Micro adjust marking guage

[Sparky]

I was wondering,

If you had the choice between the two (tite-mark or Veritas) micro adjust marking guage which would you choose?

I have the basic veritas now and I like it but I can see that I should have gotten a guage with the micro adjust feature. So I wanted to hear your ideas as to which is better.

One thing that I do plan on getting, either way, is the mortise blades that the tite-mark has. I'm told that they will fit either the tite-mark or Veritas guages.

Thanks for any imput

Sparky

[paulchapman]

Hi Sparky,

I know the Tite-mark and Veritas marking gauges are very nice but in all seriousness the one I like best is the one I made myself. I based mine on a design that Rob (fingers55) came up with using a wedge and saddle arrangement for adjusting and locking the stock against the stem and a masonry nail, with the end ground to a suitable shape, for the cutter.

It works really well, costs nothing because you can make it out of scraps of wood you have lying about in the workshop and you can make as many as you like (and you can never have anough marking gauges ).

Not tried making a mortice gauge yet but must try that some time.

Cheers

Paul

[Alf]

Sparky,

If you must have the micro-adjust option, then to be honest the Tite-Mark is the better example IMO. There's a review of them here if that's any help.

Can I ask; what made you feel micro-adjust was a necessity? Just curious.

Cheers, Alf

[eg]

Sparky,

I have the Veritas one for over a year now. When I bought it the price for the regular one and for the one with the micro-adjustment was the same - so, I decided to go for the one with the micro-adjustment. Have to say that I never used it, and cannot see myself using it in the future. Furthermore, I find that the micro-adjusting screw gets in the way and is actually a disadvantage.

Eyal

[craigmarshall]

paulchapman said:

I know the Tite-mark and Veritas marking gauges are very nice but in all seriousness the one I like best is the one I made myself. I based mine on a design that Rob (fingers55) came up with using a wedge and saddle arrangement for adjusting and locking the stock against the stem and a masonry nail, with the end ground to a suitable shape, for the cutter.

Hi Paul,

You don't happen to have a link handy for the home made marking gauge?

Thanks,
Craig

[paulchapman]

craigmarshall said:

paulchapman said:

I know the Tite-mark and Veritas marking gauges are very nice but in all seriousness the one I like best is the one I made myself. I based mine on a design that Rob (fingers55) came up with using a wedge and saddle arrangement for adjusting and locking the stock against the stem and a masonry nail, with the end ground to a suitable shape, for the cutter.

Hi Paul,

You don't happen to have a link handy for the home made marking gauge?

Thanks,
Craig

Hi Craig,

Have a look at this thread on the other forum. It has the one Rob made and the one I made, based on Rob's www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=16733&highlight=marking+gauges

The secret is in the saddle and wedge system - it really does work well. Hard to believe how well until you try it. Locks really securely but easy to release.

The other two important points are to use laminations when making them to avoid chiseling out the hole for the wedge and stem and to have the cutter going through the stem on the diagonal.

Hope this helps.

Cheers

Paul

[fingers55]

Here's a pic of the original gauge I made in rosewood. The stock is solid and is not laminated so it was very difficult (and not recommened) to cut a long tapering 6mm wide mortice for the wedge by hand, but you can see the saddle and pin shaped from a masonry nail on the Tormek:



Here's a laminated panel gauge, made from maple and ebony. The stock is now made from 3 bits of maple, the wedge is used at the gluing stage and must be be waxed or you won't get it out again when everything has set:



Have a go at making one...dead easy to do and you can have lots in the shop and not have to keep re-setting for critical measurements - Rob

[Sparky]

toobyefore said:

Sparky,

Can I ask; what made you feel micro-adjust was a necessity? Just curious.

Cheers, Alf

Well when i use my guage (which I think is lubricated well enough) I have a hard time getting it exactly where I want it. It seems to 'skip' while I am trying to set it, I think the washer that keeps constant pressure on the rod so that it does not slide too freely jumps as I move it and so it takes a small hassle to get it to the exact depth that I would like it. My thought was that the micro-adjust feature would help and eliminate that 'skipping' and allow me to easily set it with greater ease and accuracy.

Does anyone have the same experience?

If not then I might try to fix the one that I have because not spending money on a marking guage means that I could spend it on some other tool ;D


Thanks for the help
Sparky

[Alf]

Ah yes, some difficulty with that O ring has been found before - I never had a problem until I cleaned up my old Veritas for the purposes of the review and voila, that little bit of resistance and "bounce back" appeared. It does seem to bed down over time, at least in my case, although iirc at least one owner was never happy and changed to a Titemark. Yeah, I can well understand how you'd be getting a mite frustrated with that.

Cheers, Alf

[craigmarshall]

paulchapman said:

Have a look at this thread on the other forum. It has the one Rob made and the one I made, based on Rob's www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=16733&highlight=marking+gauges

The secret is in the saddle and wedge system - it really does work well. Hard to believe how well until you try it. Locks really securely but easy to release.

The other two important points are to use laminations when making them to avoid chiseling out the hole for the wedge and stem and to have the cutter going through the stem on the diagonal.

Thanks Paul, I'll bookmark this for when I have a few spare hours and some offcuts.

Cheers,
Craig

[cono1966]

Hi
FWIW
In the Axminster 07 catalogue page 411 (latest cat not to hand) there is a marking gauge that is a clone of the Titemark at a price of 16.38 just over 2.00 more expensive than the Axi one, it could be upgraded by using the Tite-Mark standard wheel 5.09 which I am told is compatible, the Tite-Mark mortice blades may be compatible as well but check with Axminster tech people they are usually very helpful
Con

[Sparky]

Thanks Con

However we don't have Axminster on this side of the pond so i would have to look to see the brand etc. to try it investigate if it is sold here. Or do they ship international. But i wonder these days with the exchange rate andall

And welcome to the forum.

Sparky

[mrgrimsdale]

sparky said:

toobyefore said:

Sparky,

Can I ask; what made you feel micro-adjust was a necessity? Just curious.

Cheers, Alf

Well when i use my guage (which I think is lubricated well enough) I have a hard time getting it exactly where I want it. It seems to 'skip' while I am trying to set it, I think the washer that keeps constant pressure on the rod so that it does not slide too freely jumps as I move it and so it takes a small hassle to get it to the exact depth that I would like it. My thought was that the micro-adjust feature would help and eliminate that 'skipping' and allow me to easily set it with greater ease and accuracy.

Does anyone have the same experience?

If not then I might try to fix the one that I have because not spending money on a marking guage means that I could spend it on some other tool ;D


Thanks for the help
Sparky

Shouldn't be a washer, should be a flat disc like a washer without a hole, sitting at the end of the screw. This helps with the setting prob you describe. If you don't know it's there it's easy to lose by pulling the shaft right out - the disc drops out without you noticing and when you find it on the floor you don't know where it came from, but your gauge has become less easy to adjust. Or it gets replaced by a washer, which may well turn with the screw.

cheers
Jacob

[Sparky]

I think I see what you are saying.

I used the word washer as a general term but that does help...I might try it without

Thanks
Sparky

[cono1966]

Sparky
Sorry! I missed where you are located. I would think that the Tite-Mark is cheaper where you are than the clone is here, incidentally there is no brand name on it. Axminster do ship overseas, their international number is [phone]. I think carriage cost would put it out of the ballpark though.
Con