Entry Level Hand Tools for Woodworking, Part 2; Marking Knives and Gauges.
This series is a quick introduction to selecting handtools for woodworking. You can see part one here:
The key to precise cuts with a hand saw is good markup and practicing the skill of sawing to a line.
You are going to want to get a marking gauge.
Basically it is a scribe point and an adjustable fence. You use it to make a straight line by holding the fence along the edge of the piece you are cutting.
If you have been following me for a while you have seen some of my hand made marking gauges:
But you can pick on up on amazon for less than 20 bucks:
Once you mark a line with the gauge, you can undercut it from one side with a chisel.
This leaves a groove, or “knife wall” that you can use to line up your saw blade.
The result is very clean lines.
.
The next essential item for markup is a marking knife.
It is used along with a square or bevel gauge wherever you need to mark a cross cut, miter or dovetail.
Some people just use exacto knives or even scalpels. However, for marking along an edge it improves control and precision if the knife has a one sided bevel. The one I am using here is for lefties. I bought it when I was in japan 2 years ago.
This one here:
can be used left or right handed. It has a very thick point that will not break easily.
The basic idea is the same. You make a mark where you want to cut by drawing the knife along a straight edge, then undercutting with a chisel on the waste side of your planned saw cut, then using that knife wall to position your saw.
Coming up in part 3, we will take a look at some chisels.
Thanks for looking and let me know what you think,
Until next time,
@skycranehandwork
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I had a side scribe when I was sinking dies and have been thinking of making a similar device for woodworking. I've been laminating some plywood and was thinking it might do. It would make the motise layout so much more accurate.