Marking gauge

[lurker]

This is going to be a bit obvious to many of you, but bear with a beginner.

I’ve always struggled with marking (mortise) gauges and was toying with getting one of those expensive fancy brass ones you :tool: collectors seem so fond of.
Then last week I saw a comment on the forum (I’ve searched but can’t find it again, but thanks to whoever) that bladed ones are superior to the spike ones.

This somehow struck a cord, and over the wet weekend I converted one of my many spike gauges (do they breed in the box??) to one with an adjustable blade. The result was a far better tool than the spike type and at no cost.

I made a wedge from a small bit of brass cut out from an old door handle and a blade ground from a jigsaw blade and then cut out a shaped slot from a hole drilled where the spike was.

 

[woodbloke]

I had a play around with gauges about a month ago, some stuff posted here on what I did. I eventually replaced the original pin with on made from a hardened steel masonry nail shaped on the Tormek into a blade rather than a point....gauges are now fantastic - Rob

 

[lurker]

Rob,

Thanks for that , not seen it before, will bear in mind for Mark 2 (currently under construction).

I like that pencil one, looks like a perfect project for one of my many IKEA pencils :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[woodbloke]

I eventually sorted out a way of making them from scrach using a transverse wedge with an additional saddle to spread the pressure from the wedge. The stock is laminated in 3 bits so it's not as tricky as if first looks to make one. In the pic you can clearly see the chunky nail ground to a cutter shape. Philly's got this one as he's only got the one Titemark gauge :-({|= and seems a bit hard up for gauges at the mo' :lol: - Rob

 

[lurker]

Rob,

I DID see that one.
My skills might not be up to that.
Anyway I have lots of marking gauges that are doing nothing, so more inclined to modify and bring them back into service.

I might try running a masonary nail though one across the corner. I can't see why this is better than normal place but am open to trying it.

By the way I have several that originally had a plastic screw to clamp the head and this is bust. Any ideas of solutions?

 

[Philly]

I eventually sorted out a way of making them from scrach using a transverse wedge with an additional saddle to spread the pressure from the wedge. The stock is laminated in 3 bits so it's not as tricky as if first looks to make one. In the pic you can clearly see the chunky nail ground to a cutter shape. Philly's got this one as he's only got the one Titemark gauge :-({|= and seems a bit hard up for gauges at the mo' :lol: - Rob

Oi! I heard that.... :lol: :wink:
Philly

 

[woodbloke]

Lurker wrote:

plastic screw to clamp the head and this is bust

Did a bit of Googling and came up with this which I guess is the sort of thing you're looking for - Rob

 

[Paul Chapman]

I copied Rob's design. Fairly easy to make and they adjust and work really well

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[lurker]

Rob,

Thanks for the link - never imagined I could buy that as a spare.

 

[lurker]

Rob,

I modified another one last night.
Just knocked out the spike, drilled a diagonal hole.
Ground a masonry nail with a 10mm flat on one face and shorter bevels to a point on the other side.
Honed all three to mirror ish finish and tapped in the nail ensuring the flat face was parallel to the gauge stock

Took me all of 15 minutes transformed the gauge significantly.

I can see the point of the diagonal now

 

[woodbloke]

Rob,

I modified another one last night.
Just knocked out the spike, drilled a diagonal hole.
Ground a masonry nail with a 10mm flat on one face and shorter bevels to a point on the other side.
Honed all three to mirror ish finish and tapped in the nail ensuring the flat face was parallel to the gauge stock

Took me all of 15 minutes transformed the gauge significantly.

I can see the point of the diagonal now

Gauges are so easy and cheap to modify....for an insignificant outlay (I spent 40p on a packet of 6 large Oboe masonry nails) you can transform the performance of your gauges to the point where expensive wheel gauges are just IMHO not required. As it is so inexpensive to improve ordinary gauges you can also have loads of them and keep them on a particular setting if you're doing an important job where the set is crucial and you may have to return to it at some point - Rob