Layout on Dark Wood?

[Art Greenberg]

Group,

I need to lay out reference marks for placing templates on wenge, and for marking the ends of stopped router cuts. Obviously, a pencil won't do. A marking knife is out, as most of the marks will be away from the cuts. I've used blue painter's tape previously (lay down the tape, pencil on that). But I'm wondering if there's a better method? Something that won't interfere with say, a router sliding over the wood? One thing that comes to mind is plain adhesive backed shelf paper to cover the entire piece, but I'm not sure how easily that would release afterwards. Has anyone seen or used a method that worked well?

Thanks.

[stoutman]

White chalk?

[Art Greenberg]

Maybe. Is it possible to get relatively fine lines with that? How durable would the markings be - good enough for a few passes with the router?

[Doug Miller]

You can get pencils of almost any color "lead" at an art supply store, and probably at places like Office Depot too. Maybe even the school supplies section at Wal-Mart. I imagine that a white or yellow mark would show up pretty easily. The one thing I'd be worried about is removing the marks afterward. Test on scrap!

[Tina]

Put some tape on it and mark on the tape...so ya can see the lines

Tina...............(delurk mode)

[B a r r y]

White or yellow "leaded" pencils will, as will light crayons.

[Odinn]

On 2/28/2006 4:38 AM Art Greenberg mumbled something about the following:

Silver Sharpie works for me (and for Norm it looks like).

[John B]

I use white chinagraph pencils John

[Dave Balderstone]

Pop into a local fabric store and ask about pencils for marking cut lines on cloth...

[Joe Gorman]

of the sets show white, they may be available individually. has individual ones at a higher price. Joe

[B a r r y]

Mythbusters, too!

[gadgetman]

You can try a white or other color water color pencil available at any art or craft supply store. You can sharpen to a relatively sharp point and removes fairly easily.

MBR

[Lee Michaels]

This what I use on metal.

I constantly sharpen them to get the thin line.

They should be OK for wood too.

[Doug Schultz]

Seamstress chalk comes in a few colors. nice and hard like a pencil too.

Doug