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original topic: indented part number reading trick I stumbled on...


Hiyas.

so I was trying to read a part number on a 'parking brake lever' that goes into the rear drum on my '65 c10...

This piece of metal is all dark and rusted of course, so I figured I would clean it up a bit to see if I could make it easier to read the part number.

So, I took some of that Bon Ami(white dishwashing powder scrubbing stuff) and sprinkled some onto the side of the part with the number I wanted to read alogn with some water and scrubbed it some.

I rinsed it off with some water and decided to scrub some more with the Bon Ami, so I sprinkled some more on there and scrubbed a bit. Before I rinsed the part with water again I wiped across the area with the number I was trying to read... and the Bon Ami had filled up the indented part number. The white Bon Ami against the dark rust gave a great contrast and made it very easy to read the part number.

I'm sure other folks have stumbled on this before, but I thought I'd share anyway.

-W

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Ok people - some folks added some suggestions on reading indented part numbers on rusty truck parts... are you holding any good tips?

Let us know.

-W

Thanks for sharing the tip. Even if I had known about the contrast thing beforehand, I always seem to forget such things when the time comes to actually apply such knowledge. Must be one of those "old timer" things that I have heard so much about.

Hey, that's a cool trick you stumbled upon Woog'! For a minute there I thought you were going to say you got out your paper and a crayon and did a relief rub, like people do with old tombstones. Come to think of it, that would probably work, too. Thanks for the tip.

We used to rub chalk into the timing marks and wipe off the excess so the degree marks would show up. They showed up real well when using the timinglight. The method works good for part numbers and maximum drum widths on old rusty brake drums, etc.

53 GMConceived :

Ah. chalk... that is a good tip there.

Thanks

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3 girls' dad :

a relief rub, I bet that would work and come in handy in a lot of situations...

Since stumbling on this Bon Ami trick, I have pondered using a crayon, or using a bar of soap like a crayon.

-W

I needed the part # off my generator to determine whether it was 6 or 12 volt. I could not read it because it is so far down in there. I took a picture of it with my digital camera. This way I could enlarge it to any size I want. Worked great.

I use chalk or a crayon rub.

i get a kid ,, one with gud eyes... and say hey can you read that..??? theyll bust they butt... just like i did for my old man... heheh i didnt know the old men were laughin at me for crawlin around in the dirt doin sumthin they didnt wanna do...hehehe

Another trick for photographing ID numbers in hard-to-reach places is to use an off-camera flash on your camera (either with a cord, or a pricy remote trigger). That way you can light the number from the side, and that makes the number stand out due to the shadows.

any more tips folks ?

Mrs. Peg has sucked me into typing this up as a tech article so I thought I'd see if anyone wanted to add more to the pot.



-W

I use; old eyes and my glasses are always somewhere else, what we call liquid paper or typex. It's the same as chalking it, but it lasts a bit longer. In the army we used white paint for the serial number of our personal weapon. One way of staying on the base during the weekend, was being found with the wrong weapon in your hand.
Sanding it, will sometimes work well too, shiny surface with rusty numbers. I bought a punch set to mark parts I take off when there could be any doubt when putting them back, but be sure you don't wreck them in the process.
To keep them visible, like a frame number, that has to be checked for yearly inspection ( in Holland ) I filled it in with paint and covered it with some layers of “varnish”, but sometimes they don’t believe that and clean it up to make sure it’s the right number.
What I heard about, but never tried it. A strong acid will eat away the steel around the numbers faster than the numbers it self, were the steel is a bit more dense from the punch. Clean well after trying this, acid will keep eating it and you might loose that part.

Sometimes I'll spit on the part number, and wipe it with my finger... doesnt always work, especially on real rusty and dirty parts, but more often than not, i can figure it out.

I was finally able to read my block numbers by holding a flashlight from an angle while simultaneously spraying the area with Gunk. The numbers would just stand out. As soon as I stopped spraying, I could no longer see the numbers.

That's new to me, got to try it out. You did it in normal day light ?

I use welders soap stone,works great !!!!

bowtietim,

welders soap stone... ya rub it on it, then it fills in the part number and creates a contrast so that you can read it, or what?

I don't know what welders soap stone is, so I'm jsut looking for a little clarification to add to the tech tip.

-W

the edited & condensed version of this thread:


Tricks and Tips for reading indented part numbers.


# 1

Use some Bon Ami(white dishwashing powder scrubbing stuff) or another brand and sprinkle some onto the side of the part with the number that you need to read.

Scrub it some and rinse it out good, get the gunk off of it to get at the number. Then you can sprinkle some more of the white powder on there, then wipe across with a rag or your finger, use your discretion, then the Bon Ami fills in the indented space. The white powder against the rusted part or whatever the background is, shows up better and makes it easier to read.

# 2

Do a relief rub, like people do with old Tombstones.

Take some paper, something kinda of thin, and a crayon. Lay the paper against the part number and lightly scribble back and forth across the paper. The part number should show up with the crayon marking around it.

# 3

Using chalk to fill in the part number.

Rub chalk into the timing marks or part number and wipe off the excess so the degree marks/numbers will show up. They show up real well when using the timing light. This method works good for part numbers and maximum drum widths on old rusty brake drums, etc.


# 4

Using a digital camera and a digital image manipulation/editing program

You can take a picture of the part number with a digital camera. Stick it on your computer and then blow up the picture with software to the size you want.

Another trick for photographing ID numbers in hard-to-reach places is to use an off-camera flash on your camera (either with a cord, or a pricy remote trigger). That way you can light the number from the side, and that makes the number stand out due to the shadows.

# 5

Liquid paints or other coatings.

A Type – o fluid such as liquid paper or typex. It is the same as chalking it, but it lasts a bit longer. You can used white paint for the numbers


# 6

Sanding the part, will sometimes work well too. This creates a shiny surface with rusty numbers. The contrast helps you be able to better read the numbers.


# 7

You can spit on the part number, and wipe it with your finger(use discretion). This does not always work, especially on real rusty and dirty parts, but sometimes it works.


# 8

A strong acid will eat away the steel around the numbers faster than the numbers it self, where the steel is a bit more dense from the punch. Clean the entire part very well after trying this, as the acid will keep eating the metal away and you might loose that part.



# 9

Keeping the part numbers visible.

To keep them visible, like a frame number, that has to be checked for yearly inspection ( in some places) you can fill in the number with paint and cover it with some layers of “varnish” or a clear coat of some kind.


# 10

You can spray the numbers by holding a flashlight from an angle while simultaneously spraying the area with Gunk. The numbers will stand out. When you stop spraying, you likely will not be able to see the numbers anymore. This method was used with success on reading the block numbers on an engine.

Writers note: Gunk is a brand name of greasy parts and hands cleaning stuff, which comes in sprays, gels and creams; check your parts store.


# 11
You can rub welders soap stone across casting numbers, helps to see see the numbers.

Woogeroo,
welders soapstone is just a way to mark were you have to cut or weld, is a limestone product that's a bit sticky, tailors use the same stuff, or I should say used to, it's slowly disappearing
of the market.

Go to Lowe's, Home Depot, National Welders or someplace like Tractor Supply or any metal working shop and they have them. Around here we refer to them as soap pencils. They are either round or flat in a metal case. Here is a link to a soapstone: http://208.178.227.196/cgi-bin/nw/WService=nw/prodbrws.html?id=614104

Drew