Thread: Wot I did on my hols - marking gauges

Originally Posted by IanW

I promised to make a couple of marking gauges for a friend as part of a trade, 2 years ago, and finally got around to it over the Christmas break. These are made from forest She-oak (now called Allocasaurina torulosa). The dimensions are: fence about 50mm square by 28mm thick, and beam about 17mm square by 200mm long. The brass wear strips are cut from 1/8th brass plate, and filed to fit the dovetail grooves cut in the face of the fence with a 1/4" router bit. The cutting and filing of the brass is quite easy, and it's much easier to get a tight, sliding fit for the strips than you may think. If the brass is cross-grain, as it is on the mortising gauge, I pin it in the centre with a brass screw, driven into a tight hole and the top filed off so that it 'disappears' after cleanup. The strips that are along the grain I put a bit of epoxy on, which is also what I used to secure the wear strip around the pin/cutter. After the glue is thoroughly dry, (pic 1) file and sand everything level and square. I finish up by polishing the brass with green compound - hard woods like She-oak and the outback Acacias benefit from the same process (pic 2). The cutting gauge cutter is a piece of old hacksaw blade, and the pin is a small, tapered nail. A nail is a bit soft, but plenty hard enough for the task - been using one gauge for 25 years, and haven't worn the pin out yet.
Finally, a coating of Shellawax and a good buffing on a clean cloth wheel and they're ready for use (pic 3). The Shellawax is surprisingly durable - an annual waxing and buffing keeps them looking fresh for years.
The matching scribe is made from an old 1/8th chainsaw file tapered on the grinder, with an old cartridge case for the brass ferrule.
Thumscrews are turned, threaded in a home-made router jig, then the heads cut and shaped with rasps and paper(pic 4).
I also managed to nearly finish a mortising gauge (pic 5). It's waiting for a friend to get back from his holidays, so I can get the end-knob turned on his metal lathe. I started making this a couple of years ago, but it got put aside for more urgent matters and languished as rough parts til this Christmas. I eventually want to make one like the old Stanley 77, which has all the works internally, operated by a captive knob, but am waiting for the same friend to make us the more complicated brass bits. I could probably do them by hand, but it would be a big job, and he has offered to do two sets so I can make a gauge for him while I'm at it. However, he moves at about the same pace as I do on these sorts of jobs, so it might be some time before I get those done!
Cheers,

I just came across this thread by accident and I know it's an oldie, but I just had to say; beautiful work Ian!

Have you made any other tools before or since that you'd care to show us?

Originally Posted by Woodwould

I just came across this thread by accident and I know it's an oldie, but I just had to say; beautiful work Ian!

Have you made any other tools before or since that you'd care to show us?

Hi WW - a few, some of which I have posted from time to time. I'm trying to do a couple of infill planes, but they are still nothing more than raw steel & brass and some nice pieces of wood (already well-seasoned!). The day job gets in the way, & will probably continue to do so for a while, so it may be some time before they are finished.

The minister for war & finance has a very long list of rather more prosaic projects, for me, too, & you probably know who gets priority.....!

Cheers,

I think their very nice Ian.