# Setup Gauge



## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

A couple of months ago WoodSmith Magazine #43 ran this article on making a setup gauge. I thought maybe I could make one. 

Here are the pictures, the only difference mine was from theirs is:
1. I used a dovetail slide, where as they used a straight dado/

2.My steel ruler was longer and I didn't want to cut it off so let it stick above the top. 

3. I adde another earth magnet, for 2 instead of the 1 they used.

the ruler is held on with earth Magnets so it can be slid down for a depth gauge or turned over for the back side is metric.

Herb


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## RickKr (Dec 30, 2018)

Nice work. Looks like a handy gauge.

Rick


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## old55 (Aug 11, 2013)

Nice one Herb.


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## woodworker47 (Dec 19, 2008)

Really nice Herb. Great work.

Frank


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

*OH - MY!!!!*
where is the end of the waiting line...


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

forgot to ask Herb..
does that come w/ hold down magnets for aluminum and phenolic table tops???


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## Nickp (Dec 4, 2012)

Really nice...!

...and it gets rid of the "thousands" mentality...


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

Nickp said:


> Really nice...!
> 
> ...and it gets rid of the "thousands" mentality...


nope - not today....
fertilizes/fuels it...


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## sreilly (May 22, 2018)

That's got to be one of the fanciest depth gauges I've seen yet. Will look great along side you home made planes. I saw one recently that had a cutout for the router bit, maybe the shaft, to measure the center of the cutter. So I guess if you you use 1/2" the cut would be a half-circle 1/4" to center on the cutter center? It makes sense in my head but take it out of there and on the table it may not hold water.....Either way that a very sweet gauge.


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## TenGees (Sep 12, 2012)

Very well done, Herb. For a long time I have been thinking of making something similar... the inverted U-shaped style where the center column moves.


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## Flipsaw (Mar 11, 2016)

Nicely Done Herb!!


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Sweet! I can't quite make out the edge detail on that brass strip...is it beveled, like a dovetail, or does it overlap the ruler?


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

DaninVan said:


> Sweet! I can't quite make out the edge detail on that brass strip...is it beveled, like a dovetail, or does it overlap the ruler?


Dan, it is just a sheared edge on the brass strips. A slight radius to square where the shear cuts down. The steel ruler just guides on the brass.


@sreilly Steve I suppose if I turned on the router and set the gauge it could cut a half radius to make a set up for the center of the bit, but would have to cut through the brass strip on the bottom. I think a person could set the slider to1/8" or 1/4" and lock it to do the same thing. or make a separate block with a 1/8"deep or 1/4" deep half rounds to set the shank of the bit to center. On both of my tables I have the tape measures on each side of the table set to 0" for the center of the bit,so when I set the fence on 0' it is @ center and I can work forward or back from there.

Thanks for all the compliments, I was just following the plan in the magazine.

Herb


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## Inor (Aug 15, 2019)

Very nice! Well done!


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Excellent job Herb. If you only used it to directly transfer a height to your saw or router table you wouldn't even have to incorporate the ruler. You could use setup bars for setting heights for dadoes and rabbets.


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

Cherryville Chuck said:


> Excellent job Herb. If you only used it to directly transfer a height to your saw or router table you wouldn't even have to incorporate the ruler. You could use setup bars for setting heights for dadoes and rabbets.


That is a good point, Chuck. The ruler would be handy for a depth gauge to check mortises.

Herb


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## Old_Tom (Jun 28, 2019)

Very nicely done Herb. Looks like a handy gauge. I'm just putting it on my "todo" list.


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