Tite-Mark Mortise Blades

[Philly]

Hi Folks
I finally gave in and ordered a set of mortise blades for my Tite-mark marking gauge. Got them direct from Lie-Nielsen in the States. Many thanks to the folks at Customs for making the transaction an expensive one..... :twisted:
So-what do you get?

Three little envelopes, two holding the blades and one with an Allen key.
No instructions are included so I blunder on......

A quick twist of a screwdriver to remove the standard blade and then you can slide on the new ones. There are small grub screws which run in the milled slot of the rod.

You set the width of the mortise directly from your chisel-neat! Then you set the depth of the mortise away from the face edge using the built in fine adjust-easy!

And in use it is as simple as using the regular marking blade.
Simple and effective, I find the gauge easy to set up and use. If you own a Tite-mark this would be a useful add-on.
Cost $24 direct from Lie-Nielsen.

Philly

 

[Jez]

thanks alot for the review philly

i just recently bought a tite-mark and was thinking of getting some of the mortice blades, can you only get them direct from LN USA ? :shock:

cheers,
Jez

 

[Paul Chapman]

Looks really good, Philly. As you say, simple and effective :wink:

Paul

 

[Alf]

Jez, Classic Handtools has them (and I'm going to start asking Mike for commission with all the plugs I'm giving him recently...)

Okay, it's Sunday morning and I'm probably going to be going "D'oh, what a dumbo" later after asking this, but it looks to me like the mortise blades are set up so the bevel of the blade is in the bit you're keeping, not the waste. Is that right? In which case how small a mortise can you mark if they're set up the other way? i.e. How wide are the collars?

Cheers, Alf

P.S. How else do you set up a mortise gauge except directly off the chisel...? :lol:

 

[Philly]

Alf
He must of added those very recently-I've been waiting for ages for them to appear. :roll:
You can slide the blades on either way (bevel in or bevel out) but if you want to set the mortise close to the edge of the gauge they need to be fitted as in the picture-I'll check to see how close you can go.
As to setting against the chisel-it certainly is easier with the blades than trying to hold the chisel against the TIPS of pins and trying to tighten the screw up with the other hand. Only my opinion, but I prefered it :wink:
Cheers
Philly

 

[Sean the amateur]

Philly,

I have the instructions, but I don't know how to post them.

Sean

 

[MikeW]

Alf
As to setting against the chisel-it certainly is easier with the blades than trying to hold the chisel against the TIPS of pins and trying to tighten the screw up with the other hand. Only my opinion, but I prefered it :wink:
Cheers
Philly

Just as a note, whether using pins or wheels, place the chisel in the vise, cutting edge of the chisel just a little above the vise and set then a gauge...

but it looks to me like the mortise blades are set up so the bevel of the blade is in the bit you're keeping, not the waste. Is that right?

Unless one is doing a substantial mortise, the blades should be turned as Philly has them. The blades are so thin that I've never had an issue of creating too large a mortise.

Take care, Mike

 

[Alf]

Unless one is doing a substantial mortise, the blades should be turned as Philly has them. The blades are so thin that I've never had an issue of creating too large a mortise.

Okay, more questions now, dammit... I'm not really being awkward about it (well I am, but not deliberately), just want to know the facts, ma'am. Why is it different for a substantial mortise? Does DC, who convinced them a cutter with the bevel out was a necessary accessory, really not worry about this? :wink: Lastly, I notice the fixed-width ones are bevel in...

Cheers, Alf

 

[MikeW]

Unless one is doing a substantial mortise, the blades should be turned as Philly has them. The blades are so thin that I've never had an issue of creating too large a mortise.

Okay, more questions now, dammit... I'm not really being awkward about it (well I am, but not deliberately), just want to know the facts, ma'am. Why is it different for a substantial mortise? Does DC, who convinced them a cutter with the bevel out was a necessary accessory, really not worry about this? :wink: Lastly, I notice the fixed-width ones are bevel in...

Cheers, Alf

Well, that was a casualty of haste.

The issue is that without them turned bevel out they cannot get close enough for smaller/mid-sized mortises. I haven't really measured how close they can get bevel out, but it isn't close enough for most of mine.

So if the mortise has sufficient width, bevel to waste-side works fine. Clear as mud?

fwiw, there is a large wheel one can attach to the end and use a single mortise sliding doo-hickey and have the bevel towards the waste.

Though I do use my TiteMark, I use my old Disston mortise pin gauge far more. For single line marking, I have used an old Stanley most--until someone was kind enough to make and send me a replica of the one in the Seaton chest. Out of Beech of course. Best single pin gauge I have. Meep meep.

Take care, Mike

 

[Alf]

The issue is that without them turned bevel out they cannot get close enough for smaller/mid-sized mortises. I haven't really measured how close they can get bevel out, but it isn't close enough for most of mine.

So if the mortise has sufficient width, bevel to waste-side works fine. Clear as mud?

Clear as a bell, Mike. Back, in fact, to my earlier query of how wide the collars are I think. Sounds like the answer is "too wide". #-o

someone was kind enough to make and send me a replica of the one in the Seaton chest. Out of Beech of course. Best single pin gauge I have. Meep meep.

Kewl. Pic? Maybe in another thread before Phil has fifteen different kinds of fit at seeing his review dragged off into a general marking gauge frenzy... :lol:

Cheers, Alf

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks Philly, not seen those before

I don't think the bevel out or in will make much difference as when cutting the mortice, one will have some degree of damage on the sides and so the accuracy of the width will never be down to 0.001". Also, it is a mortice and the tenon will likely be trimmed to fit and once fitted, its shoulder will cover any evidence of the bevel still left after cutting

 

[MikeW]

12:36 am here as I begin--pics will have to wait until tomorrow or...

But I did trudge out to the shop, unlock and turn on all the lights :roll:

3/8" when the collars are towards each other. Using the large wheel on the end and a single mortise blade with the bevel to the waste, it can go to 1/4".

As I mostly make smaller display cabinets and or Krenovian cabinets with less than 3/4" stock, 3/8" is too wide. So I use the single wheel on the end and a single mortise blade.

Off to sleep...take care, Mike

 

[Alf]

Tsk, now I've kept Mike from his well-earned rest. Sweet Dreams, Mr W.

Now reading back over this it seems like I actually care which way the bevel goes, but funnily enough I don't. I suppose I'm just surprised, given the perfectionism desired by many a devotee of L-N/Glen Drake, that they're that way round, s'all.

And after all that I never said - thanks for the review, Philly. #-o I'll add it onto Ze Master List on the Hand Tools Board asap.

Cheers, Alf