I need to bandsaw some relatively small pieces from walnut. Using a regular black lead pencil is not “cutting it”. I can’t see the line, especially, running with the long grain.
Any suggestions on creating a line I can see, while being able to get rid of the line later?
JET
Replies
colored pencil of your choice. If you are using a sliding saw or table saw, there is no need to draw a line. For scribing you can always run some masking tape and draw the line on that.
Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
Nope. But I always cut sample/test cuts on scrap. If they're correct on scrap (on alien specices that can or cannot be marked well), they will be correct on your poorly marked walnut.
Routs Walnut.
A white colored pencil.
View Image
Thanks all. The white pencil makes sense; wasn't sure about any residue that was left.
I use masking tape and a regular pencil.Regards, Scooter "I may be drunk, but you're crazy, and I'll be sober tomorrow." WC Fields, "Its a Gift" 1934
Like Samson says, a white pencil. I found mine at a art-supplies store. Be sure the pencil is a true pencil, not a grease pencil. Light-colored grease pencils are used to write on metal, I think, and have a high wax or oil content. They don't erase, like a real pencil does.
I use a # 1 pencil that leaves a slight indentation.The rub white chalk onto that and blow away the excess. Leaves a sharp thin line.Sometimes I need to rechalk as I cut , I keep the chalk near by.A blast of air will clean the line up when your done.
mike
A knife cut, filled with white chalk, erased from the surface to remain in the cut. Since this is a cut line, you are cutting off half of the cut to begin with, so the cut doesn't figure in the final object anyway. Pencil marks are very imprecise compared to a knife cut.
Either a white or yellow pencil crayon out of the school supplies box will serve you well.
Chris @ www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com
- Success is not the key to happines. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
As Mike 4244 says chalk in a scribed line. I like a knifed line with chalk rubbed into it.
If using the white pencil sharpen to chisel tip shape makes it last a little longer between sharpening the pencil. Magnification helps a lot to see regular scribed or black pencil lines if you are in a hurry.
A whole other way to go about it is shown in Jim Kingshot's video. He rubs chalk on the end of a board to mark for dovetails then scribes into chalk to make nice dark lines.
Edited 12/2/2008 12:19 am by roc
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled