"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
news
Part of my routine the last several months is to watch YouTube
machining videos on the big screen in the house while I have my
morning coffee before heading out to the shop to get to work. I
have noticed a lot of guys (some hobbyists and some not) seem to be
using blue Sharpie markers as a sort of layout out "fluid" for some
types of jobs.

Is there something inherently wrong with this if it works? I kind
of have the attitude if something produces a satisfactory result and
causes no harm its ok, but even though I do machining everyday I
still consider myself a hobbyist.

I can see where it probably would not work out very well for marking
from a surface plate to scrape a flat surface.

Do you use a blue Sharpie in your shop? If you do are there times
when you use Dykem instead?

I use black ones for layout, a fine tip on sheetmetal to show where
the bend lines are and which side is up although I bend with the back
gauge, and a thick one to scribe through. The ink is thicker than
Dykem and sometimes plows up when parts move against each other, as in
fitting two surfaces. It won't transfer but it does show contact by
rubbing off. It isn't as messy as Dykem.

My latest folded sheetmetal is an enclosure for this:
http://budgetlightforum.com/node/50274
It turns a fixed output rectifier or switching supply into a nice
adjustable lab supply. Mine can deliver 15A at up to 35V, and 50V at
lower current, from a rectifier supply built around a buzz box welder
transformer. It also functions fairly well as a manually adjusted
Maximum Power Point solar controller.
-jsw