wood scribe - but exactly what kind ?

[RedVise]

Returned from Vacation with a few goodies, and this may be an easy answer for someone but I am wondering what job this scribe was for ? Picked it out of an antique shop for less than $10.  Doesnt seem to be hand made but could be, if so Fred Klare stamped his name on it 3 times.... no other markings. Nice piece, seems to have been sitting for a while.

Thanks

Brian L.


Tip of the hat to all you Vets out there, Thank you !

[rusty]

Seems like it would make more sense if both wedges were on the same side?

[Bill Houghton]

Seems like it would make more sense if both wedges were on the same side?

Concur.  Also, if the pin/knife is on the end that's to the left in the first picture, it looks like the fence is on backwards - normally, the flat side should face the pin/knife.

I think it's probably a form of panel gauge - like a marking gauge, but larger, so it can mark out the width of panels for cutting/planing to width.  You would get both faces and one edge of your panel clean, flat, and straight, then use the panel gauge against the straight edge to mark the width and remove the waste.

It looks faintly Japanese to me.

But I could also be wrong, wrong, wrong.

[Branson]

The length of the bar sure seems to put it in the panel gauge category.  I'm looking at it and wondering why the fence isn't square to the bar...  It looks to me like the wedge got put on the wrong side of the bar at some point.  Those aren't, I don't think, two wedges.  Two wedges doesn't make much sense.   More likely, the one with the keepers is just to keep the edge of the rather thin bar from getting crushed. 

Try pulling out the wedge, then the bar, and swapping sides for the wedge.  Betcha it will square up.

I do think it is user made since all the panel gauges I've seen have thick bars,  I don't think it's Japanese.  While I have a thin bar marking/slitting gauge that is Japanese,  the ovalo details on the ends of the fence aren't the sort of things I expect of Asian tools.

[RedVise]

Try pulling out the wedge, then the bar, and swapping sides for the wedge.  Betcha it will square up.

Will give that a try this evening, Thanks.

Brian L.

[scottg]

Its interesting!
 Looks to me like a guy somewhere needed a panel gauge. Except he never saw a panel gauge or knew they existed, and invented this one.
 Wide thin bar and wide thin head, 2 wedges??
 Unusual to say the least.

Maybe a certain application he had to have vertical clearance?
     yours Scott

OH PS it is definitely assembled incorrectly
 

[RedVise]

Well, the wedge with the keepers has two different dimensions. One side is larger than the other, tried to show that in the pics. Also it does not want to come out and I am not inclined to tug too hard on it!
So... due to the uneven keeper, there is only one way to insert the actual wedge.
So... maybe it was built this way on purpose? I mean it will still scribe a line parallel to an edge, correct ? ( I see the wood guys shakin' their heads here!)  Remember, I said maybe !



So...  it's a nice wood scribe, that some one made to do a job. I am glad I rescued it ftom the antique store!

Brian L.

[Billman49]

No need to pull the keeper out - the wedge goes on the same side, but in the opposite sense - i.e. they make a pair of folding wedges, blade then sits square to the stock.....

[RedVise]

No need to pull the keeper out - the wedge goes on the same side, but in the opposite sense - i.e. they make a pair of folding wedges, blade then sits square to the stock.....

Well.... that sounds right !  It looks right also ! I will try it this evening, Thank You Sir !


Brian L.

[RedVise]

No need to pull the keeper out - the wedge goes on the same side, but in the opposite sense - i.e. they make a pair of folding wedges, blade then sits square to the stock.....

Man, as soon as I read that I scrolled up to the pics and could see you were correct.
Thanks, I like the piece for being handmade, but truely it is more pleasing to my eyes to have it square. Thanks again !

Brian L.

[Branson]

That's the way!  Good job!  It's a pretty gauge, too.

[Billman49]

Similar wedges were used to hold the fence in place on some wooden planes...

[Branson]

Similar wedges were used to hold the fence in place on some wooden planes...

Yes indeed.  Captured wedges.  I have a sash filister and a plow plane with those.