Marking epoxy coated plywood

[brian.cunningham]

What's best for drawing cutting lines on epoxy coated plywood?

I tried a black "marks-a-lot" and that barely stayed on.
For whatever reason, chemical no doubt, a red one worked. But red lines on a wood that turns a shade of red when coated with epoxy...well cutting it today left a lot to be desired. :(

On the other had I actually back to making progress on SWIFTWOOD! :D

[On Vacation]

Lay it off first with a permanent marker and then coat or use a razor knife to score the resin.

[Wayne Jeffers]

Yeah, a knife or an awl to scratch your lines should work well. Many people use these in layout work for ordinary woodworking.

Wayne

[NormMessinger]

Nothin' wrong with a marking knife if you happen to always have one in your pocket but, I use my ballpoint pen, as Space Pen by Fischer. http://www.spacepen.com/usa/index2.htm They make refills that fit standard Cross ballpoints.
It'll mark most anything, butter smeared glass, what ever.

--Norm

[On Vacation]

In most every shop, a person will have a screw, ringshank, 16 penny nail or pocket knife.

[Charlie J]

Sharpie... With a fine point. Or if it only has one coat of epoxy, a pencil works fine. Of course, I usually use an awl or a razor knife.

[Rich VanValkenburg]

Seems like if it's an outside surface, you'll be coating it with something else anyway, so why not sand it with 320 and use a pencil? Maybe I missed something.

Rich

[Figment]

If all else fails, try a black china marker (fancy grease pencil). it takes a bit of old fashioned draftsman's pencil-spinning discipline to keep the point true, but it's worked well for me.

some art stores even carry the really handy kind that "sharpens" by peeling the wrapping paper away in pre-scored 1/4" strips.

[gary porter]

Brian, as above , the Sharpie will mark it in any color. To make it even easier to cut and sometimes making a smoother cut run masking tape along the line, its easy to follow and reduces slightly the tearout depending on what your cutting with.........gary

[NormMessinger]

Man! Ayall go to a lot of work to put a simple mark on a piece of material.\

So, what weapon have you chosen, Brian? Grease pencil or 16p nail?

--N tongue.gif R M

[Ross Faneuf]

I've had OK luck with pencil as long as you've removed the amine blush. And pencil works very well if you've roughed the surface at all. Soft leads work better; a carpenter's pencil or HB is pretty good.

[Memphis Mike]

I prefer a tattoo machine. I use the darker
inks.

[brian.cunningham]

Humm, perhaps some background.

These are for the tortured ply outrigger floats.
The ply has not only been coated but glued to the shearclamps. It was easier to hold for fiberglassing the buttjoints.

One of the 4 pieces has been marked and cutout. What I plan to do next is hold it to the next section, and transfer the mark directly cut that piece out and so on. So long as they all match, I'm set.

Scribing my work initially, but I think the china marker may be the best.

Guess my eyes are aging faster than the rest of me :(

[NormMessinger]

Good choice. The thing I like best about the grease pencil is, since I can't saw streight, the line is wide enough that 1/8" one way or the other and I'm still on the line. tongue.gif

--Norm

[imported_Daniel]

Norm, thanks again for making me laugh out loud. (Or maybe its the beginning of mad cackling) :D

[brian.cunningham]

Feedback:
Went with the knife followed by a black Sharpie
worked great!

I've got three of the 4 sides cut.

Hopefully I'll have 3 hulls by the end of the weekend. As oppose to one hull, and a bunch of glued lumber smile.gif

THANKS!

BTW the fiberglass butts are only glassed on one side. I used the "scrap" as test pieces, and I think I might want to put at least one piece of glass on the outside before I torture the hulls. I was going to wait until sheathing the hulls to cover the glass the exterior of the joints, but I'm having doubts they will hold up to the "torture" smile.gif

[ 07-05-2002, 09:37 PM: Message edited by: brian.cunningham ]

[brian.cunningham]

no thought?? :confused:

.. perhaps a new thread on the second question...

[NormMessinger]

Better glass both sides.

--Norm