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?

"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

Bob La Londe wrote:

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?
Hopefully, the days of laying out stuff with Dykem are over! At one time I
would use Dykem to avoid mistakes when manual machining. I didn't cut to
the lines, but if I was merrily cutting along and got really near the lines,
it meant I was cutting to the wrong dimension. Stop and re-read the drawing.

Thankfully, in 1996 I moved up to CNC, and have never looked back!

Jon

On 2017-01-17, Bob La Londe wrote:
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.

It works great for smaller areas as a layout fluid. It just
takes longer to cover a larger area -- even with a big tipped Sharpie.
I use it sometimes -- I use the fluid other times.

Also -- it is easier to use the Sharpie where Dykem layout fluid
would run into areas where you might not want it.

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

That is a different substance -- a thin oil paint intended to
smear and then to be cleaned off after the scraping. It is dense enough
so it shows lots of contrast in a very thin layer.

(And it is/was also useful by apprentices -- to coat a doorknob
to stain someone's hands. (It is difficult to clean out the stains.)
The layout fluid is allowed to dry (very quickly, given the solvent
used.)

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

Blue, black, red -- whatever it ready to hand and contrasts with
the workpiece. (red on brass or bronze does not show much contrast.

Enjoy,
DoN.

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