Mortise guages

[Westpacx3]

I have started to venture past my box making and I'm going to make a small night stand. Basically a practice piece from scraps that are too thin but if it work-out it will be in a spare bedroom so who cares. This is a run up to bigger and better night stands for the master bedroom. I did some practice yesterday and realized my marking gauge is not the best or moat effcient for mortise and tenon marking. Too many changes makes for too many measurements not lining up.

So what's the consensus on gauges? The prices go 24 to 140 or so. Some are adjustable pins and some have double cutters for 3 different size mortise or tenon.

My friend who does 18th century or so reproductions says all his are 3/8s. Mine will be 1/4 for this piece as the stock is drawer waste from a cabinet shop about 5/8 thick.

I have also seen videos where a guy has 3 or 4 marking gauges and squares.

I'm in practice mode right now but really don't want to mess up this stock when I start the build. I have already tapered my spare leg wrong so I'm off to a good start.

 

[mdbuntyn]

Some adjustable mortise gauges don't go down to ¼", and you can't trust non-adjustable gauges to be the same widths as your chisels—unless you make them yourself.

I use two wheel marking gauges, but if I were going to buy a mortise gauge, it would probably be the Veritas dual gauge with a shaft clamp.

Veritas Dual Marking Gauge - Lee Valley Tools

Discover the Veritas Dual Marking Gauge. Buy this product now on our Lee Valley online store.

www.leevalley.com

 

[Westpacx3]

Some adjustable mortise gauges don't go down to ¼", and you can't trust non-adjustable gauges to be the same widths as your chisels—unless you make them yourself.

I use two wheel marking gauges, but if I were going to buy a mortise gauge, it would probably be the Veritas dual gauge with a shaft clamp.

Veritas Dual Marking Gauge - Lee Valley Tools

Discover the Veritas Dual Marking Gauge. Buy this product now on our Lee Valley online store.

www.leevalley.com

Thanks, that's the one I had my eye on..

The 1/4 is just for this practice project with free wood.

Lie Nelson has a roller wheel you can buy in 3 set sizes but I don't know if it would fit the wood river rob cosman marking gauge I bought...

 

[Melinapex]

Some adjustable mortise gauges don't go down to ¼", and you can't trust non-adjustable gauges to be the same widths as your chisels—unless you make them yourself.

I use two wheel marking gauges, but if I were going to buy a mortise gauge, it would probably be the Veritas dual gauge with a shaft clamp.

Veritas Dual Marking Gauge - Lee Valley Tools

Discover the Veritas Dual Marking Gauge. Buy this product now on our Lee Valley online store.

www.leevalley.com

I have this Veritas and it works great. I do make my mortises a little bit bigger than the chisel width as it seems I am incapable of chiseling in a straight line……. Then just clean it up with a regular bench chisel…..

 

[Westpacx3]

I have this Veritas and it works great. I do make my mortises a little bit bigger than the chisel width as it seems I am incapable of chiseling in a straight line……. Then just clean it up with a regular bench chisel…..

Thanks,

My chisel went a little astray due to twisting. My hand cramped as well so I might just borrow a friend's mortise machine. It was fairly quick for not knowing what I'm really doing. I really don't want to do like I did fly fishing where you buy every gadget and use half of them.

This was scraps from a dumpster that got a little damp and had a small bow. Did the double tenons on the table saw with 40 some odd cuts. I was given a delta tenon jig and plan to use it next. It worked well on A previous project. Just need to tinker with it and dial it in.

 

[mdbuntyn]

Lie Nelson has a roller wheel you can buy in 3 set sizes but I don't know if it would fit the wood river rob cosman marking gauge I bought.

Those are made for TiteMark gauges, but they might fit different manufacturers.

 

[Westpacx3]

Those are made for TiteMark gauges, but they might fit different manufacturers.

I like the idea but I guess I could call.and see if they would. They would lose 129.00 of they fit others. It would not be real smart but who knows.
Mat Estle has a review on you tube that reviews titemark and Veritas I think

 

[mdbuntyn]

I just measured my TiteMark and Veritas gauges. They're all 5/16", so there's a good chance that yours is as well.

 

[Westpacx3]

I just measured my TiteMark and Veritas gauges. They're all 5/16", so there's a good chance that yours is as well.

Thanks. I appreciate you taking that time to do that. I just don't want to fill the drawers with stuff I don't use

 

[Willemjm]

I have a few marking gauges, but have to confess, never knew a mortise gauge exists.

I use these, but not often I cut mortises without using my mortising machine.

 

[Westpacx3]

I have a few marking gauges, but have to confess, never knew a mortise gauge exists.

I use these, but not often I cut mortises without using my mortising machine.

View attachment 228213

I have that as well. I guess I saw a video where a guy had 4 on his bench and wondered what was going on with that. Then saw the wood ones with adjustable pins and then started searching.

Maybe I'm making this more complicated than it needs to be since I have just done my first few practice joints and was not thrilled by my order of operation and changing my square and marking gauge so often.

I think ill back up and practice a few more times and see what I need to change before I change.

Thanks

 

[tvrgeek]

I like the wheel gauges over pin and knife. Pins, correctly sharpened, have worked for sever thousand years, so there is nothing wrong with them. I did find the two-pin on one beam to be a bit clumsy.
The Chinese double rod mortice gauge I have works as well as any prestigious brand. Same as my single rod gauges. You just have to correctly sharpen them. I ignore any markings and just set to be correct. You can buy a handful of perfectlly good imported gauges for what one prestige one costs.

The two rod type is handy when you are doing off-set mortices. Otherwise, I use my single for equal spacing. I still reinforce the marks with my knife and a try.

Some may question if replacement wheels are available for clones. So what. They are so cheap you can just toss them. My mortice gauge has brass cutters which I would avoid. Steel should last a lifetime. If I ever wear them out ( you can rotate the rod of course) I'll get one with steel cutters.

 

[Westpacx3]

I like the wheel gauges over pin and knife. Pins, correctly sharpened, have worked for sever thousand years, so there is nothing wrong with them. I did find the two-pin on one beam to be a bit clumsy.
The Chinese double rod mortice gauge I have works as well as any prestigious brand. Same as my single rod gauges. You just have to correctly sharpen them. I ignore any markings and just set to be correct. You can buy a handful of perfectlly good imported gauges for what one prestige one costs.

The two rod type is handy when you are doing off-set mortices. Otherwise, I use my single for equal spacing. I still reinforce the marks with my knife and a try.

Some may question if replacement wheels are available for clones. So what. They are so cheap you can just toss them. My mortice gauge has brass cutters which I would avoid. Steel should last a lifetime. If I ever wear them out ( you can rotate the rod of course) I'll get one with steel cutters.

I appreciate those thoughts. Sometimes we get caught in the hype and marketing.

 

[bowman]

A few years ago, a workshop was held where we made marking cutting guides using an exacto knife blade. I'll head down to the shop shortly and upload a photo.

 

[bowman]

Pics attached above.

 

[Westpacx3]

Pics attached above.

That's nice.

Thanks

One if the best things about this group is the evolution of thought. Never just one size fits all.

 

[Henry W]

One if the best things about this group is the evolution of thought. Never just one size fits all.

Wait a second there?! You mean the way I do things is not the only way? The right way?

If it were, progress would slow down dramatically, no one would finish anything in their shops (in any reasonable time), and chaos would be the best descriptor of the working space.
Phew, it's a good thing there are other ways!

 

[Rwe2156]

There are two types, marking gauges and cutting gauges, but we usually use marking gauge as a catch all. Bowman's marking gauge is actually a cutting gauge.

Gauges with pins are used to mark with the grain, so they are good for mortises, tenons, etc. Mortise gauges have two pins or two cutters. The side with dual pins are set to the width of the chisel and then set to the inset as a unit.

Wheel gauges are easier for me to use. Knife gauges can cut a sharper line and are good when you need to go to a stop point.

The most difficult part of chiseling mortises by hand is keeping the chisel parallel to the face. A guide block can be used, with a rabbet equal to the mortise offset. Paul Sellers has a video on this.

 

[Westpacx3]

There are two types, marking gauges and cutting gauges, but we usually use marking gauge as a catch all. Bowman's marking gauge is actually a cutting gauge.

Gauges with pins are used to mark with the grain, so they are good for mortises, tenons, etc. Mortise gauges have two pins or two cutters. The side with dual pins are set to the width of the chisel and then set to the inset as a unit.

Wheel gauges are easier for me to use. Knife gauges can cut a sharper line and are good when you need to go to a stop point.

The most difficult part of chiseling mortises by hand is keeping the chisel parallel to the face. A guide block can be used, with a rabbet equal to the mortise offset. Paul Sellers has a video on this.

Thanks, I chiseled these first tryst with a firmer chisel, I think, not beveled edge. I did wonder a bit and but i liked the accomplishment of thw hand tool use but I use my hands a lot at work so I think I will borrow a friend's mortise machine for that but for marking I have averaged the responses and will buy a cheap wheel style gauge to go with my current expensive one and press fwd. It's 20.00 at rockler and I'm already in Charlotte for an work estimate. Between the 2 I should be able to decide if I need the quality of a better one and if I do ill buy it for the next projects. Just because I like the idea of making my furniture it does not mean I'll get to all of it. I still need to buy a lot of wood. All my free stock is small stuff and not conducive to building nicer better matched items.

 

[danmart77]

Marking Gage and Workshop

ncwoodworker.net

Here is the preparation of the parts for the marking gage class. I use this marking gage to cut mortises and veneer. The original design was made by Steve Latta a wworker from Penn.
If you look in the file of albums of mine you will find these gages being made.

If you are not ready to make a good gage now you can contact me here or in a PM and I have some spare parts you can have. I also have a gage you can try out.