Thread: Chalking it up.

Pro tip Stewie, thanks. I use a pencil myself because that is what is in my pocket, chalk is somewhere on the shelves behind my saw not easily reached for. I do the same thing when smooth planing a surface, lets me easily keep track of where I have been and where I haven't been.

Cool tip. And interesting hold down setup.

For those interested, the length of board I am working on will end up as a pair of winding sticks. The 2nd bevel has been been formed on the opposing side, with a full length Jarrah inlay rebated and CA glued into position. I still need to install 2 smaller dovetail inlays, before I can rip the board down in width to form 2 winding sticks. The combination of Tasmanian Pink Myrtle with the darker Jarrah inlays (Garnet Shellac finish) should achieve a nice contrast in timber selection. The 2 hold down clamps that are fastened to an independent board are working nicely for this project. I haven't checked who manufactured these hold down clamps, but they do look quite early.

Stewie;

I've always used a pencil for the bounds and hit the mark with a flat cut straight away rather than doing it in two steps. My experience with chalk is that it can end up marking parts and leaving something behind in a way that isn't easily seen until after finishing is applied. I never use it except to mark boards that will have a significant amount removed yet after marking.

If anyone has concerns with chalk showing up when the finish is applied, I suggest you wipe the surface down with a rag dipped in Turps. (shown in the 2nd photo)

I have to admit that I don't have pictures of the chalk spot, at least I don't think I do (I think I planed out it). It's on the wall side of my daughter's bookshelf (in cherry). I think one of my kitchen cabinets may have some chalk remnants in the pores of cherry ply, but that's courtesy of my daughter. The cabinets aren't up yet, but I don't remember where it was and the cabinets are stacked under cover right now.

I have beveled a bunch of stuff this year, though, including a bunch of this stuff (disregard the illusion that the one piece is bowed, I don't know why the camera sees it like that - it'd have been hard to plane it that way). Chalk on these flooring strips would've been a bad idea given that they're oak. I found it fastest to just work flat all the way down with a try plane and bias one side or the other if I was missing my mark (I tried the jack first). The try plane is ideal for beveling, it can take off as much as the jack but with the cap set, it leaves no real damage.

https://s28.postimg.org/soczl3sn1/20161223_200859.jpg
https://s28.postimg.org/dh1lehq65/20161223_200927.jpg

This is yet another example where a cap iron makes work much faster. You can work the bevel into shape with a heavy shaving regardless of the direction of the wood, go until the pencil lines just disappear and two swipes with a smoother.

(not sure what the skill set is for pencil instead of chalk, it's just easier and faster)

Applied the final coat of garnet shellac to the pair of Winding Sticks. (L) 16" (H) 1 3/4" (W) 7/8". The critical top edges were trued by rubbing a chalk coated straight edge along their surface.

Stewie;

Applied the final coat of garnet shellac to the pair of Winding Sticks. (L) 16" (H) 1 3/4" (W) 7/8". The critical top edges were trued by rubbing a chalk coated straight edge along their surface.

Stewie;

The following is an example of what I am talking about.

Working with a known straight edge, apply masking tape to the bottom edge and remove the overhang with a Stanley knife. Rub the surface of the masking tape with chalk.


The chalked straight edge is then gently worked over the timber surface being gauged for straightness.


The straight edge is then removed to reveal the high contact points. A small smoothing or block plane can then be used to remove these high spots. If required, the process can be repeated.



If you don't have a dedicated straight edge, most aluminium spirit levels are now supplied within a tight tolerance of straightness.

Chalk can serve as an excellent transfer marker within the workshop.

Remnants of the chalking process can be removed from the wood surface using a rag and mineral turpentine prior to a clear finish being applied.

Stewie.

I have used chalk as a marking medium for a wide range of different applications.

From checking the clearances of a wooden wedge within its abutments, to fine tune the smoothness of curved surface, to jointing 2 board edges prior to gluing, to checking final clearances on sliding draws. The list is endless within its potential use.

Stewie;

Try just rubbing the stuff to be planed on your rusty table saw or jointer table.
What you are doing is a crude form of bluing as what fitters do.
H

Originally Posted by clear out

Try just rubbing the stuff to be planed on your rusty table saw or jointer table.
What you are doing is a crude form of bluing as what fitters do.
H

clear out; why not start your own threads, and overwhelm us with your depth of experience in woodwork.

regards;