Yes, there's the knife and straightedge technigue, but that can slip. Does anyone have a method that's more fool-resistant? Thanks.

I think you'd find that someone will just invent a better fool. Have you tried plastic label tape as an edge to scribe against? Straight, flexible and fairly strong.

Hope it helps.
Matt

usually called "dymo Label Tape" although it is possible to get it under other manufacturer's names

Hey Tom,
I use a dental tool to scribe lines, panel lines and so on. They can be found at any hobby shop.



Also here is a link to scribe in lines using many others...

Scribing Lines

Joe

Just seen something new today. Saw it at www.arcair.com. Its a flexible ruler either in inch or metric. its made of flexible copper sheet. The companies address is www.sbsmodel.com. Just open page and click on tools. Seems to be a reasonable price. Gonna try to order one myself.

I have that ruler and it works well. The problem with all rulers is that they are prone to slipping when you scribe against them. I think if it were possible to solve that problem, we'd all be better off. The ruler, though is great because it gives you a quick measure (scale) and is very flexible.

Matt

If you are concerned that the straightedge will slip then the most logical solution is to simply clamp the straightedge to the workpiece , or alternately glue a nonslip surface to the back of the straightedge i.e. thin strip of cork or rubber - for example, on one of my rulers I have glued a piece a thin rubber (0.25mm thick) and have never had any problems with slippage.
Also use an Ofla P-cutter (or similar) as this actually removes the plastic where as using a knife the blade actually just pushes the plastic aside (hence the ridge).
HTH.

Roger.

Hi I hate the word Ruler used in this context , A Ruler is by definition One who Rules , The word should always Rule never an R at the end . I was taught this on my first day at school over 55 years ago . End of rant . cheers ian

Even with the straightest of straight edges clamped as tightly to the surface as possible, you will still slip occasionally. There are two ways to deal with this: (i) use two straight edges and scribe between them; (ii) expect it to happen and have your filler ready to hand. As far as I can tell the only sure-fire way to avoid slippage is to use the machine that engraves kits before they sell them to you - and even that doesn't always work, as any number of kits will demonstrate ...

Please don't bother contributing unless you have something useful to contribute.
Incidently - have some thought/respect for other countries use of English - terms and definitions are NOT universal.

Hi Gentlemen,

This is a modelling site, we should be nice to each other and have fun. If you have something more personal to tell to someone, use the private messages system. But please, be respectful to the people your are talking/writing to. I'm sure things can be explained in a more friendlier way...

It would be nice to see some of the posts above edited by their authors...

Thanks in advance,

Jean-Luc

Never thought of using dental tools. Thanks!

And here's a cheaper source than the hobby shop:

http://www.sciplus.com/search.cfm?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=search&utm_content=cf&utm_campaign=celsearchtest&formfield1234567891=173&formfield1234567892=13&formfield1234567894=&term=dental+tools&btnHand.x=0&btnHand.y=0

For the record, both uses are correct:

Dictionary: rul·er (rū'lər)
One, such as a monarch or dictator, that rules or governs.
A straightedged strip, as of wood or metal, for drawing straight lines and measuring lengths. Also called rule.

a person who rules or commands; "swayer of the universe"
rule: measuring stick consisting of a strip of wood or metal or plastic with a straight edge that is used for drawing straight lines and measuring lengths
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

A ruler, or rule, is an instrument used in geometry, technical drawing and engineering/building to measure distances and/or to rule straight lines. ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruler

A (usually rigid), flat, rectangular measuring or drawing device with graduations in units of measurement; a rule; a straightedge with markings; a measure; A person who rules or governs; a person who exercises dominion or controlling power over others
en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ruler

A tool used to measure length.
www.numbernut.com/glossary/r.shtml

Three sided ruler with different scales on each side. Also referred to as a "scale."
www.nachi.org/glossary.htm



A straight measuring device with distance markings.
www.yourwebassistant.net/glossary/r11.htm

The planet which corresponds to the house or sign in question. Example: Jupiter is the ruler of the 9th house and of Sagittarius.
www.findyourfate.com/faq/r-glossary.htm

rulers displayed on the screen that show measures in inches, picas or millimeters.
www.print-logics.com/printing_terminology.htm

Hi Casper

The salute was uncalled for - remember this is a family-oriented community - but, also for the record, I was taught that the terms are interchangeable (way back in the depths of time in the '60s) - I guess Ian and I had different teachers.

Tom - Check out Mal's excellent article on Scribing.

All the best

Rowan

I put a strip of double sided scotch tape on the back side of a ruler and use an old #11 blade to score the plastic.

Hey Tom . Not sure if your dentist will be up to this but when their tools begin to wear out and are longer good for what they need it for , they toss them away . Ask your dentist if he/she is willing to part with any old tools . I got my from my dentist at no cost .

Thanks for the site link. They have some pretty cheap stuff there, gonna pick up a few things.