# Improving readability on drill stand lettering



## GailInNM (Nov 15, 2008)

I like to keep a drill stand with my most common drills in it near the lathe and mill, but I have a hard time reading the numbers stamped on the drill stand. They are stamped in during manufacture before finishing, and then painted so there is very little contrast between the lettering and the background. To improve the contrast, I fill the stamped in numbers with Lacquer-Stik, a solid paint stick made for filling engravings. It is available from many sources at prices from about $1.70 to $3.50 a stick. To use it you have to cut off a thin slice from the end where the paint has dried and then rub in into the lettering. Just wipe off the excess with a paper towel afterwards. It takes a day or two for the paint to completely cure, but you just have to be a little careful with it and you can use it right away. The paint sticks come in a variety of colors and can be used to renew the engraving on machinery dials also.

HUOT drill stand as purchased






After rubbing with a paint stick





and then wiped with paper towel





and a closeup.





One of many places to purchase Lacquer-Stik's. If you have an engravers supply in your area they will probably have them also.
http://www.micro-tools.com/store/SearchByCategory.aspx?CategoryCode=PAI

Gail in NM,USA


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## wareagle (Nov 15, 2008)

Gail, this is an excellent tip. I am sure many of us can benefit from this little trick!


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## jack404 (Nov 16, 2008)

I JUST NOTICED THE NUMBERS ON MINE !!! had it over a year but could not see it until you posted this

thanks for the tip Gail

another job on the must do list  :bow: :bow: :bow:

cheers

jack


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## BobWarfield (Nov 16, 2008)

That came out looking extremely nice!

BW


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## tel (Nov 16, 2008)

jack404  said:
			
		

> I JUST NOTICED THE NUMBERS ON MINE !!! had it over a year but could not see it until you posted this
> 
> thanks for the tip Gail
> 
> ...



Oi Jack, if you are going to order some can you grab a black and a white for me as well?
Hope to be down to H&F before Xmas, so we'll catch up then


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## jack404 (Nov 17, 2008)

stick paint ?? no worries

cheers


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## tel (Nov 17, 2008)

Yeah mate, stick paint - that'd be like trying to find powdered unicorn horn up 'ere.


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## minerva (Nov 17, 2008)

Hi Guys,
for all you UK based members this product is sold (mail order)
by H. Walsh the jewelery materials suppliers:
 http://www.hswalsh.com/Soft_Wax_Filler_.aspx?i=TE34531&c=588
hope the info is of some use.

Regards to all

Terry


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## GailInNM (Nov 17, 2008)

Terry,
The wax fill sticks will work, but they are not as durable as the solid paint. They work the same way and look the same, but they are not as durable and may have to be redone at intervals. The solid paint cures and adheres to the base item and becomes quite resistant to getting rubbed off. I should have mentioned in my original post that the item being filled should be wiped down with alcohol or other mild solvent to promote adhesion. I have seen references to people who have used wax sticks, and even children's crayons, to fill and then over coated with a spray on clear paint, but I have never tried it myself.
Gail in NM,USA


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## shred (Nov 17, 2008)

Markal makes 'Paintstiks' that also appear to be the right thing, though I've not tried them. There may be distributors in the antipodes.


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## jack404 (Nov 17, 2008)

Here in Oz we have a place in Sydney called Graphic Art Mart,

and these guys get anything if they aint got it they'll get it

i have the red lacquer stik from them for marking red dot on safeties etc and the F for fire on rifles and such , i would hate to use a wax substance on a gun with the solvents folks use on them at times, This stuff last through hard solvents and really only is removed like other coatings etc with sand blasting ( i use cornflour as its softer)

tel 

they did say they where outta black and only had 1 white stick left but will get some in by the 11th Dec so if your here and gone before then i'll post it on to you  as usual the OZ price is triple the US price

$9.90 a stick ( $7.95 price sticker still on my red stick but thats 2 years old)

cheers  

jack


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## tel (Nov 17, 2008)

Thanks cobber, I've sort of half decided on the 12th, which might make it a bit tight. Got Dr's appointments and things on the following week, and after that the dreaded Xmas, complete with fluffy reindeer.

Price is OK considering. I expect that it will last a loooong time.


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## jack404 (Nov 17, 2008)

no worries 

like i said if it aint in when you come down i'll post it up

the red stick i have now will last me my lifetime

maybe 300 rifles so far replacing the red dot or *S* or *F* or what ever and the odd beretta logo ,  if my plans to put white in engraved grips and on my "Proudly Made In Australia" stamping works out even then it would take a awful lot of grips and stamp marks to go through one whole stick

i did use Dymark brand for years, but they stuffed up the formula when the US folks bought em out late 90's
( maybe OH&S got em, the fumes where bad before )
so now any sign of WD40 near it for the first couple of days and it can run

but the real Lacquer Stik is great, after i apply it , i hit it with a hair dryer for a few minutes and its like rock but wrap the end with glad wrap or it will dry out

i keep mine in a cigar tube with a bit of old chammois cloth ( moist ) with the end wrapped with glad wrap, saw that in a gun shop in eugene OR when i was visiting and again in AR some where ( forget )so for our neck of the woods drying out is the main worry

same folks make the trintium (SP?) paint i put on sight posts for seeing the sight post at night,  had that little bottle 30 years now!! and cant get any more ( radioactive and banned import since '86)
they make good stuff

cheers

jack


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## GailInNM (Nov 17, 2008)

Jack,
Good point that the Lacquer Stik will dry out if left in the open. I keep mine in a resealable plastic bag and have made up some caps for them out of some acrylic tube I found that is a nice tight fit. I glue in a little bit of acrylic rod in one end of the tube. The Glad wrap would have been easier and probably work better. ;D


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## kustomkb (Nov 17, 2008)

Thanks for the tip!

Best I have done till now is leave the buffing compound in there or some lame attempt with a paint pen.
I figured there was a product out there.


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## ihredo4 (Sep 21, 2009)

GailInNM  said:
			
		

> I like to keep a drill stand with my most common drills in it near the lathe and mill, but I have a hard time reading the numbers stamped on the drill stand. They are stamped in during manufacture before finishing, and then painted so there is very little contrast between the lettering and the background. To improve the contrast, I fill the stamped in numbers with Lacquer-Stik, a solid paint stick made for filling engravings. It is available from many sources at prices from about $1.70 to $3.50 a stick. To use it you have to cut off a thin slice from the end where the paint has dried and then rub in into the lettering. Just wipe off the excess with a paper towel afterwards. It takes a day or two for the paint to completely cure, but you just have to be a little careful with it and you can use it right away. The paint sticks come in a variety of colors and can be used to renew the engraving on machinery dials also.
> 
> 
> and then wiped with paper towel



An added trick for this is to get a bottle of clear fingernail polish. After cleaning off the excess paint coat each letter with the clear polish. It adds a bice little sealer to the paint and helps it to last for what seems forever


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