Question about using a piece of soapstone for marking hot steel

I always used a regular metal scribe for marking my cuts on hot work, but the lines were so faint I'd lose them under the scale. Last month, an older smith at the county fair in Springfield saw me squinting and said, 'Kid, you're fighting the metal. Grab a chunk of soapstone from the hardware store.' I thought it was a weird old-timer thing that wouldn't work. I got a piece for about five bucks and tried it on a gate hinge I was forging. You just rub it on the hot steel, maybe around 600 degrees, and it leaves a bright white, clear line that doesn't burn off. It made cutting my tenons so much faster because I could actually see my marks. I don't know why I fought it for so long. Does anyone have a good source for the bigger sticks, or do you just break up the smaller ones?

3 comments

3 Comments

jordanl8215d ago

I had the same problem marking out scrolls for a railing project last year. My local welding supply shop sells the big soapstone sticks, about the size of a thick pencil, in packs of three. They last way longer than the little flat pieces. I keep one in my apron pocket and it works on anything from a dull red heat down to just warm. The line stays put even when you're moving the piece around a lot.

joseph_roberts15d ago

My hardware store sells those big soapstone sticks too, @jordanl82.

willow_garcia6d ago

Those big sticks are a total game changer for layout work. I switched to them after going through a whole box of the little flat ones in a single weekend project. The thicker shape doesn't break when you drop it, which happens to me constantly.