A Scrap Wood Project
Seems like all I've been able to do is tinker in the workshop and make these little hand tools. I guess it seems that way because it is all I'm able to do. In recent weeks I've made a holder for card scrapers, a large marking gauge as well as a small marking gauge, and recently posted about the center line scribe I made back in August...
The reason for so many tiny projects is that I have injured my back significantly enough that I need PT and medications, so big projects, which are aplenty, must wait a while. So while these projects seem of little value, they are, in actuality, very useful - at least in giving me a distraction from thinking about work! And besides that - they're fun! I think it was just yesterday (the medications make me feel like I'm in some sort of time distortion a la Rod Serling) I was rambling around the workshop bemoaning my station, when I spied a little length of scrap wood...
It took me a few minutes (probably due to the medication) to think of something to make with it, when it dawned on me that I could make an even larger, more advanced center line scribe! The small one works beautifully on board edges, and I thought heck - why not make one that will find the center of board faces with no muss AND no fuss! So I cut a couple pieces of dowel and cut the scrap piece of wood to about 9 inches long.
Holes were drilled for the posts and a spot for a pencil:
Although the screw works nicely for the small center line scribe, for this one I decided to go with a pencil for the marker. So I drilled a hole in the side of the tool to use a screw for a locking mechanism for the pencil. I had a few of these little thumb screws, but the screw wasn't quite long enough to reach the pencil so I had to counter sink the hole a little...
This scribe can mark the center line of a board up to 7" wide, which will work for most of the boards I use for projects here at 173.
Of course, then I stained it with Minwax Gunstock stain:
Then a couple coats of amber shellac went on. But for some reason, this one came out looking a lot more yellow rather than the customary red-orange. But that's quite alright!
After assembly I tested the scribe, and it worked beautifully, except - I made the posts a bit short, making it a bit difficult to keep the scribe on the board. But I had decided not to glue the posts into place on this one, so it really worked out okay. I cut a couple longer pieces of dowel and in they went! Now it's perfect and marks the center of the face of a board within one millimeter.
And here you can see the original scribe, and after I installed the longer posts:
Hopefully it won't be long before I can get onto some bigger projects, but in the meantime, I have another small tool idea - we'll see.