Tinners Circumference Rule

[bigtiller]

They are made from stainless steel with etched markings filled with black paint.

The problem is that mine is stained and I would like to try to clean it to like new condition if possible. Some of the stains may be from magic markers because a lot of tinners use them for lay-outs.

The only thing I have tried is the mineral spirits in the parts washer but that had little effect.

Any ideas?

 

[mrmikey]

I think felt marker can be cut with thinners.....Mike

 

[yooper1]

Brake cleaner too

 

[Scooby074]

xylene or acetone. Try lacquer thinner or reducer.

 

[Craig Clayton]

Brake cleaner is in the Perchloroethenes (not nice ), lacquer thinner has ketones (not nice ) carb cleaner has somthing ( not nice ) . They all work great with lots of fresh air.
Craig Clayton

 

[MikeD74T]

Don't magic markers use alcohol as a carrier? MikeD74t

 

[dmccarty]

I would try alcohol first then try brake cleaner. Why? Well alcohol is not as icky and I have it handy.

I keep the cheapest alcohol we can find in a spray bottle that is kept in the back of the truck. It is a cheap deicer when there is ice/frost on the truck windows. :thumbsup:

If alcohol did not work then it would be the brake cleaner but I wear gloves with that stuff. NASTY it is. Let us know what takes off the marks.

Later,
Dan

 

[MarkV]

The product "Goof Off" works well with makers.

MarkV

 

[Argosy]

I use Sharpie markers for laying out. Acetone will clean it off with no problem.

 

[Scooby074]

The product "Goof Off" works well with makers.

MarkV

Sure does, Its essentially Xylene.

 

[bigtiller]

Okay men, here is what I tried. Parts cleaner, paint thinner, acetone, brake cleaner, rubbing alcohol gasoline and even soap and water. Nothing worked. I think the stains are something other than magic markers and sharpies but I have no idea what they are other than just old age and some rust maybe.

What I finally did was run some 400 sand paper over it with my palm sander and that worked very well but there is still room for improvement.

I guess it is good enough to be used for wall art as a remembrance, you see, it was my dads. He gave it to me this past September and then passed away 3 weeks later.

 

[dmccarty]

Could it be oil stained?

Later,
Dan

 

[bigtiller]

Could it be oil stained?

Later,
Dan

He worked with galvanized nearly all the time. Is there an oil film on galvanized sheet metal? It's been 17 years since he sold his shop and I just don't remember. Or could the stains be some of the galvanize rubbing off and mixing with oil, dirt or sweat?

 

[CurlyDave]

Find someone who reloads and put it in his cartridge cleaning vibrator.

That will vibrate it with walnut shell cleaning media. Cartridge brass comes out nice and clean and shiny.

 

[SPYDERLK]

Try Brillo steel wool soap pads.
larry

 

[bigtiller]

Find someone who reloads and put it in his cartridge cleaning vibrator.

That will vibrate it with walnut shell cleaning media. Cartridge brass comes out nice and clean and shiny.

That is an excellent idea AND I have one but the ruler is 48 inches long.

 

[CurlyDave]

I have never seen one of these, but the "circumference" in its name suggests it is quite flexible. With some small nails placed properly on a piece of plywood, I bet you could hold it in a spiral that would fit in the cartridge cleaner...

 

[bigtiller]

I have never seen one of these, but the "circumference" in its name suggests it is quite flexible. With some small nails placed properly on a piece of plywood, I bet you could hold it in a spiral that would fit in the cartridge cleaner...

Well, no, there not that flexible. A 48 inch one can bend down to about a 24 inch wide "U" shape but the ends won't come back on their self to make a circle.

The etchings on each side are in inches by 16's on top and the bottom corresponding numbers equal the top numbers circumference. Say you want to lay out a 9 inch circle, you would drop down from 9 inches on the top of the rule to the bottom of the rule to find it's circumference where you will find the reading of 28.3 inches.