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Small beginnings

Well if there was any lingering doubt about what phase two was this ought to put that to rest.

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Yes those are individually dovetailed in there (and then epoxied in place although two could probably have just been lightly pinned and been fine), not quite as hard as it would seem and something I've been looking for an excuse to try for a while. Although astute observers might note that there looked to be enough of the red (mahogany?) wood for all four and now some walnut has appeared so yeah there was that (put another way the best two are the best of six).

This part is getting pretty close now, still need to cut the mortises, carve some pieces and do a little more metal working...
 
Oh very nice looking good. I dont which i like more using tools or making them. Great kick from making stuff to make other stuff. That looks like it will be a real neat marking gauge. :thumb: Someone is going to be very happy i suspect.
 
Rob Keeble said:
Oh very nice looking good. I dont which i like more using tools or making them. Great kick from making stuff to make other stuff.
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Hah, yeah I know I've been dragging this project out long enough in a desperate attempt at not working on the stuff I'm supposed to be working on. To much fun :D

Rob Keeble said:
That looks like it will be a real neat marking gauge. :thumb: Someone is going to be very happy i suspect.
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Here's hoping.. On both accounts. These are the first marking gauges I've ever made, but I've wanted a double beam cutting gauge for a while so this seemed like a good excuse to try making one.

Messed up the predrilling on two of them, cut the mortise to big. It was salvageable but I had to make new beams to fit so that took a while and I had to.. ummm go take a break for a while after the mess up. Tied a couple of knots, actually just six attempts at one knot (Spanish ring knot), I think something is still wrong with how I'm tying it as it doesn't quite look right at the beginning/end but close. At least I can just pull it apart and retie it :)

I have the cutters all drilled and tapped into the beams now. All that's left is to grind the cutters (I'm using small metric set screws as they're already hardened and have a convenient allen screw head on then), shape and carve the wedges and maybe do a bit of decoration on the bodies.

Then it's on to the third and final phase of this project! The end is.. Not exactly night but vaguely visible if you squint really hard.
 
You just gave me an idea for an upgrade on my own marking gauge. :thumb: Something i have been wondering is are you going to even bother putting a scale for setting size on it. I have never trusted the markings on any marking gauge always used a stand alone ruler.:dunno:
 
No scale, I'm quite sure that I couldn't get it anywhere near accurate. Mostly I use direct transfer for making and skip the measuring altogether :). The other problem I have with both of my two gauges with pin marking is that the pins are (IMHO) to long which makes it easier to introduce some parallax errors.
 
Well there comes a time when you just gotta ship no matter how you feel about things, so I hereby declare phase three and thus this project complete.

Toni let me know who the victim is and I'll try to get it out by the weekend or early next week at the latest.

These bits are all from wood I harvested and milled myself. It's been drying for a few years now and it's time it earned its keep. The dark stuff is walnut the other one is some sort of elm from the smell of it (I never saw the tree with leaves, but the bark and wood looks a bit elmy as well so that's my best guess). Both came off of a friends property. The elm like substance is also what the gauge bars are made from (hard and wears good but prone to tear out)
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Yes we're keeping just a bit of mystery until this arrives ;)

The wedge was carved in honor of my speed of progress on this project :rofl:
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Notes to the recipient

  • The finish on everything is minwax "not actually tung oil even though it says it is" wiping varnish (the stuff in the yellow can) in case anything ever needs a touch up. Some pieces are glossy and some are not depending on what I thought would look best/wear best, but it's just more or less coats and/or buffed differently.
  • I would recommend keeping the metal bits waxed a bit to deter rust. I don't think any of the metal is stainless.
  • The beam is waxed with canning wax, periodic applications should keep it from being too sticky. It's real tight now but will, I think loosen up a bit with a little use.
  • Turtle forward is locked.
  • I won't in any way be offended if you made a new beam for the gauge, I likely will for the one I keep. It works but it's not 100% IMHO. If you do I would like to see what you do.

For anyone else; if you're thinking about making a marking gauge 100% neander, I can heartily recommend against it unless you're a lot handier than I am at this. It's a fiddly annoying thing to get even close and the commercial ones are really quite nice. Just saying that part was interesting but I don't think I'll repeat it the same way.


Finally thanks to anyone who's hung in here this long :rolleyes: :wave:
 
According to usps.com:

November 27, 2015 , 4:10 pm Delivered, Front Door/Porch AMHERST, NH 03031

I'll post the final pics from my end after I get done with the sausage making (5lbs pepperoni, 10lbs andouille, 10lbs breakfast, 10lbs kielbasa and 5lbs of chorizo) assuming I have an ounce of energy left.
 
Lucky man Bob great swap gift Ryan. I soooo like the hand made everything. Bit of a wake up call for hand made stuff. Its way way more authentic. I bet back in the day your Master would have been very proud of the Apprentice and maybe granted you your Journeyman status after those. Now i know the motivation for the "hand cut dovetails" sneeky :thumb:
 
Glad you like it Bob :D

The only thing I'd add to the previous note is, having used the knife I'm keeping a bit more, you might want to make the point on the knife a bit pointier. Makes it easier to get inside those dovetails ;) The awl also appears to work quite well for leather working..

Rob, I'm pretty sure I'd have been kicked out for being to slow before I got done :rofl:
 
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