Dual beam marking gauge attempt

[Jeff Wittrock]

This is my attempt at making a dual marking gauge. A marking gauge should be the simplest of things to make, but for better or worse I just wanted to play around a bit.

The wear plate/body are mild steel pieces riveted together using mild steel pins. The beams are just made from 3/8" bolts with the head and threaded section cut off. The infill material is Honduran rosewood.

Inside the thumb screw holes I placed pieces of leather that grip the beams. The rear clamp was added as an afterthought and unfortunately doesn't really work. The spacing I put between the beams was to large for a single 1/4" thumb screw to contact both beams with a tapered nose to lock them in place, so I though I could place leather between the two, and the screw would force it to expand and bind the two beams, but it doesn't work so well. I may split it in half and have the single screw pull the two halves together to grip the beams. To be honest, I have not yet even had the need to use both sides at once let alone move both beams together so I may just leave it off.

The cutters are made from O1 and have a thumb nail like profile.

Honestly I was just looking for an excuse to put rosewood and steel together.

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[Chris Griggs]

Wow Jeff. That's really neat! Looks beautiful!

[Ryan Mooney]

Dang that's a nice looking piece of kit!

Where did you get the thumb screws?

[bridger berdel]

looks like a useful tool, aside from being pretty.

I think I'd have left the knurl less deep, flat on top. at least it looks sharp- it might be kinder on the fingers than it looks.

[Don Rogers]

Jeff,
That is just beautiful.
Every time I see something like that, I want to go make one - just to admire it.
Great work.

[Dave Beauchesne]

Damn!! That looks realllllly nice. Well done on all fronts.

[John T Barker]

Absolutely great stuff. Well done.

[Jim Koepke]

That could have commercial possibilities.

jtk

[george wilson]

Really horrible work!!. Send it to me so I can hide it that no one else may see it and deride you!!

[Shawn Pixley]

Really horrible work!!. Send it to me so I can hide it that no one else may see it and deride you!!

George, you are the "giver."

Jeff, very nice work!

[george wilson]

Shawn,in truth I usually am. For some reason I seem to be one of the few of my circle of friends who has ANY money!! Some have plenty of talent,but not much money. Do you know what 2 degrees and talent will get you in Wmsbg ? $14.00 an hour(they start the ACTORS at more than the craftsmen.)

[Jim Matthews]

Really horrible work!!. Send it to me so I can hide it that no one else may see it and deride you!!

Do the same with yours, George.
You've got my address...

(Something with purfling or gymping would be nice.)

[Jeff Wittrock]

Ryan,

I made the thumb screw from 1/4-28 SS hex head bolts and mild steel for the head. I don't have a lathe, so what I usually do is start with a piece of 1/4" thick mild steel plate and drill and tap a hole for 1/4-28. I counter drill the hole about 1/16" deep with a 15/64 bit. I then cut out a square around the hole a little over the head size I want. I thread the 1/4-28 bolt into the tapped hole and tighten enough to draw the shank down into the undersized hole, but hopefully not enough to snap the bolt . I then cut he bolt head off flush and file the square into an octagon, and then into a circle. I then chuck the bolt into my drill press and shape and polish. Finally I cut the knurling using a triangle file. That's why the knurling isn't terribly uniform or pretty.

[Jeff Wittrock]

Thanks all for the comments.

Really horrible work!!. Send it to me so I can hide it that no one else may see it and deride you!!

Your concern is both appreciated and valid George . That is the danger in posting pictures after all, and luckily I have pretty thick skin.

[Jeff Wittrock]

looks like a useful tool, aside from being pretty.

I think I'd have left the knurl less deep, flat on top. at least it looks sharp- it might be kinder on the fingers than it looks.

Thanks Bridger,
Yes, it is fairly sharp. It will bite a bit although my fingers are probably callused enough that I don't really notice and I have always liked the nice grip that the sharp knurling gives. I do wish I were better at cutting the knurling finer though. I just haven't had much luck cutting finer knurling with a triangle file.