UniPaint PX-20 Comes in several colors -> White, Yellow, Red, Blue, Green ??? Wal-Mart has something like it.

That's great... I will check out walmart.

i

Hey Iggy,

Markal makes a "crayon" type marker called a Paint-Stik, for cold marking just about anything. And while I couldn't find it in Wholesale Tool's catalogue, I do know that there is a similar type made that can be used either cold or HOT, as in red-hot.

Take care.

Brian Lawson, Bothwell, Ontario.

Thanks. Let me explain why I want to do it.

When I weld (I am learning to weld and lay a lot of weld beads), I see very little outside of the arc area, due to darkening lens of the helmet. Hence, my test welds that I do on plates, wander and are not straight. So, I want to mark a line that I could follow.

I think that I ought to give chalk a chance...

i

Isn't that what soapstone is for?

You can buy Paint markers at your local Wal-Mart. or

Here is a link to check out, there are several colors to choose from: white, red, blue, green & yellow ...

UniPaint PX-20 (Medium Line paint pen) Comes in several colors ( White, Yellow, Blue, Green & Red ...) I am not sure of the Brand name, You can buy at Wal-Mart

Google search ->

or

I've been using a Sharpie brand pen lately... they've Always had black, but now there is a SILVER which is perfect for steel. The only issue with these pens is that they don't do well marking dirty or oily steel, so it's best to clean the area before marking.

I still use the black for stainless though in order to get the high contrast.

James, Seattle

Chalk or paint will be gone from the residual heat long before you can see them. Use soapstone, available and cheap at any welder supply or any Home Depot etc. And try a No. 9 filter if you're having trouble seeing it. Or simply clamp a little piece of aluminum near your weld zone, you'll probably see that OK. - GWE

Chalk or soapstone is what you want to use. Paint will burn away rapidly.

Soapstone holders are cheap at most welding places, $3-5 They come in both round and rectangular cross sections. I use both

Something that also works for layout..is silver or white colored pencils, available from common stationarly stores etc.

I was recently given a small handful and they have turned out to be really really handy. And they sharpen to a fine point with a regular pencil sharpener.

Gunner

Confronting Liberals with the facts of reality is very much akin to clubbing baby seals. It gets boring after a while, but because Liberals are so stupid it is easy work." Steven M. Barry

On Mon, 03 Oct 2005 10:25:33 -0700, with neither quill nor qualm, Grant Erwin quickly quoth:

Right, I got a couple soapstone sticks for $0.10 each at the local "rot arn" place. ;)

For general marking, as in prices or ID e.g. junkyard, a Markall paint ball marker. They work like ball point pens, but they contain paint -- usually yellow or white.

For welding or cutting angle iron, etc, a soapstone marker.

For layout work as on sheetmetal or drilling (lacking DRO), spray with layout blue (basically a fast-drying blue lacquer) and mark with a sharp scribe. It's also available in red.

One very useful application of an inexpensive height gage as

precise coordinate layout of sheetmetal. They have a carbide scribe. Spray the metal with layout stuff, let dry. Have one square corner on the stock. Dial in and scribe the various X coords, then rotate the stock and dial in the various Y coords. You need a flat surface, as perhaps the top of a table saw, and an angle block to hold the stock vertical while you're scribing lines. This process is both far faster and far more accurate than use of a scale (ruler) and scribe.

Depends on why you are marking it. For more precise marks, paint it with dykem blue dye and scribe it. For more visible marks, paint pen, etc..

Soapstone sticks and holders are used to mark welds--they don't dissapear even with the heat of welding. I know some people who use them for everything. My personal preference is for those enormous sharpies, as well as the ultra-thin ones for marking rough hole locations.