My minimalist tool list – the combination gauge

For more information on gauges, see our beginner site Common Woodworking.

The combination gauge

Two gauges common to woodworking are the marking gauge and the mortise gauge and both are essential primarily to joinery. Mortise gauges tend to be more expensive because of the addition of the adjustable extra pin point and so we find a unique gauge we call the combination gauge.  It makes good sense then to add another pin to the opposite side of the gauge stem to make it into a marking gauge and combine two gauges – basically you get the extra marking gauge for free.

Retrofitting a gauge 

You can also retrofit an existing mortise gauge with an extra pin yourself. Pins are best if they are hardened steel and I have taken the marking pin from engineer combination squares as we don’t use them in woodworking and snapped the pin from the pommel to use as a gauge pine. Drill a slightly undersized hole beneath the first part of the mortise gauge by removing the brass slide as shown, drilling the hole, driving the pin and replacing the brass slide. Just that quick and simple. See drawing and follow steps 1, 2, 3 and 4 below:

Combo’s not so convenient

The disadvantage of combination gauges is the inconvenience of losing one for the other when we often need two or three gauges for an aspect of or project as in hinge setting for instance, where we have on gauge set for hinge thickness and the other for hinge width.

You  can buy gauges of either types quite cheaply secondhand here in the UK. I own three dozen of them because of the school. Even so, I think a good number is two mortise gauges and three or four marking gauges.

Many gauges have brass wear plates to increase longevity of the stock but on finer work that’s unnecessary – for large carpentry and joinery this is an advantage. I find that wear plates don’t allow for the wood movement that occurs in the stock of the gauges I have, therefore the wood and the metal parts are rarely in harmony and one protrudes past the other, so I avoid wear plates for that reason. It’s easy enough to flatten the stock every 20 ears or so with a hand plane.

I have several old gauges that have setscrews for securing the stock to the stem of the gauge. Thumb screws work better. Metal and wooden thumbscrews last indefinitely  and I have plastic ones 40+ years, but I have known plastic ones to snap, which is inconvenient.

Conclusion:

Buy combination gauges to cut costs – you have them always and they can be convenient for travelling to on-site work. Add additional marking gauges as you find them at the right price..

6 Comments

    1. I suppose the reality is that I have no need for this type of engineered gauge because a slitting or cutting gauge works so perfectly for crossgrain cutting and marking. I never use any kind of marking or mortise gauge across the grain as I use my knifewall methods for all crossgrain marking and cutting as point gauges serve only to bruise or tear the wood.
      On another front, there is no way I would spend that amount of money on something so heavily engineered that doesn’t shift my accuracy levels, but I do respect the engineering standards he has accomplished. I want people to get into woodworking first and then, from their working knowledge, choose which tools to buy.

  1. I am a self-taught woodworker who came back to it two years ago after a twenty year hiatus. I appreciate your willingness to share what you have learned over your 50 years working with wood. I recently discovered your blog and have learned so much. Thank you for taking the time and caring enough to pass along what you have learned.

    1. You are so welcome. Just trying to give people the truth in a helpful and healthful way.I am glad that you have found woodworking again. If can help, then please feel free to contact me or the schools.

  2. Good tips. I’d like to point out that a marking gauge (and even a combination gauge) is not that hard to make yourself, out of some scraps. If you use a French design, with either a wedge or a notched dowel to clamp the stem, it’s all wood, and done quickly.

    Is there a reason why you don’t make these gauges from scraps yourself?

  3. Mr Sellers,
    I bought an mortice marking gauge used in ebay, the same model like in the picture in the beginning of this post. I would like to know, how is made de recess for the brass? And is it possible to find ths brass are is it made especially for the maker o the tool. Thank you in advance. Congratulations for the magnific work.
    Greetings from Brasil
    Leonardo

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