Tompkins Gage't

[n7bsn]

So here's a question for owner of said gage. Is it actually useful or just another gaget?

Right now I use my hands and conventional calipers, until they can't reach, then I use various guess methods

TTFN
Ralph

 

[Mark Mandell]

Very useful. The moving element tells you exactly where any variations are located as you move rim to center. It also can take the place of a depth gauge on open bowl forms so that you leave yourself enough wood to remove the tenon without "fear of a funnel."

It's use for hollow forms is restricted by the size of the opening

Disclosure: Keith is a personal friend of mine

 

[Steve Worcester]

It also can take the place of a depth gauge on open bowl forms so that you leave yourself enough wood to remove the tenon without "fear of a funnel."

How do you do that part?

 

[Mark Mandell]

How do you do that part?

When you run the gauge down the side of the bowl, you can read the wall thickness right to the chuck. As you continue to cut the interior, you'll see the difference with each check. When you begin to get close (to about an inch or so thick) on the bottom, mark the No. 1 jaw on your tenon, remove the bowl from the chuck, and check the thickness through the center. The gauge will, I believe, read to the center of a 18" bowl. There's a good illustration on the Packard website at the link.

http://www.packardwoodworks.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=meas-wallthic

mm

 

[Keith T.]

Hey Ralph, I invented the "Gage'T" because I couldn't find anything available commmercially that was accurate enough for the type of work I do. I have several variations; the bowl gauge is the first one I've marketed. It is intended to be used to measure bowl forms; I did not want to compromise the design by attempting to create a tool that would attempt to measure all turnings, and in the process do nothing well. Mark Mandell is very aware of the progress of my gauge; he first tried the prototype at David Ellsworth's school several years ago. It is now distributed world-wide.

 

[Keith T.]

HI Steve, good to see you in Richmond. Actually, by accurately gauging the bowl's wall thickness as the shape progresses, it becomes very difficult to blow through the bottom of a piece....it would take a drastic change in direction to accomplish that. On the other hand, blowing through the bottom comes as a complete surprise when the turner discovers...there wasn't as much wall thickness as they imagined.

 

[Steve Worcester]

HI Steve, good to see you in Richmond. Actually, by accurately gauging the bowl's wall thickness as the shape progresses, it becomes very difficult to blow through the bottom of a piece....it would take a drastic change in direction to accomplish that. On the other hand, blowing through the bottom comes as a complete surprise when the turner discovers...there wasn't as much wall thickness as they imagined.

I understand the statement, and the usefulness (and quality) of the gauge, but having to take the bowl off of the Chuck to gauge the bottom thickness (in my opinion) is not a strength of any gauge. Maybe because I have never had good luck in repositioning a bowl or HF after removal. Even with marking the placement in the chuck.

 

[john lucas]

I only measure the bottom of the bowl when I'm working on the foot when reversing the bowl. I use Keiths method of making the sides an even thickness. If the inside matches the outside then you don't cut through the bottom of the bowl at this stage. It's when I'm reverse turning the foot that I have to be really careful. I don't have Keith's tool yet but I can see where it would be quite fast to use.

 

[Keith T.]

Hi Steve, What I am saying is: after using the gauge and gaining confidence in its accuracy, you will discover there is no need to remove the bowl from the chuck until it's time to finish turn the bottom. You KNOW there's sufficient material to reverse-turn the base. As a teaser, I do have a method of measuring the base of ANY turning without removing it from the chuck...bowl or hollow form, no matter which way the foot is oriented...with absolute precision.

 

[Donna Banfield]

Teaser...

O.K., Keith. I'll bite.

Are you telling us that you have another prototype that you've created for that measurement, and will be showing us that at the next big turning event?

 

[Keith T.]

HI Donna, I don't know when I may introduce it yet; I have other gauges I want to produce first....it costs a fortune to have the injection molds machined for each tool. I can tell you it works very well, however.

 

[Donna Banfield]

Teaser...

That's o.k., I can wait. I can be patient if necessary.

I first saw your Gage' T at the Yankee Symposium, and thought it was pretty cool. It will be on my Christmas list this year; I despise the marks that all the other depth and thickness measuring tools make.

I look forward to your new tools, whenever they come out!

 

[steelguy]

Most woodturners, at least once in their wodturning careers, have either turned or sanded through the side of a bowl. Or maybe they have heard that amazing screeching sound as they are about to go through the "drum head" that they have created at the bottom of a vessel. While I have used fingers (large hands help!) and calipers, the Gage't makes simple work of an important task. It is professionally designed and manufactured, is priced fairly and should be a welcome addition to any turner's workshop. I purchased one at the AAW Symposium, have used it while making two 12" bowls and am very pleased. I especially like the red ring which is at about 1/4" thickness, which effectively says - watch out!

 

[Rob Wallace]

You'll like this tool.....

I own one of the "original" beige 'prototype' versions of the Gage'T, and have enjoyed using it frequently for about a year, although I still rely on my left hand "finger calipers" while turning - old habits die hard...

One of the first things I did to my Gage'T when I got it last year was to try to color-in alternate bands on the measuring shaft with a black sharpie pen to get some contrast between the scribed lines, thereby making measurements easier. This still isn't a very good solution but it is slightly better than the original version without any color differences on the shaft. I was at the Symposium this year in Richmond, and had some nice conversations with Keith at Packard's booth. I played with the most recent version of the Gage'T, and my first impression is that the side to side flex of the new version is MUCH reduced over the older version I have, keeping the alignment between the brass measuring balls more consistent, thanks to the added ribbing in the fiberglass-filled polymer body. I like that feature a lot.

One thing that is another significant improvement is that different colors are now added between the scribed lines on the measuring shaft, making reading measurements MUCH easier than it is on mine. In fact, I would like to get a retrofit shaft for my Gage'T so I can benefit from the colored bands, enabling rapid thickness measurements without "counting" like I do now.

This tool is a useful addition to my measuring tools, and I recommend it to other woodurners, but it is one of several measuring tools I use regularly. I still would not be without my large Veritas turning calipers, especially for hollow-forms. Like many things in woodturning, there are different tools suited to different tasks, and the Gage'T is the result of a well-thought-out concept, that does what it is supposed to do.

Rob Wallace