Make your own marking gauge for FREE! 

I just built a marking gauge thanks to you! Tomorrow me and my brother are drinking homemade mead, smoking cigars and building the workbench you showed us.

My marking guages were built by my Dad. He was a physician but a truly talented artistic woodworker (cabinet maker, folk artist). They very similar to yours.

I made the same sort of marking gauge, or rather, several. I used a scrap of narrow hacksaw blade. Useful tip: I used a dabs of red and green nail polish on the tips of the lock dowel to indicate which end locks and which unlocks.

I just started getting back into woodworking after a few decades off. I've been dragging out the Skilsaw and working on the floor for a few years for around the house projects. I found your channel and have made your Joiners bench (all construction scrap found free), just made your shooting board (bought your plans), made the crochet, and made this handy little gauge. I've ordered the long vise screw and going to glue up my Doug fir scrap wood vise for the leg vise. Got a list of other projects to do, and love all your instructive videos. Keep up the great work. You inspired me to get my hand back in the game! Thanks brother.

As a novice with limited tools, I've watched a lot of woodworking videos in the last couple of years but you have the best I've seen. Clear, concise, not a lot of fancy tools or equipment and no annoying soundtrack. I look forward to watching more of your productions. Thank you.

Make more tools: 1. Add the vice 2. A trundle lathe. 3. Add some furniture so that we know what we can do with all of our new tools.

Apart from anything else, this is the best explanation of what a marking gauge is for I've ever seen. And that's just in the first three minutes !

The square-cut end of a piece of scrap, with an ordinary drywall screw driven perpendicularly into it, has always served any marking gauge needs I've ever had. The edge of the countersink head is sharp enough to make a decent mark, and the depth is infinitely adjustable just by twisting it in or out. And if you lose it, you've lost a scrap and a screw -- make another in 2 minutes.

Great vids Rex!!! A Vice, a wood plane, a spoke shave, .... There are to many fun options!!! Build on Thanks for the videos! Cheers mate

Hi Rex Thanks for the video. I appreciate a) no background soundtrack (yea!!!) b) the encouragement offered c) your word use - accurate and precise - for instance and d) progression of difficulty. I made a six-part entry-way bench/seat a couple years ago for my daughter's family from a scrap piece of 2x12 fir lumber: seat, legs, stringer, and two locking wedges. I hand-drew the plans (in storage now). Basically, a bench top at about 17", a length of about 24" (arbitrary - to fit the space), leg angle of 10 degrees or so set so they don't extend past the ends of the bench, and a mortised stringer to hold the legs together. I cut two tenons on each leg to set into through mortises in the seat. I added an arch to the bottom of the legs. I attempted to balance size and location of the elements to be functional an pleasing to look at. I used wedges in the ends of the seat tenons. No fasteners nor glue. Tools: pull saw, hand plane, combination square, measuring tape, speed square (angles), chisels, mallet, clamps (no vice at the time), and both a marking knife (modified Ever-sharp paring knife - like a $ - and a sharp pencil. I did have a newly minted workbench on which to do most of the work. I probably took about five or six hours - most of that time in getting accurate layout and cutting six mortises and tenons. I used 150 grit to ease all the corners and to smooth it out - all by hand. I left it unfinished since the family was not ready to make a finish decision. I'm guessing that between indirect sunlight and daily use, it will take on a nice patina over time. Might be a fun project. Please stay well. Blessings to you and yours. Handy Andy

I really like this project! I have a couple older Stanley marking gauges with wooden thumb screws. They often drift as I'm tightening them. I definitely like the idea of the one-handed locking pin.

The two hardest things I found starting out with no prior knowledge and after watching a million RU-vid videos on wood working was - sharpening tools (most vids assume you have some basic knowledge which I didn’t) and cutting a straight line with a handsaw, mostly on the downward line. No one ever seems to cover that last one even in beginner woodworking tutorials, I ended up just learning through trial and error and wasting a lot of wood in the process.

I really like your videos! You give very clear, articulate instructions while, at the same time, taking the stress out of the projects by making it clear as to when a particular dimension or measurement does or doesn't require utmost accuracy. Also, by giving alternative methods and/or material options, you make the instructions very user- friendly. You seem to be equally comfortable at thinking in either analytical, or intuitive terms. Furthermore, your "quirky" sense of humor makes your videos even more enjoyable to watch. (My wife calls me " King of Corn", LOL ). Finally, thank you so much for showing and explaining how to do things on a realistic budget, so that everyone can benefit; not just the "rich guy" with the "decked out" "dream shop". So thanks again for everything you do, and keep up the good work!

Had one in my amazon cart. Watched this and had three in an hour. Thanks a bunch man, appreciate this.

What a beautiful design! Really elegant and simple!

man, the kebiki-esque wedge lock but it looks/acts like a button...and one handed lock/unlock. spectacular, thanks!

Loving this series. I need to get started on these projects. And Yes!! to the vise video

Bench Vice, bar clamps, "C" Clamps, All kinds of vices and clamps. :) Cheers from Canada !!

I brought the plans for this and susecfull made one. It works great and have plans to tune it up a bit and make a few more. Thank you so much Rex for the plans and video.

Your application of simple machines and knowing your materials keeps me coming back. You could do a video on materials, how to incorporate tolerances and mix materials in projects.

Vise is a good idea. A pipe clamp vice is a great cheap solution.

Nice design! Beauty in simplicity! Fully functional - I love how nothing is left behind in functions/functionality in approaching minimalism in the design, and still not without its sense of "high tech" features, such as in the whole lock pin mechanism - that's pretty-darned cool! :)

Thank you for this series Rex, I do get a lot of inspiration from your videos. I can see how things work, and make my own stuff out of it. Great explanation, very entertaining, and you know how to keep the attention. I think it would be amazing to have lessons from you in person. And to go forth with the series.... Well, tools are great, but actually having a project to make( i mean something not for woodworking) would also be nice. I would prefer a mixture of both.

What a great idea! The lock is and excellent idea.I would like to see a vise added to the bench. Thanks for sharing this.

Few hours before you post this video, i was looking how to make my own gauge! OMG

To be honest, there are a lot of videos on youtube about installing a conventional vice on a bench. I agree that the handscrew clamp solution isn't adequate, but I'd rather see a workholding solution more contemporary with the style of low bench. Maybe some peg stops to work with the planing stop. I really love the workholding from Ingenious Mechanicks so far

You made me disable addblock because I wanted to support you in the only way I could. Thank you for the great videos!

Love it Rex! But man! I LOVE my Jessem Wood Sabre marking gauge! It is completely awesome and totally frivolous! Keep it up Brother.

A vise would be great! I'd personally like to see some simple projects for Christmas gifts - old enough now to think about some things to leave my grandkids to remember me by. Maybe some simple but elegant boxes, or knives with hardwood scales, or whatever. That little stool you made earlier is definitely on my list to do. I'm really loving this series! And I thank you for doing it!

Thanks Rex! I'm Brazilian, I made my gauge today, the ideia of slice lock is amazing! In fact, I use your videos to improve my english too. Thanks for this.

Not sure if you will see this ever but I'm really enjoying your channel! Great information, clever ideas and i love that you make your tools. Thanks for sharing!

I have just found your site and I love it! The way you seem to talk with the viewers and not at them. Also so far it looks as if you have started at the beginning ,with nothing, and showing how anyone can start woodworking with nothing. Basically showing how to make your tools by hand. Many of my go to tools or finds I found in a junkyard or even on the side of the road. I bring them home and well make them functional again , if not almost new. My whole point is this site is a lot of what I need to get started building with wood. I build anything I need around the house and to improve my abilities. You also remind me of who my wife and I call “Ole Blood and Guts” Roy Underhill with the Woodwright’s Shop on PBS. He made every tool in his shop by hand. Even human powered tools like drill presses and laths. We called him Ole Blood and Guts because he always tries to finish his project during the 30 minute time slot and ends up cutting himself. He started me out with trying to make things with wood. One the first things I remember was making the jigs for wooden screws. Your bench vice, he would have use a wooden screw he made with wooden nut blocks on the ends before buying a stored bought bench vice metal screw. Anyway I know no ones likes to read these long winded posts so I’m done! Love Your posts and keep them up. I got your joiners bench design plans and looking at the low Roman trying to decide between the two which one fits me best. Thx John PS: You don’t have to start bleeding to keep me watching!

I must made 2 of these from some scrap wood in about an hour. Thank you for the simple design and thorough explination!

oh man that solid machine like click when it unlocked was very satisfying. these videos have all been super motivational.

Thank you! I'm so happy with now owning a marking gauge! :)

These woodworking for humans videos are amazing! Please keep up this series

Simplest but greatest design! That's a genius work!

Seriously it is the first time for me watching , but this was a great video . Keep up the good work

Great video, Rex.

I just made mine last night! The locking pin was a bit of a tough fit, you're right. I had to make a few before I got it. But the other parts were very simple and it works well! I'm so excited to finally have a proper gauge :) thank you for taking the time to show us how to do this! Some advice to anybody working on theirs: once you've got your fit dialed in, don't be too aggressive with your finish sanding on the beam and pin. It can change the way the parts interact. I learned that one the hard way...

Can’t get enough tools/implements and such. Love that you’re including metal work. Your sense of humor is awesome. The concept of doing stuff on the cheap. You really do a great job. I look forward to every video. Turning a Hungarian battle weapon? Who does that? Flipping awesome. Thanks very much.

Nice. I needed a marking gauge, and a quick search turned up this video. I made mine with a square beam, because of the materials I had on hand. Good afternoon project resulting in a tool I'll have for years to come. Kudos for a great video.

Shave horse would be a great addition. Loving this series, thank you Rex

Just made my first panel gauge, great fun. Thanks for the ideas. Marking gauge next I guess. Keep up the great work

Brilliant gauge design; I made a fair one after the english pattern before I found your channel, now I'm going to have to make one of yours, because, well, it's just superior.

Awesome marking gauge Rex. Also thanks for the knowledge Sir

What a fun little project! And now I have a nice marking guage without spending $40. Thank you!!

I just made this as my first woodwork piece, first time no mistakes thank God (still need to install a pin). Thank you! So glad to get into Joinery and see such a helpful community of carpenters/joiners. Took me 5 hours but time much better spent than gaming on phone

Another excellent video, Rex! Yes, a vise video would be welcomed! Especially, if you show us how to build one rather than buy and attach one! 😉 As to future project ideas... I’d like to see as much as possible on making and/or refinishing tools. I’d like to see ways of making more joints with “fewer” tools. I’d like to see ways/sources to reclaim lumber and get lumber from logs. (I currently salvage a lot of boards from pallets and am working on logs from a maple tree that blew down in my yard.) Keep up the great work, Rex!

THANK YOU SOOO, MUCH ! AND I WAS LOOKING INTO BUYING ONE ! WELL !!! NOT ANYMORE ! I LIKED THE WAY YOU MADE THIS VIDEO ! VERY NICE AND SIMPLE !!! THANK YOU VERY MUCH ! I ALSO LIKE THE WAY YOU USE TOOLS LIKE IN THE OLD DAYS !! THANKS A LOT REX KRUEGER !!!

I made one like this several years ago from an Instructables. Your design is better, adding the flat face to the bar. I love the 'stone knives and bear skins' approach to this series. It gets us back to our roots.

I made the marking guage, and it works great. Fun little project, and I immediately used the guage on a different and much larger project, and it worked great! Next I'm going to follow your video on making spokeshaves. I have some projects that I think spokeshaves would be perfect for.

Tools are allllways better when we get to make them I’d love to see what sort of vise you could come up with that we can all build Thank you for sharing 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

You are an amazingly good teacher!

Very simple and mandatory tool to have. Thx Bob

i really enjoyed that that little bench you made, some more basic furniture pieces!

Love this Rex, keep it up!

Yay! I like the video quality of this camera much better! Keep up the great work.

A vice is a good idea for the bench. Also a video on making a cheap Screw Clamp would be interesting and useful. Thanks.

Awesome! WOW! Even I can do this and yes I'd like to see you do a vise for the bench.

Well done Rex

Fantastic!!!!!!!!!! Thank you for a really well done project and video.

This is so inspiring I will make some. Thanks Rex

Super great 👍 I’ll do it soon ! Thanks 🙏 very appreciate your style 👏👏👏👏

Rex, your videos are AWESOME!! They are clear on where you are going to show, and how to do what needs to be done. I truly appreciate you no nonsense style, with that touch of personal experience for the viewer to understand why you do what you do and when you do it. Keep up the great work!

Okay, I made one. It works, and it works very well. You have to play around a bit with fit of the pin and the beam, but it's not difficult to get a tight snug fit that will lock and unlock easily. Gonna make a couple more...they will be very useful. Thanks for this great tip Rex, keep 'em coming ;)

I just want to throw this out there, I looked everywhere for this gauge and ended up making one myself, but the other day while shopping at harbor freights for clamps I stumbled upon one of these for 10 bucks, it was extremely nice looking so I got it to test it. For as cheap as it is and how harbor frieghts is hit or miss it was extremely well made, its got two markers on the bottom with one being adjustable for your mortisons, and one on the top for the regular gauge. Also I love your channel, you have literally been my guide for the last year for woodworking.

I’d love to see an easy to build vice. I’ve looked into some of the other vice videos people have and I struggle but your videos are always easy to follow! Definitely would love to see more tool stuff! Perhaps router plane? Or some type of chisel plane for cleaning squeeze out and things

This is a great project, thank you.

Very Cool! I love stuff like this.

Ideas for tools: home-made clamps (short, long, quick-release), plough/groove planes. Ideas for techniques: joints, finishes, how to keep things straight and true, boring stuff (like literally), scrap wood hunting, old tool hunting (what to watch out for) Ideas for projects: clever space saving storage in boxes, on walls or cabinets. Small gifts in multiple copies. Improving or transforming furniture, ...

Even though I think you can use some kind of vice for that bench, there are lots of channels doing vices. Hand made tools are great. When we see pictures of old master woodworker shops, they had dozens of special purpose tools for projects they liked to do. Great videos!

Very cool, bud! I think I'll make one even though I already have a couple. Definitely like the one hand lock on it!

on a budget with a new home, and found some old olive wood in the garden. I now have an olive wood marking gauge, thank you so much.

Yes please make a future video about adding a vise to the bench. I've seen a lot of make your own vise videos, but would love to see your unique take on it.

That's a sweet gauge. Might have to give that a try.

+1 for the vice video. Really enjoying this series.

I made it first and then bought the plans after! haha. Thank you for such a great introduction and video, it works great - I had the same impression as you about the commercial ones to fancy or to crap. I actually bought a machinist square for starters I have been using it until now, but you need 2 hands to make lines. anyway, those adjustable squares are awesome, and especially if its a Starett :)

Thanks for the video Mr Krueger

Foot vice on the low bench like used by wood carvers and pelt scrapers.

Great video! I would really like to see you do a video on drawknives. Different types, when to use them, sharpening, and especially technique. I like the way that you explain things. Thanks!

I’ve had a bit of a binge buying tools that need some restoration, 18” wooden plane to be my smoothing Jack, about 20 augers, a brace and bit, 3 sets of hollows and rounds, a Stanley Continental drill and then I have to beef up my workbench. But once I've done all that I'll make this gauge with a blade and peg for marking dovetails etc. All my other gauges have pins. A superb video and series Rex, thank you.

Top shelf!

Bench vise. Hold fast? MOAR TOOLS!

I would love to see a series on plane making. I know you have already done a couple of those, but more styles! Maybe do a video series on box making. What about fancy joinery? What about other tools you could make? What about tools you can buy and improve? Veneers? Other wooden weapons like your mace! Show us how to make nunchaku! What about little wooden toys for kids? What about big wooden bongs for bigger kids?

I think you sold me on the wedge-lock design. I still like the screw lock design because banging on things can get tedious sometimes, but it's pretty clever. One of the first tools I made was a marking gauge, before I even knew a marking gauge was an actual tool that people used. I assumed everyone just used tape measures. I would like to see more tools made, especially with unique twists on the design.

I love how much of hand tool adjustment is just hitting the dang thing.

How about a "mad-skillz" practice block to work on planing S4S and square cross cutting? Then use two blocks to learn and practice basic joints like box-joint or lap-joint on one end and dovetails on the other. Two 6-inch pieces of 2x4 and a target plan would provide cheap and low-stakes practice. You could repeat it 8 times on a ~$5 8ft 2x4.

Very cool & simple,Thanks

Vice would be nice! Love the series, its very good.

Just made a softwood version of this for lack of having any hardwood to hand. A fence block cut slightly thicker. Dowel from an old drying horse used for both lock and beam. All holes piloted then drilled out with a forstner bit - approaching the hole intersection from both sides. Works nicely. Cheers Rex old stick.

The new camera looks great!

*Brilliant...* and Simple...

Vise sounds good. Thanks, Rex

Love it.

I have seen other builds video for marking gages but I think this is the easiest looking. I am going to give it a try along with the other type I have seen.

Thank you for a great video

Best woodworking RU-vidr

Great tips man. And you are freat actor. I like your videos!

The consensus seems to be in favor of a vise, I concur. Great stuff as always!