Early Access Video: The Nearly Forgotten Fish-Head Marking Gauge
Added 2021-04-03 11:01:00 +0000 UTCFriends:
In my never-ending quest to unearth every obscure woodworking tool ever, I proudly present this week’s video on building and using the Fish-Head Marking Gauge. This useful little tool appears to be nearly forgotten and is rarely mentioned in the woodworking literature. Nevertheless, it is a fantastic little device and will get you out of some tight spots. This is a tool that you can build from random junk and you’ll use for years.
As usual, the plans are being drawn now and they will be posted (both here and on the Discourse Plan Archive) on Wednesday morning. All the other plans and bundles I mention in this video are FREE to Patrons. They are also on the Discourse Plan Archive.
Finally, there is a tiny editing mistake around 7:40. We know. We’ll get it fixed before the premiere on Wednesday.
As always, thanks for making these things possible!
--Rex
Comments
Not change! Use both!
Rex Krueger
2021-04-09 13:21:24 +0000 UTCI use the clicking gauge you learnt us to build. Time to change probably.
Pierre-Olivier Fineltin
2021-04-07 12:45:49 +0000 UTCI really like this gauge. I does look to be more usable & comfortable than the old Stanley 61 style, Cool video.
Iron Regimenti
2021-04-05 19:49:51 +0000 UTCRex,
Iron Regimenti
2021-04-05 19:47:46 +0000 UTCI am clumsy and impatient so I ordered a regular mortise and tenon gauge... Seeing this makes me want to try to make the easy english style gauge instead. I still enjoyed the video greatly. Thank you Rex, your videos made me already do some things
Otakar Schön
2021-04-04 23:05:47 +0000 UTCWell, I'm not crazy about it myself, but what can I do. Installing some kind of heating system is just one bridge too far...
Frans van Ballegooijen
2021-04-04 21:10:03 +0000 UTCThank you for saying so!
Rex Krueger
2021-04-04 21:04:50 +0000 UTCYeah - I was thinking use, not build.
Rick Prosser
2021-04-04 18:08:52 +0000 UTCI pretty much use sandpaper only for shaping. I almost never finish with it. Instead I use card scrapers, planes and burnishers. Files, Rasps, and sandpaper are great for refining curves cut by your frame saw (bow saw, fret saw, coping saw, etc). Love these tool build videos. Love seeing how you work, I always learn a ton.
William Allen
2021-04-04 15:47:39 +0000 UTCI believe I've heard the same said concerning clamps.
Bill Smithem
2021-04-04 13:20:00 +0000 UTCYou're not the first person to suggest this. I think these variations are really worth a try!
Rex Krueger
2021-04-04 13:11:16 +0000 UTCYou could swap out different beams in literally no time!
Rex Krueger
2021-04-04 13:07:58 +0000 UTCThat is totally worth a try!
Rex Krueger
2021-04-04 13:07:26 +0000 UTCA favorite author of mine says that the number of gauges you need for any project is n+1, where n is the number you own.
Rex Krueger
2021-04-04 13:07:04 +0000 UTCWow, that was creepy.
Rex Krueger
2021-04-04 13:06:12 +0000 UTCThat DOES make a lot of sense. I could see this following the curves of a guitar easily.
Rex Krueger
2021-04-04 13:05:14 +0000 UTCI'm so glad this stuff applies. I started out as more of a fabricator. I did plastics stuff for businesses, made signs and stuff. On a certain level, it's all just making stuff.
Rex Krueger
2021-04-04 13:04:47 +0000 UTCFor the beginner, I would suggest something simpler to build. Now, if these could be bought...they are very easy to use. Good grip.
Rex Krueger
2021-04-04 13:03:47 +0000 UTCI've always been leery of those. The seem pricey and the cutters are small. So many people like them, though.
Rex Krueger
2021-04-04 13:03:06 +0000 UTCI remember the days of the unheated shop....but not fondly.
Rex Krueger
2021-04-04 13:02:27 +0000 UTCI'm glad you can join me every week!
Rex Krueger
2021-04-04 13:01:55 +0000 UTCAnd I'm delighted to have you here!
Rex Krueger
2021-04-04 13:00:59 +0000 UTCOne could us the fence design with the easier round-pin locking mechanism for a faster build.
Rex Krueger
2021-04-04 13:00:46 +0000 UTCI've done all the research I can for now. The web has very little and my (fairly extensive) library of woodworking books mentions these not at all. It falls to someone more knowledgeable than me to tell us more.
Rex Krueger
2021-04-04 13:00:05 +0000 UTCI think then it might have too little surface, but I did find a few with 2 fences, one perpendicular to the other. Still trying to work that out.
Rex Krueger
2021-04-04 12:58:48 +0000 UTChee hee hee
Peter Dickason
2021-04-04 11:59:50 +0000 UTCCatch isn't it?
Peter Dickason
2021-04-04 11:59:30 +0000 UTCRex-That is truly an intriguing marking gauge. As you mentioned, it’s key feature is that longer fence. Using it to mark the edges and ends of a piece with the fence registering on the wide face surface seems to give that solid and firm support. I’m wondering if the same could not be done while registering off the reference edge with that longer fence? It would require maybe removal of and indexing the arm of the gauge 90 degrees so the cutter would be able to mark the face of the piece. That probably wouldn’t be the most convenient thing. Perhaps a second nail/ cutter could be put in the arm, maybe at the opposite end? Maybe not the greatest suggestion here. I just see that fence and think if it could sit solidly on the edge it would be so great for marking the face surface. Maybe that would be a reason to make a second one, at least for me it would. I’m just thinking out loud here. Maybe I’m not making much sense. It’s early. Happy Easter!
Sean O'Neill
2021-04-04 10:25:02 +0000 UTCThank you Rex. I really like the shape of this marking gauge. It looks like it fits the hand much better than the standard square gauge. And this has a beam that is much easier to shape so you could make a series of mortising beams to go with the stock. Excellent.
Matt Evans-Koch
2021-04-04 01:47:18 +0000 UTCAnother must-make cool tool. I suppose that if the beam is truly square, you can turn it 90°when running it along a thin edge to get the maximum bearing surface.
Michael Bennett
2021-04-03 22:01:25 +0000 UTCNext video: Pencil-neck router plane.
Sean McGown
2021-04-03 19:53:23 +0000 UTCTook the words right out of my mouth. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Demento
Sean McGown
2021-04-03 19:52:03 +0000 UTCMy mom used to sing that 🤣
Brads Workbench
2021-04-03 19:18:44 +0000 UTCCool. I've recently convinced myself I need another marking gauge so I can maintain more than one measurement for a project at a time. Think I'll make one of these. Thanks.
Bill Smithem
2021-04-03 17:59:03 +0000 UTCHonestly, this is the first thing that came to my mind when I received this notification this morning ;) https://youtu.be/JKDtUzRIG6I
Peter Dickason
2021-04-03 15:05:55 +0000 UTCBefore you mentioned coach building, my initial thought was, "Ooh, a luthier's gauge." The fiddle maker has to deal with the backs and bellies overhanging the the ribs, so the gauge must span that distance. The fence also must follow both convex and concave curves. The fence would have been been hollowed down the center and rounded on the sides. (Picture an upside down running W brand of the King ranch.)
gary turner
2021-04-03 14:46:57 +0000 UTCJust when I thought I had enough tools. Argh. I really get a lot out of your tool making videos (like a lot of tools). Thanks again. I don't really make much furniture, but I do a lot of outside stuff, like fixing polytunnel doors, building a horse shelter etc, and you have taught me lots of helpful things that help with these projects.
chris wood
2021-04-03 14:35:52 +0000 UTCCool vid and tool - I agree with Peter, this seems like a good beginner marking gauge.
Rick Prosser
2021-04-03 14:29:40 +0000 UTCThis also feels like a nice marking gauge for beginners. I have a couple of wheel based marking gauges because I thought that’s just what you were supposed to get. They tend to track the grain of the wood and drift unless I’m using two hands and ensuring a lot of pressure against the registration surface. I wonder if a lot of beginner problems would go away with this design.
Peter Schmiedeskamp
2021-04-03 14:13:45 +0000 UTCFish-head? If you look at it from the other side it looks more like a bird-head to me... ;) BTW: Great video once again. Can't wait for the weather to warm up (and the diy stores to re-open without having to book a timeslot) so I can take a swing at this one...
Frans van Ballegooijen
2021-04-03 13:43:00 +0000 UTCRex... I always love starting my weekend with a new video! thanks Matt
The Super-wrench Garage
2021-04-03 13:34:19 +0000 UTCHey Rex, happy to be a patron. I think I’ll make this gauge next week. Thanks.
TJ Stanford
2021-04-03 13:24:37 +0000 UTCThis could have been useful last week, LoL. The ability to use the gauge on inside curves use what I needed. I'll have to look into making one.
Geoffrey Wilson
2021-04-03 13:22:46 +0000 UTCHi Rex. Will you continue researching that “fish head” design? I was just curious about it’s origin and name. It’s fascinating to think about how things evolved, or why something never caught on. It’s just as interesting to bring an obscure tool back to life and educate people about it. Your video could be the most important part of that tool designs history!
Pete seddon
2021-04-03 13:12:17 +0000 UTCAn afterthought. Or just rotate the beam when needed?
John Hiemstra
2021-04-03 13:12:02 +0000 UTCSuggestion to innovate this gauge? Put another nail perpendicular to the existing nail. then the surface of the long fence can register along more of the edge of the board. I don't know if that actually does improve the registration, just a thought. Thanks for another excellent video Rex.
John Hiemstra
2021-04-03 13:10:24 +0000 UTCIt's ALWAYS time to make another tool!
Rex Krueger
2021-04-03 12:03:25 +0000 UTCI think mostly America, but I doubt it was invented here. It just feels "Old World" to me.
Rex Krueger
2021-04-03 12:03:09 +0000 UTCThat's what I thought! Not often I find I tool I'd never heard of.
Rex Krueger
2021-04-03 12:02:36 +0000 UTCIt really is!
Rex Krueger
2021-04-03 12:02:12 +0000 UTCYou make a great point. I may do just that, but I have a rule: I always do things the standard/traditional way the first time. Then I innovate after I really understand the old way.
Rex Krueger
2021-04-03 12:02:01 +0000 UTCWell, I already made the "normal" as well as the Japanese marking gauge but now I am really interested how the fish head performs compared to the other two. I think it's time to make yet another tool
Hagen
2021-04-03 11:53:54 +0000 UTCGreat video. Was the history of that piece from England, or America?
Kevin S Thomas
2021-04-03 11:42:33 +0000 UTCWow, a completely new tool I have never seen or even heard of. Thanks Rex.
Skully Wood and Metal
2021-04-03 11:38:02 +0000 UTCFish Heads, Fish Heads, roly poly fish heads.....sorry I couldn't resist. It is a nice looking marking gauge though. It looks ergonomic too.
Robert A Carbo
2021-04-03 11:36:41 +0000 UTCRex, what am I missing here? Why not combine the two styles of gauge you're comparing here? If the main benefit (beyond ergonomics) is the longer fence, then why not just elongate the fence, but retain the rounded beam and wedge of your more traditional design?
Mark Thornton
2021-04-03 11:30:03 +0000 UTC
