Correct use of marking knife

[ajbell]

Thanks for the responses

I thought it was too simple a question to even bother posting,
but I am really glad I did now.

I did not have the benefit of learning such skills at school but I am sure
if 7 year olds can learn the skill then so can I!

My next question will be "how do I hold a chisel correctly?" but I will leave that for another day!

I am off to practice!

Thanks

andy

 

[Alf]

Just to throw some more grist into the mill, you might find a couple of the articles on Jeff Gorman's site helpful/of interest.

 

[ajbell]

Alf

Thanks - looks like a good site.

I still have that hand saw you sold me about 4 years ago
I hope to put it into action on a few projects this spring.
So maybe my next question will be "how to use a tenon saw"

All the best

andy

 

[ajbell]

Ok

I looked at Jeff Gorman's site and he appears to use a single bevel knife with the bevel edge adjacent to the blade of the square! NOT the flat back of the knife next to the square.

I think I will just accept that there are many possible ways to strike a line and see what works best for me.

andy

 

[Vann]

Marking knife for cut edges, bevel to the waste side: i.e. tenon shoulders.
Double pinned Marking guage for tenon and mortice widths.
Single pinned Marking guage for trenching depths: i.e. hinges and groove depths in door lining heads.
Cutting guage for repetative across grain marking of cut lines that might also be done with a marking knife: i.e. shoulder lines of dovetails.

and...
Pencil for taking lunch orders - Mr Grimsdale please note !! :roll:

Cheers, Vann.

 

[mr grimsdale]

Marking knife for cut edges, bevel to the waste side: i.e. tenon shoulders.
Double pinned Marking guage for tenon and mortice widths.
Single pinned Marking guage for trenching depths: i.e. hinges and groove depths in door lining heads.
Cutting guage for repetative across grain marking of cut lines that might also be done with a marking knife: i.e. shoulder lines of dovetails.

and...
Pencil for taking lunch orders - Mr Grimsdale please note !! :roll:

Cheers, Vann.

I work from rods, making multiples (wherever possible - that's the plan!) so marking up (taking marks from a rod up the side of a stacked set of rails etc) with a knife is totally impractical. Pencil is the best option. But then I'd pick out with a knife those edges which benefit from knife cut - dovetail shoulders and some tenon shoulders etc.
So I'm not literally 'marking up' with a knife at all, but may be using one to make a preliminary cut at certain points.
Otherwise much the same as JoinerySolutions procedure as above.

I'd recommend this as a practical and speedy system. No need to cut with a knife where no cut is needed.
To our OP I'd recommend a lot of knife practice on some scrap. Try cutting lines 1mm apart and all round a bit of 2x4. Keep going until you get it spot on every time!

PPS Part of the attraction of marking knives is the sheer tom-toolery of shiny, sharp, sexy bevels, cocobolo handles, brass ferrules etc. Boring old pencils just can't compete - kids can use them, you can write your lunch order with them!
Also there is the precision of a knife cut. But precision and accuracy are not the same thing at all.

 

[JoinerySolutions]

Just a foot note to what I wrote earlier, the only tool I use other than a pencil when marking/setting out for machining is a mortice guage. This is used to gauge both mortice and tenon positions on the set up piece to set the machines up to.
Let us not forget also that when marking out with a standard pencil the lines get wider/thicker as it wears (allowing accumalative errors to sneak in) and I have yet to find a decent propelling draughtsman type that did not break it's lead every few cm's.
My pencil of choice is a Staedtler 2H for joinery & fine furniture work and a 2B for first fix carpentry with sawn timber. The 2H is pared to a 'chisel' point and kept so regularly.
Mr Grimsdale what are your preferences?(pencil wise, that is )

 

[mr grimsdale]

Just a foot note to what I wrote earlier, the only tool I use other than a pencil when marking/setting out for machining is a mortice guage. This is used to gauge both mortice and tenon positions on the set up piece to set the machines up to.
Let us not forget also that when marking out with a standard pencil the lines get wider/thicker as it wears (allowing accumalative errors to sneak in) and I have yet to find a decent propelling draughtsman type that did not break it's lead every few cm's.
My pencil of choice is a Staedtler 2H for joinery & fine furniture work and a 2B for first fix carpentry with sawn timber. The 2H is pared to a 'chisel' point and kept so regularly.
Mr Grimsdale what are your preferences?(pencil wise, that is )

Ditto 2H, 2B but I've also got an arty clutch pencil with soft 5.5mm leads which is brill for sawn timber.
Lately I've also taken to a 0.5mm clutch pencil with tough high polymer leads which break much less easily. These are really good just as pencils, but also if you make up any sort of pencil gauge - you just need a 1mm hole (with a countersink)

PS 2h/2B - buy different brands then you can have blue 2Hs and red 2Bs.
Every little helps!

 

[JoinerySolutions]

PS 2h/2B - buy different brands then you can have blue 2Hs and red 2Bs.
Every little helps!

Have found that most other brands pencils have broken or loose leads so one is either losing lead that falls out during sharpening or snaps off at first light use.
Have tried Pentel before but will give them another go if you think they are improved.
Rob.

 

[mr grimsdale]

PS 2h/2B - buy different brands then you can have blue 2Hs and red 2Bs.
Every little helps!

Have found that most other brands pencils have broken or loose leads so one is either losing lead that falls out during sharpening or snaps off at first light use.
Have tried Pentel before but will give them another go if you think they are improved.
Rob.

Hmm most good quality pencils are OK in my experience. Are you sharpening too thin a point? A normal pencil sharpener is OK. You can keep a good point (straight line) by turning the pencil as you draw. It keeps the tip conical. Chisel edges too fragile. Broken leads usually means they have been dropped too often.
The Pentel improvement is in a new type of tough lead (super high polymer), the old ones are still available though, so you have to be specific.

 

[chippy1970]

My pencil of choice is a Staedtler 2H for joinery & fine furniture work and a 2B for first fix carpentry with sawn timber.

DITTO its taken me over 20 years in carpentry to realize that Staedtler pencils are the best. Its such a cheap and simple item a pencil most people don't care what they use including me for many years. If you think of all the time you waste re sharpening then the lead breaks while sharpening but with Staedtler ones you never get that. I get the wife to pick me up packs from Tesco, they are a pleasure to use.