Saw line in carmine red

[lowell holmes]

I've had issues with sawing to a line. I made a recent discovery that seems to work for me.
I lay out the cutlines with a utility knife (always have).
I've discovered that if I highlight the cut line with a carmine red erasable pencil, I seem to be pulled to sawing on the line. One thing for sure, I can see the line more clearly and my accuracy has improved dramatically.
Highlighting the line in black, white, or blue does not work as well for me.

Have any of you experienced something similar?

[Jim Koepke]

Seeing the line more clearly is always a help.

A pencil in my knife marked lines does make them easier to see, never considered using anything other than black.

My curiosity is wondering if this could be an affect related to your lighting or your color vision and depth perception.

Hey, if it works, just be sure to have a lot of red pencils.

jim

[lowell holmes]

I was not aware of any depth perception or color blindness, but all of what you mentioned could be the case.
I posted the discovery to share it in case others have an issue with seeing the line. The pencil is a color-erase pencil.

[John Keeton]

Rob Cosman recommends red - but, as an interesting note, I am horribly color blind and the red disappears quickly for me. It seems my aging eyesight, combined with the color blindness really complicates the ability to see the lines. I use a bench lamp to light the immediate area, and normally use pencil, but have considered a blue line.

[Jim Koepke]

I was not aware of any depth perception or color blindness, but all of what you mentioned could be the case.
I posted the discovery to share it in case others have an issue with seeing the line. The pencil is a color-erase pencil.

Red is an interesting color when it comes to depth perception. Certain colors when placed next to each other well be difficult to focus on both colors at the same time even though they are at the same distance. Here is one example, stare at it for a few seconds and it will start looking like the red is closer than the blue:

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This was just whipped together quickly. If the colors were adjusted a bit, it would likely do a number on your eyes. Green and orange, yellow and purple and others with the right frequency shift and line widths can be very difficult to look at for long.

Your lights are florescent or incandescent a blend or some other type can also have an influence.

jim

[Ken Casser]

Very interesting. Too bad they don't make a 0.5 mm pencil refill in red. Or do they?

[Jim Koepke]

Very interesting. Too bad they don't make a 0.5 mm pencil refill in red. Or do they?

Check with a drafting supply or art supply store.

Or Google > 0.5 mm red lead < your will find these:

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Be advised, the prices are all over the place, so like mother said, "you better shop around."

jim

[Bill Houghton]

so like mother said, "you better shop around."

Best driveby rock and roll reference I've seen this week.

[Ken Casser]

Thanks, Jim. That's very cool. My local Staples doesn't have them, so I think I'll be at the mercy of my local art supply. Oh well, it can't cost too much, can it? :eek::eek:

[harry strasil]

Having only one eye, most of those trick things don't work for me. I just don't try to catch anything thrown at me, no depth perception.

[Alan DuBoff]

I've had issues with sawing to a line. I made a recent discovery that seems to work for me.
I lay out the cutlines with a utility knife (always have).
I've discovered that if I highlight the cut line with a carmine red erasable pencil, I seem to be pulled to sawing on the line. One thing for sure, I can see the line more clearly and my accuracy has improved dramatically.
Highlighting the line in black, white, or blue does not work as well for me.

Have any of you experienced something similar?
Lowell,

If you like red markup, check out the Uni Ball Power Tank pens, there are no better pens for markup and layout, IMO. They are pressurized and you can mark at any angle. Some may remember the space pens by Fisher, you can still get those also, but the Uni Ball Power Tanks are available in black. blue, red, at a fraction of the price.

I use blue and bed, but use the blue most of the time. Red comes in handy if I make a *gasp* mistake, the I just use the red which stands out better against blue markings. *g* I like blue in light colored wood. I like the red better on dark woods like walnut.

The bold point (1.0mm) is available in the U.S., but for some reason the Fine (.7mm) is not. The Japanese use them to write kanji, and prefer the fine for that, but you can get them online through the U.K. or Hong Kong. You can get the 1.0mm in the states. Mitsubishi makes the .7mm width in Japan.

This ink will also not smear on dry or wet surface, and I have used these in the rain and they can put a clean mark, even in the rain!

Check out auction 300303816513 on the non-mentionable site on the web. :rolleyes:

I have not found a better pen for markup and layout, these are the bee's knees for me. :)

[Bill Houghton]

I just don't try to catch anything thrown at me, no depth perception.

Do you just duck?

[mike holden]

Lowell,
If you just run the knife down the line a second time, cutting out a v-notch that has a vertical wall on the keeper side, the saw will follow that v-notch quite easily.
This is what old-timers called a "first class sawcut". Third class was to a pencil line, second to a pencil line with a v-notch only on the corner to start the saw.
With a little practice the second knife cut is as easy a picking up a pencil and running a pencil line down the first knife cut.

Mike

[lowell holmes]

Mike,
Thanks for your response. I am faliliar with the technique you describe. I use it when appropriate. I find some circumstances where it is not convenient to do that, such as cutting the tails on dovetails.

I think it is interesting that the red line simplifies the process for me. I've used all of the techniques described here, but I never had considered using a red pencil.

I have an Ott lamp that I can put an oblique light on a knife mark that works most of the time.

One of the issues I have is cutting the cheeks of a tenon. The red line helps there. Probably as I continue to work on it, the cuts will just come easier.

[bridger berdel]

more and more what I do is mark out with blue masking tape. first put the tape approximately where you think you'll cut- it's easy to move if you need to adjust and it's easy to see at a glance where things are at the other end of a long board, for instance. once the rough layout is to your liking, make pencil marks on the tape. again, easy to see, easy to change, nothing permanently done to the board. when you are happy with the final cut lines, cut through the tape and into the wood with a sharp layout knife and peel the waste side of the tape off. the edge of the tape is your score line and very easy to see.

[Eric Brown]

You might consider trying a kerf starter from Glen-Drake.
The kerf starter should be the same thickness as your saw and acks like a scraper. It leaves a groove for your saw to follow. Makes dovetail cutting easier too. They might still have a free DVD that shows their tools in action.

Eric

[John Schoonover]

I have been using red accounting pencils for about two years now and really like using them. I even prefer them over white when marking walnut.

[Bruce Branson]

I just bought 3 packs of 20ea. red .5mm refills on e-bay for 8.99 total.There are 2 three packs left.