Tip: Marking wet wood for milling

[morten]

Everyone that has tried to mark freshly felled timber for milling with a normal graphite pencil, will know that the makings are very difficult to read

 

However, Stabilo produces a special-purpose pencil, that will mark wet surfaces (and plastic, metal etc). The most commonly available color is black, but it is produced in multiple colors, and I frequently use the red color.

 

It is called Stabilo All 8008, see STABILO All ? PRODUCTS ? STABILO.COM

 

It costs about £1/pencil, and is sold in cartons containing 12 pencils. A Google search reveals this UK supplier: http://www.tigerpens.co.uk/acatalog/Stabilo_All_Pencils.html

Edited May 4, 2012 by morten

[tommer9]

Stihl timber marking crayons also work.....

[morten]

Stihl timber marking crayons also work.....

 

Sure crayons work, but you loose accuracy in your markings

[Bob Slade]

I tend to use a builders chalk line, especially when setting up the rails for the mini-mill. measure one end hook the string, pay it out measure other end, pull tight then ping the string and you've got a nice straight line.

[Daniël Bos]

I don't mill (yet?!) but for timber frame construction I use a sumitsubo, it's the Japanese equivalent of the chalk line but uses ink rather than chalk.

It gives a far crisper clearer line than chalk and is easier to apply and read on wet timber.

 

Good call on the pencils, used to have some German ones that had black ink mixed in with the graphite and they would mark in any conditions, again lovely and crisp. Can't remember what they were called though...

[Mike Dempsey]

We used to use chinagraph pencils in the RAF years ago for marking on glass or plastic. I've no doubt they would mark other wet or slippy surfaces such as timber. Still widely available.

 

Mike

[Rob D]

Cheers for the tip Morten - I've been using a tipex type pen recently which works well ..... until it siezes up! I'll try a few of these especially the brighter colour ones.

[Rich2484]

I tend to use a builders chalk line, especially when setting up the rails for the mini-mill. measure one end hook the string, pay it out measure other end, pull tight then ping the string and you've got a nice straight line.

 

Funny it's called a ping line. But does it work when wet?

[morten]

Cheers for the tip Morten - I've been using a tipex type pen recently which works well ..... until it siezes up! I'll try a few of these especially the brighter colour ones.

 

I had the tip from a Danish Timber Frame specialist, who often works with freshly cut timber - http://www.timbersolutions.dk

[bobh]

Good tip

Was using a chalk line the other day but one of these would be handy as well