How to remove pencil marks?

[bunky1950]

I have been using the "abrasive cleaning stick" normally used to clean sanding disks, belts to erase pencil marks.

[wgander]

I just learned about the sanding disc cleaning eraser in a SS video this AM.
Rubbing alcohol (isopropyl) worked OK. I didn't have any denatured alcohol before: I do now.
I have one green eraser that does a pretty good job - I had misplaced it when moving tools to this shop.
I know about scribes and marking knives but don't use them for layout when I'm trying to determine how to get the most pieces from a board.

[charlese]

Hello there bunky and wgander! If you like the sandpaper cleaning stick, try this - It works for me - - When cleaning the sandpaper, the cleaning stick leaves big eraser crumbs. Gather up these crumbs quickly, after turning off the machine - then taking the (still warm) crumbs and eraser shavings, press them into a ball. Before long you will have a ball about the size of an old 'art gum eraser'. You can re-use this ball to remove pencil marks just like before it was ground down. Sounds really frugal, I know, but it's fun to re-use the stuff!:)

[a1gutterman]

.............You can re-use this ball to remove pencil marks just like before it was ground down. Sounds really frugal, I know, but it's fun to re-use the stuff!:)

What's so frugal about it? If it works, it works!

[james.miller]

I usually use a Mars Plastic Eraser or a Click eraser stick. The white plastic material seems to work well. When I draw the pencil lines I try not to put very much pressure on the pencil so it doesn't make an indentation in the wood.

[bobjm]

denatured alcohol did NOT work
acetone did work almost. I was able to sand out the areas that still had pencil marks.
An ink eraser worked the best, but it disappeared :-(

[Gene Howe]

Try to find 70% isopropyl alcohol. It works on every kind of lead pencil in my shop. IIRC, mine came from a pharmacy.

[ERLover]

Dont use a pencil!!! Get a chalk pencil, not a grease pencil, but a chalk pencil. Craft Stores have them. They come in different colors, I get a white one for walnut work. Usually in the fabric area, for doing fabric pattern marking on cloth.

[jsburger]

Dont use a pencil!!! Get a chalk pencil, not a grease pencil, but a chalk pencil. Craft Stores have them. They come in different colors, I get a white one for walnut work. Usually in the fabric area, for doing fabric pattern marking on cloth.

Yup!

[UncleSnick]

What about just making your marks on blue painters tape and then remove the tape after cutting? that would avoid the issues with removing marks. I've done it on a variety of pieces and tools (jig saw, table saw, band saw) and it's worked for me. Just a thought .....