Mike Allen1010
02-15-2013, 1:53 PM
Here is a fun, inexpensive project that I thought some of my fellow Neanderthals might enjoy. Below are some pictures of a marking gauge and panel gauge I built for marking stock primarily for ripping (I also use the panel gauge for marking multiples to consistent lengths for crosscutting).
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This project didn't take much wood and I use these gauges all the time. It also gave me a chance to incorporate some curved surfaces and work on my precision/ accuracy in creating straight, square reference edges that allow for accurate use of the finished gauges.
I dimension most of my stock by hand, not because I'm a zealot, but because at one time I found myself without stationary power tools and that was the only alternative. Over the years I've become more proficient with hand tools and now I confess that I really enjoy being able to get straight, square, flat workpieces without the noise and dust of electrons.
The body/fences of the gauges are maple and the marking beams are walnut. I used some threaded inserts and threaded rod that I glued some wing nuts to lock the beams in place. I also used a couple pieces of brass left over from a saw building project as pressure plates to hold the beams squarely against the reference surface that is 90° to the fence. HMW plastic is glued to the fence to provide a firm, low friction surface.
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The only thing that didn't come from the Borg are the bevel edge, wheel cutters I got from Lee Valley for $5 apiece. FYI, the wheel cutters with the bevel side facing away from the fence (which leaves a straight edge parallel to the reference edge) are called "inside" cutters on the LV website. However, the pictures that appear when you add these to your cart show "outside" cutters (don't ask me how I know this!).
This is my second version of a panel gauge. The first time I bored a hole and chopped the mortice in the fence for the beam. I also had the locking screw coming down vertically through the top of the tool. The end result was I wasn't able to lock the beam absolutely solid within the fence and the small amount of rocking of the beam relative to the fence prevented me from being able to scribe a line that was absolutely parallel to the reference edge, especially on wide, glued up panels.
With these second versions, I ripped the fence at the bottom of where the beam mortice was going to be, which allowed me to saw the Mortice perfectly straight and flat before re-gluing.
I also created a longer bearing/reference surface to clamp the beam against by increasing the width of the fence to 2" at the point where the beam passes through. With the threaded rod passing horizontally through the fence, it locks the beam solidly against this reference surface - presto no more rocking and now I get perfectly parallel layout lines!
254392254389254390
Nothing fancy, but a fun project and a couple tools I thought others might enjoy.
All the best, Mike
254394254391
This project didn't take much wood and I use these gauges all the time. It also gave me a chance to incorporate some curved surfaces and work on my precision/ accuracy in creating straight, square reference edges that allow for accurate use of the finished gauges.
I dimension most of my stock by hand, not because I'm a zealot, but because at one time I found myself without stationary power tools and that was the only alternative. Over the years I've become more proficient with hand tools and now I confess that I really enjoy being able to get straight, square, flat workpieces without the noise and dust of electrons.
The body/fences of the gauges are maple and the marking beams are walnut. I used some threaded inserts and threaded rod that I glued some wing nuts to lock the beams in place. I also used a couple pieces of brass left over from a saw building project as pressure plates to hold the beams squarely against the reference surface that is 90° to the fence. HMW plastic is glued to the fence to provide a firm, low friction surface.
254393254388254395
The only thing that didn't come from the Borg are the bevel edge, wheel cutters I got from Lee Valley for $5 apiece. FYI, the wheel cutters with the bevel side facing away from the fence (which leaves a straight edge parallel to the reference edge) are called "inside" cutters on the LV website. However, the pictures that appear when you add these to your cart show "outside" cutters (don't ask me how I know this!).
This is my second version of a panel gauge. The first time I bored a hole and chopped the mortice in the fence for the beam. I also had the locking screw coming down vertically through the top of the tool. The end result was I wasn't able to lock the beam absolutely solid within the fence and the small amount of rocking of the beam relative to the fence prevented me from being able to scribe a line that was absolutely parallel to the reference edge, especially on wide, glued up panels.
With these second versions, I ripped the fence at the bottom of where the beam mortice was going to be, which allowed me to saw the Mortice perfectly straight and flat before re-gluing.
I also created a longer bearing/reference surface to clamp the beam against by increasing the width of the fence to 2" at the point where the beam passes through. With the threaded rod passing horizontally through the fence, it locks the beam solidly against this reference surface - presto no more rocking and now I get perfectly parallel layout lines!
254392254389254390
Nothing fancy, but a fun project and a couple tools I thought others might enjoy.
All the best, Mike