Engineers blue

**janochek** · Mar 6, 2014, 04:54 AM

Hi guys, I'm having a bit of a problem here, I need to buy or to make engineers blue, the stuff you use in scraping, checking out high spots on your surfaces. I spend hours and hours on google, ebay etc, trying to find an online shop who sells the stuff, nothing... Some time ago I've tried to make my own, mixing clear grease and blue chalkpowder, didn't work. Anybody any idea's?

**lancem** · Mar 10, 2014, 05:29 PM

What you are looking for is called layout fluid, a typical brand name is Dykem, McMaster-Carr

Two 8 FL oz of Dykem Layout Fluid Blue 0 214 | eBay

**janochek** · Mar 11, 2014, 01:18 AM

Thanks for the reply Iancem, but layout fluid is a color coating used for scribing fine lines, marking lines where to cut or file. It dryes very fast like the ink in a marker. What I am looking for may not dry out, you put it on a very flat surface (surface plate) and glide the piece you want to make flat over it, any high spots will be stained with some blue, this is where you need to scrape off a little bit of material. Repeat this untill the whole area is coated with blue, then your piece will be flat. But thanks anyway for the reply.

**lancem** · Mar 11, 2014, 09:14 AM

OK what you want then is prussian blue

Dykem 83307 Layout Fluid Hi Spot Blue 0 55 Oz | eBay

Permatex Prussian Blue Non Drying 3 4oz 80038 35V | eBay

**janochek** · Mar 11, 2014, 10:52 PM

That's it, how the hell did you find it? I have searched and searched on ebay, with all kind of combinations and words, they did not show me these. The last one is of very very high quality, will order 5 tubes at ones. Many many thanks man, you've earned your place in heaven.

**lancem** · Mar 11, 2014, 11:00 PM

Ha, just knew what it was called, once I understood what you were looking for the rest was easy

Been using these tools for a long time.

**kess** · Feb 13, 2021, 05:12 AM

You can make it using (the blue fluid)
400ml alcohol
18~20ml aniline paint (or you can use any anilline paint color)
50~60 ml shellac
and a good shake
until thin all shellac.

**Claudio HG** · Feb 13, 2021, 03:30 PM

Originally Posted by kess

You can make it using (the blue fluid)
400ml alcohol
18~20ml aniline paint (or you can use any anilline paint color)
50~60 ml shellac
and a good shake
until thin all shellac.

This is not what the OP was looking for. Engineers' blue is the color used to enhance high spots when scraping flat parts. It must not dry fast, it must be easy to clean up, it must be easy to see, it must be very fine to spread a very thin layer on the surface plate. This is accomplished by Prussian Blue or any color of your preference that is based upon linsed oil, essentially the colors used by artists for oil paintings.
I use ultradeep blue and red magenta because I see it better. It drys in 24 hours (less in hot climate) or just never dry out if the color is home made using dry pigments and mineral oil (in minute amount). And it can be easily cleaned up using mineral oil and then (after the color is removed with paper towels) >90% ethyl alcohol (just spraying the surface to clean up).