# home made scribe



## jumps4 (Oct 10, 2012)

one of the first tools i made when i bought my mill and lathe
it a simple scribe i use all the time. it is really handy for marking sheet metal for bending.
the point has to be hard and a small broken drill bit works good.
you have to heat the drill up and quench it because the shank of a drill bit is still soft.
( ya i know it rusted :nono: )
steve


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## stevez (Oct 13, 2012)

Nice, I like it and might continue the evolution you started for my woodworking shop!


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## Metalmann (Oct 15, 2012)

Looks great, similar to a woodworking marking gauge.)


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## jumps4 (Oct 15, 2012)

post your pics if you make one
some of you guys will probably be a lot fancier than i was
steve


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## stevez (Oct 15, 2012)

I like the additional hand holding surfaces and leverage. I often find myself using a marking gage, the woodworking kind, and as I drag it along the surface to be marked I loose control. The extra mass and leverage will allow me to reduce or eliminate that. Sure, most of the time the more traditional ones work just fine - this one is just a little better.

Thanks again to original poster and those who followed - great ideas!!

Steve (not the same steve who originally posted)


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## jumps4 (Oct 15, 2012)

shawn that came out nice and it's a perfect use for the knobs we keep saving
steve


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## Old Iron (Oct 16, 2012)

I guess I need to make one myself, But right now the Lathes are in the middle of the room. I've been running a air line from the old shop to the new one.

And I've still have to put up 2 more sheets of tin on the ceiling.

Paul


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## wolframore (Nov 1, 2012)

Did you guys grind the scribe tip or turn it?


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## jumps4 (Nov 1, 2012)

i put my tip in a drill and held it against the grinder stone side. the tip has to be really hard or it will dull fast
steve


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## wolframore (Nov 2, 2012)

Could you guys recommend the metal or raw materials for making a scribe.  I bought a used starrett surface gage missing the scribe.  I need one... can you order them separately?  Are they expensive?


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## jumps4 (Nov 2, 2012)

wolframore said:


> Could you guys recommend the metal or raw materials for making a scribe. I bought a used starrett surface gage missing the scribe. I need one... can you order them separately? Are they expensive?



the best i have found is a broken carbide endmill reground to a point the 1/8 burs work well and will hold an edge forever. it you need a certain diameter use the shank of a broken drill the proper size, heat to red and quench then grind to point. drill shanks are soft so you have to heat treat.
steve


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## wolframore (Nov 6, 2012)

I bought a 5 pack of 1/2" drill bits I used to sharpen a scribe.  I chucked it up on a drill and ground to a point at the grinder... it worked! I got the point hot enough to turn purple which i quenched in water.  It was hard enough to scribe cast iron without losing it's tip.  Now if I could find some longer pieces!

~Charlie


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## strantor (Nov 6, 2012)

How do you use this scribe? Is it a hand held tool? I've only seen a scribe used in a video once and it was mounted on a base like a dial indicator. Does scribing a line make the metal easier to bend?


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## wolframore (Nov 6, 2012)

stantor I think you're talking about a surface gage or a height gauge.  the one in the design is for running against a parallel side to put a scribe in like the mortising gauge or a marking gauge for wood working.


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