Marking Gauge: Wheel, Blade, or Something Else

[Sean Hughto]

For dimensioning stock to with a plane, a wheel gauge cannot be use. The bevel is on the wrong side.

You're more anal retentive than me in hand thicknessing stock, but if you insist, Glen Drake has you covered:

http://play-glen-drake.com/v-web/eco...426cf4a46ef75e

[Tom Vanzant]

"Just roll the wheel marking gage off the end of the board".....yeah, right across the fist knuckle of my holding hand. Sharp, so it didn't hurt that much, and the cutting wheel is a small diameter so it wasn't deep. Note to self: don't do that again.

[Robert Hazelwood]

Depends on the job.

For rough rip sawing/resawing, a pencil and combination square are used. An actual pencil gauge might be a better alternative.
For dimensioning stock to with a plane, a wheel gauge cannot be use. The bevel is on the wrong side. You need the cutter to to compress the waste wood so the bevel has to be on the side farther from the fence, but most wheel gauge cutters have it closer to the fence. Therefore I use a normal pin gauge or cutting gauge with the blade correctly oriented. However for marking dadoes and such a wheel gauge's cutter is correctly oriented. Now it is the better choice as it is smoother than the pin and cutting gauges. Another thing about wheel gauges I like is that I can just roll them off of the end of a board. While with a pin or cutting gauge, the last 1/4" or so of the line may drift as I lose a lot of the registration (unless I come in from the other direction).

I actually sharpen my pin gauges like a cutting gauge i.e. with one side vertical and the other side beveled. Again it's to keep the compression in the waste.

Just my 0.02$
Sam

This is one reason I like my Veritas Dual Marking Gauge. It has two wheel cutters with each bevel oriented the opposite direction. Intended for marking mortises, but when used as a single marking gauge it solves this problem.

[Rob Luter]

I have a wheel style that works OK in soft wood, but I'm usually working in White Oak. My go-to is a simple Stanley pin style with the pin ground to a spear point and aligned just right. I drew inspiration from a marking knife I have. The end result is much like a pointy razor blade. It cuts deep and true.