Marking Gauge

[Sailor]

I see old fashioned marking gauges, beautiful pieces with brass inlays etc. Has anyone seen any how to build articles or videos? I can't seem to find one that show how to make a really nice one, just some (reasonably nice) common ones.

[Dusty Yevsky]

Are you talking about the scratch type? If so, I wouldn't waste any effort making one, unless you are doing it as an exercise. I have several marking gauges and the only one that creates usable lines is the kind that has a rotating chamfered wheel at the end of a metal rod. The wooden scratch types have the bad habit of following the grain which I find worse than useless.

[Sailor]

I was thinking the scratch type. I have a wheel type. I guess I figured the larger registration surface of a wooden one would be better.

[tink]

Are you talking about the scratch type? If so, I wouldn't waste any effort making one, unless you are doing it as an exercise. I have several marking gauges and the only one that creates usable lines is the kind that has a rotating chamfered wheel at the end of a metal rod. The wooden scratch types have the bad habit of following the grain which I find worse than useless.

How are you using it? If the pin is pulled so it is making a 45 degree angle to wood in the direction of travel they work fine.

why are geometry angles degree and bearings degrees like all unther measurements over one?

[Chippie]

Are you talking about the scratch type? If so, I wouldn't waste any effort making one, unless you are doing it as an exercise. I have several marking gauges and the only one that creates usable lines is the kind that has a rotating chamfered wheel at the end of a metal rod. The wooden scratch types have the bad habit of following the grain which I find worse than useless.

The problem there is as tink points out is your applying the tool wrongly.

How are you using it? If the pin is pulled so it is making a 45 degree angle to wood in the direction of travel they work fine.

why are geometry angles degree and bearings degrees like all unther measurements over one?

Sorry tink I can't understand the question?





Sailor's appreciation of the " old fashioned" gauge of this type.

It was developed way back to do a particular job and in my opinion cannot be bettered.

[ron ll]

Here’s mine. It used to be a mortise gauge but someone prior to me filed off the outer pin so now it is just a marking gauge.

21448BD0-525A-40D9-86A7-00635A4CD854.jpg

[David G]

I have a couple of lovely older brass and rosewood marking gauges. The one I reach for is an older version of this -- http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/pag...49&cat=1,42936



Of course, if your motivation is the fun of 'toolmaking' as a hobby... go for it!

[Canoeyawl]

I prefer the type of marking gauge that uses a small knife to mark the cut. A habit left over from my days working with veneers, it is superior to a scratch gauge, which leaves a pretty wide line.

The old ones are sort of scarce, but this new one looks very nice indeed.

IMG_3792.jpg

[Dusty Yevsky]

How are you using it? If the pin is pulled so it is making a 45 degree angle to wood in the direction travel they work fine.

why are geometry angles degree and bearings degrees like all unther measurements over one?

,
I'm pretty sure I have used them correctly but still had poor results. It may be the quality of the gauges though, which I suspect are not the best. I find the chamfered wheel type superior because the chamfer "automatically" registers the gauge against the work piece.

[tink]

Not for your traditionalist, but these work well,

usually I go for this



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[John Husky]

With the pin style marking gauges I use a file to flatten both sides of the pin so that it becomes a knife edge. It makes a fine line and doesn’t tend to follow grain lines unless I am using my left hand.

[Sailor]

Those shown in posts 5, 6 and 8 are what I envision. I've never used one but watching Paul Sellers videos lately and he seems to make them look effortless. Maybe Dusty has used some that are not properly sharpened or set? I don't know. I like the look of them and Paul makes them look pretty useful the way he turns to one or another of them in nearly every project he shows us in his videos. I suppose, some of the attraction is the project as well. I figured Harry Bryan would have an article in our host's publication but I can't find one so far.

[Canoeyawl]

The gauges shown in #6,7, and 8 are all different. I have all three and reach for one or the other for different materials and conditions. For "fussy work" I like the one with a blade, or I mark with a layout knife and straightedge.

When I migrated to boat work, using a blade to mark the work was frowned upon for a couple of reasons. One of them structural, the other was longevity or not leaving a place for rot spores to hang on. I learned to use a sharp pencil, and a Japanese string line.

Japanese marking knife

[Nicholas Carey]

My google-fu is strong. We gots videos on how to make a marki g gauge (lots more hung off this YouTube vid.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=avS4C5AzfJE

Popular Woodworking ran a piece on making marking gauges back in 2009: https://www.popularwoodworking.com/a..._marking_gauge

The video above and others are based on this.

So did Fine Woodworking, the next year, at http://www.finewoodworking.com/2010/...-marking-gauge

Highland Hardware, down in Atlanta, has an article on making them. https://www.highlandwoodworking.com/...kinggauge.html

Hillbilly Daiku (Japanese Woodworking blog) has instructions... and plans! https://hillbillydaiku.com/2014/04/1...marking-gauge/

Woodcraft sells plans: https://www.woodcraft.com/products/w...arking-gauge-1

Canadian Woodworking has a plan for one: https://www.canadianwoodworking.com/.../marking-gauge

I rather like the double-ended beam. One end's a pencil, the other a point.

And one last one (based on the one in the video above). http://www.workbenchdiary.com/2015/0...ing-gauge.html

[Nicholas Carey]

This one at Lumberjacks is interesting, with an exacto knife blade set with a wedge. http://lumberjocks.com/projects/311746

[Paul Pless]

This one at Lumberjacks is interesting

and this one from lee valley

[SMARTINSEN]

....watching Paul Sellers videos lately and he seems to make them look effortless....

Paul Sellers makes everything look effortless.

[John Meachen]

I have one or two of the conventional type and this rather versatile example.If your work goes beyond straight and square you will understand the advantages which include a pin that can be extended or retracted.

gauge.jpg

[Jay Greer]

I guess I have half a dozen different marking gauges in my shop. The one I like best is the Japanese tool known as an Kebiki. It is adjustable using a plane blade setting hammer and only takes a slightly tap to set the distance. The marking knife cuts a clean line and can be easily removed and honed on a stone,
when needed. Best of all, the tool is reasonably priced!
Jay
https://www.amazon.com/Japanese-Simp...+marking+gauge

[Boater14]

I use one of those. The little knife cuts rather than scratches the line. Foolproof.