Mechanical Pencil suggestion for marking out?

[MrDavidRoberts]

I have a large box of staedler noris regular pencils,great stuff,however, I find that I can only mark out to 1mm accuracy with them due to the lead that needs to be sharpened constantly to have a crisp end.. I don't think I need to continue,you all know this already...

Would a mechanical pencil solve this with a constant supply of fresh thin lead? Could you suggest some that are nice for this kind of work? Well not the stupidly expensive ones as they will eventually go and hide somewhere.

 

[lurker]

Marking knife?

 

[MikeG.]

Depends what you're marking. Planed timber, doing joinery work, then almost all of your marking out is with a cutting edge, generally,.....marking knife or marking gauge. Any pencil lines, however thick, can be worked to far better than a 1mm accuracy anyway, so long as they are accurately made, and a mechanical pencil is perfectly good for the task. A joiner's shop I knew well only used ball point pens for all marking up. You try using a mechanical pencil for sawn timber, reclaimed timber, or green timber, though.

 

[powertools]

A mechanical pencil does not sharpen itself.

 

[Doug71]

I got myself a school type pencil sharpener after seeing one of Peter Millards videos, it makes sharpening pencils so easy, I should have got one years ago. The joiner in the workshop next door even brings his pencils round to sharpen. Be careful though, it can eat a full pencil in seconds!

http://www.viking-direct.co.uk/catalog/ ... lsrc=aw.ds

I use this and Staedler traditional 2H pencils, works really well.

Doug

 

[fezman]

I previously used a SN 2h pencil, but have recently started using one of these. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00 ... UTF8&psc=1
I bought yellow because it's easy to spot on the bench when i put it down.

I use this for roughing out pieces, but use a knife for accuracy.

 

[MattRoberts]

Not sure why you're asking this question?

A 0.5mm pencil will give you 0.5mm lines which are more accurate than the 1mm lines you're currently working with.

Any pencil will do, you can probably buy a whole pack of them for very little...

 

[Yojevol]

You should be cutting on the wastewood side of the line, so it doesn't matter how wide the line is. you just have to be consistent in the use of the pencil

 

[MikeJhn]

There is one accessory that is essential in the workshop to sharpen pencils and that is sandpaper, oh hang on its not an accessory we probably all have some. (hammer) Even a broken lead pencil can be brought back to a sharp chisel edge with a few swipes.

Mike

 

[MrDavidRoberts]

Sorry I meant, a pencil to just make a very precise thin mark - for example if you want to cut 42.15cm long piece, you can leave a clear mark for that.
With freshly sharpened pencil,how many such lines/marks can you make before the lead wears down and becomes much thicker? - Not that many!

I already have a great pencil sharpener, however a regular pencil can only leave so many precise marks before it needs to be touched up again.

 

[ColeyS1]

Pentel graph gear 1000. Around £10 on ebay. Best mechanical pencil I've ever used. It's retractable as well, so the delicate tip stays out of harms way. I've lost count how many times its fallen out of my pocket onto the concrete floor.

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

 

[MattRoberts]

I already have a great pencil sharpener, however a regular pencil can only leave so many precise marks before it needs to be touched up again.

Yes, so get a mechanical one with a 0.5mm lead

 

[monkeybiter]

FWIW I've used a propelling pencil when I'm trying to be accurate ever since I saw Steve Maskery using one. Right tool for the job.

 

[MikeG.]

Sorry I meant, a pencil to just make a very precise thin mark - for example if you want to cut 42.15cm long piece, you can leave a clear mark for that.
With freshly sharpened pencil,how many such lines/marks can you make before the lead wears down and becomes much thicker? - Not that many!

I already have a great pencil sharpener, however a regular pencil can only leave so many precise marks before it needs to be touched up again.

The theory is that it doesn't matter if your line is 6mm wide. It is the outside edge of the line that counts. The inside edge of the kerf should go to the outside edge of the line. As I said previously, this is a horses for courses thing. I have now and then found myself marking out with a felt-tipped marker pen, sometimes with a chalk-line, sometimes with carpenter's pencil, sometimes with a ball point pen, and often with a pencil or a propelling pencil. Mostly, however, with a knife or a gauge.

 

[ColeyS1]

Retracted

Phwoar [SMILING FACE WITH OPEN MOUTH AND TIGHTLY-CLOSED EYES]

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

 

[Bodgers]

A mechanical pencil does not sharpen itself.

Unless it's a Kuru Toga

Sent from my MI 3W using Tapatalk

 

[siggy_7]

Pentel graph gear 1000. Around £10 on ebay. Best mechanical pencil I've ever used. It's retractable as well, so the delicate tip stays out of harms way. I've lost count how many times its fallen out of my pocket onto the concrete floor.

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

+1. Great bit of kit.

Sent from my SM-N910F using Tapatalk

 

[MrDavidRoberts]

A mechanical pencil does not sharpen itself.

Unless it's a Kuru Toga

Sent from my MI 3W using Tapatalk

Seems like hardly anyone uses mechanical pencils on this forum,there's no wonder if a chalk line is an acceptable marking method... :roll:

Went to search around and the Kuru Toga was well suggested on other places, so that is what I already ordered. Now best not to loose it...

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Seems like hardly anyone uses mechanical pencils on this forum ...........

Can't imagine why that should be. :lol:

 

[transatlantic]

Mechanical pencils are great, but I think a knife still wins for me as it also aids the cut too.