To be precise, the “pointy sticks” X-1 through X-8 marks the spot. All these layout marking tools do the job, but all in a somewhat different way to optimally meet different requirements. For examples, the long thin pin versions are great for creating accurate point locations for divider layouts; shorter and stockier pins are good for marking with the grain, and chisel-headed types are best for making starting holes for gimlets and drill bits. The blade-headed versions are primarily for marking across the grain: double bevels, spear points, long versus short blades, thick versus thin are variants that meet specific needs in the layout process…and we haven’t even gotten to layout marking tools that leave erasable marks: that’s the subject of my next post later this week.
We’ll be going into choosing and using all the varients of these tools (in excruciating, but fun) detail in a video eCourse to be released later this year. We’ll keep you posted (no pun intended).
