I sure appreciate the way you teach. You do not just relay information, but you explain - well. Additionally, you tell us about your preference without being dogmatic. I find that very valuable. Keep up the great work!
The hook end of a tape measure is made to slide the same amount as the thickness of the hook. That way you get both accurate inside and outside measurements. Yes, I’m cool 😎 Also, don’t allow the spring loaded tape to slam the hook into the body of the tape as it retracts. Over time that will affect the amount the hook slides, bend the hook so it won’t stay hooked or worse, break the hook off.
Well, sense you mentioned the main points, I guess I will just add here. You can use your index finger as a stop cushion at the end of the return so that you can still retract one handed, and the notch in the hook is for hanging a nail head; usually for radius measuring. There, I participated.😁
So glad that I discovered your channel. You are a terrific educator and have been provided inspiration for developing traditional woodworking skills. Thank you kind sir.
Thank you Josh, I love your antique wood working tools. I've looked at garage sales, flea markets but no luck. Im not giving up looking. One day I'll hit the jackpot.
Dear Joshua, as always a well prepared and delivered piece of edutainment. There’s a couple of things I need to highlight. 1) Re first named round body marking gauge. You mentioned that there are two screws for added security. I guess you could use it that way but it was designed to give the user micro adjustment. The way it works is like this. Open both thumbscrews. Get your cutting marker to approximately the correct position and tighten the distal thumbscrew - the one furthest from the head. Then, twist the knurled collar and move the marking head to the exact position you want and then tighten the proximal thumbscrew. Voila, easy positioning in a quick period of time.
Here's a tip for newbies : Buy an aluminum angle 2x2 or so. Cut them to length wanted. You can make them 12" - 18" - 24" - (unlimited) any length you want. The Angle keeps them straight. You can also use them in tandem as winding sticks. You did mention them - but they really work quite well. They can be used flat or on the angle up or down.
Your vintage tool collection is awesome. My grandfather would have these in his work shop, I haven't seen some off these for years....made me smile and reminisce of him and what a wonderful historical skill the carpenter is. Through watching this it also showed me how to really use the tool. Brilliant video 😊
A suggestion on the round head marking gauge that will not stay tight would be to remove the screw and drop a piece of solid lead shot just smaller than the screw into the hole and then replace the screw. Once the screw is tight the soft lead will compress and grip the shaft much tighter than just the screw alone.
I'd recommend the quangsheng twin stem marking guage. It's well engineered in brass and stainless steel, locks tightly and comes with the shaft clamp as standard. It's also substantially cheaper than similar gauges from better known competitors.
I realize that this video came out 2 years ago, but I'd recommend that you try the Rob Cosman mortising gauge. It is expensive, but I like that both marking wheels are on the same shafts and that a mortising chisel can be used to set the width between the wheels.
After watching some woodworkers from 'across the pond', I really see the ease in using metric for some measurements. The arithmetic seems so much easier.
Not everything is as it seems. I may just have more practice than most using US Customary for technical work though? So it is all easy for me. I wish I could explain the benefits to you but it took me a lifetime to discover it all myself. I'm a fairly smart cookie too. Or so I've been told by people with degrees to make their opinions qualified ones in the matter.
@@nathansackett6899 US Customary uses decimal units too. What comes after 10? You can have 11 millimeters, can't you? Or do you have to kick your shoes and socks off to count that high?
Paul Frederick Since you are such a smart cookie why don't you try and explain the benefits of the English system of measuring over the Metric System? And maybe you can explain to us why, despite that, the rest of the world uses the inferior Metric System.
Ir you make three wooden straightedges at once you can check them again each other. Only when all three are perfectly straight they will touch all the way in all combinations. (If you only have two they can have a matching curve.)
Thanks for the video. One measuring tool I use for rough measures is a 3 foot wooden ruler. The kind you find at the big box stores. If I am cutting something to a non-critical dimension (say I need a piece to be 24"' give or take a quarter inch) they come in handy and make me feel like a kid again.
Vor all working with metric measurements. Hultafors make the best messuring sticks that I saw. They meak them from sweedish glass birch. The hinges are made from sweedish steel. Great stuff.
The hook on the end of a tape measure is designed. To provide curf spacing for when you transfer, a pushed measurements to a board. Ex. when making a shelf. Note when used to pull for the gap and the cut you need to manual adjust for curf. (Curf is the list wood from the with of the saw teeth. )
On the subject of marking knives, I often use a wheel cutter which is often better when marking with the grain because it is not as prone to follow the grain which is sometimes a problem with a marking knife.
My dovetail marking gauge has the end screw sticking out (not recessed) I thought about replacing the screw with a countersunk screw but it’s probably a cheap gauge and definitely moves when pushed hard. Thanks for the great videos - so glad I found you!
I don't recommend the gauges with one pin one side and two on the other because of the number of times I have stuck my fingers with mine. You would think I might learn from experience but it doesn't seem to be happening.
I actually bought one of your American measuring tapes (in metric) the fastcap flatback one. I could get really thin sliding T rules etc but this works remarkably well as a thin tape with a good combination square across the tape to mark the board with. Also, it's a metal tape and doesn't have a floppy hook like the others. I really don't liker the cup in regular metal tape measures. For quicker work where I'd rather have a bit of standout I use the cheapest Stanley fatmax 1/2" wide tape. It is only 2m and enough for roughly measuring up a board but also, being a narrow tape the cup in the tape is not significant and doesn't need much leaning over to measure accurately, a ruler or square across it flattens it satisfactorily.
I love your videos man great great content love the website also I always check your website before I buy any type of hand tool or layout marking tools I just wish I lived closer I would so pay you on a second to teach me more wood working seriously without hesitation lol maybe someday I’ll make the drive even if it’s just for a weekend class keep it up I love it
Its loose for the thickness of the hook to measure if you set it against a board or if your hook it on a board and then there is a small hole in the tip to hook it on a nail if needed
Fantastic, Joshua! Thanks a lot for all the tips! 😃 I made a marking gauge that turned out pretty beautiful. And I made a cutting wheel from a washer. Works nicely, but the dowel I used is made out of too soft wood, so it doesn't hold the screw very well. But I'm thinking about replacing it with a aluminium or brass dowel. 😊 I don't know why, but I love making tools. Go figure. 😂 Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
The end of a tape measure moves to allow for the thickness of the metal tab when measuring inside and/or outside measurements. ALWAYS check the end before measuring. Its never fun to realize that your measurement are off by a 1/16th or more because your tip got bent.
I wasn’t able to find the link to the wheel gauge you mentioned. I’m guessing I’m 3 years too late to the video, and that the link may have been removed, but I’m not sure.
On tape measures - I have several (like most people) but my go to one lays out FLAT! There is no curve to it - that does mean it won't hold itself up, has to be slid along the wood to reach the end. But it is accurate, because it is flat.
Hello! I was wondering if you could name the wheel marking gauge that you payed around 35 dollars for, because the link to the item doesn't work. Regards V.
At 3:16, I have the marking gauge shown immediately to the left of the one you are holding. A couple of days ago, I used it to mark out tenons on the side and back panels of two bedside tables I am making for my daughter. I carefully set the gauge to 3/4" and started marking the six boards. About half way through the task, the marking gauge came out of adjustment and added about 1/8" to the size of the layout mark. This in spite of the fact that I had both knurled knobs tightened completely. Now I have to re-mark the tenons to the correct layout line, cut the tenons and then plane off the "bad" layout lines. How can I prevent this from happening again?
If you have been using a tape measure and don't know why the "tab" or hook moves; you're a rough carpenter and maybe should stay one ha,ha. The reason the tab or hook moves is to compensate for the tape measure being used for both inside as well as outside measuring / dimensions. The movement of the tab compensates its (tab) thickness when the tab is push against an inside corner of a workpiece -vs- hook over an edge and pulled. If you're not a fan of this moving hook / tab and work with small work pieces you could "burn" an inch. That is to say; you start your measuring at the 1" mark and not the tab / hook of the tape measure. Be sure to add that one inch to your measurement. Problem with tape measures; not accurate - the U shape (for strength) of the tape makes is impossible to keep accuracy when the "tick" mark on the tape is above the workpiece. Well used tape measures often wear the first foot or two of the tape away fast and can't be read. If the tape is allowed to slam back into the tape's body you can break off the first inch or two. When using a tape measure for long measurements often its best to have help from a friend of the tab flips off the end of a board. Tape measures are good for rough dimensions and are cheap. Still, I find myself carrying one most days. Like many tools ... they have a place in the tool box.
Was taught back in 1972 about the movement of the end by my dad and the carpenters school. Back then on work that had to be close we were taught to hold (burn) an inch, many tapes back then had problems at times with the first inch. I still do that, habit I guess.
Is there any downside to using a box cutter style racer blade for marking? I have a few harbor freight ones with the snap blades I got for free and they seem to work well for me. Am I missing out on anything?
Hi Joshua. Is there any rule of thumb when it comes to winding stick size vs the size of the work surface you are trying to see if it is in wind? Will a 12 inch set of winding sticks work just as well as a 3 foot set when checking a 2 foot wide surface for example? Thank you.
You want your winding sticks to be at least as wide as the surface you are checking, wider is preferred whenever possible because a wider pair will allow you to be more accurate.
Hi Larry. ....also, the wider the sticks are, the more they will amplify the discrepancy. IE: using a 2' winding stick on a 12" board will be easier to see the wind than a 12" winding stick on a 12" board (the wind is amplified the further/wider the sticks are). Hope this makes sense. Have a happy day!
Hi Jeremy - I have this $6.50 gauge. The thumb screw locks both the fence and slide at the same time so you can't simply rotate it. I made a separate slide and lock thumb screw - it simply drops over the part that you normally push with your finger (hope that makes sense ). Have a happy day!
Nice video (at least the beginning of it) - although the mouth noises (to get moisture back in your mouth after a sentence) make this video impossible to watch for those with even a mild case of misophonia (aversion to some noises....like me). Can't watch.
No. The metal hook on the end of the tape moves to allow you to make accurate measurements both internally and externally without having to make allowance for the thickness of the hook.
My cousin and I use to tag along with my grandpa on the farm learning repairs and building things. He would show us how to think about laying things out with certain measuring tools...... That was until my cousin and I went and seen the Star Wars movie and then later broke his folding yard sticks like we were having lightsaber duals. He rightfully got so mad at us for breaking his folding sticks that we didn’t get to go with him very much afterwards. Yeah, ungrateful little heathens that we were should have known better, but we couldn’t help it. Those folding yard sticks made awesome pretend lightsabers. You defeated your opponent if you got their lightsaber to either unhook out of straight or just broke it.
I dont even consider this click bait since the idea behind click bait is that the info is fluff just to make a buck. This video is very informative so well worth the click. Glad I did.
