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Shoutout to the old timer who showed me his marking knife trick
Was on a job last week and this guy in his 60s pulls out a cheap scratch awl instead of a pencil. Said he stopped using pencils 20 years ago because the line is too thick. Tried it on some oak baseboards and yeah, the fit was way tighter. Anyone else ditch pencils for certain cuts?
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kai_west1mo ago
Pencil lines are fine if you know how to use them. Sounds like the old guy never sharpened his pencils right. A sharp 0.5mm mechanical pencil gives you a line just as thin as a scratch awl. And you can erase it if you mess up. Scratch awl leaves a permanent groove that shows through stain and finish.
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eric_murphy361mo ago
Gotta push back a little on the 0.5mm pencil thing. They're good but a scratch awl leaves a line you can actually feel with your finger. That tactile feedback helps you keep the cut dead on the line when you're chiseling or planing. And about the groove showing through finish, that's only a problem if you gouge the wood. A light score with the awl just breaks the fibers and actually helps prevent tear-out on the grain. Have you tried both methods side by side on a test piece?
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