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Marking out on mild steel with mill scale- good markers?

StevSmar

(Steven)
Premium Member
What’s a good marker to use on steel with mill scale? For typical fabrication accuracy

I have a soapstone pen, but the lines rub off easily.
Sharpie pens are hard to see unless there’s lots of light.
Dykem layout fluid with a scribed line is hard to see when I add cutting oil. I do love the smell though.
The tips of White correction fluid pens doesn’t appreciate being dragged across mill scale.

I found these products:
Pica Water jet resistant deep hole marker
Markel Silver Streak Pro
Super Met-Al white paint pen
 
Soap stone on plate to be cut. Any oil on the plate or on the soap stone seems to make a fainter line. Some soap stone seems a bit softer, seems to blow away easier when using torch. Lighting can make a difference. Not many markers like mill scale. Don't know a garenteed marker for all times and places.
 
I use a sharpie, often coloured, does the job...I just take into account the line thickness when I'm marking and know to cut either on the edge of the line or split the line or whatever. This is if you need better than say 1/8" accuracy with your cuts, since sharpie lines are thick.

Otherwise, if I need more accuracy I usually use a carbide scribe.
 
I don't mark anything when saw cutting/chop sawing/shearing

You should be measuring from the blade, if you have a line that's really only a sanity check, after all it's not a 2.50$ 2x4, mistakes are expensive
 
I don't mark anything when saw cutting/chop sawing/shearing

You should be measuring from the blade, if you have a line that's really only a sanity check, after all it's not a 2.50$ 2x4, mistakes are expensive

It's no wonder I can't weld. The sphincter on my wallet is too tight......
 
I don't mark anything when saw cutting/chop sawing/shearing

You should be measuring from the blade, if you have a line that's really only a sanity check, after all it's not a 2.50$ 2x4, mistakes are expensive

Uh, not exactly. You can put a mark exactly where the cut needs to be made (at least to visible accuracy) and then align the blade to the mark. Trying to measure from the blade on anything handheld or where the blade moves (chop saw, horizontal bandsaw, etc.) you cannot accurately measure off the blade anyway. About the only thing you can measure from blade is where the blade is fixed and you measure to a fence. At best, saw cuts aren't going to get beyond say 1/32nd of an inch accuracy anyway. If you need more accurate than that, you're doing a rough cut and then setting it up on the milling machine or lathe or whatever.
 
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