Thread: Refreshing Lettering on Scales

I use enamel paint, a fine paintbrush, and a magnifying headset. One the paint is dry I scrape off any goofs with a razor knife.

The colored wax technique works good too if you don't have the patience for the paint brush.

I have done that using a DE blade.
Must clean down in the stamps good. No oil!

With my shacky hands, the paint brush is out of the question. I will be watching for it Tom.

I have used this Oil-based Sharpie paint pen to do tang-stamps. You still have to do the DE blade thing as-finished.



The RubNbuff in silver/gold is just so much easier to me.

Hopefully, the red will work same.

I use rub and buff in gold. It comes in a small tube. You rub it in and wipe off the excess. Bought it on line at Amazon I think.

Sadly, the postals went up the other side of the road and went to eat.
Typical of these chods. Day after a holiday they cannot cope.

If you want to see bitching, google 77080 Post Office yelp reviews.
Worst in the country. For decades. Cannot be fired!

So.....Perhaps tomorrow? Our mail comes on a prayer!

Originally Posted by sharptonn

My Hobby Lobby carries only the silver and gold.
I have some ruby en-route from Ebay as well.
Takes a tiny bit. Mine is out for delivery at present.
If you would like, I will add a demo on how I like to do it tonight...
The silver is great too!

Thank you sir. I always like demos.

Originally Posted by Diboll

Thank you sir. I always like demos.

Sometimes.....It's like demolition!

I get the wax paint from Hartville hardware. The largest hardware store in America. Just so happens to be just down the street, from me.

Well, the red Rubnbuff finally came in, but earlier today, I did a CMon in silver with a red diamond using the paint-pen. Never know about the mail around here.....
Fairly-good original blued tang on a sweet 6/8.
Good cleaning, straight-pin down in the letters and diamond, scraping out any crud or old paint. Stiff brush, rubbing alcohol and a paper towel.


This tube is old and fairly dried-out. It can be rejuvenated with a few drops of mineral spirits and stirred with a toothpick, but in it's 'almost dried-out' state it really works better, I think.

So I don't squeeze it out, just reach in and get a bit on the toothpick...Not much.



Basically just keep the taper of the toothpick flat on the tang and push the stuff down into the stamps. Keep rolling the toothpick so you reapply . Push it in up and down, bring it back, do it over and over. As you are about done, wipe off the toothpick and squeegee it off, keeping it flat, wiping it off. Best to not use too much!



At the end, use the clean, opposite end of your toothpick flat to get most all of it and then wipe it flat with a hard piece of notebook paper. Anything soft will pull it out before it dries. After it dries a while you can use the fingertip and lightly rub the rest off the top.



It's a lot easier than paint for me as I can pack it in and completely fill the stamps.

So the paint pen has to be shaken good and the tip pressed repeatedly to get good color loaded on the tip. Pressing down on the tip to let the paint run down so I can get the diamond loaded..


After that dries, a DE blade flat to trim the paint at the top...



Anyway, the Rubnbuff will look as good as the stamp, I reckon. Works great in the tiny, shallow letters, but it also likes scratches and pits!
Q-tips will usually get that out. Resist the temptation to crank-down on the plastic cap. They will split and your stuff will dry-out! No substitute for the red enamel in the diamond, I think. It's just right?

In addition, doing the scales such as JB's Spike is a bit tricky.
Most hot-stamps are elevated at the edges. Takes some creative rubbing to get it off the scales sometimes.
No doubt, even if it dries on top, you can rub it out with your finger the next day

Now to give the red Rubnbuff a try...