Marking Knife

[Benchwayze]

Machine hack saw blades are excellent, my mates in the trade who are veneer cutters all use them, bound with masking tape or leather if they are posh.

Cheers Peter

I am posh! I used some chagrin for mine. Partly why I am upset over losing it. Maybe it will turn up one day when I move my bench for a sweep-out! :lol:

 

[Peter Sefton]

Machine hack saw blades are excellent, my mates in the trade who are veneer cutters all use them, bound with masking tape or leather if they are posh.

Cheers Peter

I am posh! I used some chagrin for mine. Partly why I am upset over losing it. Maybe it will turn up one day when I move my bench for a sweep-out! :lol:

Chagrin :!: You are very posh John even talking in french, we call it Shagreen in Worcestershire

Happy Christmas John

Cheers Peter

 

[ED65]

very easy to make one out of a hacksaw blade and grinding wheel or belt sander. you can make both left and right hand very quickly - Masking tape makes a good handle.

Very low-tech, I love it! I'd at least throw together a quick handle but simply wrapping the steel can work well.

 

[AndyT]

(originally posted to Woodcentral)

It's just a piece of machine hacksaw blade, with ground out recesses to allow access for honing. Sharpening is only on one side, and both ends are sharpened on the same side.

Thus, being double ended, one end does the left hand tail, the other the right.

You can make the middle part (that you hold) more comfortable with anything from a few turns of tape (easy) to cocobolo scale held nby brass rivets (fancy)

BugBear

Thanks for that. I made one of these so I could mark skinny London pattern dovetails, for which it works well, but had no idea where I saw the design. It started as a blade in a folding diy knife.

 

[Benchwayze]

Machine hack saw blades are excellent, my mates in the trade who are veneer cutters all use them, bound with masking tape or leather if they are posh.

Cheers Peter

I am posh! I used some chagrin for mine. Partly why I am upset over losing it. Maybe it will turn up one day when I move my bench for a sweep-out! :lol:

Chagrin :!: You are very posh John even talking in french, we call it Shagreen in Worcestershire

Happy Christmas John

Cheers Peter

What was I thinking of? I'll say sharkskin next time! :lol:
Cheers Peter. Merry Chrimbo! And all that.. Hic! :ho2

 

[Woodmatt]

Thanks for all the replies everyone.I have now ordered the Stanley as recommended by Paul Sellers but will be giving the Hacksaw and Jigsaw blade designs a go in the very near future,like tomorrow.I very suitable way of spending xmas day.

 

[YorkshireMartin]

A scalpel works very well I've found.

I have a crown marking single bevel knife too but when I tried to sharpen it, the burr produced was so extensive, it took me ages to get it off. Metal is like stilton and the burr just kept flipping from one side to another. Once I'd managed to deburr and hone, I marked my first line, knife slipped and the tip embedded itself in my finger, right below my nail. That sucked. To top it all off, I didn't find it all that accurate as you can't see what you're doing on fine lines.

For rough work I'll just use a fresh stanley blade but scalpel for precision.

 

[Graham Orm]

This is mine. An old hacksaw blade with a nice bit of maple scrap for a handle. Works well, had it for a couple of years now, superb.

 

[CHJ]

This one made (in 2009 I think) is still going strong although it does not get a great deal of use these days.

<<Clicky pic.

 

[DuncanA]

I bought one of these from Dieter Schmid.
At first I wondered wether it might be uncomfortable to use, but at least for me it is fine. True, I don't se it a lot.

G.

This looks uncannily similar to the blade that fits in my marking knife! May need to bear that one in mind in case I ever need a replacement blade (and am too lazy to improvise some other piece of metal to fit).

I don't know if that's what this tool was originally designed for - an adjustable knife blade seems a bit un-necessary - but my Grandpa had two of these acorn brand tools sharpened to a spear tip. After using a traditional single bevel/one-direct type until now, I've got to say I'm a convert for these. The thumb screw also makes a nice finger rest!

 

[rafezetter]

Well seeing as we are doing a show and tell, here's one that I made with the how to link below for any lurker who may be interested.

http://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/newly-made-marking-knife-t86770.html?hilit= marking knife

Since then though it's been double beveled for left and right.

 

[AndyT]

I don't know if that's what this tool was originally designed for - an adjustable knife blade seems a bit un-necessary - but my Grandpa had two of these acorn brand tools sharpened to a spear tip. After using a traditional single bevel/one-direct type until now, I've got to say I'm a convert for these. The thumb screw also makes a nice finger rest!

Duncan, according to old catalogues, your knives were sold for mount cutting, ie cutting the bits of card to surround a picture before it goes into a frame. I have a similar one which I also sometimes use as a marking knife, though it doesn't have a fancy badge like yours.

See this thread https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/retractable-marking-knife-t85594.html

I use mine the other way round, with the thumbscrew at the top. That means I can trip the sharp point inside the sheath while clamping well away from the sharpened tip, nice and safe when not in use.

 

[Gerard Scanlan]

I recently ordered a Narex marking knife, it holds a good edge and only has a bevel on one side so it is perfect for cutting veneers too. For left and right handed use. Workshopheaven sell them in the UK.

 

[Jacob]

"Marking' knife is a a misnomer. They are no good for marking as such unless you want an indelible mark. I think this was done by the foreman on some jobs - taking marks from the rod to just one side of the component - the marking round done with a pencil by the bench hand. This is my only explanation for often finding old stuff knife marked on just one side.
Other than that they are for cutting the very few marks which actually need a cut edge - DT shoulders being the obvious one. But pencil is the main tool.

 

[Racers]

I have a Japanese one single bevel that I reground the tip so I can use it for right and left.

I find knife lines more accurate on small stuff, where you need less than a pencil width of error to make a noticeable gap.
Big stuff is much more forgiving to a millimetre or two of error.

Pete

 

[Jacob]

I have a Japanese one single bevel that I reground the tip so I can use it for right and left.

I find knife lines more accurate on small stuff, where you need less than a pencil width of error to make a noticeable gap.
Big stuff is much more forgiving to a millimetre or two of error.

Pete

You might do better with a scribe point - they do a very precise line (deep or shallow to suit) but don't skate off like a knife.

Where the trad stubby 45º ish marking knives are good is for shoulder joints and similar (where needed) you cut the line with the knife point then cut the v groove for the saw, with the whole edge, like a chisel. Two quick slashes against the square.

 

[RossJarvis]

I've got a single bevel (v point) Japanese knife. The flat side makes it excellent to help mark cross members when fitting to frames. I wouldn't buy one which doesn't have the flat. Wooden handles and round handles just get in the way.

 

[Racers]

I have a Japanese one single bevel that I reground the tip so I can use it for right and left.

I find knife lines more accurate on small stuff, where you need less than a pencil width of error to make a noticeable gap.
Big stuff is much more forgiving to a millimetre or two of error.

Pete

You might do better with a scribe point - they do a very precise line (deep or shallow to suit) but don't skate off like a knife.

Where the trad stubby 45º ish marking knives are good is for shoulder joints and similar (where needed) you cut the line with the knife point then cut the v groove for the saw, with the whole edge, like a chisel. Two quick slashes against the square.

Points follow the grain much more than a knife that cuts across the fibers.
A single bevel knife gives you vertical cut that is the absolute measurement and a bevel in the waste, a point will leave a V half in the waste and half in the workepiece.

Pete

 

[Jacob]

.
Points follow the grain much more than a knife that cuts across the fibers.

No they don't if you use them properly - you have to trail them over the surface as you do with a marking gauge

A single bevel knife gives you vertical cut that is the absolute measurement and a bevel in the waste, a point will leave a V half in the waste and half in the workepiece.

Pete

The v is so tiny as to be irrelevant. A knife tends to skate off in a direction of it's own and is difficult against a straightedge, which is why they are best used only when necessary - e.g. DT and some other visible shoulders.

 

[Racers]

Jacob, in my experience pins follow the grain knives cut through it.

I guess I must work on smaller stuff than you do.


Pete