Marking Gage

[lowell holmes]

I've made several of the marking gages shown in the attached article.

I thought I would pass the link along. OBTW, you can't make just one.:)

http://www.popularwoodworking.com/articleindex/mystery_of_the_marking_gauge

[Dan Hulbert]

You are definitely right about making more than one. I have 4 or 5 that I've picked up over the years and another 4 - 6 that I've made. Haven't tried the captured wedge design yet, guess I'll be making another one. Thanks for sharing. Since I largely quite measuring and mostly dimension now, my work has improved and the gage collection has grown.

[Matt Knights]

I have also made one of these, I find the English style easier to make these have the wedge parallel to the beam.

Matt

[Patrick Chase]

I've made several of the marking gages shown in the attached article.

I thought I would pass the link along. OBTW, you can't make just one.:)

http://www.popularwoodworking.com/articleindex/mystery_of_the_marking_gauge

So what do you think of it as a gauge?

[Allen Jordan]

Edit: oops, wrong thread. Sorry. Those are some nice-looking marking gauges.

[lowell holmes]

So what do you think of it as a gauge?
They are good gauges if the craftsman ship is there. The tapered through mortise is an adventure. They don't require much wood, so you can make as many as you want.

I have one with a sharp blade I use as a cutting gauge. I experimented with using nails or drill bits. I pretty much settled on nails.

One has two sharpened nails spaced 1/4" apart. It is used to mark mortises. You can entertain yourself for while playing with the design. I used maple or cherry.

[Stew Denton]

Hi Lowell,

Thanks for posting the article. I have wanted to make a marking gauge, and have had different ideas bouncing around, but this looks like a better idea than anything else I have considered.

Thanks and regards,

Stew

[lowell holmes]

I have also made one of these, I find the English style easier to make these have the wedge parallel to the beam.

Matt
I'm not familiar with the English style. Can you post something?

[Matt Knights]

I'm not familiar with the English style. Can you post something?


sure can http://www.theenglishwoodworker.com/a-good-gauge/

Matt

[Patrick Chase]

I have also made one of these, I find the English style easier to make these have the wedge parallel to the beam.

Matt

There are 3 advantages to having the mortise perpendicular to the beam (and I think they mention 2 of them in the article): The obvious one is that it reduces the risk that adjusting the tenon will also jiggle the beam and thereby change the measurement. The second is that IMO it's easier both hold the body and adjust the tenon single-handed than is the case with an inline tenon. The third is that the tenon is exposed such that you can lock/unlock the beam by tapping the tenon on a hard surface.

[Bob Glenn]

Ditto on this English style. Just made one and it works great. On one end of the beam I drilled a hole for the scribe that was slightly smaller than the broken drill bit that I was going to use for the scribe. I ground a flat on one end of the bit to make an oval point then tapped it in. On the other end of the beam, I drill a hole for a friction fit of a pencil for marking board that don't need as close of a tolerance. It's my go to maker now and I have three others of varying designs. Bob

[Bob Glenn]

One last thought to my previous post. Instead of fetteling a square mortise perpendicular through the gauge face, I used a drill press and 5/8 forstner bit to drill a perpendicular hole. Next to that hole, I drilled a quarter inch hole to start the tapered wedge mortise. A coping saw and some file work and a little fetteling to fit the wedge and I was ready to finish the beam. I simply bought an 5/8 inch oak dowel, cut it to length, then planed a flat the width of the wedge for the full length of the dowel. Easy peasy. Bob

[Steve Voigt]

Either style (French or English) will work great, but the English gauge has a couple selling points that are not obvious. First, the parallel wedge will not wear a permanent groove into the stem at the most frequently used places, the way a perpendicular wedge can. Second, the orientation of the wedge is such that pushing against the fence tightens the wedge.

I second Matt's recommendation of the Richard Maguire video; it's very useful.

[Patrick Chase]

Either style (French or English) will work great, but the English gauge has a couple selling points that are not obvious. First, the parallel wedge will not wear a permanent groove into the stem at the most frequently used places, the way a perpendicular wedge can. Second, the orientation of the wedge is such that pushing against the fence tightens the wedge.

I second Matt's recommendation of the Richard Maguire video; it's very useful.

I realize this is the equivalent of a "pins-vs-tails first" debate and therefore not resolvable, but...

If you get into a situation where you need to rely on the fact that "pushing against the fence tightens the wedge" then you're already hosed, because if it tightens that way then the fence->pin distance changes. I'd rather that the beam come loose in that situation, because at least then I'll know that I've lost my measurement and shouldn't mark anything until it's fixed.

[Matt Knights]

To be fair I like these more than anything http://www.wkfinetools.com/contrib2/HendricksJ/tlMarkingGauge/tlMarkingGauge-01.asp. There is no wedges or screws and wear is not an issue. I have never made on but I do own an old one.

Matt