Marking Dark Wood from WoodCentral
This discussion began with a woodworker who was about to work with a wood other than his usual -- and needed a different way of marking it than usual, too. - Editor
"I
usually work with oak, and use a pencil to mark. It's easy to see on
oak, and I use it for labeling parts, triangles for gluing up panels,
and for sanding. When sanding, I put diagonal lines all over the
surface and sand till they are gone, then it's time for the next
grit. I use awls and knives to mark joinery. I'll be working on a
project this weekend that will be using walnut. What is a good
substitute for marking dark woods for these purposes that will not
affect the finish? Does chalk do a good job, or is there something
better?"
- Ken
Some
respondents said, yes, chalk does a good job for them.
"I
am fortunate enough to own a bunch of walnut. I use chalk a lot. It
was harder to find than I thought it would be, and I ended up with a
box with about four colors. Turned out the colors are useful. Code
stuff. Different colors for different things....Scribble on it and
then sand the chalk off. When you finish, Inspect closely and blow
the dust off. I have never had it happen, but it would be bad for the
pink and chartreuse to show up as grain filler." - Barry
"I
use chalk to mark all my parts. I've never had an issue with sanding
or finishing due to chalk. In fact, you need to handle parts with
some care or you can wipe it off." - Lee M.
Other
respondents discussed the merits, demerits and suppliers of white
pencils.
"A
white pencil. Really.
They make them and they work well. Art supply or office supply stores
should have them." - Lee G.
"Also
available in fabric stores. For dark fabrics. Different media, same
solution." - Carol
"Art
supply stores sell two or three different kinds of white pencils, and
some are softer than others, so you might want to get one of each and
see which works best for you. I
found that I need to be careful with white pencils on porous woods
because the pigment can get packed into the pores. If you're on your
final sanding with 320 or some really fine grit, you might find that
you need to switch back to a lower grit to get rid of the white.
You'll figure this out soon enough." - Ellis
"The
concern about porous woods also applies to chalk. Use only white or
yellow chalk on oak, ash, etc. I've tried blue, green and red and had
to sand mercilessly to get down to the bottom of the pores. White and
yellow disappear if I use an oil-based finish or shellac, even when
they remain visible in the pores after normal sanding."
- Dave
And
there were a few other suggestions as well.
"Blue pencil or blue in show up well on walnut." - John
"Blue or black gel ink pens. It dries to a reflective film that shows up brightly on walnut in good lighting. Find a brand that doesn't wick on wood. Pilot has traditionally been good for the task." - Bill
"Just
bought some soapstone for use on metal, but it could be sharpened to
a point if needed. No experience on how it comes off and am
interested" - Jerry
Help?
Cordless Circular Saws
from Sawmill Creek
This
discussion brought out interesting opinions from woodworkers about
their tools when a college student asked some questions for a project
on the circular saw. - Editor
"I
am an industrial design student at Appalachian State University, and
I am redesigning the cordless circular saw for a project. Because of
your expertise in the subject, I was hoping you would be able to help
me by answering a few questions. Which
is you favorite corded saw and what are specific reasons as to why
you favor it over others? If you could redesign your favorite
cordless circular saw, what things would you add or take away from
it? Do you find a lot of complaints about circular saws being hard to
use for left-handed people? What are the top things that most
professionals look for when buying a circular saw? Any other
complaints or suggestions?" - Ana
While
her design project focuses on the cordless circ saw, her questions
solicited feedback on both the corded and cordless varieties. And,
not surprisingly, when asked for their opinions about a tool,
woodworkers had things to say. - Editor
"Add
a removeable riving knife a la the Festool and Dewalt Tracksaws."
- Van
"Make
it plunge-able like the Festool or Dewalt tracksaw and make it to
where it could ride on a track accessory." - Chuck
"I
cut both right- and left-handed. Until Porter Cable came out with a
sidewinder for lefties, I have always had to use a worm drive. My dad
is left-handed, which always made using a circular saw uncomfortable
for him, thus unsafe. Porter Cable has an adjustable grip that
rotates to whatever angle you are comfortable with; that is reason
enough for me to buy another should something happen to mine.
"Dust
collection would be a nice touch, too, especially with how simple it
would be to add. During every cut I make with my Bosch worm drive, I
watch all the saw dust exit the blade guard and pile up behind the
saw. Really, how hard would it be to add a 1" port right there
going straight out the back?" - Mike Rei.
"Provide
an adjustable stop for returning the base plate to cut square after
making a bevel cut." - David M.
"My
comments/complaints regarding circular saws relate to power (enough
to actually do the job) and having good sight lines to see where I am
cutting." - Ellen
"The
saw I have the most of is the Skilsaw Mag. This is because parts are
easy for me to get. The saw I like most is the Bosch 1677
because
it has the built-in cord lock, the cord attaches directly to the back
so you don't have to worry about about a knot in the cord six feet
away [and] the plate is reinforced. The
most important thing to me in a saw is the plate: Having it be stiff,
flat, and square edges. Other things on the list include fluid
adjustments and durable locking levers, and a built-in saw hanger. I
am left-handed and have no problems using any style saw you put in my
hands. As
far as cordless circular saws, it would be nice if the battery lasted
longer, but I have no complaints to speak of."
- Glen
"One
of my main problems has been lining up the saw for the cut. Ideally,
there would be an adjustable index mark at the front of the plate."
- David C.
"I'd
love to see some sort of single 'power head' that would run a circ
saw, drill/driver, small recip saw & offer a small chop saw
accessory. A 'heavy-duty' power takeoff so it could plug into a vehicle's electrical system would be nice also." - Rich
"I
have the 18V DeWalt cordless. I use it exclusively w/ Nano batteries.
I find it very light, easy to control, and fine for cutting sheet
goods, 2x, or 1x lumber. I enjoy using it very much. The left blade
design helps me line my cuts up easier, too." - Mike Ree.
"For
a circular saw, it really depends on what you are using it for. I
use the Porter Cable 743 saw for framing. I am right-handed but, when
framing, I prefer using a saw with the blade on the left so it is
much easier for me to see the line (particularly when cutting
sheeting on a roof). Lightweight is important, so magnesium-based
saws are a plus. You also don't want a saw that is overly expensive,
because if you drop it, it doesn't hurt as bad financially. Dust
collection on this saw is horrible but, you really wouldn't want this
for framing work anyway. For
finish type work, I prefer the Festool plunge saw with guide track.
The spring-loaded riving knife, dust collection, easy depth of cut
settings, and splinter-free cuts are the best features with these
saws. This saw has variable speed, but I never change it.
"Features
to include in a new saw design are: Riving knife that is
spring-loaded so you can plunge cut. Light weight. Incorporate a clip
to attach a rope to haul the thing up to the second floor or roof. (I
have seen way too many people haul saws up by the cords). Accurate
and easy to adjust depth stops with scale as to the depth of cut.
Easy to change blade with a spindle lock that you don't have to hold
in while operating a wrench, holding the saw, and holding the spindle
lock. Since you are working on a cordless design, more power and
longer battery life. There is nothing more frustrating than being in
the middle of a cut and having your saw bog down and die." - Steve