Marking gauge
This marking gauge is handy to have at hand whether you are laying out joinery, using it as a depth gauge, or simply using it to transfer a measurement to another location.
This marking gauge is handy to have at hand whether you are laying out joinery, using it as a depth gauge, or simply using it to transfer a measurement to another location.
The Fence
This gauge uses purpleheart for the fence and quartersawn white oak for the shaft. Choose a hard wood that works easily without excessive chipping or tear out for the fence blank. After machining the blank, it is re-sawn and glued together to form the mortise for the shaft. Keep this in mind when selecting your wood and try to choose a species and cut that will hide the glue line when completed. The dense straight grain of purpleheart serves this purpose nicely.
The three pieces that make up the marking gauge are relatively small and working with small pieces on power tools raises additional safety issues. To reduce the risk, use a longer blank than necessary to machine the parts for the fence. This will enable you to make several gauges – a couple for yourself and several for gifts. You could alternatively make up a jig to hold the small pieces.
The Shaft
Hardware
Carl Duguay - [email protected]
Carl is a Victoria-based furniture maker and the web editor at Canadian Woodworking & Home Improvement.