Q:

In Steve Latta’s recent article on applying cock bead to a drawer (FWW #183, p. 44-49), one photo showed a slicing gauge, an interesting and useful tool. Where can I get one, or better, how can I make one?

Jack Barnes, Midlothian, VA

A:

My slicing gauge is shopmade from maple, with a brass wearplate and thumbscrew. This gauge works like a regular marking gauge, except that it uses the tip of a craft-knife blade as a cutter, allowing it to scribe a deep, clean line. Dimensions are typical (see drawing), so don’t be afraid to customize them. I buy the hardware from Rockler (www.rockler.com); you can pick up a sheet of 1/16-in.-thick brass at any good hobby shop.

Begin by roughing out the head block. As the drawing shows, drill a hole in the bottom for the thumbscrew. Cut the slot for the bar by drilling a pair of holes and cutting away the waste between them. Use a router or tablesaw to make the recess for the brass wearplate.

Fit a piece of brass in the recess and hold it with clear tape. Punch centers for the screws that hold the brass in place, then drill and countersink the holes. Attach the plate with epoxy, then drive the screws.

Cut the head block to the desired shape on a bandsaw with a 3/16-in. or 1/4-in. blade. Then sand or file the block to its final shape. The soft brass will cut and sand easily. Next, make the bar, using a 1/4-in. roundover bit in a router. Make it a hair thicker than the slot in the head block, and sand it until it fits snugly. A few strokes of sandpaper can make the difference between a good fit and a sloppy one.

Trace the shape of the bar’s end onto a small piece of brass. Punch centers for the screws to hold the brass in place, and drill the holes. Transfer the location of the holes to the bar and drill. Position a craft-knife blade on the end of the bar and cut a recess to hold it. Hold the blade in place by screwing on the brass, and sand the metal to conform to the shape of the bar.

Cut a small shim from Formica or Lexan that will just fit into the hole for the thumbscrew. It prevents the screw from gouging the bar. Drive a threaded insert into the head block, then fit in the shim and screw in the thumbscrew.

Drawings by Vince Babak.

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