Hi all, I see that some of you use Lamp Black to highlight engraving. Couple questions:

1) Is this what you use:

http://www.naturalpigments.com/lamp-black.html

2) How do you apply it?

3) How easy is it to remove and what's the procedure to do so?

Thanks!

Greg

Greg, I use lamp black (from lmii.com) mixed into Renaissance wax. It only takes a very small amount of lamp black and very little wax for that matter. I haven't removed any but would think denatured alcohol or some other mild solvent would remove it if needed. I just smear on the wax/lamp black and wipe the surface with a paper towel. Additional coats can be applied if you need a bit more blackening. I haven't notice any color tint other than good flat black. You might look at the lmii.com site (Luthiers Mercantile International, Inc.) and compare. About the same size and price.

At the risk of sounding stupid (again) why wouldn't black shoe polish work? It certainly has a black dye in it and is a waxy material.

Hi
Lamp Black or carbon black is one of its many other names that has been used for hundreds of years in inks and rubber tyres and black pigment in plastics are just some of its many uses and to us gun folks it is the soot from an oil lamp used traditionally when closely fitting metal parts in a gun i.e. Barrels to action using the thickness of smoke. Now there is some speculation about Lamp Black it may be carcinogenic but the jury is still out on that subject I think and I am of the age now I don’t care.
Now the older or more traditional method of highlighting engraving was to use Indian ink which is a mixture of Lamp Black shellac and solvent which you apply to the surface quickly using a cotton wool swab and then wiping off with a cloth lightly moistened with Alcohol. Once it has dried in the engraving it is mat black adheres well and waterproof though not permanent because it is removable with Alcohol.
Black shoe polish is a wax that never dries totally hard so not a good choice for a gun because the oils in your skin will make it soften and you will more than likely at the worst case have black marks on your hands or they may just look grey.
Artist materials suppliers are a good place to purchase Indian ink and it is not costly.

Stove blackening gives a very deep black and it dries fully.

Some soot, particularly from coal is carcinogenic. That was discovered in Britain where sweeps would send boys up the chimney to clean out the soot. A lot of the kids developed testicular cancer. I think it was the first chemical carcinogen discovered. Of course, that was massive chronic exposure.

OR, you could blue(black)the parts and clean the bluing off the surface, leaving it in the engraving.
Mike