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Marking Gauge

Dr.Al

Dr.Al

Old Oak
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Dursley, Gloucestershire
Name
Al
I've just got back from a weekend in Dolgellau and it turns out that Stretton Antiques Market is very close to the most direct route from home to there, so I couldn't resist popping in. Unusually for me, I was quite restrained and only ended up spending £25 there, resulting in these:

gauges.jpg

I've been finding a few times recently that it would be good to have a few pin gauges set to different settings rather than having to adjust the one or two I have, so I was on the look-out for a few and these three were £1, £3 and £5 so seemed worth a punt. The little plough plane was definitely in the category of "I don't need this", but I thought it was cute so I couldn't resist!

Anyway, the £3 marking gauge struck me as interesting. I've never seen one that works like this (not that my breadth of experience of such things is especially large). The shank is shaped as a cam, with a matching hole in the body. Rotating them relative to each other locks and releases.

Loose:

loose.jpg

Locked:

locked.jpg

It strikes me that it might require care in use: if the torque being applied to the pin as you scribe is in the direction that will loosen the cam, then the setting could get lost. I guess that as long as you're aware of that it should be fine and it does have the advantage of being very fast to lock and unlock.

On the way back from Dolgellau, I stopped off to pick up an ebay purpose that's also woodworking related, but I'll post about that on the Holiday Toolchest page as that's the first thing I'm going to use it for.
 
You did well there. I've seen the same design of gauge, and have one, but I think they weren't a commercial model. I think I've seen posts saying that they were sometimes made at school as a test of accurate planing.

And the plough was a very good buy, especially at that price. If you didn't get the other cutters I am sure you could easily make some, or just borrow them from another plane.
 
AndyT":2d6lnl28 said:
You did well there. I've seen the same design of gauge, and have one, but I think they weren't a commercial model. I think I've seen posts saying that they were sometimes made at school as a test of accurate planing.

And the plough was a very good buy, especially at that price. If you didn't get the other cutters I am sure you could easily make some, or just borrow them from another plane.
Click to expand...

It only came with the fitted cutters, but I'm fairly sure that the metric ones I made for the #45 will fit. There's no height adjustment, just a simple clamp, so I don't think it'll be very fussy about the shape of the cutter.
 
Good score..... I should go to Dolgellau more often!

Those little Record 043 planes will accept any 1/8" thick plough blade. Though the new sets offered for sale are decidedly rectangular in section and tend to bind as they cut deeper. The older blades are slightly trapezoidal in section and don't have that problem.

It's the first one that I reach for if I need a quick groove..... easy to set up and very accurate.
Originally, they came with just three blades, 1/8. 3/16 and 1/4, if I remember, but will comfortably use a blade with up to about 5/8 inch. You're only limited by the hardness of the wood - so, if you have other plough planes..... use those blades.

In my opinion, the hand-performance and balance is markedly improved if you fit a wooden fence.

Good luck!
 
I do like a 43 I have several including a russian one!

Some short fence rods are a good modifaction most of the time you will be working close to the edge.
7mm silver steel is the right size.

Pete
 
Thanks both for the advice; I'll make a wooden fence for it and changing the fence rods sounds wise; I've probably got some 7 mm silver steel in my collection.

Having had a better look at the plane, it's got a "Rapier" brand on it, so I guess it's a copy of a Record (probably why it was only £15!)
 
As someone with more planes than most folk would think necessary, I can report that my Rapier version of the 043 is actually better made than my Record version. So don't be disappointed!
 
AndyT":3t3hy3z6 said:
As someone with more planes than most folk would think necessary, I can report that my Rapier version of the 043 is actually better made than my Record version. So don't be disappointed!
Click to expand...


I'm never disappointed by getting more planes :lol:
 
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