Just finished the stone trim using a printed tick—that top tab is a game changer

I printed my first one in PETG after my PLA version warped sitting on the dashboard of my truck during a July heatwave. Using it for a fireplace mantel against some dry-stack ledge stone realy sold me on the design. That top tab gives you a solid thumb-rest, wich is helpful when you're trying to keep the point tight against those deep recesses without your hand cramping up.

The 3mm offset on the version I use is perfect for most of my trim work, but I still carry my Starrett dividers for the really tight corners. I’ve noticed the plastic edge leaves a much crisper line on dark woods like walnut or cherry compared to a standard carpenter pencil. You don't get that thick graphite smear that usually requires a lot of extra sanding before the finish goes on. I actualy stopped using the pocket clip after a few days and drilled a small hole through the tab for a lanyard. I’ve lost too many small jigs in the sawdust pile to trust a plastic clip on my Carhartts. Printing it in neon orange helps too, since it makes it much easier to spot when you set it down on a messy workbench.

I've been using a version I printed in a high-temp resin for a few months now, mostly for fitting crown molding against old plaster ceilings. While the durability against masonry is a big plus, I actually had to go back to my old wood blocks when working on some pre-finished cherry cabinets last week. The hard plastic tip left some faint burnishing marks on the finish that were a pain to buff out. I might try dipping the tip in some Plasti Dip or maybe just sanding the edges down to a higher grit to see if that helps.

Another thing I noticed is the thickness. My printed tick is about 4mm thick to keep it from snapping, but sometimes that extra bulk makes it hard to get into the tightest corners of a 90-degree return. I find myself reaching for a traditional compass or a thinner brass scribe for those precision spots. It's definitely a handy tool to have in the pouch for the rough stuff, but for high-end trim where every fraction of a millimeter counts, I'm still a bit torn on whether it replaces my Starrett scribe entirely.

I threw mine in the scrap bin after the first day because I couldn't find the damn thing in my tool belt. Then I saw a guy on a job site who glued a small neodymium magnet into a recess he'd designed on the side. I went home, tweaked the file, and now it just clicks right onto the side of my impact driver or my hammer loop. It’s way better than fumbling with a clip. Being able to just slap it against my saw table instead of hunting through a pile of sawdust makes a huge difference when I'm moving fast on a backsplash.