Using label maker to make scale board labels

[Dave Shepard]

I have a Brother label maker that will print a 1" wide label on a transparent backing strip. I was wondering if anyone has tried to use one of these things to make labels to go on a WM scale board. I noticed the scale boards are a simple piece of Al bar stock available at the hardware store. Sometimes I have some weird orders and it would be cool to have some scale boards for this. Yesterday I cut some battens @.5" thick, so I had to calculate all of my cuts from the lowest possible cut up before I started cutting, would be quicker with  a custom scale board. This printer can be hooked up to the PC, I just don't know if it will print at the right scale or not.  Anyone have any ideas? Thanks.


Dave

[Ron Wenrich]

I sawed for about 20 years without a scale board.  I sawed accurate lumber and accurate cants.  All I ever did was build a stack, and know where I wanted to start in order to end up at a certain point.  Put it on paper and hang it someplace for reference.

It seems to me that if you're out their building scale boards, you can do it on paper.  It would be a lot quicker and a better use of time.

[Dave Shepard]

It turns out I already had the software for the printer, and had to scrounge up a USB 2.0 cable. Took about five minutes to make up a new scale sticker, which will print to scale (which was my main concern). Now, I can stick it to the back of the stock WM scale board tomorrow. 8) 8) The editing software has lots of features that were almost impossible to use on the label maker itself.


Dave

[Cedarman]

One thing sawing with the WM has done is make me good with fractions.  We get lots of weird thicknesses and like Ron I make a paper scale and hang it up with a magnetic paper holder.  At times I even use 3/32 as kerf rather than 1/8".  I can have a new scale ready in a minute or less.
But there is nothing wrong with trying new ways and thinking differently. 

[Joel Eisner]

On my Norwood Lumbermate 2000 the scale board in reverse printed on plexiglass and affixed velcro for fine adjustment.  All I do is take some invisible tape that you use for wrapping presents and run a strip down the scale board and then use a Sharpie for making the scale marks.

[Dave Shepard]

The reason I wanted to be able to have the scale printed on the scale board is for pattern sawing. I can figure out where to make all the cuts for the battens so I know where to start to end up with the last cut on 1", which is the lowest cut on a WM. But in pattern sawing, you adjust the scale board up or down so you can land on a certain mark. In this instance, I needed to stop at 6", as I needed a few more 2x6's to finish the order. This means I have to calculate the locations of all the cuts again. With the sliding scale board, I can just put the last cut at 6" and start cutting battens. I do a lot of pattern cutting, so the sliding scale board saves a ton of time.


Dave

[dad2nine]

I'm with you - Have call for 9/4 every once in a while. that's a good one to figure out, move the head 2 3/8" for every cut. 1/4" is quite common and so is 3/8. - I add an 1/8" to the requested finish size to allow for machine tolerance on those thinner requests, like the WM 1/4" scale does. On those special thickness orders, it seems like I spend more time counting the 16" inch marks on the inch scale than I do  cutting the boards. If you find a way to make some of these up - please share with us it would be greatly appreciated...

Thanks

[dad2nine]

Any progress on this sliding board scale? I got one of those 5/8" orders coming up and it sure would make things a lot faster.

Thanks

[Dave Shepard]

I just hooked the Brother label maker up to the computer. I have the PT-2300/2310 model. Using the label editor I was able to make up the label to go on the stock Wood Mizer scale board. Do you have a WM mill? If not, what does your scale board look like? The WM is simply a piece of 1/8"x1" aluminum bar stock. Was there another odd size you make a lot of? I could try to make a label for you, unless you need it in the next day or two.


Dave

[customsawyer]

I don't know if this will apply but on the LT40 that I had its strip could be turned around from hardwood 4/4 to softwood 4/4 so on those special cuts like what you are talking about I could just pick the quarter scale that I need to cut in half and I would do it that way. You say that you want to cut 5/8 thick boards then you need to come down 3/4" drop each time for your kerf take your 6/4 scale and you will line up on the 6 one time and then on the next cut you go half way between. I hope I am saying this right.

[dad2nine]

Yep I have an LT40 -

[dad2nine]

Dave thanks for the private message - below is the 9/4 scale that I go by, I think it's correct - it produces rough sawn right around 2 3/8" thick.

I mainly sell to cabinet / furniture makers. I get a number of requests for lumber that will finish book matched at 3/4" and 2" leg stock. I've been thinking I may start to only stock two thicknesses in the near future 5/4 (1 3/8 rough) and 9/4 (2 3/8 rough) . After drying I think most 5/4 will dress out to a full 1" and the 9/4 can be re-sawed into a 4/4 rough book matched pair that should dress up at 3/4" plus, or 9/4 could be dressed to a full 2" thick. I've disappointed a lot of folks because after drying, my 8/4 (2 1/8") rough won't clean up at a full 2" unless it's a mis-cut and I can't seem to keep my 4/4 book matched pairs together. Either that or I can't identify the book matched pairs after their dry because the grain just don't show the same as when wet. I figured by keeping them in a 9/4 thick chunk they won't easily get lost  :

Anyways this stocking two thicknesses for furniture makers is just a thought - might work might not, who know till you try, right?

9/4 scale --->
2 3/8
4 3/4
7 1/8
9 1/2
11 7/8
14 1/4
16 5/8
19
21 3/8
23 3/4
26 1/8
28 1/2
30 7/8
33 1/4
35 5/8

Thanks

[Dave Shepard]

You haven't accounted for your kerf, have you? It looks to me like you would end up with 2 1/4" boards, instead of 2 3/8". I run the WM .045 bands, which have about an 1/8" kerf. If I saw on the 5/4 scale, I get boards about 1 5/16", which I can plane both sides and end up at 1" fairly easily.


Dave

[dad2nine]

Dave I wasn't 100% sure of myself, that's why I posted it here so I could be corrected if I were wrong ;D.

Thanks

[dad2nine]

Dave I'm running .042 Lenox Wood Master C's and .041 monkey blades, never tried a .045 that I know of...

Thanks

[Slabs]

I've had some success using the back side of an aluminum yardstick.  Gotta cut a notch in the edge for the retaining screw.  Also thin sawn wooden strips.  Sand the strips and paint gloss white.  Use a fine point felt-tip for marking and cover with a coat of clear Krylon.