marking gauge, should the blade turn?

[Blackswanwood]

It was purely an academic question. I'd like to understand why a fixed blade would work better.

In my opinion both would work. Potentially a rolling wheel could introduce some wobble on it’s fitting and therefore be more prone to follow the grain? A rolling pizza cutter requires quite a lot of downward force and the accuracy or definition of the resulting cut isn’t that critical? A rolling blade may not slice in the same way that a fixed one does? The Veritas gauge in my experience creates a very clean line with minimal effort. A rolling blade may also add complexity to the build of the gauge increasing manufacturing cost for no real perceived benefit?

Edit - an additional thought … I use mine in a similar way to a router plane when fitting Brusso box hinges. That wouldn’t work if the blade was not fixed.

Cheers

 

[Ttrees]

If looking for excuses to buy one, I'd imagine there maybe possibly some performance for routing jobs?

Just a guess though, interested to see what others say.

Gant's suggestion looks a lot nicer than the similar priced Titemark knockoff I have
Since I have two wheel gauges already, I'm not springing for another,
but when/if I do, it will have twin locking screws, as this malarkey is a test for it.
Obviously sited for router plane, but can get by with the depth gauge,
aluminium block and a Faber Castell pitt graphite 9b crayon to transfer off.

 

[Jacob]

......
You still haven't explained why you think a sharp wheel that turns doesn't cut.

Because it doesn't "slice" like a knife it only presses into the surface. Try pressing a breadknife into a loaf without slicing - if it cuts at all it won't do it nearly so well as a slicing action.

 

[TRITON]

Try pressing a breadknife into a loaf without slicing

Pedantic answer

 

[MikeK]

Pedantic answer
View attachment 130276

See how well the electric knife cuts if you don't turn it on.

 

[TRITON]

See how well the electric knife cuts if you don't turn it on.

touché

 

[paulrbarnard]

See how well the electric knife cuts if you don't turn it on.

Depends on how hot you get it…

 

[TheTiddles]

To have a rolling disk would need a bearing to stop it wobbling. Why bother when it’s not needed.

there you go

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

They may well not be designed to turn. I'd like to understand why, why it was designed NOT to turn. If it works I'll use it, it was an academic question.
You still haven't explained why you think a sharp wheel that turns doesn't cut.

This is getting to be silly and pedantic. Everyone here, who owns or has used a fixed wheel gauge, says it works. I have several, and all work.

A fixed wheel = a blade, and when drawn across a surface, exerts the full force of the slicing action. A moving wheel only exerts a partial force of the slicing action. In other words, your pizza cutter cuts but is inefficient in doing so.

A fixed wheel presents a edge to the surface, and a fresh edge is available simply by rotating the wheel.

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[Eric R]

This is getting to be silly and pedantic. Everyone here, who owns or has used a fixed wheel gauge, says it works. I have several, and all work.

A fixed wheel = a blade, and when drawn across a surface, exerts the full force of the slicing action. A moving wheel only exerts a partial force of the slicing action. In other words, your pizza cutter cuts but is inefficient in doing so.

A fixed wheel presents a edge to the surface, and a fresh edge is available simply by rotating the wheel.

Regards from Perth

Derek

I don't know for sure, but I find it hard to imagine a pizza cutter working well if the wheel was stationary. I'm no engineer. I do imagine there's a problem with the way people on this thread compare the cutting power of moving wheels to stationary wheels. The downward force on a rotating wheel isn't lost. It should be transferred to a rotational force that might cut more efficiently. We use table saws not fixed blade machines to rip and cut wood for a reason. Also the analogy to a pizza cuttersisn't great because it ignores the qualities of the different materials being cut. FYI I just looked at an old Bridge city wheel gauge, and the blade spins with no wobble. It marks a well as the tite mark gauge. I don't like the BC gauge for other reasons.

 

[paulrbarnard]

For those having problems understanding forget that the wheel is round. Only a small part of the cutter is used and is simply a curved blade.

 

[TheTiddles]

For those having problems understanding forget that the wheel is round. Only a small part of the cutter is used and is simply a curved blade.

But has it got a rounded bevel or a straight one? I think that’s an important point and worth another few hundred bickering posts be people who can’t listen but can talk

 

[Adam W.]

How do I sharpen mine when it gets blunt ?

 

[raffo]

It certainly is simpler to manufacture than fitting it with a bearing wheel. (Pictures from two different products found at Amazon.com.) Those bearing fitted gauges must wobble terribly to cause such a response to save us from making the wrong choice.

 

[IWW]

How do I sharpen mine when it gets blunt ?

Don't bother Adam. Just press harder - as the wheel gets duller, the line will get thicker. If you plan it carefully, the thickening line will match your deteriorating eyesight & all will be well.


Ok, I'll leave quietly now.....

 

[IWW]

It was purely an academic question. I'd like to understand why a fixed blade would work better.

It depends on your definition of "better"...
The two are certainly going to work a bit differently. A fixed wheel has to cut it's way through the fibres just like a knife. It's pretty close to the sort of cutter I make for cutting gauges, except my tip is more elliptical than rounded. Like this:

I've only used a fixed-wheel gauge belonging to someone else on one occasion, but I'd say there is little or no difference in the action compared with my gauge. About the only functional difference I can see is that you can move the wheel round a bit if it gets too dull for you - I have to take my cutter out & sharpen it when that happens (which isn't all that often!).

A wheel that can rotate will tend to ride easily over any resistance rather than bludgeon its way through and is far less likely to tear cross-grain fibres, even if it gets a little dull, whereas even the sharpest knife or fixed wheel can tear a little in some woods and it gets worse rapidly as they dull (the nickers on a couple of my planes are a pest for doing just that at times), I confess I haven't used a rotating wheel, but I imagine it would feel different & probably be an easier tool to make light marks with, which I think was the gist of D.W.'s message.

But I still think it's Tweedle Dum & Dee and that you can make any gauge make perfectly satisfactory marks on most woods, whatever your requirements, with a little tweaking & a little practice.

Cheers,
Ian

 

[SadGeek]

First post and we have discover you like pizza

I actually prefer using a knife to cut pizza. Our pizza cutter wobbles and a worry about how I will sharpen it - especially as my family like to use it on a glass pizza tray.