which marking gauge? *LINK*

Re: which marking gauge? *LINK*

Blaine Hollis

>I've used both types, and I prefer the wheel-type marking gauges. If I were buying now, I think I'd opt for this one (see link). And if money's no object, the Tite Mark gauges are very nice.


Veritas Micro Adjust Gauge

Re: which marking gauge?

Andy Lincoln,In Dearborn MI

>Fred,

The selection above is great ,but right now I am real happy with the LV 3 in 1 marking guage.It is a great tool and gives you the options at a very reasonable cost.And the customer service is impeccable.

Andy

Re: which marking gauge?

Jack Guzman from Maine

>For mortises and tenons I use the style shown but for dovetails I like the LV wheel type.Get one with micro adjust,it makes life alot easier.---Jack

Re: which marking gauge?

Bruce, a MN Galoot

>I have the LV wheel-type, but have never seen the need for the micro-adjust, myself. It's easy enough to move the fence just a smidgeon with your thumb.

Bruce

Re: which marking gauge?

Todd Stock

>The Veritas is cheap and works well, so it's my loaner. The Tite-Mark does not get loaned.

The micro-adjust feature on the Tite-mark is the nicest I've seen, and is a one-handed operation with no slippage when locking.

Re: which marking gauge?

Lloyd Robins

>I like my Lee Valley wheel marking gauge with micro adjust. By the way, nice stealth gloat on the saw. Is it an Adria?

Both

Dan Clermont in Burnaby

>I use the one you've linked for mortise and tenon work.

For everything else I use my LN Tite-mark.

I find when I thikness boards or define lines for dovetails the wheel marking guages work beter and leave a more defined line.

Dan Clermont

Seconded

Alice Frampton, UK

>A good introduction to the various styles of cutter/pin, and a nice gauge in its own right.

Cheers, Alf

Re: which gauge? (long and a little theoretical)

Lyn J. Mangiameli

>There are basically two approaches to measurements and marking that correspond roughy to numeric and analog.

Numeric measurements are just what they sound like, one obtains or designates a number and then uses that number to layout (mark) the workpiece accordingly. So, I want a line 3/4" of an inch in from the edge.

The other approach takes the measurements directly from the another portion of the workpiece, and never bothers to convert that distance into a number. What you are usually doing is just transfering a distance. Story boards, bar guages and measuring sticks (see Bridge City Tools for the most expensive version, and Lee Valley for an inexpensive version of this simple device), and even Spider Dividers and pantographs are all devices that utilize this approach.

Traditionally, marking guages were used primarily as analog devices. You transfered a distance to your workpiece without numbers interceding. Yes, some would use a numbered rule from which to obtain the distance to be transfered, but basically you were never using your marking guage to determine a distance, it always came from somewhere else.

More recently, more marking guages have come with graduated sticks that allow you to the guage to a predetermined number, with no need for transfer. This is perceived as offering considerable precision and convenience (removing the transfer step), but the downside is that the woodpieces you are dealing with are rarely dimensioned to precise numeric dimesions, and it is easy to miscalculate or misread the dimesions desired. This is why storyboards and bar guages have long had such a following.

Bringing this back to your question on marking guages, what sort of marking guage you will prefer will largely depend on your prefered style of measurement, recognizing that one usually uses both approaches. I much prefer the analog story board/bar guage/unmarked marking guage approach. For me, it is faster, more precise, and far far less prone to error. Thus, though I have a half dozen marking guages ( including some very expensive ones), I almost invariably reach for my Veritas Standard Wheel guage. It does everything I ask for it to do and does so cheaply (which makes it easy to have two or three for keeping different measurements, rather than having to readjust one--with the added opportunity for error--when marking multiple distances). For transfering distances, I've never felt the need for microadjust as my exact adjustment was taken directly from the distance I'm trying to match.

For those who take more of a numeric approach to laying out distances, a marking guage with a graduated bar and microadjustment is nice. Here, if you decide you wish to increase a measurement by exactly 1/64, it can be easily achieved directly on the guage and directly with reference to the existing setting on the guage. I rarely work this way, so the guage I have that does this is equally rarely used.

Now a graduated, micro adjust guage can be used as an analog device, and a "plain jane" style of marking guage can be used numerically by transfering measurements from a rule, but one tends to gravitate to the one style or the other based on one's own primary approach to laying out dimensions.

Since I've gone on so long about analog vs numeric, I'll be overly brief on cutters/marking pins. The majority of the time, a round cutting wheel will be preferable. It is easier to sharpen, makes a finer line, works better across grain, has a cutting action which tears the grain less, and is unlikely to stab you. The traditional pin, when sharpened for a cutting action (there are lots of places that describe this), can sometimes be better for marking along the grain where it is less prone to follow the grain. It is also better for marking wider more visible lines.

Much more could be said about these rather simple but most useful devices. My recommendation is to start out with a basic Veritas Standard Wheel Guage, then later, if you desire more, obtain another that meets some need, if any, that you feel is not being met by the Veritas. It never hurts to have at least a couple marking guages.

Thirded

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>It is a great way to play with all three types almost for free; and it's a very good gauge, perhaps just a bit light weight. You may want to get two extra shafts if you find you're using it for all three types (cutting, wheel, pin).

Pam

And from Cornwall on the other side...

Angelo Schembari in Cornwall, NY

>I'd agree. Just recently picked up the 3-in-1 and its great. The beam is a tad short, but then how long does it need to be to mark DT's?

yes it's an adria

fred in ct

>got it from ron heubner in texaa,great guy to deal with.

Depends...

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond,CA

>What do you want to mark? Mortices, panels, Dove tails or edges?

It all depends on what your marking.

That said I like wheel gauges for layouts. For mortices I use a japanese twin blade gauge.

Great reply, Lyn.

Derek Cohen (in Perth, Australia)

>Lyn, a most comprehensive reply. It deserves to be in the Articles section.

For the record, I use a wheel-type (Veritas, Standard version) for dovetails and a traditional pin type (Crown, Stanley) for M&T joints.

The only point that I might add is that the pins type always needs tuning when new, with the pins needing to be reshaped to a cone-like knife edge, otherwise these have a tendency to tear the timber. The Veritas was reasonably sharp when received, but not sharp enough. This was remedied in a few seconds on a diamond stone.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Re: Great reply, Lyn.

Tony - Memphis

>I'm very much a rookie, but I have learned the value of marking through some classes and practice. I bought the Verita with the markings and really like it. I can see the value of having a couple of different ones so that you can set one for a thickness or something and leave it there for the duration of the project. I guess this is old news to most folks here, but when I took a chair class with Lonnie Bird, one thing he drilled was to make good deep marks. Then, when you tweak the joint, you'll see the edge of the cut when you reach it and know to stop! If you made good marks, then your fit should be good. He mentions the concept int his dovetail article in the latest Popular Woodworking. As a rookie, I have had much better luck with the wheel than the cutter type. Maybe its just me, dunno?

Tony

Re: Great reply, Lyn.

joel

>if you make nice clean shallow marks and run a pencil line in them not only will you have a good guide you will also be able to plane the wood smooth afterwards and not have unslighly scribe lines darkened by the finish.