Replies

1. 
   mwenz | Oct 23, 2006 04:51am | #1

   It should be tight on most of these type.

   Stanley made some which were suppose to rotate. I have a couple. Don't work quite as well in most situations as the fixed wheel.

   Take care, Mike

2. 
   mgumaer | Oct 23, 2006 03:23pm | #2

   I have a couple different brands (Veritas and Tite-Mark) and neither rotate. I think they don't rotate to help the cutting action. The wheel should be sharp and slice through fibers relatively easily to avoid tracking the grain when cutting parallel to the grain and leave a nice, clean line. I'm no expert, just my two cents.

   Matt

3. 
   JeffHeath | Oct 23, 2006 04:19pm | #3

   If you bought a cheapie, ( which is fine)  chances are it isn't sharp.  Removed the cutting disc and sharpen it on your stone, or other FLAT sharpening media.  Do this by simply rubbing it around in circles, cutting side down, almost like a little bump.  Remove the burr, and you will be very pleased with the improved performance.

   Jeff

1. 
   Mike&L | Oct 23, 2006 04:36pm | #4

   Ah, I'm going to try that with my new one. 

   It's a "cheapie" and I am disappointed with the results.  Of course I didn't think to sharpen a new round blade that small (and didn't have a clue about how to sharpen it, anyway).  Your post to sharpen it and how to sharpen it sounds like just the thing.

   Mike D 

1. 
   JeffHeath | Oct 23, 2006 04:41pm | #5

   The two that I have both have a screw in the the end holding the cutting disc, which can be removed for this purpose.  You'll be surprised how well it will work when it is sharpened.

   Jeff

4. 
   bones | Oct 23, 2006 06:02pm | #6

   I don't know about the grizzly, but I have the LN tite mark. It does not spin and is rigid. I would think a free rolling blade, might not give it an absolute line. That's just my opinion, not sure it matters. Good luck

5. 
   9619 | Oct 23, 2006 07:29pm | #7

   BWW,
   I used to use one of those. Then I tried an old fashioned cutting gauge. Wow, what a difference. The fence is much longer on the cutting gauge, and the knife really slices, and it is easy to sharpen. All this stuff is a matter of opinion, not fact. What works for me isn't what works for you. But if you haven't tried a real cutting gauge with a longer fence and a nice sharp blade, then try it. You may like it.
   Enjoy.
   Mel

   Measure your output in smiles per board foot. 

1. 
   bww_maryland | Oct 24, 2006 05:26am | #8

   Mel, all, thanks for the responses.  I also bought a rosewood mortising gauge, which seems to have it's own challanges.

   i'll tighten back up the wheel after sharpering.

   i'll also give the mortising guage a run.

   Adding "hand tools" to my powered shop is challanging.

   - Brad

2. 
   derekcohen | Oct 24, 2006 08:54am | #9

   Hi Mel

   I agree - there is nothing like a cutting gauge for cross-grain marking. I do have the LV wheel gauge, whiich I like and consider very good value for money, but a good cutting gauge is better.

   Lee Valley sell a version of the Japanese cutting gauge. The design of the one I bought in Perth is identical, made in Rosewood and manufactured by Mujingfang (who are better known for their superior wooden handplanes).

   I built a cutting gauge the other day, based it on (copied!) the Woodjoy version. It came out like this:

   View Image

   The construction is brass, Tasmanian Blackwood (top) and Jarrah (below).  The fence is reversible to mark curved edges. The face is 3". Details at http://www.wkfinetools.com/tMaking/markingGauge/markingGauge.asp

   Regards from Perth

   Derek

1. 
   9619 | Oct 24, 2006 03:41pm | #10

   Derek,
   Your cutting gauge is magnificent, both in functionality and in design. Thanks for posting a webpage for it. Your shop must be a wonderous place. I would love to visit, but I doubt that will ever happen. Why don't you move to Virginia? Using other people's designs is not that bad a thing, especially if they have a great design. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Last weekend, I made five nested Shaker boxes and a handplane. Both of those things have been done thousands of times, just not by me. I had never boiled and bent wood before, and I have never turned a piece of steel into a blade before. You can see that I have a long way to go, but the journey is fun and satisfying. Meanwhile, I am making two hanging cabinets which are a modification of someone else's design. When I use someone else's design, it is usually because making the piece is nicely designed, and it has enough new challenges for me, and because my wife wants one of those things. When it comes to making jigs, (not something that I aspire to spend a lot of time doing), I almost always start with someone else's design, and modify it for my use. There is a great view when you stand on the shoulders of giants. I haven't made any tools yet, but I have some plans. The photos of Tage Frid using a big bow saw to make dovetails has always astounded me. It just doesn't look practical. So I will make a bow saw, with a blade similar to Tage's, and see if I can make dovetails with it. It actually doesn't matter if I am successful in using it to make dovetails. When people write to Knots and ask what the best dovetail saw is, I'll just post photos of myself and Tage using bowsaws, with a note that only wimps use Adrias, LNs, or Dozukis. "Real woodworkers use bow saws". That should start a flood of messages, don't you think?Oh well, so much for the philosophy and humor of woodworking. Time to go to work. Thanks again.
   Mel MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot. 

1. 
   derekcohen | Oct 24, 2006 04:23pm | #11

   Hi Mel. Thanks for the kind words. Please post pictures of your Shaker boxes. I have only made one to date, and it was very third-rate. And what do you call a plane and blade if it is not a tool? More pictures please.

   A visit to Virginia sound delightful. One day (.. said very wistfully...).

   Regards from Perth

   Derek

2. 
   Patto | Oct 26, 2006 02:41am | #12

   G'day Derek,

   Meant to ask last time you posted, but where do you source those brass knurled nuts and things? The stuff I have made (limited) that needs such has to make do with varius screws and T nuts - significantly sets back the quality of the end result in terms of whether I want to keep it after it has done the job.

   dave

1. 
   derekcohen | Oct 26, 2006 09:22am | #13

   Hi Dave

   The knurled nut on the cutting gauge came from Lee Valley in the form of a spare knob for the Honing Guide Mk II.

   I have made my own, although decidedly in a low tech way.

   For example, for this Spiers smoother I renovated (the topic of a thread several months ago):

   View Image

   When I began this project, I decided to build my own thumbscrew. I do not have any machinery to do so, but produced a couple using decidedly dubious methods, which I shall own up to as long as no one tells on me.  I managed to access a brass bolt with the correct thread. Then I searched through the local Borg's gardening section for solid brass hose fittings. I came up with these.

   View Image

   I then made up these two thumbscrews. The first is solid,

   View Image

   and the second is a Jarrah infill

   View Image

   Here is what I eventually made:

   View Image

   Hope this helps.

   Regards from Perth

   Derek

1. 
   Patto | Oct 31, 2006 03:51am | #14

   Derek,

   Thanks - nicely done.

   I found a couple over the weekend but they were a bit small. There are some things to attach to a framing square to make an angle guage in the local hardware for about $6/pair. The knurled bolts look to be about 4mm but reasonably finished. At $3 each it is cheaper than ad-hoc from Canada.

   dave.