Shopmade Marking Gauges?

Re: Shopmade Marking Gauges?

Bob Strawn

>Thanks and glad to oblige. I saw an example posted on WoodNet, and expressed interest. I was given some good design advice. It was one of those projects that seemed much more complicated than it really was. I used a scratch gage to form the cam. Rotation locks and releases it. It works great and has a third less moving parts than most gages! I know I really should finish and polish it a bit more, but down here in Texas, we charge extra for rustic. This one is mesquite and osage.

Bob

Re: Shopmade Marking Gauges?

Jeff S.

>Thanks for the close-up shot, Bob. That greatly clarifies things. I love the simplicity of the design and can imaging how easy it is to use. This will be my next project.

Re: Shopmade Marking Gauges?

BobStrawn

>Fabulous, it is pretty darn simple. The only real issue shows up if you grip it by the guide. This is a strongly left or right handed tool. If you go the wrong way on it, it can unlock as you use it.

The guide is so simple to make that having an extra round one, a classic one such as started this thread, or even the classic Japanese shape are easy to make out of scrap. I am tempted to use this concept to make a simple scratch gage.

Be sure to show pictures when you finish!

Bob

Re: Shopmade Marking Gauges?

Bob Strawn

>I have changed my mind, I like this type of marking gauge even better.

Bob

Re: Shopmade Marking Gauges?

Bob Strawn

>Another View of it. It is made of Pecan with a CA finish.

Bob

Re: Shopmade Marking Gauges?

Frank D. in Montreal

>Nice job!

The pencil-holding mechanism looks quite original, although I'm wondering if the pencil is held too far out, the fence might be a bit too high to register solidly on the edge of the piece of wood being marked. Have you tried it out? Is that a threaded dowel holding the fence to the beam?

Thanks for showing,

Frank

Re: Shopmade Marking Gauges? - CA?

John Aniano - in NJ...

>Bob,

OK, I have to ask - what is a "CA" finish? Cyanoacrylate glue? or something else?

BTW - nice tool!

John

CA finish

Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA

>Why, it's a California finish, of course. Just don't ask me what a California finish is...

Now we'll wait to here from Bob what it really is.

Re: Shopmade Marking Gauges?

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>I agree, the pencil protrudes much further than the fence, very awkward to use.

Pam

Re: Shopmade Marking Gauges?

BobStrawn

>CA=SuperGlue!

Yes, the pencil does protrude out quite far. This forces you to drag the pencil as you draw. I was taught to drag a pencil when drafting. Drag means no snag, smoother lines, and less breakage. In use the pencil is held at about a 20 degree angle relative to the paper. Try it with a pencil. You will find it gives better control.

I was also taught to spin a pencil while making lines. This gives a more even line and you tend to keep a sharp tip as you work. Lower angles gave thicker lines, higher angles gave thinner lines.

I have not yet figured out a good way to make the gauge spin the pencil. :)

Bob

Re: Shopmade Marking Gauges?

BobStrawn

>The beam is locked in place by wedging.

This illustration may make it clearer. The slight bump on the key, if you get it right, gives a touch of snap as it locks into place. It snaps back out with a satisfying click when you turn the beam. At this facing you would turn the beam counter clockwise.

Bob

Re: Shopmade Marking Gauges? - CA?

BobStrawn

>How I do the finish;

I take a Scott brand dinner napkin. These have long fibers, and tend to do a better job of polishing. I fold it in quarter, and then put a few drops of High Linoleic Acid Safflower Oil on the center, and let it soak in. Then I put a drop or two of CA (Cyanoacrylate) Glue on the napkin and rub it onto the surface. CA is horrible glue, sharp impact fractures it, and it does not reglue well at all. It is however a great finish as any pen turner will tell you.

High Linoleic Acid Safflower Oil is a superb drying oil and is used in quality oil paints. It does not tend to mildew or yellow like BLO does. It does dry slower than BLO does, but it does not have the heavy metal drying agnets. If the nutritional label has Polyunsaturated fat as a much higher number (11 to 2 or so) than Monounsaturated fat then it is the right stuff. The other safflower oil (High Oleic Acid) will have the opposite ratio and will not dry.

My favorite wood finish for tools, is 1 part paraffin, 1 part turpentine, and 1 part High Linoleic Acid Safflower Oil. This makes a flatter finish, that has a great hand. I accelerate the drying by carefully rotating the part over a flame.

In this case however I wanted a more polished finish.

Bob

Re: Shopmade Marking Gauges?

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>OK, I never use a pencil in a marking gauge, but I normally drag a pin/blade. Often I have to transition from dragging to leading (this is for changing direction, I don't actually lead when marking), which is when this gauge would fail, IMHO.

Pam

Ahhh, The good 'ol days...

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond CA

>I was taught the same way, until mechinical pencils showed up.

Now put a ring gear on the lead holder, a bearing mounted face gear on the face of the gauge and connect with pinion gears.

Your lead holder now rotates as you mark the board!

Re: Shopmade Marking Gauges?

Frank D. in Montreal

>Thanks for the details Bob. Now I can see why the pencil sticks out that far. I'm also a big fan of the wedge to lock the beam. It prevents rocking and a dowel/round wedge actually locks tighter than a flat/square wedge or a thumbscrew.

I use through wedges on my gauges but your wedge idea looks like a good solution when there is a lot of material to drill through.

Thanks again!

Re: Ahhh, The good 'ol days...

BobStrawn

>I was going to use a worm gear, so the pencil would turn really slow, with great leverage.

Bob

Re: Shopmade Marking Gauges?

BobStrawn

>Glad to spread ideas, Frank.

Another advantage to this unconventionally long marker, is that the guide is fully on the board, before the marker touches the edge. This gives a level of stability at the start of the line, that a shorter length does not give. It is like using a jointer instead of a block plane.

A long marker can also reach into a corner, in some cases, this is not an option with a shorter marker.

A blade this long would perhaps be awkward, scary, and hard to apply enough pressure to make a decent cut in a really hard wood.

It would be very easy to make a smaller diameter lead holder, or make the hole for the holder bigger, but that would give me a steeper angle. Steeper angles on pencils, are harder to erase, dig deeper and become blunt quicker.

With this design of marking gauge, I can go to my lathe and make scratch gauge holders, pin holders and knife holders that can be adjusted for angle and have different lengths exposed. I can even make a marking knife that fits this and can be removed to use by hand.

Bob

Kewl!

Jeff S.

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