Project by NateX | posted 01-18-2012 04:41 AM | 2590 views | 1 time favorited | 5 comments | ![]() |
![]() |
I received Tool-Making Projects for Joinery and Woodworking: A Yankee Craftsman's Practical Methods by Steve A Olesin for Christmas this year (I would have linked to the authors site but he died in 2006). I read the introduction and took a look at the first project, a marking gauge! I was intrigued that it was a reproduction of an American colonial era tool. The assembly was pretty straight forward and I figured it was a good place to start, I was looking at buying one of these anyway. I had some paduk and hard maple laying around from previous projects that would fit the bill nicely.
Making it went pretty smoothly and I pressed some recently restored hand planes into service. I did change a couple things in the design. I angled the upper slot which receives the sliding toggle and matched the angle on the toggle. I also made the beam much longer to make the tool more versatile. I cut the blade from an old saw blade, filed, ground, and beveled it.
Everything seemed pretty good at first, but as i slid the toggle more and more, I had to push it further and further in. Now there is not a lot left to slide if it deforms any more. The beam has a tiny bit of left/ right play which kinda makes it useless as a precision marking gauge. This problem is magnified when the beam is slid out the full 18 inches.
So what I have is a serviceable marking gauge that doubles a t-square. Not too bad. I cut enough parts to make 2 of these things. I might modify what I did a bit more on the next iteration.
All in all: a great use for some old scraps. The next project in the book is a dual beam marking gauge using knurled knobs, the sliding toggle is nice, but metal is better :)
5 comments so far
a1Jim
home | projects | blog
118161 posts in 4638 days
#1 posted 01-18-2012 05:14 AM
Very nice marking gauge well done.
-- https://www.artisticwoodstudio.com/videos
dubsaloon
home | projects | blog
623 posts in 3855 days
#2 posted 01-18-2012 06:16 AM
That looks so nice. Mine are not so nice. Gives me an idea to make a simpler version. Great Project.
-- The works of evil people are not the problem. It is the "Good" people standing by and watching not speaking up. Dubsaloon
NateX
home | projects | blog
98 posts in 4058 days
#3 posted 01-18-2012 06:20 AM
Thanks for the compliments!
It was fun to build something for the shop besides a router jig.
Ken90712
home | projects | blog
17984 posts in 4250 days
#4 posted 01-18-2012 11:13 AM
Great tool, very rewarding making your own! Well done.
-- Ken, "Everyday above ground is a good day!"
StumpyNubs
home | projects | blog
7851 posts in 3862 days
#5 posted 01-19-2012 12:16 AM
Maybe that’s what I need to build my giant tool cabinet! Thanks for posting!
-Jim; aka “Stumpy Nubs”
(The greatest woodworking show since the invention of wood is now online!)
-- Subscribe to "Stumpy Nubs Woodworking Journal"- One of the crafts' most unique publications: http://www.stumpynubs.com/
Have your say...