Dovetail gauges

[Mark Baldwin III]

I made a pair of dovetail gauges. These are based on a design I recently made for a fellow woodworker, just smaller. They're approximately 75% of the original size. One edge is sloped, the other is square.

2.25" long with a 3/4" grip and 1 1/2" blade. Slope is 1:7. Material is 360 Brass.

[Hilton Ralphs]

They look great Mark. I love brass. Any reason you didn't make both the two edges' angles to match the 1:6 and 1:8 instead if of only one ratio + 90?

[Ralph Boumenot]

It was a design Mark made for me. I wanted a dovetail gauge that did the slope and square all in one gauge. And since I use 1:7 for everything I didn't need a gauge with two slopes. And if that were to be the case, I would have lost the squaring function. One last point is that this gauge lays flat unlike the other gauges made with the slope and square at right angles to each other - ie two piece construction. This gauge is one solid piece of brass.

[Hilton Ralphs]

Thanks for the clarification Ralph. They sure look solid enough to last you a lifetime.

[William Adams]

Very elegant, and a great idea for a project.

[Mark Baldwin III]

Thanks, guys.
And who better to sum up the purpose of the design better than the guy I made it for!
I actually quite like the design. It's simple and robust. I definitely prefer it to some of the "L" shaped gauges. Being able to use to use one side for the slope and the other for square lines is a no brainer.

[allen long]

They are very nice! Where did you find brass that thick?

[Mark Baldwin III]

They are very nice! Where did you find brass that thick?

I use Speedy Metals in Milwaukee. I can call them in the morning and pick it up on my way home from work. They also ship. I believe that McMaster carries it as well. 360 Naval Brass.

[allen long]

Thank you Mark!

[William Adams]

You know, these would be even cooler if the pair had magnets and a pair of divots / spring-loaded ball bearings to allow them to be attached to each other for storage....

[Mark Baldwin III]

You know, these would be even cooler if the pair had magnets and a pair of divots / spring-loaded ball bearings to allow them to be attached to each other for storage....

I'd try and think of something clever like that if I made a few with different slopes as a set. Although, they could get cost prohibitive at that point. These two aren't a set, each is a standalone gauge.

[Matt Lau]

Pretty! Classy too.

[Mark Baldwin III]

Pretty! Classy too.

Thank you, sir.