Marking Gauge Jones

[ken hatch]

I knew I had a few marking gauges squirreled away around the shop. I do have an excuse. I've never found the "perfect" marking gauge, one that will do everything well. Problem is most do not do anything well. I know it is a poor workman that blames his tools, that Lee Trevino hustled golf playing with a Coke bottle, but bottom line many marking gauges will not properly lock the stem in place.

Enough rant, here is a photo of the marking gauges I found while moving shop fixtures around. BTW, the reason for moving shop fixtures is to make room for the Plano Vertical Clamping fixture that should be here today or tomorrow.



I counted just under thirty, the ones I use are towards the rear with the exception of the Hamilton gauge. For some reason it is too much of a tweener, the Tite-Mark or the Kinshiro works better x-grain and the Marples combination is better with grain. The Philly is another that should get more love but doesn't, I'm not sure why that is other than it is big and heavy.

What can I say other than there are a few extras when I need them.

[Luke Dupont]

As a newbie woodworker, the marking gauge has easily become one of my favorite tools.

Before I knew better, I was laying straight edges across my work and penciling lines in! Heh.

The contrasting accuracy and speed of a marking gauge is wonderful. I just need to make a larger panel gauge now.

I have to say, though - I haven't found the fence moving on me, either with the one I purchased, or the ones that I've made. I've used both screw and wedge type. Which way do you find it moving on you? Inwards, or out? That might help to trouble shoot the problem, if it's one with technique.

[Rob Luter]

I think they're cool too, but I only have a half dozen or so. I guess I need to play some catch up ball....

[Derek Cohen]

Ken, you're in good company. Here are some of mine (photo taken a while ago). Four I built (mortice, two "kinshiro types, and a wheel gauge). Others include Kinshiro, Colen Clenton (prize in an Oz tool competition), Veritas, Tite-Mark ...



About 15 years worth. All get used.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[William Adams]

and I'm still agonizing over whether or no to buy the 3-in-1 brass marking gauge from Lee Valley.... (and only have two, a Stanley 55, and a shop-made one, as well as a third on its way (Lee Valley pocket double-ended one)).

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Not to go off topic, but since you started it- I never knew the Lee Trevino story but I Google it. That's pretty cool. I used to hussle pool players with a metal chair leg shot with one hand. That arose from a challenge between myself and a friend who got bored playing each other. We started shooting one handed, then using found objects one handed. Now I probably shoot better with one hand, and can put English on the ball too.

Edit- I remembered I made a video once but it was a one-take video and I missed a couple of shots.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sd4RWSYDDJE

Back to topic- I love the wheeled marking gauges. I am no fan of scratching lines with a point. I also like the Japanese knife gauges. I own a few gauges, mostly wheeled like the Veritas. Right now the shop is strewn with lumber for the bench build so I will forego pics.

[Brian Holcombe]

I have a Kinshirou and a Matsui that I love, they're wonderful gauges. I've been attempting to win a few more Matsui gauges on eBay, but they've actually gone over the price you can buy them at for some reason, except one....which I fell asleep 5 minutes before it closed and managed to miss it by about $6.

I also have a LN panel gauge and a Blue Spruce gauge, enjoy them as well.

Hard not to have too many gauges, but I think you have a lifetime supply Ken, hehe.

[Bill Houghton]

Lordie, I'll never catch up!

I tend toward American gauges, myself, and find I can lock them down quite nicely.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

....which I fell asleep 5 minutes before it closed and managed to miss it by about $6.

If I had a nickel for every time that has happened to me waiting to snipe an eBay item....

[ken hatch]

Ken, you're in good company. Here are some of mine (photo taken a while ago). Four I built (mortice, two "kinshiro types, and a wheel gauge). Others include Kinshiro, Colen Clenton (prize in an Oz tool competition), Veritas, Tite-Mark ...



About 15 years worth. All get used.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Derek,

Most of mine are not as good looking as yours

ken

[ken hatch]

I have a Kinshirou and a Matsui that I love, they're wonderful gauges. I've been attempting to win a few more Matsui gauges on eBay, but they've actually gone over the price you can buy them at for some reason, except one....which I fell asleep 5 minutes before it closed and managed to miss it by about $6.

I also have a LN panel gauge and a Blue Spruce gauge, enjoy them as well.

Hard not to have too many gauges, but I think you have a lifetime supply Ken, hehe.

Brian,

What is really sick is I found myself googling "Sorby Marking Gauge" while taking a break from moving the deck chairs in the shop.

BTW, eBay had a buy it now for, IIRC, 25 UK Pounds. I stopped myself barely.

Sick, I tell you, that's sick.

ken

[Jim Koepke]

Derek,

Most of mine are not as good looking as yours

ken

Sounds like a marked gauge envy.

jtk

[ken hatch]

Here is one of my biggest gripes with many marking gauges. The stem and stock will not lock and maintain 90 degrees. I'll let Patrick come in and do the math because I know 89 degrees or 91 vs. 90 degrees will not make a rat's patooty but......It drives me bonkers to feel the fence move in relation to the stem once I lock the gauge down.

Here is a photo of stem/fence relationship between three marking gauges, one a cheap as they come Marples, one a pretty high dollar gauge, and the last a better Marples. The better Marples locks in at 90 degrees to fence and does not move. The other two not so much, they will move once locked, not fore and aft but side to side about 2 degrees.



Pay no attention to that round blue thing at the bottom but from left to right the better Marples, the cheap Marples, and the not very cheap gauge. The lines were made by locking the stem then putting fairly light pressure left and knifing a line followed by approximately the same pressure right and making a knife line. The right two knife lines diverge at about 2 degrees.

Is it easy to fix? Yep, all the maker has to do is pay attention to where the locking screw pushes the stem.

As always YMMV and does it make a big whoop, not really just me being cranky.

ken

[Mike Cherry]

I've got no where near as many gauges, but I understand the journey to find your fave. If I find a favorite, I'll let ya know. I like the titemark for cross grain and getting a board to thickness. I just can't get the hang of the Marples style gauges for with the grain marking. Knife or pin, I can't get it. I'm still looking for my favorite marking knife too.

[ken hatch]

I've got no where near as many gauges, but I understand the journey to find your fave. If I find a favorite, I'll let ya know. I like the titemark for cross grain and getting a board to thickness. I just can't get the hang of the Marples style gauges for with the grain marking. Knife or pin, I can't get it. I'm still looking for my favorite marking knife too.

Mike,

Most folks use too much pressure on the pin and not enough on the fence. It's a marking gauge, not a trough gauge .

The knife in the photo is a Swiss Made #1 Chip Carving Knife. It is the best marking knife I've found, the blade is thin, very slightly flexible, and it fits my hand. I've kissed a bunch of frogs finding it including some of the high dollar spearpoint knifes as well as the cheapie from LV. Thick blade, thin blade, spear point, single bevel it makes no never mind, the Swiss Made works better. Of course as always YMMV.

Maybe one of my next posts should be laying out all the marking knifes I've tried, maybe not as many as the marking gauges but....there are a few.

ken