Tool chest challenge - layout tools

[Alf]

Okay folks, we'll take a trial run at this and see if it'll work. Click on the thumbnail below to take you to pics of all my layout tools.



If something strikes you as missing please yell loudly! Then enjoy yourselves deciding what out of that lot you'd make room for.

Cheers, Alf

 

[Anonymous]

d'you do any turning? in which case, calipers would be useful.

(edit - that's calipers as in bow-legged dividers, rather than measuring ones...in case you hadn't sussed that already, which I'm sure you had)

 

[Anonymous]

Marking knife and protractor?

I also find a cheap aluminium 24" rule is pretty useful

 

[Chris Knight]

Marking knife and protractor?

Tony - click on the picture like the lady says! :lol:

 

[Anonymous]

d'you do any turning? in which case, calipers would be useful.

(edit - that's calipers as in bow-legged dividers, rather than measuring ones...in case you hadn't sussed that already, which I'm sure you had)

OK, I'm quoting meself here, but it brings us to another potential rule...

Some stuff would be specific to a single application, like these bow-legged dividers - you'd use them at a lathe, but probably not elsewhere. So, are we talking tools that you'd use predominantly at a work bench, and avoid things that would be better located near the tailed-beast machinery where you mainly use them?

 

[Anonymous]

Marking knife and protractor?

Tony - click on the picture like the lady says! :lol:

Ohhh. Ta Chris. Rushing and didn't see that

 

[Alf]

Turning is not an issue, so no centre finders and such needed either. All strictly benchwork. Also sharpening kit won't be included because I'm not planning on changing my sharpening habits, bad though they probably are. :wink:

So which out of that lot would you choose? Can't take 'em all, don't need 'em all.

Cheers, Alf

 

[Noel]

Alf, sorry to go off on a tandem...but where'd you get the bevel rule, something "...land Tool" on it?

Cheers

Noel

 

[Anonymous]

Oh, you want a choice? sheesh, ok, here comes:

squares: throw away the wooden stocked ones. Keep 3" and 6" engineers. Keep combination. Keep Jap mitre. Framing square is of limited use, I'd have thought - could probably make do with various geometry rules (3:4:5 for marking or measuring diagonals when glueing up). Dunno what a pinch rod is

angle measuring tools: I'd get rid of bevel boss, and probably the wooden bevel. Might consider replacing hardwood dovetail markers with brass ones

measuring tools: lose the 18" rule. Lose the vernier, keep the digital caliper. You're a metric gal, so lose the wooden folder. Consider replacing the alu folder with a 1m non-folder (more accurate)

gauges: Can never have enough of these. These days, I tend to prefer cutting gauge along the grain as well as across, over the normal marking gauges, so you could possible bin the marking, and replace with more cutting. This is a personal thing though, I think - I just find the cutting ones stay truer. Having said that, I have no wheel gauges, so mebbe just loads of those. OK, you got me, I have no real idea on this subject!

knives, pencils and such: Marking knife - you've got left, right and 'v' ones - the 'v' should be enough. Ditch the others. (ok, the 'v' isn't on the picture, but I know you've made your own - i've seen the pics). 1 carpenter's pencil (not sure on this, actually - i never use mine any more - always knife or propelling), 1 propelling one, pref 0.3 mm rather than 0.5 mm - Staedtler do good ones. Centre point good. 2 sizes of compasses? why? bigger size keep, smaller one ditch. Possilby same for dividers, though I can see the attraction of keeping 2 sizes there. Possibly replace the compasses with the type that has a screw-thread to control the span - more accurate. Craft knife always handy. Swiss army doesn't belong in tool chest. Marker pens - keep a couple, different colours.

levels etc: keep em all. Although look to replace wooden levels with metallic or plastic ones in the long term....i know they look 'orrid, but more accurate, less prone to movement due to humidity or temperature. And some modern ones can look quite nice too. (ducks galootish tantrum)
[edit; actually, ditch all the bubbles - they rely on the surface you're working on being level - these are best put somewhere they can be used when you're fixing stuff to walls, or whatever]

 

[Alf]

Alf, sorry to go off on a tandem...but where'd you get the bevel rule, something "...land Tool" on it?

Courtesy of Chris; my prize for being a smart-a*** about ways to cut a dado. Actually come in handy an amazing amount - thanks, Chris. Here's the site. Go off on a tandem, or even a tangent if the weather's not so good for cycling; finding out about things you didn't even know exist is half the point.

Esp, good stuff. I won't comment generally now except to say 1. Bad phrasing on my part - only one pair of compasses. 2. Nope, no double bevel marking knife here. Keep thinking about pulling the trigger on the Veritas, but it's just that bit too pricy. Oh, and there's a 1m alu rule in the workshop. Forgot about that. Wouldn't fit in the chest anyway.

Cheers, Alf

 

[Anonymous]

Nope, no double bevel marking knife here. Keep thinking about pulling the trigger on the Veritas

Hmm, ok, I'll believe you. I just have a very insistent memory of a Jester Toolworks 'v' style marking knife, with the blade made from a spare/bust/blunt beyond repair HSS planer/thicknesser blade. If I could be pineappled, I'd look for the thread - it's either here, or on the msn group.

 

[Alf]

I just have a very insistent memory of a Jester Toolworks 'v' style marking knife, with the blade made from a spare/bust/blunt beyond repair HSS planer/thicknesser blade. If I could be pineappled, I'd look for the thread - it's either here, or on the msn group.

Yep, that's the Left handed one to the right of the Sloyd. Never a V type though, 'cos it wouldn't have worked with the HSS area of the blade. Here we are.

Cheers, Alf

 

[Anonymous]

well, there ya go, can never trust insistent memories. I only have a RH knife, but as a genuine ambidextrous type, am often cursing the lack of a LH one - ditch RH and LH, and get a couple of Vs, I reckon

 

[Midnight]

ditch RH and LH, and get a couple of Vs, I reckon

and end up with the worst of both worlds..??

<tutt tuttin....

 

[Anonymous]

interesting comment Mike - I've never used a 'v', so don't know shortcomings - enlightenment please?

 

[Frank D.]

I have a V Japanese knife which I do use for marking shoulders of tenons and the like. The ability to work in any direction and have the flat surface against the straight edge is a big adavantage. I don't use it for dovetails though, because I have often ended up shaving the tails when laying out the pins. I made a single-edged type knife but that has a bevel on both sides and I like it better for dovetails:

Frank D.

 

[Anonymous]

bloomin eck Frank, that's even more interesting - so you're using a knife with a 'v' cutting edge (which is different to a 'v' style marking knife), a la any bog standard stanley knife, for your DT markouts? no problems with the offset of the sharp bit of the blade against the straight edge? I guess you'd end up with DT joints too tight if you did this, and a paring chisel would sort you out?

Heck, this is interesting, even if we are hijacking Alf's thread.

 

[Chris Knight]

Frank,
That is a nice knife - well done.

Ian Kirby ("The Complete Dovetail") recommends the use of a simple penknife with a double bevel and I have started using a small key-chain sized Swiss army knife following my reading of his approach and I must say I find it the best of the knives I have used for marking out.

 

[Noel]

Thanks Alf, back from me tandem ride...

Noel

 

[Midnight]

interesting comment Mike - I've never used a 'v', so don't know shortcomings - enlightenment please?

I canna remember if it was Kirby (tho given Chris's post.. I have my doubts) or DC who recommends a single bevel, necessitating having both left and right handed varients. The logiv being that you mark the line with the bevel facing into the waste. That way you're not crushing the shoulder of the face you want to keep; you can place a tool right on the line with confidence that you're not slightly over it...

The highlighted drawback of the double bevel was that it places the cut away from the intended mark by the width of the bevel.. the single bevel by definitin ending up exactly where ya want it..

<shrugs..>

I remember it making sense enough at the time to give it a try... yet to find fault in the logic...

Apologies for the lousy memory tho I remember the author had a liking for a Kiridashi..