Youll learn that pencil gauges are best used when you are marking a surface that will be visible in the final stage of your woodworking piece, and that marking gauges are ideal for when the surface will not be seen. An increasing french size corresponds to a larger external diameter. Its my favorite design, because it can be unlocked, adjusted and locked again all. Shopmade marking gauge simple but clever design makes this widefenced tool accurate and easy to use. Its based on the gauges from the benjamin seaton tool chest. The gauge i made in that video was based on an article written by my friend dean jansa for an issue of popular woodworking magazine click here for the article. It is most often abbreviated as fr, but can often be seen abbreviated as fg, fr or f. A marking gauge is one of those simple tools whose basic design hasnt changed much over the years.
Is there an easy way to replace these pins with a knife, i see you show a photo of a pin type, sharpened like a knife, are these available to purchase and fit to a regular gauge, or is there a better way to add a knife. Whereas french size and diameter are related directly, gauge and size are related inversely. French marking gauge marking gauge, woodworking articles. The gauge i want to look at today is the traditional style that uses a pin to do the marking. This japanese style marking gauge came with a sharp cutter and a thumbscrew fence lock that was very secure. Japanese marking gauges use knives, not points, to mark the workpiece, and have a relatively wide stock. How to make an improved french marking gauge youtube.
The purpose of the gauge is to scribe a line parallel to a reference edge or surface. Homemade frenchstyle marking gauge featuring a wedge locking mechanism. Features a solid brass body, knurled lock nut, graduated scales and a recess. George vondriska teaches you about the differences in line quality when you are laying out a joint on your woodworking projects using a cutting gauge and a marking gauge. To build one, start by cutting the beam to the size shown in the drawing, below. Jun 18, 2014 on marking gauges as a whole part i first of all let me take the unusual step and say i have lumped three different gauge types under the one heading as i have done, marking gauges, for, regardless of specificity and nomenclature, what they do is what they are. The mortise and marking gauge has a single pin on one side and double pins on the other, plus a solid brass slide and easy thumbscrew adjustment. Manufacturer guaranteeswarranties for power tools, cnc and laser. Stock selection if you have any hardwood scraps lying around, you likely have all the wood you need to make a marking gauge. Building a gauge i chose to copy a marking gauge found in the tool chest of benjamin seaton, an 18thcentury english chest that has survived with most of the original tools intact. Wheel marking gauge this tool allows you to make perfect hairline layout marks both with and across wood grain.
The marking gauge is a classic design consisting simply of a beam and fence. It allows you to create uniform surfaces quickly with planes, to accurately transfer measurements from one board to another and to help duplicate measurements across similar parts. Used for marking wood prior to sawing, chiseling or cutting. Gauge designations generally go no lower than bigger than 10 ga. Mystery of the marking gauge popular woodworking magazine. The style of marking has a european look to it, but it is graduated in inches and was presumably made in. Ten years ago, i made a video on how to make a french style marking gauge link below.
When it comes to marking gauges the traditional english pattern is my firm favourite but its a neglected design because its considered to be a faff by so many. Jan 06, 2012 marking gauges come in several forms but they are all fundamentally similar. With two independently adjustable rods, this gauge can scribe both sides of a mortice at once. May, 2020 ten years ago, i made a video on how to make a french style marking gauge link below.
I followed the instructions for the french style marking gauge in an article by dean jansa in popular woodworking 2006, and the very helpful video by bob rozaieski on his blog. However, simply gauge, g or ga generally refers to birmingham gauge the french size is three times the diameter in millimeters. A precision ground brass shoe glides against the edge of the workpiece, and the knurled brass knob makes adjustments quick and. A marking gauge, also known as a scratch gauge, is used in woodworking and metalworking to mark out lines for cutting or other operations. It is used in joinery and sheetmetal operations the gauge consists of a beam, a headstock, and a scribing or marking implement, typically a pin, knife, pen or wheel.
This versatile gauge lets you make perfect hairline layout marks both with and across wood grain. Had i planned it out i would have come up with a better design for the captive wedge. On the reverse side, a single pin serves as a standard marking gauge. The dowel hole is drilled at a slight angle and notched out to match the flat on the beam.
Bora mortise and marking gauges, featuring beech construction with brass accents, are designed to accurately mark your material prior to sawing, chiseling, or cutting. Lately when i added some new wood cutoffs to my scrap pile i found the motivation to finally make one. The mortises turned out a little sloppy but the wedge still holds everything tight. The tool is a sort of combination protractor and depth gauge. Marking tools are rarely given all that much attention, and theyre clearly not. When i set out as a woodworker, a marking gauge was one of the first tools i bought. Like other japanese woodworking tools, these gauges are always pulled along the workpiece. For a marking gauge to work correctly, frank notes, you need to focus your attention on its smallest partthe. Bora marking gauges, featuring beech construction with metal accents, are designed to accurately mark your material prior to sawing, chiseling, or cutting.
See more ideas about marking gauge, woodworking and gauges. It looks to be very well made, and probably mid19th century. One pin is fixed and the other slides in the beam to set the mortise width. The traditional marking gauge uses a simple pin filed to a conical point to scratch the woods surface. An overcleaned example that has had the brass polished. Knives cut the fibers, while points just tear them up. The gauge illustrated and linked at left is just one specific. Mar 11, 2019 the marking gauge is an essential tool in every woodworking workshop.
This simple gauge, sometimes referred to as a french. Once set, this gauge was comfortable in the hand and worked very well. The french size is a measure of the outer diameter of a catheter not internal drainage channel, or inner diameter. This simple, yet effective wheel marking gauge has a single bevel edge wheel that scribes a fine line without tearing the wood fibers and does not wander with the woods grain. The combination mortise gauge is made of polished hardwood with brass contact points and locking thumbscrew. Jun 22, 2012 the marking gauge i am building in this post will look something like the ones above. Log in or sign up to leave a comment log in sign up. We are proud of the quality of our products, and we stand behind them 100%. This early style marking gauge has important features that are absent from modern commercial mark.
I just wish there were more great teachers in my area to learn the cherished routines from. Oct, 20 i followed the instructions for the french style marking gauge in an article by dean jansa in popular woodworking 2006, and the very helpful video by bob rozaieski on his blog. May 14, 2020 ten years ago, i made a video on how to make a french style marking gauge that has been my most popular video on youtube to date. On marking gauges part i old and new paul sellers blog. George vondriska teaches you about the differences between a marking gauge and a pencil gauge. Me1152 samuel auxer, lancaster, pa a classic carpenter style marking gauge, made by one of his apprentices. But they are vital to our work and being able to use them quickly and accurately still requires good technique. The french scale or french gauge system is commonly used to measure the size of a catheter.
On the beam, a thin brass strip acts as a wear plate and a small. I have few marking gauges, i own a couple of wheel marking gauges too, to which i like a lot, but sometimes the disc is so fine you can hardly see the mark on the wood, i have a friend who works metal, and he made me a couple of thicker discs which are much better and clearer to see on the grain. Classic hand tools limited hill farm business park witnesham ipswich suffolk ip6 9ew united kingdom. Ever since i saw the article in popular woodworking i have wanted one in the french style. He explains how to make his favorite, a kebiki, or a type of japanese marking gauge, out of hardwood and a steel blade. The hardened steel cutting wheel is beveled on one side, creating a natural pull that forces the face of the gauge against your work piece for straight, wanderfree marks. How to make a marking gauge the literary workshop blog. This is contrary to birmingham gauge, where an increasing gauge corresponds to a smaller diameter needle. The single bevel edge wheel scribes a fine line without tearing the wood fibers and does not wander with the wooden grain. A marking gauge provides a fast and accurate way to mark lines parallel to the edge of a workpiece, either with the grain or across it. This marking gauge is a tool thats sure to see lots of action. Marking tools are rarely given all that much attention, and theyre clearly not as exciting as the tools that get to see all of the action. He explains how to make his favorite, a kebiki, or a type of japanese. It is also used to mark parallel lines to the face side and edge side.
Oct 05, 2009 the simple marking gauge, often overlooked, even taken for granted, is critical in the handtool shop. Thoughts on marking gauges bob rozaieski fine woodworking. How to make a french marking gauge out of southern yellow pine. The hardened steel wheel is ground sharp with the bevel on the inside, so it naturally pulls the gauge tight against your stock and resists following. Generally speaking, the pin and knife yield more accurate marking than do the pen or pencil. Marking gauge woodworking mortise sliding mark scraper. Unfollow marking gauge to stop getting updates on your ebay feed. The head in this style of gauge is held firmly in place by a wedge. The instrument is a simple, but efficient metric for ensuring correct thickness of pavement stripes. My personal preference is for blades and you can see a fairly standard traditional marking gauge to the left. One type of marking gauge, a mortising gauge photo at the top of the page, has a single marking pin for general layout and another pair of pins on the opposite side of the beam for easy mortise layout. A precision ground brass shoe glides against the edge of the workpiece, and the knurled brass knob makes adjustments quick and easy. I followed the instructions for the french style marking gauge in an article by dean jansa in popular woodworking 2006, and the very helpful video by bob.
Great video marc my marking gauge only has a pin with a point, which does not give a very clean cut. The beauty of rosewood, a traditional tool wood, is hard to deny. Apr 26, 2017 i recently made this marking gauge taken from dean jansas popular woodworking article in 2009. The knives used have the advantage of leaving a clean cut when marking across the grain. Its made out of walnut and white oak, and finished off with a couple light. The protractor only goes from 45 degrees to 90 degrees, with solid stops. While the marking gauge employs a short spur to cut a jagged line, the cutting gauge uses a knife wheel that gives you a smooth line without ripping the grain. A marking gauge s advantage over a pencil is that its pin, which frank sharpens to a knife edge, produces a very fine mark that does not broaden, and it scores the workpiece for chiseling and saw cuts. This versatile combination mortise gauge features dual adjustable hardened pins for marking both edges of a mortise. The cutting wheel on these veritas gauges starts and marks smoothly, without having to worry about attack angle and without tearing during crossgrain marking. Youll learn that pencil gauges are best used when you are marking a surface that will be visible in the final stage of your woodworking piece, and that marking gauges are ideal for when the surface will not be. Finished french marking gauge in southern yellow pine. On marking gauges which ones to choose and use paul. They consist of a post, a moveable fence, and a blade or scratch pin.
Consisting of a beam, a sliding fence held in place by a small wedge, and a scribing point, this timetested tool sets up quickly. But any special piece of hardwood will work just fine. The mortise and marking gauge has a single pin on one side and double pins on the other, plus a. I dont claim this for fact but ive read that the cross wedge is a french design. Rather than measuring 1 in various locations on a board, and then connecting the dots to make a line, set your gauge to 1, and scribe. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. Lets take a look at several different styles of marking gauges and see. Making a marking gauge from oak with hand tools youtube. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. It was made by referencing a photo i found online of a similar style one. This simple gauge, sometimes referred to as a french gauge, offers features often absent on modern gauges. Luxury top notch woodworking tool of british style. The marking gauge is a single pin construction with thumbscrew adjustment and radius bottom edge. While this style is not as popular today, you still may want to make room for one in your tool kit.
John nesset shares his experiences with a variety of marking gauges and reveals why some work well and others do not. The head in this style of gauge is held firmly in place by a wedge rather than a screw pin, and instead of sitting. However, the loosefitting fence and the location of the thumbscrew made precise adjustments fussy. He offers tips on how to safely sharpen the blade and replace the wedge. Making your own hand tools is a great way to personalize your shop. The marking thickness gauge measures the thickness of the paint and thermoplastic of pavement markings. The gauge i made in that video was based on an article written by my friend dean jansa for an issue of popular woodworking magazine click here for the article in the ten plus years since i made the original video, i. If for any reason you are not satisfied with the merchandise you ordered, just return it within 90 days to receive a refund in the manner of original payment. Fit for amateur diy and be used for marking, scribing, laying out upon various crafts or other woodwork. The style of gauge which uses a knife instead of a pin is often described as a cutting gauge. The length of each ground stainlesssteel rod is very precise. Particularly for thermoplastic stripes, where expensive material constitutes a significant part of the costs, control measures can be necessary. Its tough to beat a marking gauge for creating crisp, repeatable layout lines. As with all veritas marking gauges, the wheel cutters avoid the problems of wandering that can occur with pinstyle marking gauges.
The design was inspired by an article written by dean jansa for popular woodworking a number of years ago. Its probably twice as long as is required, though the. In a short evening, you can turn a few scraps of wood into an accurate, easytouse layout tool. Ten years ago, i made a video on how to make a french style marking gauge that has been my most popular video on youtube to date. A marking gauge is more than a replacement for measuringits a huge time saver that allows you to make extremely consistent measurements, which increases accuracy. In this video we are going to learn how to build one in the french style using only hand tools. Sep 28, 2010 by convention, needles or single lumen catheters are sized by gauge and multilumen catheters are measured by french size. The gauge im making is french in design and was inspired by an article written by dean jansa for popular woodworking a few years ago. My most popular video on youtube to date has been making the french style marking gauge. Jun 16, 2014 i own a few marking gauges but would love a tutorial from you paul on the best way to make a marking gauge and a mortise guage.