# Cheap Tool Review 2: HF Mortising Gauge.



## amckenzie4 (Apr 29, 2010)

Note: This is a project I've been thinking about for a while. I find lots of reviews of high end tools, and not many of cheap tools. This came up recently in the thread I started on cheap ebony planes; there just aren't any reviews out there. Since I buy a fair number of cheap tools, I figured I'd write out my experiences for other people like me. I'm considering my review of the HF band saw to be CTR1. Unless someone tells me it's not allowed (my reading of the ToS is that it's probably fine) I'll be crossposting these to http://cheapsawdust.blogspot.com -- I had to create the account for something else, so I might as well use it! Now, on to the review!



I picked this up in the fall, and only just used it for the first time, though I'd checked it to make sure it was all there and not broken when I got it home. Here are my thoughts.

Cost: How can you beat it? Full price (as of this writing) is $10. I got it on sale and with a coupon -- I think I paid under $3.50. The other marking gauge I have is a Veritas Wheel gauge, and it cost $35. That's a heck of an increase.

Construction: While I'm not sure what kind of wood it is, it seems to be reasonably hard. The finish is thick, and should provide a fair amount of construction. While the beam isn't perfectly fitted through the fence, it IS reliably consistent, and it doesn't wiggle at all once the thumbscrew is tight. The brass castings are pretty nice -- if I ever decided to build my own gauge I'd probably salvage them -- and the pins are solidly attached.

Use: This one's harder to say. What I've discovered is that I don't LIKE pin-type gauges. I bought a Veritas Wheel Marking Gauge the same day, and I use it a lot. The HF mortise gauge... well, if you like pin gauges it seems like it would work well enough. It's solid, there's no slop, and you can drag it across the piece without worrying about the beam sliding around. The catch is that the pins aren't sharp, so they don't cut across the grain -- they try to follow it. I've never used an expensive pin gauge, so I don't know if they have the same tendency, but I can't imagine that they don't. For my use, I'll stick with wheel or blade type gauges.


As a note, I'm told some people have filed the points to be narrower and more blade-like. Now that I've learned that I don't like them as they are, I may give it a shot. And for $3.50, it's not a bad deal for those occasions where I really need to mark two parallel lines. I just won't use it most of the time.

Final recommendation: If you're really hard up for cash, or if you already know you like pin gauges, this is a nice deal. As with everything from HF, make sure all the pieces are there and it's built right, since their machining is variable, but it can work. If you're not that hard up for cash, or you're not sure how you feel about pin gauges, buy something better. This is a time when some extra money nets a lot of extra value. You can probably find the Veritas Wheel gauge for $30 if you wait for a sale, and it's a FAR nicer tool.


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## joesbucketorust (Dec 13, 2011)

I sharpen the pins to a small knife. Here's a link to an article with diagrams, pics, circles and arrows explaining all the gory details:
http://www.woodmagazine.com/woodworking-plans/homemade-tools/a-case-for-marking-gauges/

Thanks for the review. I usually avoid Horror Freight, but if I see them on sale and I'm up in Tucson I'll grab a few for the brass fittings.


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## amckenzie4 (Apr 29, 2010)

Thanks for the link! I'm not convinced the HF gauge can be filed that far -- the points are pretty small to begin with -- but I'll probably give it a try this week, if I can find the time. Worst case scenario I wind up ruining a $3.50 tool, or having to solder new pins on. (Actually, that might be easier anyway...)


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