Marking bark to cut blanks

[Denny Nebgen]

I have used black sharpie markers as long as the bark isn't dark they work ok. I have also tried using white paint markers on dark bark but the paint doesn't seem to flow well enough to get a good mark. I have even used the paint sticks you can get at a feed store that are normally used to mark livestock and they work (sorta) but are messy. What do you folks use when tracing around a circle on the bark side of a log to cut it into a bowl blank?
Thanks

[Kevin Jenness]

I have a series of cardboard circles of different diameters that I screw to the blank while cutting out, no marking involved.

[Dwight Rutherford]

What Kevin said!

[tom lucas]

sidewalk chalk or nothing if I'm using my circle jig. Chalk isn't always effective either. I've wanted to try white grease pencils. I also sometimes use a silver sharpee.

[roger wiegand]

end of the chain saw. I don't ever try to cut an actual circle, but I'll lightly mark an octagon to let me double check layout prior to cutting the corners off.

[Barry McFadden]

I made a very simple circle cutting jig which has a 1/4" pin on it and I clamp to the bandsaw table. I drill a hole on the underside of the 1/2 log piece and then just move the jig towards the blade until ti is just touching the long side of the blank and clamp it in that position. Then it's just a matter of turning the wood on the pivot and getting a perfect circle.

[Robert Hayward]

For dark bark and for marking steel when doing my hobby metal work I find it tough to beat a Sharpie Silver Metallic.

[Denny Nebgen]

For dark bark and for marking steel when doing my hobby metal work I find it tough to beat a Sharpie Silver Metallic.

Ok that's worth a try and thank you.

[tom lucas]

Has anyone used these:
https://www.amazon.com/Dixon-Industrial-Marking-Crayons-52300/dp/B0037QFZLS/ref=sxin_13_pa_sp_search_thematic_sspa?cv_ct_cx=wh ite%2Bgrease%2Bpencil&keywords=white%2Bgrease%2Bpencil&pd_rd_i=B0037QFZLS&pd_rd_r=5112d424-83fa-44c6-81da-77d268e374ec&pd_rd_w=3IEfH&pd_rd_wg=0ZICs&pf_rd_p=01ca3faa-aa5d-4f59-b840-a9a939665a91&pf_rd_r=G5X7THDBCJGSPZCBXKBW&qid=1639657751&sr=1-3-a73d1c8c-2fd2-4f19-aa41-2df022bcb241-spons&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExSkVLSk5DVzYzVFZSJ mVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMjMxMTA4MldKUlExNUpCNjk1OSZlbmN yeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNTg4Mzk5OFVPNVNaWjJCU1ZQJndpZGdld E5hbWU9c3Bfc2VhcmNoX3RoZW1hdGljJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1J lZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ&th=1

[Pat Scott]

Has anyone used these:
https://www.amazon.com/Dixon-Industrial-Marking-Crayons-52300/dp/B0037QFZLS/ref=sxin_13_pa_sp_search_thematic_sspa?cv_ct_cx=wh ite%2Bgrease%2Bpencil&keywords=white%2Bgrease%2Bpencil&pd_rd_i=B0037QFZLS&pd_rd_r=5112d424-83fa-44c6-81da-77d268e374ec&pd_rd_w=3IEfH&pd_rd_wg=0ZICs&pf_rd_p=01ca3faa-aa5d-4f59-b840-a9a939665a91&pf_rd_r=G5X7THDBCJGSPZCBXKBW&qid=1639657751&sr=1-3-a73d1c8c-2fd2-4f19-aa41-2df022bcb241-spons&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExSkVLSk5DVzYzVFZSJ mVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMjMxMTA4MldKUlExNUpCNjk1OSZlbmN yeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNTg4Mzk5OFVPNVNaWjJCU1ZQJndpZGdld E5hbWU9c3Bfc2VhcmNoX3RoZW1hdGljJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1J lZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ&th=1

Lumber crayons are what I use when chainsawing to draw cut lines. I get them at Home Depot but have only used red, green, and maybe blue. White would be handy.

For the OP's question I use circle templates like Kevin and Dwight use. Mine are cut from 1/8" fiberboard or old paneling.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Has anyone used these:
https://www.amazon.com/Dixon-Industrial-Marking-Crayons (https://www.amazon.com/Dixon-Industrial-Marking-Crayons-52300/dp/B0037QFZLS/ref=sxin_13_pa_sp_search_thematic_sspa?cv_ct_cx=wh ite%2Bgrease%2Bpencil&keywords=white%2Bgrease%2Bpencil&pd_rd_i=B0037QFZLS&pd_rd_r=5112d424-83fa-44c6-81da-77d268e374ec&pd_rd_w=3IEfH&pd_rd_wg=0ZICs&pf_rd_p=01ca3faa-aa5d-4f59-b840-a9a939665a91&pf_rd_r=G5X7THDBCJGSPZCBXKBW&qid=1639657751&sr=1-3-a73d1c8c-2fd2-4f19-aa41-2df022bcb241-spons&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExSkVLSk5DVzYzVFZSJ mVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMjMxMTA4MldKUlExNUpCNjk1OSZlbmN yeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNTg4Mzk5OFVPNVNaWjJCU1ZQJndpZGdld E5hbWU9c3Bfc2VhcmNoX3RoZW1hdGljJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1J lZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ&th=1)

That link goes to a pack of white crayon, they come in different colors. White works on dark obviously, but I like yellow and red. I think they work almost as well as a sharpie on rough bark. BUT they don't bleed out and disappear if you want to write the name of the wood on a smooth cut part of the blank. It will get a bit hard to see, but didn't bleed to where you can't read it like sharpies sometimes do.