A Simple Tip for Accurate Pencil Tracing
George VondriskaIt’s common practice to use a pencil to trace one part onto another. However, it’s not exactly the perfect tool, and it can be difficult to keep the tip from skipping across your surface or keep the tip flush against the piece you’re tracing. It’s easy to lose a bit of accuracy when pencil tracing and end up with a jagged shape.
In this video, George Vondriska shows you a simple trick for getting the most accurate pencil tracings.
A Little Sanding Goes a Long Way
To improve the accuracy of your pencil tracing, grab your belt sander and press your sharpened pencil sideways against the sandpaper. Hold it firmly until about half of the pencil has been sanded away. This will create a flat side that can be used to guarantee a flush fit against the item you’re tracing, giving you a smoother, more accurate shape every time. Genius!
Did you like this quick tip? Check out these other great shop tips to get the most out of your time in the workshop!
I have found that a mechanical pencil with a fine lead works best. It always sharp!
I’ve been using mechanical pencils for years, but I like this idea as it could make it easier to trace something onto wood that’s perhaps too rough to trace with a thin, weak 7mm mechanical pencil lead.