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Mortise and Marking gauges from Mujinfang

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Mortise and Marking gauges from Mujinfang

#1

Mortise and Marking gauges from Mujinfang

Derek Cohen (in Perth, Australia)

>You all know of the quality of Mujingfang hand planes. Lyn has said plenty of good things about them, and I have posted a few pics in the past as well. For thise unfamiliar with the Mujingfang planes, they have a Chinese heritage.

Well, I spied a couple of their marking gauges at my local woodworking store in Perth, Carba-tec, and they looked so good, and the price was right, that bought them without further thought.

Both use knives. The first is a mortise gauge, the second is a marking gauge. The timber is ebony (So I was told. It certainly looks much darker compared to the Rosewood alternatives, which are also reddish in hue). The fittings are all brass.

For comparison, alongside is a Crown combination pin mortise and marking gauge, and a Veritas wheel gauge.

In practise they work beautifully, cutting clean lines quite effortlessly.

Regards from Perth

Derek


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Re: Mortise and Marking gauges from Mujinfang

#2

Thanks, A question too...

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond CA

>Nice looking gauges Derek. Are they easy to adjust, set-up and use? Look nicer than my Japanese gauges.

Re: Mortise and Marking gauges from Mujinfang

#3

Re: Thanks, A question too...

Derek Cohen (in Perth, Australia)

>Scott

I have had them only a short while so take this into account. So far I can say that they cut clean lines, without any effort. They are easy enough to set up - the parts slide smoothly and the knives are not fiddly. The large registration area of the marking gauge has pros and cons. The obvious pro is that you can hold it firmly to the work. The negative is that it is too large for small pieces (such as laying out the lines for bevelling the top of a 2"x2" post), and I much prefer the LV wheel gauge for running a line around a corner, such as for tenons and dovetails. I had not before used a cutting gauge to mark across the grain, and these leave neat lines (no tear out). They are able to do so more deeply than the wheel on the LV, if you choose to tap the blade down. The other reservation I had was with the mortise gauge, where it will mark parallel lines, but these are staggered (as the knives are set apart). I have not used it yet for laying out mortises, other than in practice, and it does this so sweetly - really nice, clean and visible lines that do not wander as you mark along the grain.

Above all, these gauges are just so pretty and tactile that you want to use them.

Rob Lee has let me know that he has them in his catalogue. Doh - I knew I had seen them somewhere before!

Regards from Perth

Derek

Re: Mortise and Marking gauges from Mujinfang

#5

Yup!!

Jonathan Peck - N.Y.

>Yup!! You do. But I think a properly shaped marking gage pin should have the same effect as a knife edge. This is why I like the Stanley No. 65 marking gage. The No. 65 was one of Stanleys best selling gages, and for good reason IMHO.


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Re: Mortise and Marking gauges from Mujinfang

#6

Re: Yup!!

Jonathan Peck - N.Y.

>Here is one that I shaped this weekend. It took about five minutes. I used the side of my grinding wheel freehand to get the initial shape and refined it with sandpaper glued to a piece of 1/2" glass. The toughest part was working through a magnifier so I could see what I was doing. It cuts much better now, and doesn't tear crossgrain


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Re: Mortise and Marking gauges from Mujinfang

#7

Sideview 

Jonathan Peck - N.Y.

>


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Re: Mortise and Marking gauges from Mujinfang

#8

The No. 165 *LINK*

Jonathan Peck - N.Y.

>Here is an older No. 165 that I just picked up from Anthony Seo (Olde River Hard Goods). It's made of boxwood and is in crispy condition. Ralph Brendler told me that the brass "bumpers" were optional on all Stanley gages for an extra dime and are for working on curved surfaces.


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Traut's Patent

Re: Mortise and Marking gauges from Mujinfang

#10

The SGFH is here for you

Jonathan Peck - N.Y.

>...and they're alot easier to sneak into the house than saws:-))

Re: Mortise and Marking gauges from Mujinfang

#12

Re: The SGFH is here for you *LINK*

Tom Price

>Except that this is the Support Group From Heck. The Support Group From Hell is and always will be the OldTools list. If you don't believe me just Google 'support group from hell' and see what you get at the top of the list... ;-)


OldTools List

Re: Mortise and Marking gauges from Mujinfang

#13

Oh, I'm quite aware...

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond CA

>That was said totally tongue in cheek...I know I'm in deep REALLY...

Re: Mortise and Marking gauges from Mujinfang

#14

So there aint no Sorority Girls?

Jonathan Peck - N.Y.

>

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