Anyone out there use Dykem to mark cases?

[BigK]

They may be easier (not sure, haven't tried yet), but I'm not sure Sharpies are actually cheaper. The big ol fat ones with a nice chisel point are around $4 each.

Right now you can get a 32 oz jug of red or blue layout fluid from ENCO (http://www.use-enco....?PMK0NO=1308767) for only $10.29 (online price). Plus, there's a coupon code (NCCMAR) on RetailMeNot.com which gets you free shipping on a $25 order.

I haven't tried it yet, but I just put in an order to Enco for a 32 oz jug of each color and a 2 oz bottle of each (just to get the nice felt tip applicators and refillable bottles). It came out to just under $28 total.

For that price I could get 7 or 8 big sharpies and there's no way they'd outlast 64 oz of Dykem.

I hope it works out, will let you know how it holds up from tumbling to shooting.

BigK

[Lumber_Jack]

I'm interested to see how this works out. I'm sure it will work, I just want to see how efficient the application is and what the results look like.

Are you going to dye the whole base of the casing?

[DaveTN]

I have absolutely nothing to add to this, but I’m a Toolmaker by trade and have used a lot of Dykem so the thread caught my eye and I have a question. I’m not a reloader, so just curious as to why you are marking the casings?

[SonnyCrockett]

i use Sharpies,but Dykem is bright blue so its easier on the eyes.......

[mikegideon]

I have absolutely nothing to add to this, but I’m a Toolmaker by trade and have used a lot of Dykem so the thread caught my eye and I have a question. I’m not a reloader, so just curious as to why you are marking the casings?

I don't mark my cases. If I did, it would be to identify different recipes. The beauty of reloading... you can bend 'em any way you want, as long as you stay within the pressure limits.

[USMCJG]

I have absolutely nothing to add to this, but I’m a Toolmaker by trade and have used a lot of Dykem so the thread caught my eye and I have a question. I’m not a reloader, so just curious as to why you are marking the casings?

I can't speak for BigK, but I mark mine when I form cases from one caliber to another. For instance, I load for .260 and sometimes I form .260 cases from .243, 7mm-08, or .308 cases. Marking them keeps confusion to a minimum, especially since I also load for .308. I have always used Sharpies but I am curious to see how the Dykem works out.

[Lumber_Jack]

When shooting amoung multiple people who may be saving their brass, it can alow you to identify yours vs theirs. And as stated you can mark different recipes of the same load. It's not a big issue, just something some guys like to do.

[DaveTN]

Okay, thanks you guys. I just thought it might have something to do with making for the sizing process. It’s just for marking… got it.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

I've never used layout fluid and dunno nothin about machining. Read about the stuff trying to learn a little bit about machining. Is it a thin lacquer as sharpies appear to be? In the old days sharpies were sometimes called lacquer pens.

Does it smell like alcohol or does it have more an acetone or petroleum distillate smell? Presumably layout fluid stays put pretty good, or kerosene and such used for machining coolant/lube would wash it off? How difficult is it to remove when you want it gone? Is there a recommended solvent that easily wipes off the marker fluid? Acetone seems as good as any to remove sharpie marks, assuming the sharpie ain't on a plastic which acetone wants to melt.

Come to think about it, wonder if sharpie formulation is the same as in the past? Wonder if sharpies have been adjusted (like so many other previously useful chemicals) to no longer cause cancer and better-please california authorities? Long ago sharpie marks seemed pretty durable, but I was sharpie-marking some metal the other week and it seemed pretty easy to rub off. I just test-sniffed one which still smells vaguely petroleum-based.

[DaveTN]

I've never used layout fluid and dunno nothin about machining. Read about the stuff trying to learn a little bit about machining. Is it a thin lacquer as sharpies appear to be? In the old days sharpies were sometimes called lacquer pens.

Does it smell like alcohol or does it have more an acetone or petroleum distillate smell? Presumably layout fluid stays put pretty good, or kerosene and such used for machining coolant/lube would wash it off? How difficult is it to remove when you want it gone? Is there a recommended solvent that easily wipes off the marker fluid? Acetone seems as good as any to remove sharpie marks, assuming the sharpie ain't on a plastic which acetone wants to melt.

Come to think about it, wonder if sharpie formulation is the same as in the past? Wonder if sharpies have been adjusted (like so many other previously useful chemicals) to no longer cause cancer and better-please california authorities? Long ago sharpie marks seemed pretty durable, but I was sharpie-marking some metal the other week and it seemed pretty easy to rub off. I just test-sniffed one which still smells vaguely petroleum-based.

Dykem (layout dye) wipes off easily with alcohol or just about anything else. It’s not really meant to stay on during the machining process.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Dykem (layout dye) wipes off easily with alcohol or just about anything else. It’s not really meant to stay on during the machining process.

Thanks very much, Dave!

[BigK]

Dykem (layout dye) wipes off easily with alcohol or just about anything else. It’s not really meant to stay on during the machining process.

Are you serious? I was told this stuff will stay put even during a tumbling or 2.

Should I have gotten the transparent stain instead?

[BigK]

I was hoping to stain my 9X18 rounds red and my 9X19 rounds blue to distinguish them easily and to help me find all MY brass at the public range.

I intended to use a slow cordless drill with a bore mop chucked in place to pick up the shells and turn them while a put a stripe near and in the rim.

[DaveTN]

Are you serious? I was told this stuff will stay put even during a tumbling or 2.

Should I have gotten the transparent stain instead?

Dykem is used to highlight scribe marks for layout (that’s why I was wondering if you were using it to test sizing dies or something). It wipes right off with alcohol or acetone. I doubt it will stay on if you tumble it in abrasive media, but it might leave a stain. (I’m not familiar with your tumbling media). If I was going to spin something and put a ring on it I would try a paint pen. But that could be kind of thick.

[BigK]

Dykem is used to highlight scribe marks for layout (that’s why I was wondering if you were using it to test sizing dies or something). It wipes right off with alcohol or acetone. I doubt it will stay on if you tumble it in abrasive media, but it might leave a stain. (I’m not familiar with your tumbling media). If I was going to spin something and put a ring on it I would try a paint pen. But that could be kind of thick.

I looked at the Dykem High Heat markers, but they are enamel. That would add thickness like you said.

The layout fluid was half the price of the stain, so I got cheap and went with that route. Maybe I can change my order, we'll see.

[DaveTN]

I looked at the Dykem High Heat markers, but they are enamel. That would add thickness like you said.

The layout fluid was half the price of the stain, so I got cheap and went with that route. Maybe I can change my order, we'll see.

You could buy a small bottle and see what happens when it goes through your case cleaning process. A 32 OZ bottle of dykem would mark more casings than you could load in your lifetime. Unless you are drinking it while you reload.

[BigK]

Yeah, I'm starting to realize that ONE 32oz bottle would be too much....I ordered TWO, one red and one blue.

I may be giving away free samples in the near future, LOL.

[gsbell]

Kevin

I tried a green dykem dauber once on the headstamp and felt like it was to thick and would imped proper function and or buildup on the breechface. Plus I gave up on the idea of marking my brass as i'm usually too busy to pick brass at matches. Maybe the traditional red-blue is thinner and will work better for you.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Got curious and googled the other day to see if brass could be easily non-destructive chemical etched or anodized to a useful color. Because so many copper compounds are beautiful greens and blues, was wondering if maybe something like a quick sulfuric acid dip then a neutralizing dip might color up the cartridge without damaging it. Or maybe a quick anodize would impart color.

But nothing obvious turned up. Apparently copper and brass are not usually good anodizing candidates, and it looked like many of the colorful copper compounds are neither hard nor durable. Just wanted to mention it to possibly save someone else a non-productive wild-google chase.

Otherwise it might be neat if one could process all the brass with hard durable oxide coatings in the wide variety of attractive colors such as can be imparted to anodized aluminum. I'm tacky enough that it would be kewl to have candy-apple-red or midnight-blue shiny brass.

Edited March 27, 2012 by Lester Weevils

[Caster]

When I absolutely HAVE to have MY brass back, I will color the head stamp with a black sharpie. Auto's only obviously.

[Caster]

Dang, double post! Sorry.

Edited March 27, 2012 by Caster

[BigK]

I emailed Enco, the company I bought it from. One of their technical people and I emailed back and forth all week. He seemed to think it'd work, but he emailed an engineer over at ITW, the parent company that makes Dykem. The engineer said if I clean the brass well first with alcohol, it should actually penetrate the brass and stay on until I remove it with alcohol.

Being lazy, I dumped 100 pieces of brass into a gallon Ziploc bag and shook them up with a couple ounces of red Dykem. There were spots where the brass was obviously greasy, but otherwise the dye soaked in very well. I'm going to load them this week, shoot them next weekend, and give them a tumble in some corn cob to see what happens. I'll let you know.

Edited April 2, 2012 by BigK

[MarkInNashville]

I emailed Enco, the company I bought it from. One of their technical people and I emailed back and forth all week. He seemed to think it'd work, but he emailed an engineer over at ITW, the parent company that makes Dykem. The engineer said if I clean the brass well first with alcohol, it should actually penetrate the brass and stay on until I remove it with alcohol.

Being lazy, I dumped 100 pieces of brass into a gallon Ziploc bag and shook them up with a couple ounces of red Dykem. There were spots where the brass was obviously greasy, but otherwise the dye soaked in very well. I'm going to load them this week, shoot them next weekend, and give them a tumble in some corn cob to see what happens. I'll let you know.

Thats a cool and great idea! Can you feel it one the cases? Would heating it help it to adhear any better?

[BigK]

No idea if heat would help, but it feels like magic marker ink. There's no noticeable thickness added and it stays on good enough that I can't scratch it off with a fingernail.

[netmindr]

Looks like a zombie attack all over your brass.