Member
I have the Taytools which must be a copy of the Titemark. I can never remember which screw to tighten first and the wheel doesn't score very well. Looks nice on the shelf, though.
My old wooden beam marker that still has $5.98 hand written on it is the one I use. The nail sharpened so that it pulls away from the edge of the work piece it takes one pass and done.
Contributor
Interesting observation on tools used in different trades. Woodworkers call it a marking gauge. When my wife worked at Michael's doing framing they called it a scribe.My old wooden beam marker that still has $5.98 hand written on it is the one I use. The nail sharpened so that it pulls away from the edge of the work piece it takes one pass and done.
The wooden beam marking gauge works very well with a point sharpened more like a knife blade.
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
Contributor
The blade on the Taylor Tools marking gauge is not very good. You can order a replacement blade from TiteMark - it's a direct replacement and a better blade. It's $10.Originally Posted by bill epstein
Mike
Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.
Contributor
Did you try sharpening it? I seen people report some blades (the Veritas?) can be sharpened by putting the flat face down and just honing that side.
Contributor
I didn't because I had some replacement TiteMark blades - I have a number of TiteMark marking gauges used by students so I have to have spare parts.
It may be possible to sharpen it. If I remember correctly, it's hardened steel so it might take some effort. I never broke a Taylor Tools blade but I have had TiteMark blades broken when someone dropped a marking gauge on the concrete floor. They break with a chip out of one side.
Actually, you can still use a blade with a chip broken on one side by just using the unbroken part but it's nicer to have an unbroken blade.
Mike
Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.
Contributor
I did and it worked tons better. But I somehow lost one of the thumb screws to lock it in place. Taytools wouldn't sell me replacements and I haven't found any to replace them yet.
But yes you can sharpen it and it works much better
Contributor
McMaster-Carr.
They have so much stuff it can be a pain finding what you want sometimes, but they (almost) always have at least something close enough.
Contributor
Now what would have happened if the gauge had come from Tite-Mark or Veritas?
Regards from Perth
Derek
Contributor
Great Saturday Night Live tie-in Edwin!
I use the Veritas.
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
“If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”
Contributor
I made a wheel gauge as well. One with a fence about twice the length of the Tite-Mark and Veritas. The original version (with a bunch of others for comparison) ...
Now what will be useful for others is that I upgraded the gauge with the aid of a stem/blade sold by Lee Valley. This has an integral micro adjuster ...
So .. make your own!
Regards from Perth
Derek
Contributor
I have a Titemark, I'm sure they would have replaced it. But the truth is I could buy three of the taytools for the price of one Titemark. And I didnt have the money to buy titemark at the time
Member
I tried my Clarke Brothers this morning and I have to say, it's fine! The wheel didn't loosen, the blade made nice line, I don't know how it could be better.
Contributor
I received the Clark Marking Gauge today and this is my quick evaluation of it. Clark Brothers is trying hard. Today I also received a note from them with instructions on how to use the marking gauge.
It comes in a nice looking box.
2020-06-26-Clark-Marking-Gauge-001.jpg
When you open the box, the marking gauge is packed in a plastic sleeve and there's a plastic box with the extra blades.
2020-06-26-Clark-Marking-Gauge-002.jpg
I compared it to the TiteMark and the Taylor Tools marking Gauge. I also have an iGaging marking gauge but it adjusts a bit differently. From top to bottom: TiteMark (top), Clark Brothers (middle), Taylor Tools (bottom).
2020-06-26-Clark-Marking-Gauge-003.jpg
They're all pretty similar in looks and operation. The blade can be retracted into the head on all of them (to protect the blade when you're storing the unit). The Clark has two sides flat on the head which will keep it from rolling off a bench. That's nice but not a major factor to me.
The problem with the Clark Brothers gauge is that it has a lot of lash in the adjustment. The TiteMark has the smallest and the Taylor tools is next. The Clark has the most.
All three have the same plastic adjustment for tension in the head (to keep the head from moving too easily). All work about the same.
2020-06-26-Clark-Marking-Gauge-004.jpg
I did some scribing with the Clark Brothers and the TiteMark (I have a TiteMark blade on the Taylor tools). The Clark blade is decent but not quite as sharp as the TiteMark. Perhaps a bit of sharpening would improve it. The Clark blade was better than the original Taylor Tools blade but not as sharp as the TiteMark.
I then checked if I could put a TiteMark blade on the Clark gauge. No problem, the size was the same and the screw size and threads were the same. However, the TiteMark blade has a long shoulder on it (compared to the Clark blade) which would prevent you from using the markings on the shaft. This is minor (to me) because I don't think you should ever use the markings on the shaft. [Off line comment: the TiteMark uses a 5/64" Allen while the Clark uses a Phillips head.] [And just FYI, TiteMark sells replacement blades for $10 in case you can't sharpen your blade to your satisfaction.]
2020-06-26-Clark-Marking-Gauge-005.jpg
So overall, it's a decent marking gauge whose major flaw is the significant lash in the adjustment. The major advantage of the Clark and the Taylor Tools is the price - in both cases it's about one third the cost of the TiteMark (the TiteMark is about $90 and the Clark and the Taylor Tools are about $33). Plus you can get the Clark or the Taylor Tools from Amazon with free shipping and you'll pay shipping for the TiteMark.
I normally recommend that someone have two marking gauges so that if they're making things that require two different measurements (drawer fronts are an example) it's nice to set your gauges and not have to change them as you work. With only one gauge you have to reset it and this can throw off your measurements. That's when the price really hits you - $180 for two TiteMarks or $66 for two Clark or Taylor Tools.
If you have the money, the TiteMark is definitely the superior tool, but you can do very good work with either the Clark or the Taylor Tools.
Mike
[Update: One of my TiteMark gauges has a blade with a narrow shoulder and a Phillips screw. I think this is the oldest one I have so I expect they changed the design of the blade from the early days.]
Last edited by Mike Henderson; 06-26-2020 at 9:37 PM.
Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.
Contributor
Just for interest, I tried one of the TiteMark knurled knobs on the Taylor Tools gauge - fits perfectly. Even looks identical. You might contact Wayne Drake (of TiteMark) and try to buy one from him.
Mike
Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.
Contributor
Good catch Fred. You are scary sharp sir!
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