how do you mark your pins?

[Bob Jones]

I am learning to hand cut dovetails. It is going pretty well, my biggest problem is marking my pins. I am cutting them tails first. I like skinny pins, but getting a knife in there is not happening.
I have tried an exacto knife and it is too short.
I tried a real marking knife from LV, but it is too thick and so sharp that the line is invisible.
I tried a box cutter but that blade was too short too.
I tried the DT saw itself, but then I end up with undersized pins.
Lastly, I am using the blade from a stanley 78. It works pretty well but it is still a bit too thick.
I am considering a scribe from LV because I don't know what else to try.

FYI I am on joint number 10 and I am improving. It really is fun.

Any tips would be welcome.

[Casey Gooding]

A thin spear point knife like the Blue Spruce Toolworks knives are perfect for your needs. I use them and love them.

[Jim Koepke]

One of my marking knives is made from an old saw blade.
The handle was turned from a piece of rosewood.
The ferule is from a brass tubbing fitting.

The blade was cut using a dremel cutoff wheel.

Picture 1.jpg

Works real well even in tight places.

Often after marking, I will go over the lines with a very sharp pencil.

jim

[Richard Niemiec]

Like Frank Klausz, with a sharp pencil, and cut on the line. Practice, practice....

[Bruce Page]

+1 on the Blue Spruce marking knife, good balance & feel.
A sharp x-acto also works well for me.

[Adam Johan Bergren]

Try a pocket knife. Seriously! At least it works great for me!

[gary Zimmel]

One more vote for the Blue Spruce marking knife.
They make an ultra thin one that will lay out a pin that is a saw kerf wide.

[Thomas love]

same here,

[Mike Henderson]

I like the Japanese woodworking knives. You need a left and right to mark well. I use the 1/2" knives because they fit my hand best. You could go smaller, say 3/8", and it would probably feel okay.

I also use them for cutting veneer.

Mike

[Doug Shepard]

I picked up this Czech Edge knife a few years ago
http://czeckedge.com/store/index.php...dex&cPath=9_10
Though I still need more practice with handcut DTs, the knife has no problem fitting into tight spots.

[Don Dorn]

I'm with Adam - use a swiss army knife. Either plane or sand the end of the board and the line will show up easily.

That said - I learned pins first ala Frank and still tend to gravitate to it, especially when it's simply strength I'm looking for. In that case, a sharp pencil does just fine.

[Jim Koepke]

Either plane or sand the end of the board and the line will show up easily.

+1 on this, my pieces are always cleaned up on the shooting board before marking.

jim

[Bob Jones]

Thanks for the tips. A pocket knife sounds like the thing to try next!

Yes, I have been shooting the end grain.

[Matt Evans]

I have an old putty knife I ground much like Jims, but left the old wooden handle and brass ferrule. Blade is about 2" long, and spear pointed.

The older putty knives seem to have halfway decent steel, so its an inexpensive option, and very quick to do, since you don't have to make a handle for it.

I left it a bit wide as well (1" approx), as the width doesn't interfere at all. Makes it a little easier to hold while sharpening, depending on your setup.

[Derek A. Johnson]

Plane the end as mentioned, then make your first mark lightly, being careful to keep the flat back of the marking knife flat against the side of the tail (if you are not careful you can cut into the tail itself). Then go over the line several more times. After removing the tail board, use a fine mechanical pencil to go over the cut lines. Finally, hit each line with an eraser to remove all the pencil lead except what is inside the marked line. This give super fine, easily visible lines. Then you can use the scribed line to place your thumbnail in for help in placing the saw. Also, be sure to have a task light within a foot or two of the board's end.

Derek