Marking Gauge Questions

[Wes Bischel]

I had some questions about marking gauges - which do most prefer - the pin style or the wheel style?
Examples below in case my nomenclature is off:
Wheel style
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...40&cat=1,42936

Pin style
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...23&cat=1,42936

I am looking at a general marking gauges - not necessarily a mortise marking gauge.

What other advice/thoughts do you have on marking gauges? Any other features I should be considering?

Thanks in advance,
Wes

[Derek Cohen]

Wes

I do like the LV wheel gauge, but I like the following ones even better:

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...00&cat=1,42936

I find the knife marking gauges work best in all directions. Incidentally, the pin type should be ground to a knife profile.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Mike Wenzloff]

Hi Wes,

I have a "few" of each type. Pin, knife and wheel. Single beam, double beam, vintage and recent. For myself, I like--them all. I don't personally have trouble marking with any of them on any type of wood.

If I had to have just one (shudder!) from my, er, supply, it would probably be the TiteMark by Glen Drake, with the mortise wheels. You can use it as a single wheel, add or remove the mortise wheels. It has a nice fine adjustment, etc. Pleasure to use. The LV options are more cost effective.

Part of a real answer, though, would be dependent on what you are going to use it for? Any and all marking? or mainly dovetails? Some are better as general purpose (the wheel type for me), some register to a face better (esp. good when running it on the end of a board for DT depth), some can leave a deeper mark (pin types), some can actually be used for trimming veneer (knife types, though this can be tricky). The reasons go on.

Mike

[Wes Bischel]

Thanks for the input.
I hadn't considered the knife version. I'll have to check them out. I had read that the wheel type worked well both on cross grain and with the grain without any modifications - is the knife style better?

I checked the prices of the Glen Drake gauge - they're all over the place - from $79 - $125 I think I'll need to learn to use one before I go for a premo piece like that. It looks well thought out and made though.

Thanks again,
Wes

[Wendell Wilkerson]

Take a look at the 3-in-1 LV marking gauge. It has the option to use all three types of marking devices for very little cash. I bought one and think it is a pretty decent gauge. It is smaller than some gauges so for a large project you might want something bigger. Marking gauges are like potato chips (crisps for our friends across the pond), one is never enough. I like to have multiple gauges so I can setup each one for a particular marking task and leave it set.

Wendell