Review on 🔍 Accurate Marking and Mortising with ROBERT LARSON 605-1250 Beechwood Gauge by Toki Louton

I've seen old gauges with clear amber thumbscrews so it didn't bother me too much but they actually came in cheap soft plastic. Screw complete with production stitching. Also, no attempt was made to soften the sharp edges of the wood, which would make it awkward to use. Despite this, it has the basic qualities of a good instrument. Although the beam is a bit short it fits snugly against the stop, both are perpendicular to each other, the brass guide holding the second pin fits perfectly - not too stiff, not loose - which allows you to adjust the width of the groove without any problems. The minimum width between pins is ¼ inch, which is sufficient for most jobs. And, as announced, made of European beech. So I decided it was worth playing around with. The original thumbscrew hole was too wide, so I drilled a new one on the opposite side at the stop to insert a ¼"-20 threaded brass insert (Lows for 75 cents). ). See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIhEqoKE8Dc for installing a slotted end. It comes with a ¾-inch brass thumbscrew (Home Depot online $1.54 a pair plus shipping). To cover the original hole, rather than make a futile attempt to pick up beech, I re-drilled the hole to 5/8" and sealed it with a contrasting ebony washer. After cleaning and sanding flush, I loosened all of the edges of the tool, sanded out small imperfections on flat surfaces, and applied a few coats of Deft Interior Clear Wood Finish Semi-Gloss Spray, 12.25 ounce aerosol. Very happy with the result. It was worth the effort, although for pennies Robert Larson could have gotten a quality instrument that anyone would have paid a few dollars more for.