Marking Gauge cont. . .

Re: Marking Gauge cont. . .

Ted Shuck, Centennial, CO

>Sounds like you will need to disassemble the gage so you can see both sides where the points are inserted into the brass. They are likely soldered in. If there is not sufficient length of pin on the backside to push forward, you will need to get some new pin stock (drill rod of the appropriate size) and solder it into the hole.

Regards,

Ted

Also, tack nails make good pins.

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>

Re: drill rod or masonry nails are much harder

paul womack

>

I guess . . .

Steve Mackay

>Its gonna come apart.Thanks. My first thought was piano wire. But the tack sounds harder. Once apart, and we heat the brass to loosen the solder, how much more heat 'till we deform the brass ? Is it a fairly narrow window / band of temp ? I just like to know whats going to happen before it happens. Little boys with fire, don't 'ya know.

Re: Marking Gauge cont. . .

paul womack

>AFAIK the points are either pushed or soldered into the brass "carrier".

The short upper brass is held in the dovetail slot by a single screw, and the lower (long) brass moves up and down the DT slot under the control of the adjuster screw.

You should be able (quite easily) to dissasemble the brass out, and see how the steel points are fixed to the brass.

If they're soldered, you're outside my expertise.

BugBear

Re: drill rod vs. drill blank

William Duffield, on the Cohansey

>Be careful what you are ordering. Drill rod is usually supplied fully annealed, which is soft, great for quick machining and shaping, but won't hold a point or edge very well. However, you can buy a drill blank, which is usually made from fully hardened high speed steel, and will hold a point just fine. The problem is that you would want to shape and sharpen them, using a stone, an abrasive wheel, or a belt sander, before installing them in the wood or brass gauge. You can't cut them with a file, like you could with softer steel. Once installed, you can sharpen them with a stone or diamond hone.

Re: I guess . . .

Ted Shuck, Centennial, CO

>The ones I have seen did not require much heat to melt the solder. Far less than the heat required to melt the brass. I used a soldering iron to loosen it and it worked fine. You could use a torch, but with a torch it should melt the solder in seconds.

I have not used store bought "drill rod", but have used drill bits. The advantage to these is that you can get the exact size you need at the local hardware store. You don't need much, and you can make both pins from one bit.

Regards,

Ted

Re: apologies

paul womack

>I was thinking of just a ground down broken drill bit...

BugBear

Re: apologies

William Duffield, on the Cohansey

>No need for apologies, BugBear. Searching for the appropriate steels for tool making is a common interest here and on the turning forum. Also, I am far from sure that the nomenclature, as I explained it, is universal. And I have expressed my feelings about broken drill bits by calling them "drill blankedy-blank-blank-blank."

Here are the ones I use, from MSC:

http://www1.mscdirect.com/cgi/NNPDFF?PMPAGE=34&PMITEM=01100031&PMCTLG=00

The list continues on the next page, for those who need metric tooling. Also, on page 8, they sell several drill blank sets, in a metal index. All of these are hardened.