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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Perth WA
    Age
    71
    Posts
    6,458

    Default Blacking As An Alternative to Bluing

    Ray suggested the use of soot from a candle flame as a means of "colouring" an arbor to test its fit so I gave it a whirl this morning. I had been using bearing blue but with poor results either from a poor fit or poor application of the blue. Licking the flame across the metal results in a deposition of soot, the more licks the blacker. I tried three 30 taper arbors, my home made version, one from CTC and a Schaublin.

    024 (Medium).JPG

    Mine first. There is contact about two thirds of the way up the taper. I have some ISO 30 collets and their contact surface is about the same, so I won't fiddle with mine any further

    021 (Medium).JPG 023 (Medium).JPG

    The Chinese. It appears that the taper is hollow with contact at the ends only.

    028 (Medium).JPG

    And the Swiss. Pretty much uniform contact.

    026 (Medium).JPG

    I found this a lot easier than mucking around with blue. Thank you Ray.

    Bob.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Norwood-ish, Adelaide
    Age
    59
    Posts
    6,542

    Default

    Bob, are you going to do the arbor I sent you with this method? I'm interested to know whether I've gained enough skills to be a Chinese machinist yet.

    Michael

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    rural s.a.
    Posts
    120

    Default

    Hi Bob, something worth trying is lighting some camphor, easy to get from some moth/silver fish repellant from the local super market. Nice really black deposit.
    tinkera

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    SA
    Posts
    1,649

    Default

    Kero wick in a lantern would work well I suspect.

    Rob
    The worst that can happen is you will fail.
    But at least you tried.



  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Victoria, Australia
    Age
    74
    Posts
    5,080

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by BT
    I found this a lot easier than mucking around with blue. Thank you Ray.


    I always associate lamp-blacking with leather aprons and flakey tobacco in tins, cloth caps, and running a lathe wearing a tie. Absolute precision craftsmanship and everything ruled by British Standards.

    Ray


  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    9,088

    Default

    According to the docco I saw Purdey is still much like that* and still use lamp black for final fitting of their actions.

    Stuart

    *with the odd CNC here and there

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Mackay North Qld
    Posts
    6,446

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Michael G View Post
    I'm interested to know whether I've gained enough skills to be a Chinese machinist yet.

    Michael
    Chinese machinist .Isn't that a blind ex rice farmer wielding an angle grinder?

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Athelstone, SA 5076
    Posts
    4,255

    Default

    burning masking tape gives off a lot of soot

    or you could you use a calcium carbide burner also

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