Friday, February 28, 2014

Sharp Soapstone


How many times have you heard, “Make a mark with a sharp soapstone”?  We all know what that means and how to do it.  But, try to find a reference to it on the web.  To me, this seems to be a typical example of simple techniques which seem too mundane to document.

In actual practice I usually don't bother to sharpen soapstone and just use it in approximate marking situations.  If I want a sharper, more accurate mark, I use a presto pen or a chisel mark line, a punch mark or a scribed line.  Sometimes a silver pencil or silver Sharpie works if I can lay a hand of one of them.

Soapstone is cheap, so there are lots of pieces here and there in the shop.  If I can’t find a piece in my pocket I probably can find a piece within 10 feet.  It isn’t messy.  It is heat resistant, and remarkably strong compared to silver and graphite pencils.

Some soapstone links:


Long article - soapstone at the very end:





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