I can’t find my jar of inletting black and it seems to be unavailable online. Any suggestions for an alternate? Online suggests lipstick, but I think that may stain my stock.

Soot from acetylene flame.

They quit making it. But I used to use soot (in 1969); there has got to be a better, safer, more convenient solution.
Lighting an acetylene torch 100 times during a stock inlet procedure is a no for me.

Prussian Blue.

Prussian Blue takes very little on a toothbrush. Shows up well.

That is a good idea. Make sure you get the non drying kind; Permatex makes it.

Get a kerosene lamp. You can either use the soot directly from the lamp or collect the soot on a piece of steel and make a paste of "lampblack" from it.

Maybe Duane will comment, if I remember correctly, he makes his own.

YUCK! I used the soot method decades ago; it is messy and will fill your shop up with soot. There are better ways.

I do not think they quit making it as I got several containers this past spring from Kokopelli Products. "Track of the Wolf" used to carry it, too. It is not as low cost as it was in the past when Brownells stocked it.

I believe the last black I bought was from 4D rentals
it is still listed on the web site

can't find a listing for inletting black on brownells or miswayusa

here's what i would do, if i ever run out - take this and some petroleum jelly and mix my own

https://www.amazon.com/Pigment...98265887&sr=8-5&th=1

quote:

Originally posted by jeffeosso:
can't find a listing for inletting black on brownells or miswayusa

here's what i would do, if i ever run out - take this and some petroleum jelly and mix my own

https://www.amazon.com/Pigment...98265887&sr=8-5&th=1

You don't need inletting black (or gold) for a AR15!

Lamp black and oil is a nearly perfect nleting black...apply it as thin as you can.

Petroleum jelly is a bit too thick for precise inletting

They quit making it; no one on earth has any. Low demand. Do you know how many guys are out there inletting actual wood to metal?
Seven.
Everyone wants, and has, plastic.

I use smoke from a kero lamp running on mineral spirits (turps) with a little oil mixed in.
The main advantage is that you can see on the metal where it’s touching as well as the wood.

prussian blue

quote:

Originally posted by metal:
I use smoke from a kero lamp running on mineral spirits (turps) with a little oil mixed in.
The main advantage is that you can see on the metal where it’s touching as well as the wood.

Yep

Thank you Slivers for helping me out with the inletting black!

I know a smith that suggested a carbon paper rub to finish up precise inletting? any one tried it, I did and found it worked well.

I have some Brownells black and gold in the white cups and found it needs thinning or a rub on,rub off.

I have an old file folder with a stack of carbon paper that I’ve been using for inletting. It works great for some applications but is hard to use in the deeper recesses of a stock. BTW, my kids and grandkids had no idea what it was or how it was used. Grandkids didn’t even know what a typewriter was!