July 1, 2018 | 2 Comments I have been getting my brother into woodworking. We went tool shopping yesterday and came out with a huge haul. Last night I was showing him how to flatten the backs of his chisels and he asked, “When would you want to hit the chisel with a hammer?” So I pulled out my chisels and some scrap wood and built him this. When chopping mortises, hammers are very nice. This is a marking gauge, a very useful tool to mark lines parallel to the edge of a board.
Hmmm. Looks strangely similar to the one you made me! Both beautiful pieces of workmanship! BTW, I think the locking wedge would be less frustrating if it were turned 90 degrees in the XY plane. (Often, as I’m trying to set the lock, the shaft slides, losing my distance.) What do you think? Log in to Reply
Oh boo. Unfortunately, that probably means that I didn’t make your beam tight enough. I used cherry on yours and sycamore (probably) for this one. I think the cherry is quite a bit more slippery, so I should have made it tighter. As for the wedge, what you’re describing is a French-style marking gauge: https://www.popularwoodworking.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/0612_Marking_Gauge.pdf It definitely would work, but it requires a differently shaped head. I prefer the aesthetic of this one, but the French style might work better in cherry. Log in to Reply