Hi Jewel, I like to use spring loaded centre punches to mark screw holes. These have a cone shaped nose which centers the punch in the hole and as you press down a little spring trips to add a punch to a pointed end. I often repeat a couple of times. If necessary I then tap a small nail into the tiny mark left by the punch so the location is easily found later. I also have one which you tap with a hammer to really make a good deep mark but the nose is a little wide for many applications.
A couple of months ago I also bought a set of centre marking punches which are pistons about 5 inches long I suppose with a point right in the middle of an otherwise flat end. These come in a variety of sizes and you select the size you need for the hole you want a centre point for and pass it through then tap it to make a mark. These are ideal for things like marking the location for mounting things on walls where you need to get all four holes precisely marked and cut. The last time I used that sort was in mounting little magnets in the rim of the cut-out of my router table top to level the router mount. The plate is about 3/8 thick and I didn't want to risk damaging the threads which run the leveling screws, those punches were ideal for that. The little pointy mark received the tip of a forstner bit so the holes and the magnets ended up absolutely precisely located. Most other marking methods I don't find to be so satisfactory, things like using a marking gauge to form a line to plane down to for example but for marking around a hinge I either use a very sharp utility knife or more often the flat side of a good sharp chisel just along the edge of the hardware and tap it if necessary with a hammer. This line is what I then will use to start the chisel as I make the cuts to mortise out for the hinge or hasp or what ever else. Often I will use both a knife and a chisel. Marks across the grain are generally more easily felt than those along the grain which, as a result usually have to be deeper. When marking with a chisel you don't want to go too deep because the bevel side will widen the mark and because it is possible to split the work. There have been some here on the list who say they can follow a scribe mark with a jig or other saw or fret saw. I certainly cannot. Neither can I accurately cut off a length to a scribed mark with my table saw or mitre saw or even very well with a hand saw. Hope this is helpful. Dale Leavens, Cochrane Ontario Canada [EMAIL PROTECTED] Skype DaleLeavens Come and meet Aurora, Nakita and Nanook at our polar bear habitat. ----- Original Message ----- From: Jewel Blanch To: [email protected] Sent: Sunday, October 28, 2007 5:22 PM Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] How to Install a Hinge | DoItYourself.com How does a totally blind handyman make a usable * mark? Jewel ----- Original Message ----- From: David W Wood To: [email protected] Sent: Sunday, October 28, 2007 11:55 PM Subject: RE: [BlindHandyMan] How to Install a Hinge | DoItYourself.com Hi all: An interesting thread. The way which I use to mark hinges in a true fashion (if they are the butt type) is to open them out fully with the round spindle away from the work surface, open the hinge to more than 180 degrees, and carefully use this angle on the edge of the door to true it with the frame, and then mark round the leaf. Providing that the holes are symmetrical, you can, at this point mark and drill the holes also. David ---------------------------------------------------------- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.15.12/1096 - Release Date: 27/10/07 11:02 a.m. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
