Scribing with verniers

Hi Michael Horner, second post down John's El cheapo digital is the one your thinking of I believe.

Regards Nick.

I rarely mark out, it's been superceded by using reference edges/circles and a DRO. Marking out is mainly used for sheet metalwork, done by hand, and the occasional reference mark for assemblies.

Andrew

I'm pretty much in Andrew's camp except I often mark out a few key points as a sanity check. As the tool is moved into position the markings confirm I haven't confused myself whilst switching references, or bungled the simple mental arithmetic my cheapo DRO requires.

I normally start with a drawing(s), which can be anything from a quick sketch to hours of CAD, and use them to decide the suitable reference points and cut sequences needed to get the required shape from the starting lumps of metal, ideally a nearby stock size. Cuts are done in terms of x,y,z coordinates relative to fixed references rather than scribe lines and centre-pops. The closest I get to old-school marking-out is on sheet-metal, making front-panels for electronics.

Dave

The risk with using Callipers, free hand, is that they will not remain "square" to the workpiece at all times, and so render a less that accurate or straight line.

Ideally, the "tool" to use is a Height Gauge, which will have attachments specifically for scribing.

This will ensure that the scribe is always the same distance from the edge of the workpiece (Assuming that it is clamped to an angle plate or something akin to it, on a known flat surface. Recently, to scribe some 6 mm x 6 mm x 23 gauge sheet steel angle, it was clamped to a 1/2" square HSS toolbit. )

As an Apprentice in the Toolroom, I was encouraged to make a base into which my Rabone Vernier Calliper could be mounted, a clamp, and and fittings so that it could be used for scribing or to carry a light DTI.

Effectively, this converted it into a small Height Gauge.

From time time to time articles appear on in the Model Engineering press on how to make such things.

For those lacking a Surface Plate, for the occasional small job, the bed of a machine or a thick piece of glass could be used.

It would be possible to use the marble cutting plates that are sold in Supermarkets, as cheap source, as long as they are correctly supported to be stress free.

I made a surface plate from a piece of marble, obtained from a stonemason, as an off cut from a grave headstone. It was about 40 mm thick and 500 x 600 mm, and cost £30.

It was bedded onto quite wet plaster, to ensure that it was not stressed, on ply, on an angle iron base, with cross reinforcements, and leveling feet at the corners.

Howard

I made a 150mm 'height gauge' and got good results.

Purchase a £7.50 digital calliper, remove the non moveable jaw and clamp into a slot machined in an appropriate sized base.Set height to zero on a standard block.
It worked for me!

Roy.

Hi,

I bought one of these a few years ago, was very cheap then, about 10 euros, complete with sheath and spare scriber:

it has a couple of advantages versus modified regular verniers, the roller and adjustable scriber "height".

Massimo

A small world: I bought one as well a week or so before Christmas. About £13.00 on Amazon.

i did this too. except i had too spend a little more on the calliper

You could always purchasing one of these: https://www.banggood.com/0-200mm-Measure-Scale-Ruler-0_05mm-Accurate-Parallel-Line-Digital-Vernier-Caliper-W-or-Case-Woodworking-p-1425961.html I have one and have used it a ton. Works great and comes with an extra carbide tip, I repurposed into a handheld scriber.

Edited: I just noticed the one I purchased is discontinued, but there are plenty of others that sell the same thing.

Edited By Thomas Gman on 03/01/2022 17:53:49

Oh, that looks good. BG says it's NLA, though. The tool bit looks like a small round HSS blank.

It is a small piece of carbide. In my opinion it is a nice to have item

Here is another version : here

Thanks, Thomas.

To keep things square I made a metal marking gauge similar to the woodworking version.