Making the Paul Sellers' Marking Gauge Part II

Making the Gauge StemA sharp plough plane can tackle this groove making in twenty to thirty or so strokes. But you might not have such a tool. Here's a link to a short blog and a video on creating a groove without owing or relying on a plough plane or machine.The steps to making are not complicated. Instead of making the five sided configuration of the gauge stem, we begin with the square edge of the stem material. I recommend making two or four stems from a 21" (53.4cm) length of a hardwood like beech, 2 9/16" (65mm) by 1 3/16" (30mm). The stems will end up around 3/4" (19mm) by 3/4" (19mm) by the size you want. Most marking gauges are between 8" (203mm)and 10" (254mm) long. In my case, I have settled on 9 3/8" (238mm).Plane your stem wood to the finished parallel width of 1 3/16" (30mm). The edge you are about to plough the groove into should be dead square, as all of the subsequent layout tools will be registered to this edge and the faces either side.The brass I will be inserting…