Making the cutting gauge I (Tutorial)
Mike & Mads cutting gauge (blog)
A gift to a wonderful friend.
Before I start the blog I want to share with you why this blog ever came to life and the gauges were made.
The truth is I did not need another gauge, I have several, and I just recently finished a panel gauge also.
Here on LJ I have meet many wonderful persons, and some I consider personal friends even I never had the joy of meeting them life. Each person for his or her qualities, and for a consistent dialog.
One of these persons is our friend Mike Stefang, he was one of the first I asked to be a buddy, and our friendship have grown a lot since then, he was always there, always with a delicate word or a funny little line when he saw my post's or blogs.
As some of you have seen Mike have made the Ancient bucket blog, and I have tried to follow, and make my own blog on this project. During this project our friendship grew for me to become even closer, so I felt I wanted to do something to show my appreciation for his dedication in the bucket project, but even more for his friendship and some wonderful mails he have send me.
So what should I give to Mike? This was not so easy to find out, but one day I came across this post from a fellow LJ that had made a cutting gauge, and here I saw Mike's comment 'Very nice. I wish I had one like it!!', and that was it! I had to make him a cutting gauge. I had to make his wish come through!
First I made a sketch in my little sketchbook; a first set of thoughts to follow, and then decided to just build along as the ideas would arrive.
As you can see few things changed on the way, but the basic design is pretty close to the original idea.
I used my latest gauges (have not been posted yet) as a design match, in this way I will not have all tool chaos in the shop.
Brass bolts from Paris, my friend Sodabowsky helped with a nice price.
Some Stanley knife blades for cutters, in this way it's easy to get new.
And this inspired me to make a new way of holding the blades.
Fist cut some pieces in the size desired.
The piece of dark wood that was a gift to me from my friend Napoleon he gave me at his last job.
I like to talk about rings, that when we do something nice to other people in our life's it sets of rings, and as you can see we already have a chain reaction here, not bad at all, life is so beautiful for those who dare to be nice, and open hearted, even it also hurts sometimes.
Mark up the design, I used a soft metal ruler for the curve, and made a few before I was happy with the curves meeting. (I know this is a architect talking, but to me this is important - balance).
Finding and marking center line.
And the shoulders of the gauge head.
Cutting a spur for a brass inlay.
And the bar (arm, or whatever it is called).
Here we go!
Can you see it's coming to life Mike!
Mark up the bar's with and the desired deepness of the sliding cutout.
On the right you see a piece of square brass rod I cut of.
Time to mix epoxy.
And use epoxy, to glue the brass 'inlay' in place.
I choose this solution since I think it's more elegant than screws and a flat bar.
Glue and clamp.
(Unless you want to fight with glue put paper between the glue and wise).
Here you see why.
Clean up the inlay, I use my disc sander since its fast, and relatively easy to control the right angel.
Now use the copy saw or -.
Band saw.
First I made identical shoulder cuts.
Then the curves, I was too lazy to change for a thinner blade since I knew I would make plenty of finish later.
As always I'm the impatient student as I told you Mike.
Since I cleaned up the front I had to mark again, so I have to say now:
'measure twice, mark twice and cut once'.
Like this!
Set the table saw for the desired depth.
Make repetitive cuts really close between the marks, and the job is done.
Like so!
Make a test fit. Here with the bolt on top just for visualization.
The rabbets were quite fine a little to the loose size for my taste, but I will approve my work.
Hope you also Mike can.
Mike & Mads are born!
We should make a party!
I probably party by going back and work on the bucket a little, if Mike made a new post.
Marking up the bar ends.
One for a square piece of brass to hold the blade, and one for a round rod that will get a hole in the center, where you can stick a pencil or a awl.
Cutting a piece of brass (I use a special metal saw blade on my table saw).
This is what for!
And brass rod for the other end, I use threaded since it will give a stronger hold.
Also it will give me more work…
Yes Mike I think you can see I'm fighting, and my skills with making knifes really come in handy, in this kind of tiny work.
Marking again, this time with a awl to make sure the drill bits the right place.
In fact I do that always now, I made too many holes a little off center in my life.
Drilling the hole for the rod.
You better check if we are in center Mike.
Finding a drill for the brass piece to make a pre drilling for the scroll saw.
And once more at the drill press.
Finding a matching tap.
Read about this stuff here
And making the thread.
Ohhh yes and now time for tobacco finally.
Nice fit!
Cut off and sand flat.
Scroll saw.
If you don't have one, just build one: http://1nailbender.tripod.com/full.htm
And this is why!
I cut close to the fit, but stop before.
Cut with a razor sharp chisel, and make a fit as fine as possible.
(I perhaps should have just used the scroll saw since I made few little mistakes here, Mike can say what he think… he is a scroll saw bandit I have seen).
Now a little brake from the gauges, and time to make some cutters.
First I flatten the side.
Then braking of a bunch.
And now grinding them to shape.
Rounded, V-shaped and all normal, in this way it can be used in many situations and for several purposes.
As you can see a quite tight fit between the brass and the blade (I did my best).
So time to split up the blog for those with slow connections out there in the big world.
Next part: http://lumberjocks.com/mafe/blog/21942
Hope this blog can be to some inspiration, for me it is was so much a pleasure to make these Mike & Mads cutting gauges,
Best thoughts,
MaFe
Mike & Mads cutting gauge (blog)
A gift to a wonderful friend.
Before I start the blog I want to share with you why this blog ever came to life and the gauges were made.
The truth is I did not need another gauge, I have several, and I just recently finished a panel gauge also.
Here on LJ I have meet many wonderful persons, and some I consider personal friends even I never had the joy of meeting them life. Each person for his or her qualities, and for a consistent dialog.
One of these persons is our friend Mike Stefang, he was one of the first I asked to be a buddy, and our friendship have grown a lot since then, he was always there, always with a delicate word or a funny little line when he saw my post's or blogs.
As some of you have seen Mike have made the Ancient bucket blog, and I have tried to follow, and make my own blog on this project. During this project our friendship grew for me to become even closer, so I felt I wanted to do something to show my appreciation for his dedication in the bucket project, but even more for his friendship and some wonderful mails he have send me.
So what should I give to Mike? This was not so easy to find out, but one day I came across this post from a fellow LJ that had made a cutting gauge, and here I saw Mike's comment 'Very nice. I wish I had one like it!!', and that was it! I had to make him a cutting gauge. I had to make his wish come through!
First I made a sketch in my little sketchbook; a first set of thoughts to follow, and then decided to just build along as the ideas would arrive.
As you can see few things changed on the way, but the basic design is pretty close to the original idea.
I used my latest gauges (have not been posted yet) as a design match, in this way I will not have all tool chaos in the shop.
Brass bolts from Paris, my friend Sodabowsky helped with a nice price.
Some Stanley knife blades for cutters, in this way it's easy to get new.
And this inspired me to make a new way of holding the blades.
Fist cut some pieces in the size desired.
The piece of dark wood that was a gift to me from my friend Napoleon he gave me at his last job.
I like to talk about rings, that when we do something nice to other people in our life's it sets of rings, and as you can see we already have a chain reaction here, not bad at all, life is so beautiful for those who dare to be nice, and open hearted, even it also hurts sometimes.
Mark up the design, I used a soft metal ruler for the curve, and made a few before I was happy with the curves meeting. (I know this is a architect talking, but to me this is important - balance).
Finding and marking center line.
And the shoulders of the gauge head.
Cutting a spur for a brass inlay.
And the bar (arm, or whatever it is called).
Here we go!
Can you see it's coming to life Mike!
Mark up the bar's with and the desired deepness of the sliding cutout.
On the right you see a piece of square brass rod I cut of.
Time to mix epoxy.
And use epoxy, to glue the brass 'inlay' in place.
I choose this solution since I think it's more elegant than screws and a flat bar.
Glue and clamp.
(Unless you want to fight with glue put paper between the glue and wise).
Here you see why.
Clean up the inlay, I use my disc sander since its fast, and relatively easy to control the right angel.
Now use the copy saw or -.
Band saw.
First I made identical shoulder cuts.
Then the curves, I was too lazy to change for a thinner blade since I knew I would make plenty of finish later.
As always I'm the impatient student as I told you Mike.
Since I cleaned up the front I had to mark again, so I have to say now:
'measure twice, mark twice and cut once'.
Like this!
Set the table saw for the desired depth.
Make repetitive cuts really close between the marks, and the job is done.
Like so!
Make a test fit. Here with the bolt on top just for visualization.
The rabbets were quite fine a little to the loose size for my taste, but I will approve my work.
Hope you also Mike can.
Mike & Mads are born!
We should make a party!
I probably party by going back and work on the bucket a little, if Mike made a new post.
Marking up the bar ends.
One for a square piece of brass to hold the blade, and one for a round rod that will get a hole in the center, where you can stick a pencil or a awl.
Cutting a piece of brass (I use a special metal saw blade on my table saw).
This is what for!
And brass rod for the other end, I use threaded since it will give a stronger hold.
Also it will give me more work…
Yes Mike I think you can see I'm fighting, and my skills with making knifes really come in handy, in this kind of tiny work.
Marking again, this time with a awl to make sure the drill bits the right place.
In fact I do that always now, I made too many holes a little off center in my life.
Drilling the hole for the rod.
You better check if we are in center Mike.
Finding a drill for the brass piece to make a pre drilling for the scroll saw.
And once more at the drill press.
Finding a matching tap.
Read about this stuff here
And making the thread.
Ohhh yes and now time for tobacco finally.
Nice fit!
Cut off and sand flat.
Scroll saw.
If you don't have one, just build one: http://1nailbender.tripod.com/full.htm
And this is why!
I cut close to the fit, but stop before.
Cut with a razor sharp chisel, and make a fit as fine as possible.
(I perhaps should have just used the scroll saw since I made few little mistakes here, Mike can say what he think… he is a scroll saw bandit I have seen).
Now a little brake from the gauges, and time to make some cutters.
First I flatten the side.
Then braking of a bunch.
And now grinding them to shape.
Rounded, V-shaped and all normal, in this way it can be used in many situations and for several purposes.
As you can see a quite tight fit between the brass and the blade (I did my best).
So time to split up the blog for those with slow connections out there in the big world.
Next part: http://lumberjocks.com/mafe/blog/21942
Hope this blog can be to some inspiration, for me it is was so much a pleasure to make these Mike & Mads cutting gauges,
Best thoughts,
MaFe