Thread: Replacing Pins in Mortise Gauge

Gramophone needle was suggested to me

Originally Posted by Pac man

Gramophone needle was suggested to me

I thought of those as my grandfather had a whole load of used ones. He used them instead of glazing sprigs, but then he never threw anything that might be useful in the future away. I'll keep an eye out in s/hand shops as they usually end up everywhere in old gramophones.
Cheers,
Jim

You can get the gramophone needles on ebay

I can confirm gramophone pins. Another good source is the bicycle spokes. Its a high carbon steel, that is medium hard.

I can send you some. No charge. Remember me if you win Lotto.
PM me with postal address.

I should have several sizes. Mostly diff dia. but some have different lengths too.
What size do you want ?
dabbler

Forget the bit about sizes.
Only open ones I have are about 16mm x 1.4mm - others must have been liberated by family members.
I'm not going to break the seals on the unopened tins. My sisters can probably hear the paper tearing.....
d.

Oh I wonder if those spare points from dividers/compass sets would be suitable too?

Cheers
Michael

Originally Posted by mic-d

Oh I wonder if those spare points from dividers/compass sets would be suitable too?

Cheers
Michael

Good point!

I like wire size drill bits as they come in such small variations in diameter you can match the old holes exactly. easy to grind to a point. Used gramophone needles are pretty worthless and would work great as well.

Thanks for all the suggestions. Has anyone had trouble removing the old pins and putting in a new one - how do you fix it? Friction fit or solder or some other way?
Cheers,
Jim

This is slightly off the main point here but I'll ask anyway...

I have the worst trouble with pin marking gauges. They seem to wander really bad. I find the wheels and knife style to work much better. What am I missing with the pins? Are y'all grinding them somewhat knife like?

Thanks!
~tom

Originally Posted by jimbur

Thanks for all the suggestions. Has anyone had trouble removing the old pins and putting in a new one - how do you fix it? Friction fit or solder or some other way?
Cheers,
Jim

Jim - I haven't had any trouble removing old pins as long as there is enough left to grab with a pair of pliers. Most seem to be just a friction fit. The exception I've encountered is the front pin on a mortice gauge which was soldered into a brass strip - that yielded to a quick dab with a hot soldering iron. If the hole is s bit loose for your replacement, then a dab or two of Loctite or similar should fix the problem.

I have used broken 1/16" or smaller drill bits, but they are really too hard - you need a pin you can file, & shape a bit (see below). My workaday gauges have steel nails for pins, which have lasted for many years already, and will see me out, I reckon. Thumbsucker's suggestion of bicycle spokes is a goodie, & maybe I will use that in future, but nails haven't let me down in any way, yet ....

Originally Posted by firemedic

This is slightly off the main point here but I'll ask anyway...

I have the worst trouble with pin marking gauges. They seem to wander really bad. I find the wheels and knife style to work much better. What am I missing with the pins? Are y'all grinding them somewhat knife like?

Thanks!
~tom

Tom, you can certainly put a slight chisel-point on the pin (& the emphasis is SLIGHT), oriented so that it pulls the gauge against the edge of the piece you are marking. Too wide a chisel edge, and too much angle & you get a small dado cutter instead of a marking gauge! It it will help, but won't solve every situation. It is mostly a matter of technique - just hold the gauge so that the fence is pressed firmly against the work piece, without forcing the pin too deep into the wood being marked. If you need a deep line, a couple of light passes are usually much safer than one heavy one.

Cheers,

Originally Posted by firemedic

This is slightly off the main point here but I'll ask anyway...

I have the worst trouble with pin marking gauges. They seem to wander really bad. I find the wheels and knife style to work much better. What am I missing with the pins? Are y'all grinding them somewhat knife like?

Thanks!
~tom

The marking gauge is easiest used by dragging the point rather than trying to use the pin perpendicular to the surface of the wood. Try putting the stem onto the surface and then rotating the gauge slightly so that the pin point makes contact. Also, the point tries to follow the grain so, if the grain leads towards the edge, "scribe" in the opposite direction. As IanW said, don't press hard.
Pac man - "Good point!"

Originally Posted by Crunchie

The marking gauge is easiest used by dragging the point rather than trying to use the pin perpendicular to the surface of the wood. Try putting the stem onto the surface and then rotating the gauge slightly so that the pin point makes contact. Also, the point tries to follow the grain so, if the grain leads towards the edge, "scribe" in the opposite direction. As IanW said, don't press hard.

Perfect instructions.
Cheers,
Jim
ps thanks Ian

All ya'lls points (lol) make a lot of sense. I'll try again!


Thanks for your time guys!