Marking, Cutting and Mortise Gauges

Marking Gauges

A marking gauge is an essential hand tool used in woodworking and metalworking to make reference lines for cutting or assembling parts.
The tool has a beam, typically made of wood or metal, with a sliding stock that can be locked in place. At the end of the beam, there is a marking pin or wheel.
The marking gauge is used by setting the distance between the tooth or wheel and the stock, then dragging it along the edge of a workpiece to create an accurate parallel line.
Designs include traditional pin, knife or wheel type marking gauges. The knife type is preferred for cross-grain marking to reduce tear-out, while the wheel type can be used in any direction.
The tool demands practice to acquire proficiency, but provides greater precision than marking with a pencil and ruler.

Cutting gauges are similar to marking gauges, but include a small cutting blade rather than a pin or wheel.
They are often used for making deeper measurement markings, especially for joinery work such as dovetails.
Cutting gauges are particularly useful for marking the depth of mortices, tenons, and other joint components.
The blade can often be tilted to make bevelled cuts, and some models allow the blade to be swivelled to also cut across the grain.

Mortise gauges are a type of marking gauge elevated to a specialized role aimed at producing layout lines for mortise and tenon joints.
They consist of two parallel marking pins on a sliding beam, which can be adjusted to suit the size of the mortise.
One pin is fixed, while the other is adjustable and should be set to the width of the chisel that will make the mortise.
The mortise gauge is useful because it can mark both the mortise cut (for the tenon to fit into) and the tenon cut (the part that will fit into the mortise), ensuring they are a perfect match.
As with marking and cutting gauges, proficient use combines skill with a good understanding of the task requirements.

Careful selection of the most suitable gauges is key to producing a high-quality finished product.
Precision is highly important, as even minor inaccuracies can lead to issues with assembly or the stability of the completed item.
Keep all gauges sharp and clean for the best results and safe practice.
Practice proper ergonomics when using the tools to prevent fatigue and maintain precision.
Tailor the depth of marking or cutting based on the requirements of the job; a shallow cut is often sufficient, but in some cases a deeper cut may be necessary.
Always test the tools on scrap material before marking the finished piece to ensure correct settings and less errors.