Battle of the Marking Fluids: Dykem v New Kid on the Block

Like many machinists and metal workers I have been using Dykem Marking Fluid for years.

My very good friend and co YouTube creator Dimitris who runs the JimmysCanal channel has spent a long time developing his own marking fluid. Why? Because Dykem is unavailable or exorbitant in his native Greece. He sent me a sample of his fluid a few weeks ago and I promised to try it on my projects.
I decided to make this video for two reasons.
1. To do a comparison between his, ARC Marking Fluid and Dykem
2. If it was good enough I thought it was a brilliant way to help a fellow creator and machinist to raise a little cash.

He doesn't want to use Patreon or partnerships. He just creates and invents. So maybe my fellow machinists and metalworkers might see this as a good way of supporting a colleague.

NB. In the first instance this fluid will only be available in the UK and in Greece as it is very difficult to ship flammable liquids internationally. Secondly, it is not available yet. We are waiting to see what the level of support will be. If you are interested, please leave a comment here or on the JimmysCanal channel. If we get a few takers we will find of way to take payment and ship to you. Thank you so much for watching and we really look forward to your support. Finally, I am not getting paid for this. All profits will go to JimmysCanal to support his amazing work.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bKAk_fmksQ

I'd be more interested in seeing how to make it, for other countries

The real question is will it cost less than inkjet printer ink? I'm sure a healthy profit could be made at 50% the cost of Dykem.

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Originally Posted by desbromilow

I'd be more interested in seeing how to make it, for other countries

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Hi, I totally get that. for the time being I am trying to help a friend who has spent a lot of time developing this for whom a few extra bucks could make a big difference.
Knowing him however, I am sure he will be happy to publish the formula in due course. Thanks for the interest though.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by nova_robotics

The real question is will it cost less than inkjet printer ink? I'm sure a healthy profit could be made at 50% the cost of Dykem.

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Thanks for that. Dykem I am sure have massive economy of scale in what they do. When you are doing it like this, the margins are really not that great. We still have to work out how much exactly it will cost me to make in the UK where costs are far higher than Greece.

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Originally Posted by ducksface

So, we do blatant advertising of unavailable unproven goods?

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It suits me. I look at it like I am being shown something interesting and that is why I am on this forum. So my thanks to Anthony. I would order some but I am in Spain so out of the supply zones.

Thank you Tonyfoale. Appreciate your words. I hope maybe one day we will find a way to ship more widely in Europe at least.

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Originally Posted by anthonyget

Thank you Tonyfoale. Appreciate your words. I hope maybe one day we will find a way to ship more widely in Europe at least.

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In non-virus times we would expect a few visits a year from relatives in England and it would be easy for them to bring some but one day we will be back to normal.

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Originally Posted by tonyfoale

In non-virus times we would expect a few visits a year from relatives in England and it would be easy for them to bring some but one day we will be back to normal.

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I know. It is a sad state of affairs but maybe things are looking up. Let's hope. Take care.

Hi Anthony. This looks interesting. I live in the U.K. and would like to give it a try. Please let me know when/if this becomes available.

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Originally Posted by gumser

Hi Anthony. This looks interesting. I live in the U.K. and would like to give it a try. Please let me know when/if this becomes available.

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Hi Gumser, thanks so much for that. I am keeping a record of those who shown interest. are you on Facebook by any chance? if so could you leave me a message through my Facebook page? https://www.facebook.com/Dadsinhiswo...00767221636047
If not, please send me a private message on this forum and I'll give you details of when how etc. Thanks so much.

-Not intending to interfere with anyone's prosperous future,
I'm merely pulling out a few of my acquired DIY tips from 60 deg N (where stuff like layout dye is expensive if found):

DIY-kem: Starting with any cheap 1/4 Litre can of shellac lacquer/ varnish
(used for sealing knots in wood from bleeding resin up here),
adding a teaspoon-ish of (very finely ground) Prussian Blue dry pigment in a smallish bag from an artist's store.
Dilute with methylated spirits 'til thin enuff to suit your purpose, add more pigment if too thin.
Sticks to nearly anything w/o manic cleaning. Clean off by rag/ towel with methylated spirit.
Could even be visible after stick-welding the piece.

-For the Purist, orthodox DIY-ers, here's the Original's MSDS:

Attachment 38359

(-Personally, I think the Butyl Acetate is mainly for the fruity smell, 2ndly for dilution...
Ability to source and read an MSDS could also be Your Golden Pathway to Cheapness!)

Copper Sulphate solution (as per TubalCain Tip # 273):
1 oz of Copper Sulphate (from the paint store - used for wood preservation/ anti-fungus/ anti-algae etc
4 oz of clean water (de-ionized battery water or free from the househoild dehumidifier).

Add the CuSO4 to the 60 deg C hot water, stir until dissolved, let cool.
Add 10-ish drops of battery acid (coveralls, gloves, face mask on!).

Apply with brush, works ONLY on ferrous metals, and they have to be darn clean and degreased before application.
Nice easy-to-see copper finish, remove by sand paper/ emery. Sticks thru welding too...

Two freebie cents.
Johan

[QUOTE=DIYSwede;175084]-Not intending to interfere with anyone's prosperous future,

Johan, I am puzzled why you felt the need to post this message. I find it odd. I am sure that many people on this forum know there are alternatives to Dykem. A felt tip pen is one for instance. But as you know they all have their disadvantages.
I think the reason this has irked me is the crack about anyone's prosperous future, then outlining various formulae to make blue.

instead of any form of ambition to prosperity, if you watched the video in full, you would have understood that I am trying to support not only friend, contributor to this forum but very talented man who lives on a monthly wage that no Swede or Brit has to endure and still does what he does.
This is not a commercial venture but a simple project that, not only validates the high quality product he has produced, but might help him financially through these tough times.
However, as ever, I am sure there are those who would rather save $5 rather than help out.
Forgive me if I sound terse, but this got to me.

[QUOTE=anthonyget;175091]

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Originally Posted by DIYSwede

-Not intending to interfere with anyone's prosperous future,

Johan, I am puzzled why you felt the need to post this message. I find it odd. //Snip//
I think the reason this has irked me is the crack about anyone's prosperous future, then outlining various formulae to make blue.

instead of any form of ambition to prosperity, if you watched the video in full, you would have understood that I am trying to support not only friend, contributor to this forum but very talented man who lives on a monthly wage that no Swede or Brit has to endure and still does what he does.
This is not a commercial venture but a simple project that, not only validates the high quality product he has produced, but might help him financially through these tough times.
However, as ever, I am sure there are those who would rather save $5 rather than help out.
Forgive me if I sound terse, but this got to me.

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-Nick - thanks for your reply, and my offending sentence was an (apparently failed) attempt at irony:
I do and did not for an instance assume anybody could make a fortune in selling layout dye to hobby machinists, OK?

Then - as this is a DIY forum: sharing a few quickie marking dye recipies for the interested,
apparently lacking members outside your intended supply lines was perhaps "smearing your thread" for which I plead guilty.
I'm sorry about that. I won't repeat it.

However - could your own assumptions of my person, my intentions and actions above be an example of the:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fundam...ribution_error ?

-As I'm being a Swedish DIYer and outside the supply line, I'm unhelpful to a fellow machinist in dire straits,
as I "rather save $5 rather than help out"?
Pardon me, but I don't buy that sort of logic.

Cheers
Johan

I moved 5 posts from this thread into a new thread in the Site Suggestions and Help subforum, to clean up this discussion. Meta-discussions about this thread can be placed in there.

To reiterate: this thread is allowed, along the same lines that we allow Kickstarter inventors to post about their projects on the forum within reason.

Thank you Jon. I genuinely didn't mean to cause a fuss.

A classic proof (if it were needed) of the old adage that "no good deed ever goes unpunished".

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Originally Posted by gumser

A classic proof (if it were needed) of the old adage that "no good deed ever goes unpunished".

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There has been more support than dissent so I am happy about that.

In Greece all machinists produce by own this fluid (aniline paint) that can be made at vary colors according the color of aniline paint that would be used. It is a simple formula and easy to make from everyone using simple materials that exists all over the world.
Formula
400ml alcohol
50~60ml shellac
18~20ml aniline
And good shake until thin all shellac.

Attachment 38425

Attachment 38426

Attachment 38427

-Umm - Personally, I'd stay away from aniline due to its well-known acute toxicity,
where desired poisoning can take place from any (or all) preferred method of these (Caution: Irony!):
1) Swallowing,
2) Breathing its vapor/ fumes, or thru
3) Skin absorption:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anilin...gy_and_testing

Attachment 38428
From https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Aniline

Thanks for the recipe, but I'll stick to Prussian Blue dry pigment: Iron(III)ferrocyanide ("not hazardous", even per OSHA),
but then I guess I'm a wimp for not digging Benzene rings lying around in my home shop.
https://www.chemblink.com/MSDS/MSDSF...ma-Aldrich.pdf

2 cents

Johan

Flammables and corrosives are a problem even in the same country, but it is manageable with the right carrier and the correct packaging, at least in EU as there are no customs that could be a source of problems.