X ζ Marking with a twist. This unusual X marking is a snap to make o ea and easy to adjust with just a flick O δ χ of the wrist. Β.

Putting It Together Twist-Lock Use a dense for the and the beam so these parts will wear well. Here are some things to keep in mind when putting the gauge together: Make the fence first. After shaping the outside contours of the fence, Twist the Beam to Set This Gauge for Marking the hole in the center with a ^/4-in. Forstner bit. Use the drill press to ensure By Frank Klausz that the hole is to the face of the fence. That way, the fence will lock marking gauge is useful for all fence for marking, you give the beam a square to the beam. Then use a scroll sorts of layout tasks, from mark- twist, and the fence locks tight and or saw to enlarge the hole as A ing mortises to laying out dove- square to the beam. shown, orienting the shoulder cut across tails. I rely on a gauge more often than a This cam-type action isn't new to the grain for strength. (See drawing.) pencil when marking because I like the marking gauges. You can sometimes Smooth any bumps with a half-round precise line width a gauge pin leaves and find old twist gauges at auctions, or you so the sweep of the curve is fair. the ease with which it can be set to any can buy a modern gauge with this twist- I like to glue one or more ivory discs distance from the edge of a workpiece. lock feature from Harris Tools (76 into the bottom face of the fence. The I own several types of gauges, but the Quentin Rd., Brooklyn, NY 11223, ivory, which I get from old piano keys, gauge shown here (see photo above left), 800-449-7747; price $22.50). provides some wear resistance, but its is my favorite because it's simple to The gauge shown here has a single main function is to tell me at a glance make and even simpler to use. Like a marking pin. I use it for general chores which direction my pin is facing. This traditional gauge, this one consists of a such as laying out dovetails or marking way, I can quickly grab the gauge off the beam with a marking pin and a fence the center of a board for resawing. To bench and start . with a hole in it that slides along the make a mortising gauge for laying out Make the beam to fit the hole. The beam. But instead of a -type lock- hand-cut mortises and tenons, you can width of the beam blank should be ing device, this gauge relies on the use a pair of pins, spacing them to about Vl6 less than the long diameter of eccentric shapes of both beam and hole match the width of a particular mortis- the hole. (See drawing.) To shape the to lock the fence in position. To set the ing . beam eccentrically, saw a into the

76 AMERICAN WOODWORKER • DECEMBER 1994 MARKING GAUGE Make pin from BEAM 1 4d finishing nail. 8 /2 L.

For a gauge that works on the pull stroke, Sharpen point install cutting edge to edge. of pin at an angle (See detail.) so fence pulls into edge FENCE of workpiece when marking.

Drill 3/4-in. hole with Forstner bit.

FENCE 3/4 χ 2 χ 2 Enlarge hole with or . BEAM BLANK

Cut Ve χ 3/8 rabbet.

IVORY DISC

'3/1 ft-H

ROUNDING THE BEAM SHARPENING DETAIL

Grind or file tip of nail to First, set bit height to depth Then lower bit flush to table knife edge, then buff smooth. of rabbet and rout edge. and rout remaining three edges. < END VIEW SIDE VIEW Ö < I y ρ/β-ΙΝ. S > i ROUND-OVER co ; BIT Ζ %Q S ROUTER TABLE

beam blank, then a ^S-in. round- through the beam so the hole is vertical. over bit in the router table, and round I'm careful not to make the fit too snug all four edges of the beam as shown in since I remove the pin with occa- the drawing. Routing the beam leaves sionally for resharpening. flat spots, which I feather out by pulling When installing the pin, tap the pin a strip of cloth-backed through the hole so approximately Vl6 in. around the beam while it's clamped in of the cutting edge protrudes. For a gauge my bench . A 10° to 20° twist of the that cuts on the pull stroke, turn the beam should lock it tightly against the knife edge about 5° away from the face of walls of the hole. When you're happy the fence. (See draw- with the fit, finish sand your gauge and ing.) The angled cut- give it a couple coats of paste wax. ter will then pull the Install the pin. To make the marking gauge's fence into the pin, nip off the head of a 4d nail, then edge of the work- Gauge parts. After drilling through the sharpen the point to a knife edge on a piece, keeping your fence block, the hole is enlarged to ' grinder or with a file (see drawing), and marks accurate. A the pencil line. Then the edges of the buff the ground surface with a cloth rabbeted beam are rounded to fit the . To drill the hole for the pin, first FRANK KLAUSZ is α master cabinet- fence hole. lock the fence onto the beam, then drill maker in New Jersey.

AMERICAN WOODWORKER • DECEMBER 1994 77