Marking metal

[Dman033189]

I was wondering what to mark metal with I have been using a blue marker but sometimes it is hard to see.

[Jerry]

You can use a chalk stick or paint marker found at any weld supply store.

If its for a layout I use a carbide insert scratch awl.

[John C]

Ask for some soapstone or the silversteak markers work good.
You get them both at the welding supply stores.

[cutter]

Originally posted by Jerry
You can use a chalk stick or paint marker found at any weld supply store.

If its for a layout I use a carbide insert scratch awl.

Yep & get yourself a spraycan of blue layout die, spray only the area you need to score, then do your layout through the die. I'm amazed at how much use I get out a can. General tools (& others I'm sure) makes an inexpensive carbide scratch awl with a pocket clip, a magnet on the clip end and the tip fits into a little collet so you can reverse it for carrying without puncturing youself.

[JohnDeere]

I got a 10 pound box of chalk i mark everything with.... Just sharpen a piece with ur bench grinder and go to town...

[Dman033189]

Ok thanks I guess I have some different choices I will try them all at somepoint I will look at those markers at the welding store and I will try chalk too.

Thanks, Don

[Franz]

And, if you use a carbide scriber equipped with a magnet, you can really screw up floppy disks with it.

[seajays]

For fine marking I used pens that write on glass. They are a fine paint pen. They come in gold and silver. Get them at your local office supply or craft store.

[fla jim]

With old eyes, I find that for machine work, Red layout dye is easier for me to see.
For cutting and marking for welding, I use a Soap stone sharpened on a grinder.

[fla jim]

With old eyes, I find that for machine work, Red layout dye is easier for me to see.
For cutting and marking for welding, I use a Sopa stone sharpened on a grinder.

[sb62]

Sharpie markers. Black for bright steel and silver for the rest.

[Hickey]

Originally posted by sb62
Sharpie markers. Black for bright steel and silver for the rest. Sharpie METALLIC markers are a gift from heaven above! Those things are AWESOME!! I don't know how I ever marked metal without them.

[Brainfarth]

Sharpies for me(even when the tip goes flat, I just put the grinder to em and sharpen it back up to get the last drop out of them), but when the metal is too dark I go for yellow paint pens, even though they are a bit wide for my tastes. Soapstone works great if the metal isn't covered in oil. A scribe rarely fails unless your cutting with plasma, the line likes to run off somewhere. Burnt a few tapemeasures up cause I was too lazy to find another method. Oh yeah, small pebels work also. ;)

[Brainfarth]

I forgot to mention that I love metal marking pencils but I always manage to snap or crush them first day out so I've thrown in the towel on those things.

[SDean]

Black Sharpies for cold rolled steel, Stainless and Alum.

Berol Silver art pencils for hot rolled steel.

[Snidley]

For me it's yellow paint pen, or silverstreak marker. And when those runout - soapstone.

It also depends on how fine a line you want and can see.

[vipermanz]

sharpies and paint pens, sometimes on wood i'll use a boxknife