Hi,
(Need info material coding does anybody use paint to mark different grades of steels?)
I was reading Tubal Cain's Model Engineer's Handbook last night and then I remembered seeing this post a while back. He suggests the following code.
Some colors are used twice or thrice; in such cases the metals are dissimilar enough not to cause confusion.
No color: Aluminum, Mild steel
Yellow: Free-cutting mild steel, Copper
Red: Common brass, Stainless steel
Red/black stripe: Cast brass
Red/yellow stripe: Free-cutting stainless steel
Blue: Carbon tool steel (silver steel / drill rod), German silver, Cast gunmetal
Green: Phosphor bronze
Green/black stripe: Cast Phosphor bronze
Black: 70/30 brass, Cast iron
Black/white stripe: Aluminum alloy (spec stamped on end)
White: Hex bar of nut size, brass or steel
Bars are painted at each end and in the middle. Special materials are coded black/white and wrapped & labeled.
I am thinking of adopting this sceme. The 14 ml mini paint cans that plastic model builders use might be a convenient size and they are quick drying. The two nearest supermarkets 5 mins away both stock the mini paint cans from Revell.
Cheers,
Jari
(Got some pictures now so my intro post can't be too far away :-)