Dual beam marking gauge attempt

[Jeff Wittrock]

This is my attempt at making a dual marking gauge. A marking gauge should be the simplest of things to make, but for better or worse I just wanted to play around a bit.

The wear plate/body are mild steel pieces riveted together using mild steel pins. The beams are just made from 3/8" bolts with the head and threaded section cut off. The infill material is Honduran rosewood.

Inside the thumb screw holes I placed pieces of leather that grip the beams. The rear clamp was added as an afterthought and unfortunately doesn't really work. The spacing I put between the beams was to large for a single 1/4" thumb screw to contact both beams with a tapered nose to lock them in place, so I though I could place leather between the two, and the screw would force it to expand and bind the two beams, but it doesn't work so well. I may split it in half and have the single screw pull the two halves together to grip the beams. To be honest, I have not yet even had the need to use both sides at once let alone move both beams together so I may just leave it off.

The cutters are made from O1 and have a thumb nail like profile.

Honestly I was just looking for an excuse to put rosewood and steel together.

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[Chris Griggs]

Wow Jeff. That's really neat! Looks beautiful!

[Ryan Mooney]

Dang that's a nice looking piece of kit!

Where did you get the thumb screws?

[bridger berdel]

looks like a useful tool, aside from being pretty.

I think I'd have left the knurl less deep, flat on top. at least it looks sharp- it might be kinder on the fingers than it looks.

[Don Rogers]

Jeff,
That is just beautiful.
Every time I see something like that, I want to go make one - just to admire it.
Great work.

[Dave Beauchesne]

Damn!! That looks realllllly nice. Well done on all fronts.

[John T Barker]

Absolutely great stuff. Well done.

[Jim Koepke]

That could have commercial possibilities.

jtk

[george wilson]

Really horrible work!!. Send it to me so I can hide it that no one else may see it and deride you!!:)

[Shawn Pixley]

Really horrible work!!. Send it to me so I can hide it that no one else may see it and deride you!!:)

George, you are the "giver."

Jeff, very nice work!

[george wilson]

Shawn,in truth I usually am. For some reason I seem to be one of the few of my circle of friends who has ANY money!! Some have plenty of talent,but not much money. Do you know what 2 degrees and talent will get you in Wmsbg ? $14.00 an hour(they start the ACTORS at more than the craftsmen.)

[Jim Matthews]

Really horrible work!!. Send it to me so I can hide it that no one else may see it and deride you!!:)

Do the same with yours, George.
You've got my address...

(Something with purfling or gymping would be nice.)

[Jeff Wittrock]

Ryan,

I made the thumb screw from 1/4-28 SS hex head bolts and mild steel for the head. I don't have a lathe, so what I usually do is start with a piece of 1/4" thick mild steel plate and drill and tap a hole for 1/4-28. I counter drill the hole about 1/16" deep with a 15/64 bit. I then cut out a square around the hole a little over the head size I want. I thread the 1/4-28 bolt into the tapped hole and tighten enough to draw the shank down into the undersized hole, but hopefully not enough to snap the bolt :). I then cut he bolt head off flush and file the square into an octagon, and then into a circle. I then chuck the bolt into my drill press and shape and polish. Finally I cut the knurling using a triangle file. That's why the knurling isn't terribly uniform or pretty.

[Jeff Wittrock]

Thanks all for the comments.


Really horrible work!!. Send it to me so I can hide it that no one else may see it and deride you!!:)
Your concern is both appreciated and valid George :). That is the danger in posting pictures after all, and luckily I have pretty thick skin.

[Jeff Wittrock]

looks like a useful tool, aside from being pretty.

I think I'd have left the knurl less deep, flat on top. at least it looks sharp- it might be kinder on the fingers than it looks.

Thanks Bridger,
Yes, it is fairly sharp. It will bite a bit although my fingers are probably callused enough that I don't really notice and I have always liked the nice grip that the sharp knurling gives. I do wish I were better at cutting the knurling finer though. I just haven't had much luck cutting finer knurling with a triangle file.

[Ryan Mooney]

Thanks for the details Jeff, clever way to do it, and would be a nice way to make them out of alternative materials as well.

You sure wouldn't know from looking at them that they were hand filed!

[Ralph Juarros]

That is a beautiful instrument, Jeff. I am thoroughly impressed and amazed - especially with the hand cut knurls . Ralph

[Don Rogers]

It is absolutely amazing that you made that without machine tools.

[Matthew N. Masail]

Jeff every time you post an "attempt" of yours, we all know it's going to be somthing special. that is fantastic! I agree that could be sold as an infill marking gauge.