Marking Gauge Part 1

A marking gauge is a great tool to have in the shop. A good one is easy to adjust, holds its setting accurately, securely locks the head in position, and is sharp. The one I started with is pictured below. It uses a thumbscrew to lock the head in place, which works okay but has a couple of drawbacks. One, it must be used two-handed. Not a big deal but a bit inconvenient. I probably wouldn’t have even thought of that until I started using the subject gauge and found that I could adjust it one-handed.

The other drawback is that when the thumbscrew is tightened, the head can still rotate a bit around the axis of the thumbscrew. The screw tightens against one side of the beam and the opposite side of the beam is flat. That flat interface does not prevent rotation of the head unless the thumbscrew is really tight (or the head fits pretty snugly on the beam, which for a mass-produced item is never the case). And if you really tighten the thumbscrew it creates dents the beam.

Am I being nit-picky? Yes, but it is an issue and on cheaper gauges it really becomes apparent. I saw many when I was teaching. The gauge below solves these issues.

The wedge provides a larger surface area for clamping the head, which precludes damaging the beam. The clamping surfaces are flat, as before, but the fit of the head eliminates or minimizes movement. And the gauge can be used one-handed. I really like it.

Making it is a great project, relatively simple but very rewarding. I suggest you use a relatively hard wood; beech, cherry, and similar woods work well. I would avoid maple; it’s too hard. Oak will work but I don’t like the open grain for a tool like this.

Popular Woodworking published an article on the gauge in their December 2006 issue (I think I said 2009 in the video). You can download the article here for free (as of this writing).

I created a plan of procedure that summarizes and complements the article; download it below.

Watch the part-one video here.

Marking Gauge PoP

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