Likewise, if your object is not level horizontally you are going to be tracing sections of your fixing surface you’re not even going to be fixing to and again, the finished cut will be way off. If the shelf is dropping along it’s vertical level, then your scribed line is going to be too close to the edge touching the surface. To ensure your shaped cut is as accurate as possible and the final fit is as good as it can be, your scribing needs to be accurate. What we mean here is position the shelf (or other) on the surface so that it is totally plumb level in all directions e.g. This may sound a little contradictory as the entire reason we are doing this is because we don’t have a flat surface to fix to. Place the Shelf (or Other Object) Flat to the Surface Regardless of what surface you are fitting to and what object you are fitting, the principals outlined below should be the same. Now that we have established the tool we will be using, the next step is to actually get on with some scribing.įor the purposes of this project we are going to be fitting a shelf to a rough stone wall with a very uneven face. Scribing Timber to Surfaces or Cutting Around a Difficult Shape for a Perfect Fit This particular setup ensures that the legs of the compass do not move while you are scribing as this could cause inaccurate marks and any subsiquent cutting to be way out. Saying that, we would alwasy suggest that you opt for an actual precision or engineers compass that features a threaded adjuster that sets the width of the legs. There isn’t really a right or wrong answer to which one you should use but we do tend to go for the ones that hold an entire pencil, mainly because leads can break easily and a pencil is much easier to source than just the lead! There are several different types of compass ones that feature either a bradawl-style point or pencil lead in the marking arm and ones that allow a pencil to be inserted that handles the marking. The main tool that we will be using for this project will be the humble compass or pair of compasses as they are also known (as seen below).Ī precision or engineers compass (or pair of compasses) with adjustable legs Scribing is especially useful when fitting shelves to “wayward” and uneven walls and ceilings, it can give great satisfaction when buckets of filler go unopened! What Tools do I Need for Scribing? Scribing a piece of timber using a pair of compassesĪs we have mentioned above, it is one of those jobs which needs some practice to perfect, and the easiest, least expensive way of practicing is with a cardboard template or an old off-cut of timber. Howadays, the bradawl has been mostly replaced by the pen or pencil and this the case of this project, a compass, but essentially they all do the same job, provide a clear, easy to follow cutting line. The pointed end is used to scribe a line on the object you are wanting to cut and once done, you then have a clear line to follow to ensure your cut is accurate.Īside from the actual cutting, the sharp point of the bradawl also “scores” through the timber grains, providing an easy start for your saw. This is a fairly small hand tool with a sharp pointed end.Ī traditional bradawl for scribing and marking timber and other objects Traditionally, woodworks would have use a bradawl (as seen in the image below). To mark or score (wood or the like) with a pointed instrument as a guide to cutting or assembling. According to the dictionary, the act of scribing is defined as: What is Scribing?Ĭutting timber, tiles, carpet etc around difficult shapes is a process known in the building trade as “scribing”. With this in mind, the key really is to take your time and practice, so read on below for some of the tips and tricks used by the professionals and in no time you will be scribing and cutting the most random shapes imaginable, absolutley perfectly. Scribing or marking out an odd shaped cut to fit a uneven or random surface is relatively easy if you know how, but if you’re not well practiced in this technique, it can be easily messed up and the final job will most probably not be a satisfactory one. Obviously, you could just place your shelf what ever item you’re dealing with up to the surface and leave it at that, but for that polished and professional finish, it’s always going to look better if it’s shaped to fit naturally. Scribing a piece of timber so that it can be shaped to fit is in most cases required where an object such as pipework boxing, skirting board, a shelf, kitchen unit or other needs to be fitted against an uneven surface such as a stone wall or a similar shaped surface. Scribing timber and indeed scribing many other materials such as tiles, carpet, laminate flooring etc is a job that you are most likely going to run into if you are actively involved in DIY or construction.
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