I've been needing a way to scribe straight lines in steel. Rulers always slip on me, and I'm not ready to buy a commercial scribe. So, I made one out of scrap mild steel and a bit of O-1 drill rod.
Here's a picture:
In case it's not obvious, here's how I made it:
1) Get some straight mild bar steel; I used square. Drill a 1/8" hole in one side, somewhere near the middle. A drill press was helpful. Roll bar 90 degrees, and drill a 1/8" hole perpendicular, but cutting through the first hole. Clean up edges of holes (hand turning a larger drill against the surface works nicely).
2) Thread one of the holes with a tap (if you don't have one, a set is available from Harbor Freight for $15).
3) Get some 1/8" hardening drill rod steel (I used O-1; 3 feet was $2.89 at my local metal supply). Cut off a segment, sand to a point (I turned mine against a moving belt). Bend 90 degrees, then harden tip as appropriate for the steel.
To use:
Slide rod in so tip is desired distance from bar, and tighten screw down. Slide steel to be marked along bar while pushing down on hardened tip.
It seems to meet my needs so far. If others have suggestions for improvement, I'd love to see them.
Tait
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p.s. Rather than looking for stuff to make, you can just start trying to make knives and figuring out what jigs you need to make it easier.
