I’ve been doing this for years with back edge of my trusty ole no.11 blade. It’s really getting old have to re-fill the putty when chunks come loose and generally “fiddle” with getting uniform depth. I’ve been wanting to grab on of those nifty little plaque-removers that squadron sells as a “scribing tool,” but can bring myself to pay the eight smackers for it. (But I don’t think twice of spending $35 on crappy Verlinden update sets I’ll never get around to, funny how that works). My question is, is the Squadron scribing tool worth the $$$?
Thanks for the advise in advance!
Save your money and use a sewing needle in a pin vise. Works really well and cheap too.
Justen, you may want to check out my bit on scribing lines over on ETO:
How to Scribe Grooovy Panel Lines
It’s an alternative method that may be appealing to you… or not… [:p]
Fade to Black…
The Squadron scribing tool has only one “business end”. Micro Mark has one with scribers on both ends, but it goes for $13.50 which makes it a slightly better deal. I have one and it works GREAT. I bought it a couple years ago on a 2 for 1 sale and have used it a lot. When it starts getting dull,(point wears down) you can resharpen it on a wet stone once or maybe twice. My first one has been redone twice on both ends and I just threw it away and started on number 2.
Darwin, O.F. [alien]
I have had a Bare-Metal panel scriber and one from trimaster (tri-tool?). They both work very well, but I can’t remember how expensive they were. The Bare-Metal is still available and gives very thin panel lines. I don’t think the tri-tool is still available.
A few years ago I found an excellent scriber at the Home Depot. It works very well, if perhaps a bit wide. I think it was around $5 and came with 4 or 5 extra blades. I found it in the section with odd helper tools (telescoping magnet pickups-articulated dental-type mirrors-nail sets…etc.—you know, all the weird stuff) and I think it was for scoring acrylic sheets before you break them. Anyway, it works great, is very cheap, and has extra blades when they get dull (mine never has).
Also, using superglue as a filler instead of putty might help. It’s a lot less prone to cracking and pitting.
I know not everyone has access to one, but I use a welders tungston carbide Tig torch electrode, in a pin vise.Once you have it sharpened it stays sharp for a long time and there is no flex. I have been happy with the results.( kinda long winded,sorry, you can breath now)[(-D]
Thanks for all the advise guys! I’ll be doing some experiments and post my results shortly.
Toodles!
Another suggestion - try using a gunsmith’s checkering riffler. It’s like a needle file that is “bent” to about a 60 degree angle on the business end. Being triangular, it will cut wider as you go deeper, so less is more here, but it is very easy to control. They are available from Brownell’s, a gunsmith catalog ( on-line as well). Good luck!
Brian