Marking gauge

[Racers]

Hi, Chaps

I picked up a nice marking gauge a while ago at a car boot, I was looking at it the other day and I thought I would have a go at making one.

I used some Hawthorn I had been drying for a while, I usually make mallet heads from it, so I know its tough stuff, and looks nice as well, the wedge is made from rosewood.
The orignal looks like its made from Ebony and Lignum Vitae the brass plate was in a very bad state and had to be removed and re-installed, I have wiped the wax off so it should dull down soon.
It has a big flat worn on it so it has been well used, makes you wounder what the orignal owner used it for.

I turned the shaft on my lathe it came out to 19mm, so I had to grind the sides of a 20mm flat bit to make it cut a 19mm hole. The cutter is made from 3mm silver steel hardened and tempered.

It only took a couple of hours to make and it feels good in your hand so I might make another with the cutter the other way round.


Pete

 

[jimi43]

Pete...that is very very beautiful indeed!

It is so nice to see English woods used in tools...

Bravo old chap! =D>

Jimi

 

[Doug B]

Really nice Pete, i like the look of it.

I ought to make a wooden marking gauge myself.


Cheers,



doug.

 

[rileytoolworks]

Very nice, and looks to be extremely well made.
Are you going to face the new head with brass too?
Must get round to making a few of these myself one day soon.


Adam.

 

[woodbloke]

Nice job Pete. Here's my variation on the theme, posted before but new to those that haven't seen it:

This uses a cross wedge locating on a saddle, based on an old design I saw in PFT. The stock is laminated and made from four separate pieces, with the wedge in place (but suitably waxed) in the glue up stage. I did it this way as it's a bit hard :-" to chop a 60mm tapered mortice in maple. Pin is a hardened masonry nail, ground to shape. A little bit of 'toe in' prevents it from wandering in use as well ( a tip picked up from my Jap marking gauge, now my default gauge) - Rob

 

[Racers]

Hi, Chaps

Thanks.

I think I will leave it as it, I have a few marking (12- to 14) gauges so wear won't be a problem.

I have several Stanley 5601 clones I have made like these in Padauk

and these in Maple and Beech

I have replaced all the knobs with brass ones like the Padauk gage ones.

I might have a problem with gauges, if I only I could gauge how big a problem it is I might be able to do something about it :lol:

Pete

 

[David C]

Apart from having several, which is not a problem, what is the nature of this problem ?

They are all look very good.

Preserving gauge settings till the end of the job can be very helpful, as indistinct lines can be freshened up at will.

David

 

[Racers]

Hi, Chaps

Good point David, I will use that as an excuse :wink:

14 :shock:

Pete

 

[David C]

Excellent.

You'll be planning some complex joinery then ?

David

 

[yetloh]

I have only two and never use either of them. I do however have two cutting guages which I use all the time; I infinitely prefer a knife line with the bevel on the waste side.

Jim

PS nice work, all the same Pete, must look out that Hawthorn from the Garden that has been lurking in the woodstore for years and make something with it.

 

[Racers]

Hi, Jim

My gauges all have cutters so they work like a cutting gauge, thats why I have two of each wood for inside and outside lines, tip picked up from David C.

Hawthorn makes very good mallet heads, its end grain is very tough, harder than apple.


Pete

 

[bugbear]

Hi, Chaps

Good point David, I will use that as an excuse :wink:



14 :shock:

Pete

I thought I remembered you picking up a plated head cutting gauge a few years back?

BugBear

 

[Racers]

Hi, BB

Yes, its at the top of the picture next to the Stainless Steel one.

Pete

 

[bugbear]

Hi, BB

Yes, its at the top of the picture next to the Stainless Steel one.

Pete

Ah - in the photo the patinated brass is a similar colour to the darker woods, so I didn't spot it.

My bad.

BugBear

 

[Alf]

So, Pete, if you've got 14 marking gauges, how many gauges of all types do you have in total? Because you could potentially have a serious problem here... er, I mean, potentially be undertaking some seriously complicated joinery.

 

[Racers]

Hi, Alf

I also have a panel gauge and a mortice gauge I forgot to add to the photo

I have two purpose made cutting gauges the rest have knife style pins, after David Charlesworth.

I could set then all in 1mm increments and then never have to adjust them :wink:

Got a load of Pippy oak coming tommrow for my settee rebuild, so they should get a work out.

Pete

 

[Karl]

Nice work Pete - I really should get round to digging through the scraps to make a couple of gauges, as I only have the one (Veritas).

Cheers

Karl