Traditional woodworking marks. Is there a list?

[Bm101]

I kindof use woodworking marks, but they change because I'm daft. What I used two months ago will not be the same as what I'm working on at the moment. Daft. I know.
But because I'm self taught fumbling, I lack discipline for many minor matters like this that would be second nature to someone with training. I wonder if small amounts of indiscipline add up to compound error... Well. I'm actually fairly certain they do.
I was in the shed the other day and wondered if there was a printable source to get some universal marks that make sense as traditional tried and tested marks for sensible reasons. I could print a sheet out, get the Mrs to laminate it at work and nail it to the shed wall. Just seems to be a small but logical step in imposing another semblence of order on my 'working practise'
*Stop laughing at me writing 'working practice'.
I'm trying ok!
Also I'm just interested generally in anything like this. I like the little hidden corners of history.
Cheers and regards as always.
Chris

 

[Trevanion]

Marks, as in layout?

I only know of two, the mark that is correct and the mark I've just cut to, the correct mark being on the offcut

 

[Bm101]

As in face marks etc.
Or Hobo marks.
Whatever.

 

[Droogs]

try here
https://www.woodmagazine.com/woodworking-tips/techniques/skills/marking-wood-project-pieces

 

[Droogs]

I used to have a leaflet that had all the medieval marking symbols used by guild carpenters etc. Looked very steam punky and satanic for marking out build bits of castle etc, don't know where it is now

 

[dannyr]

Interesting topic and I like your list of hobo/tramp marks -- I'm not in the know but I believe the craft guild members who travelled had (maybe have) something similar. (started this before Droogs entry - thanks)

European blacksmiths marked the tools they made (especially axes) with patterns of arrows, stars and similar.

There are symbolic meanings to these.

then stonemasons have marks to show who finished a stone and where it's to go (eg see cathedral history). As it's not that easy to put your name on a mason's or smith's chisel these were often ownership marked with straight lines that can be filed or sawn in - so looks more like a Roman numeral than a name

 

[Bm101]

It's a bit of a topic Danny. I started off wondering if there was a tradition face mark that made sense to use I'm now looking at some really fascinating stuff. This page is very simplistic but easily read without being too heavy.
https://historicengland.org.uk/whats-new/features/discovering-witches-marks/types-of-marks/

 

[Phil Pascoe]

For run of the mill rough joinery I use different face and edge/side marks from the usual to show the sides I'm working from which are the nearest to square on the piece but aren't. For rough framing etc. it's often OK as long as everything is worked from the same sides.

 

[toolsntat]

For this example I wish I could remember where the picture is as I love reading old beams and how they were worked. Any how the most spectacular I've seen was exposed after a ceiling was removed in a very old house next door to the Church in Barlestone.
(Interesting job, had to build two fitted hanging wardrobes without any part pressing on the floor.....)
Repeated at intervals along one face were 5 gouged out dots (just as on a dice) and in between each there was carved a name.
Some were difficult to make out and one, truncated by a wall, ended PENTER with, from what I could make out, half an R preceding it. I'm thinking CARPENTER.
Some mortises were also cut into it including a row of square ones set at 45° to the edge of the beam.
Any one seen the 5 dot markings?
Cheers Andy

 

[AJB Temple]

I've seen roman numeral joint to joint markings a lot on both English and French timber framed and beamed houses. Also (rarely) seen dots punched to do the same job. Never seen a name carved in.

 

[AndyT]

For ordinary cabinet making, 99% of what you need is to mark the face side and the face edge. I've seen some variations in YouTube videos, but I can only do the marks I was taught at school - everything else is just wrong.

So all you need is the top half of a copperplate script letter f on the face side, and a little arrowhead ^ mark pointing to it, on the face edge.

 

[Trevanion]

So all you need is the top half of a copperplate script letter f on the face side, and a little arrowhead ^ mark pointing to it, on the face edge.

Now, you see Andy... I've been at this woodworking lark a while now...

AND I NEVER HAD THE THOUGHT THAT THE ARROW MARK WAS POINTING TO THE FACE!

It is so obvious, I always thought it was just a way of marking which edge you'd just shot in

 

[AndyT]

Happy to help!
School woodwork lessons didn't go on for very long, but we had a good teacher. I can still hear his voice in my head after 50 years.

 

[Just4Fun]

So all you need is the top half of a copperplate script letter f on the face side, and a little arrowhead ^ mark pointing to it, on the face edge.

Much the same here. The only additional mark I use with any regularity is an arrow to show my prefered planing direction.

 

[novocaine]

I've always use a triangle to mark a jointed edge over the face board. a really big one that crosses over the joint so you can line it up.
not sure if this is what marks you mean but I was taught it by an old hand and I've done it ever since.
plane direction was never an issue.

oh, I was also taught a truncated T for the top of a panel.

 

[AndyT]

I've just remembered that there's a special set of marks for drawers, with a quarter circle at the front of each drawer side, on the outside, at the bottom. I'll check for a picture unless anyone else can confirm.

 

[AndyT]

This is what I meant about the drawer side marking, in the lower diagram.
The upper diagram shows a proper face mark, just as I was taught.

(The numbers aren't written on the wood - they are just to show the sequence of planing.)

This is from Charles Hayward, Cabinet Making for Beginners, an excellent book.

 

[billw]

I never realised it was meant to be half an F as mine look more like a loop along a line!

 

[AndyT]

Here's a better picture of marks on a drawer. Use a number to show which parts make which drawer. No ambiguity.

From Robert Wearing, The Essential Woodworker - another highly recommended book, packed with useful details.

 

[J-G]

I never realised it was meant to be half an F as mine look more like a loop along a line!

Nor had I -- and I was taught to mark my work like that by my father some 70 years ago!!

Seeing it in the post from AndyT did evoke some old (good) memories.