First Look: Veritas Micro-Adjust Wheel Marking Gauge
Veritas totally rethinks how their micro-adust works
Veritas has been in the wheel-style marking gauge game for quite awhile. When I decided to wander down the hand-cut dovetail road, 7 or 8 years ago, I bought one of their old-style micro-adjust marking gauges. Sadly, I dropped it within a few minutes and nicked the blade, but using a precision tool like it was a big deal for me. Unfortunately I never became comfortable with the micro-adjust mechanism – it never seemed intuitive to use. Still, I soldiered on using the marking gauge, just ignoring the micro-adjust.
A few months ago, while at AWFS in Las Vegas, I got to play with Veritas’ new micro-adjust version and it became clear to me that I wasn’t the only one who found the old version difficult to use. To call it an upgrade would be misleading, Veritas completely rethought the mechanism, and to me, knocked it out of the park. There are other aspects that make this version an upgrade – especially the larger bearing surface on the body and the offset beam, which keeps the whole thing from rolling off your bench five minutes after unwrapping it (young Ben would have benefitted from that).
If you’re looking for a new marking gauge you should give the new Veritas Micro-Adjust Wheel Marking Gauge a try, but only after you read Jeff Miller’s review of a dozen marking gauges coming up in issue #266 which will be available at the end of the November. Jeff tells you the pros and cons of each marking gauge, and what is really important to look for in this must-have tool.
More on FineWoodworking.com
- Video: Using a Marking Gauge – How to properly use a marking gauge to make sure you get perfect scribe lines every time
- What’s the Difference: Pin Gauges vs. Slicing Gauges
- Shopmade Marking Gauge – Simple but clever design makes this wide-fenced tool accurate and easy to use
Comments
When will these be fore sale?
They're available already: http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?p=75849&cat=51&ap=3
Thanks Ben! How much do you think they'll give me on a trade-in for my old style gauge?
What a silly notion that you don't need one more marking gauge. But, they do offer a replacement beam that adds the new mechanism to the old style gauges.
Did you get a left hander to test your wheel gauges? I know from experience that the cutting tip can come unscrewed on some wheel gauges when used by left handed woodworkers.
My current gauge doesn't have a micro adjust, this totally gives me that extra nudge I've been looking for to buy a new one! Thanks Ben!
Just a bit more expensive than the Qiangsheng equivalent.
I have one with a digital readout but I find the wheel a bit small.
I have an original Veritas micro-adjustable gauge, and I have no trouble using the micro-adjust feature at all! I love it. But yes, it could roll off my bench, but not yet, thank heavens.
Log in or create an account to post a comment.
Sign up Log in