Rockler Marking Gauge - Reviews say 'lapping'...

Hey Joe, where you going with that gun in your hand?
No don’t go down to shoot the guy who wrote that review!

Lapping is usually a process that is flatening, but I’m not sure exactly what they did or what this product actually is for, I tend to use my tape measures or a stick measure for such applications.

-- The mark of a good carpenter is not how few mistakes he makes, but rather how well he fixes them.

LOL…

I think you have seen the normal Squareish Marking Gauge...

You want to mark (cut) a line 1/2” around the edge of a workpiece…
Set the cutter point to 1/2” from the Fence…
Push/Pull the marker around the workpiece cutting a line 1/2” from the edge SIMPLY, FAST, and ACCURATE.

Here on the Rotary cutter, the cutter is at the end of the rod… The circular fence is adjusted to the 1/2” from the cutter, at the end. Then, you ROLL it around your workpiece cutting the line.

That’s it in a nutshell…

Thank you.

When you say “Flattening”, I can’t see what they would flatten!
... unless it would change the diameter of the rod ever so slightly… (??)

-- Have Fun! Joe Lyddon - Alta Loma, CA USA - Home: http://www.WoodworkStuff.net ... My Small Gallery: http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/showgallery.php?ppuser=1389&cat=500"

Might be talking about the edge of the guage, the part you set that is, or then the edge with the cutting edge on it perhaps, I dunno. Might be a misapplication of the word. I worked at a company where everything was a Rabbet… even if it was a Dado, a mortise…. got confusing and they got alot of blank stares followed by a “Did you mean…”

-- The mark of a good carpenter is not how few mistakes he makes, but rather how well he fixes them.

I have one of those and like it. I sharpened the wheel. The reviewer talks about lapping the bushing that the wheel sets on to reduce the play. That was/is not an issue for me. Mine may have play of .006 as mentioned in the review but that is less than 1/128th of an inch. I do not need to be that precise.

Overall, if you are just starting out; I think it would be a good buy. It is something you can tinker and practice with that does not cost much. I use mine often and have not seen a need to upgrade it.

@Robert Brown,

So, when they say “lapping” the bushing would be flattened? (that sounds like it would ruin the bushing)

Your review sounds good!

-- Have Fun! Joe Lyddon - Alta Loma, CA USA - Home: http://www.WoodworkStuff.net ... My Small Gallery: http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/showgallery.php?ppuser=1389&cat=500"

I would assume that they are stating that the cutting wheel needs to be lapped.

The wheel that does the marking is a small cutter about 5/16” I’m guessing. There is a screw in the middle that you can tighten it so it doesn’t turn or leave it loose so it will rotate.

I’m assuming that they want you to lightly lap or polish the flat sice if the wheel. The wheel is like a scissor edge. Flat on one side and tapered on the other. You would lightly lap the flat edge.

I don’t remember having any problem with mine. I’ve had it for about 5 years but haven’t used it much Maybe if I did more handcut dovetails I’d use it more.

-- I've been blessed with a father who liked to tinker in wood, and a wife who lets me tinker in wood. Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

Joe,

The bushing is part of the rod. The wheel rides between the big part of the rod and the screw on the smaller diameter part of the rod. Remove the screw from end of rod to remove the wheel. With very fine sandpaper, lightly sand the end where the screw was. Make sure you do this at 90 degree angle to rod. Constantly check to make sure you have enough play for the wheel to freely rotate. But in my opinion you will not have to do this. If you get it, play with it first and see if you need that kind of accuracy for the woodworking you do.

OK!

I think I’ve Got It… If I have a problem, I sure know where to go for help!

BTW, I just ordered it… I LOVE NO Shipping (100% this time… No Minimums!!)

Crazy thing is… I’ve been eying this for a long time, but just didn’t like the 3.5 Rating.

... and I just noticed something, I tend to forget, Hey… If don’t like it for any reason, I can return it (within 90 days)!
... that should have put my mind at ease, except having to pay the FRT to do it! LOL
( I would not pay FRT to return this item… duh…)

Thank y’all for the nice help…

-- Have Fun! Joe Lyddon - Alta Loma, CA USA - Home: http://www.WoodworkStuff.net ... My Small Gallery: http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/showgallery.php?ppuser=1389&cat=500"

I got a similar looking gage from Woodcraft last year. The roller on mine gets in a bind sometimes. You can tighten the screw holding the roller too tight by accident and the roller can’t roll; it just slides. I think I could dress the end of the rod or under the screw head a little to make it stop binding. Maybe that’s what they are talking about.

-- Michael :-{| Diapers and politicians both need to be changed often; and for the same reason.

I looked at that one too…

It looks horrible... based on Reviews... a lot worse than this one...

-- Have Fun! Joe Lyddon - Alta Loma, CA USA - Home: http://www.WoodworkStuff.net ... My Small Gallery: http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/showgallery.php?ppuser=1389&cat=500"

In the lawn mower business “Lapping” is a method of sharpening. After using the one that I purchased last year on sale at Rockler I can see where sharpening the wheel may help the performance. Otherwise I have just resorted to alternate means. Maybe I’ll give it a sharpening and see if I have better results.

-- Pops ~ In So Cal...

I find that to be a very strange critique. To lap it, you just need to pop the post out and rub the face on some semblance of a Scary Sharp. That’s the easy part; it’s the criticism that’s hard to understand. Do they mean the face is so irregular that it doesn’t maintain a constant distance from the cutter? That’s bad. Do they mean that the irregular surface is marring their endgrain? Seems unlikely. Do they mean it’s not shiny and pretty? Well.
.
I’ve got mortise/marking gauges of several varieties. This is my favorite design. If you don’t want to spring for a Drake, this is a very good buy IMO. I’ve go the ShopFox version that I like quite a bit. I replaced the thumbwheel but it never occurred to me to lap it, lol;)

Here’s the Drake…gorgeous at $239
http://glen-drake.com/

Here’s the shopfox…cheap as dirt at $10.70
http://www.amazon.com/Shop-Fox-D2822-Wheel-Marking/dp/B0000DD2Z8

$239/10.70 = 22.3

I don’t know what they expected, lol! It’s true that the shopfox wheel does not spin. That’s honestly never been an issue for me. I’d buy it again.

-- My dad and I built a 65 chev pick up.I killed trannys in that thing for some reason-Hog

Joe,
I bought that exact product a few months ago. I reviewed here on LJ and gave it 4 stars. Overall a good product, I think you’ll be pleased. Mine worked great out of the box, but after substantial use, it did start to dull. To sharpen/lap I:
removed the cutter wheel
placed it on a piece of 600g sandpaper bevel side UP.
Used the eraser end of a pencil to work the cutter around on the sandpaper.
Reinstalled.

All said it took about five minutes ans made a world of difference.

@Tedstor,

That sounds easy enough!

Come to think of it… I recall “lap” in connection to “sharpening”... but NOT to a marking gauge! (forgetting about the lil cutter). duh…

Yep… the Scary sharpening method is my favorite way to do it…

Didn’t even think of looking here for Reviews…

Thank you!

-- Have Fun! Joe Lyddon - Alta Loma, CA USA - Home: http://www.WoodworkStuff.net ... My Small Gallery: http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/showgallery.php?ppuser=1389&cat=500"

I received it yesterday!

Looks real good!

Yes, the Cutter appears to need sharpening… but not too bad…

I like it… 5 stars here!

-- Have Fun! Joe Lyddon - Alta Loma, CA USA - Home: http://www.WoodworkStuff.net ... My Small Gallery: http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/showgallery.php?ppuser=1389&cat=500"