I use a traditional steel rule and sharpened pencil for marking off wood, but I did wonder whether there isn't a modern replacement for ruler and pencil?
For example, a "measuring rod" like a giant vernier than one sets to the required length, then marks the cut line with a laser beam.
Any ideas?
Had a quick Google, but nothing jumped out.
MM
A laser powerful enough to actually scorch a mark into wood? Doubt it'd be legal.
I have a steel tape measure which has just broken. Called a Mark O Matic. Had pencil leads or scribers at both ends of the body. You could transfer an internal dimension (like say between two uprights) to wood quickly and accurately without needing to even remember the actual size. And the same for an external dimension. One of the most useful toys I have - sadly no longer made. It's lasted for years - so dunno why it was discontinued.
For high accuracy work, a marking knife will give better results than a pencil. You can also get quite good results with one of those digital callipers - the corners of the jaws are quite sharp - so just dragging them over a bit of wood will usually mark it. Traditional carpenters marking gauges are also handy at times.
Try "1W laser" in Youtube or ebay.
eg:
OK - it's not going to mark white wood that fast - but technically it will.
Don't get caught near an airport with that!
Lack of sales because everyone that wanted one had one and they didn't break.
That's the problem with durable stuff, eventually there are no more sales.
When you design a product you have to design in a life span so you get repeat business or find something else to make.
YOu obviously haven't seen the number of hobby laser cutters available on the market
£10k will net you a 4x3 foot bed and a laser (150W IR) fully capable of burning through 1/4" ply..
You're right, I haven't. Link?
One hundred and fifty watt laser?
Class 4 - the highest classification - starts at 500mW. H&S restrictions start a class or two below that.
There is a very old replacement, which still works well; the carpenter's scribe.
A sharp point does the job very well.
Colin Bignell
There actually are plenty of potential sales, as a new cohort of
20 year old customers (say) are coming onto the market every year. Very few of whom will be using the tools sitting in the drawers, including the tape measures that were formerly used by the 80 year old cohort that died off in the same year.The problem may have been either that the original manufacturers never advertised or marketed them succesfully, despite their being a brilliant innovation or that customers weren't willing to pay the premium price - over ordinary tapes - that would be necessary to cover the additional manufacturing costs.
It may simply have been that despite their being highly regarded by actual users, many potential purchasers may have wrongly regarded them as simmply another "gimmick" - the "if they're that good why has nobody ever thought of this before ?" sort of thing.
michael adams
...
The Mark O Matic trade mark was registered in 1988 and discontinued in
1996, which suggests it was not a great success. Looking at patent applications, an auto marking tape seems to be an idea that keeps popping up, then disappearing again. This is a current implementation:Colin Bignell
Right. I couldn't find that for sale in the UK when I googled. The one I have was made by Fisco (presumably under licence), who are still in business.
It uses ordinary propelling pencil leads, or you can replace that with a steel scriber if you prefer. Sadly, it appears to be welded together so I can't get inside it to attempt to replace the broken tape.
I'm not really one for gimmicky tools - but used this one a great deal and I'm lost without it. Got a search on Ebay saved for a good used one.
All steel tape measures break eventually - or get trashed or lost.
I can't even remember if it was expensive. It could be it was - but worth every penny to me.
No, you mark the board along the laser beam, maybe for only a few millimeters. Then run a straightedge across to complete the cut line.
I wouldn't want it to *mark* the wood. Merely provide a ~very~ accurate cut line to pencil in.
Ah, now that sounds like the sort of thing I could be thinking of.
That looks like a REALLY nifty gadget!
That can't be true as we had our laser cutter upgraded to 60W and that will cut through 5m ply and 5mm acylic, it can etch glass too.
I've not tried it but do wonder if an ink is as good as pencil or a steel scriber - the ink would tend to soak in to some timber. And, of course, cost for re-fills.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.