Quick and dirty edge scribe

C

CDH

Joined
Jun 8, 2007
Messages
283
I was casting around the garage looking for something to scribe an edge centerline on a 1/8" thick blade blank. I found that if you stack 2 standard utility knife blades (leave the top one overhanging the bottom one slightly) and clamp it to a flat surface (I used my drill press table clamp, any solid flat and true surface should work) I could slide the blank against the point of the utility knife blade. Voila! It wasn't perfectly centered, but dang close. I then flip the blade over and put in a parallel second line and I had the center well enough marked to start beveling the blade.

Adding or removing shims quickly adjusts the scribeing edge's height. I was quickly and easily able to get dual scribed lines that were nearly touching, which plenty well defined the center for my purposes.

Maybe y'all have this all figured out and have better tools, but I was pretty happy with the results...tool $$$ is hard to come by at the moment in my house so I make do. I figure I'm not alone in that category, so I thought I'd share my solution.
 
nice. I use the sticky-outey depth measure on the end of a pair of vernier calipers to measure the depth of one side, then grind (or in my case file) down to an edge.
 
You can find a cheap digital height gauge with a scrib attached on Ebay ,very handy for what you are doing plus you can mark your grind lines .Or you could just use a carpenters back marker.
 
Have you tried using a 3/16 drill bit for 1/8 inch steel. Slade the blade down a stationary drill bit then flip blade to do he other side. Mike
 
Tinbasher said:
You can find a cheap digital height gauge with a scrib attached on Ebay ,very handy for what you are doing plus you can mark your grind lines .Or you could just use a carpenters back marker.
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look for a vernier height gage. I got a new in the box Mitutoyo 10" for around 50$ on ebay. You don't need digital.
 
Tinbasher said:
I got my digital for about the same price + shipping down under ,it measures up to 500 mm
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Make many blades 500mm thick? I thought my 10" was overkill, I was looking for a 6" I tend to stick with brand name tools when I am buying precision tools. All my other stuff is Mitutoyo.
 
Ilovetoolsteel said:
Make many blades 500mm thick? I thought my 10" was overkill, I was looking for a 6" I tend to stick with brand name tools when I am buying precision tools. All my other stuff is Mitutoyo.
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I am a metal worker by trade and make fancy motorcycle parts on the side ,knives are only a small part of my hobby.
 
Excellent idea there CDH. Im thinking i will adapt that idea next time by using a feeler guage/ slip guage to get the exact height I need.

I also use the 'sticky outy thingy' on my vernier, but dont like to cos it aint what its made for.

... Digital guages can lull you into a sense of false security. They are not necessarily more accurate than straight vernier... When I was in industry I challenged my foreman, and got more accurate measures with a vernier than him with a micrometer. You cant go wrong with mitutoyo... the brand is very reputable.
 
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