Essential Toolkit 4: Measuring, marking, malleting.

When we think of a woodwork toolkit, we tend to only consider things that will cut.

But a significant part of my toolkit, both in terms of size and importance, is a well-chosen selection of precision measuring and marking tools. Tools I can trust to deliver the accuracy I need.

Measuring and marking:
Pencil Gauge
An old wooden measuring gauge with a 7mm hole drilled in it, to hold a pencil. Often used to mark a line for drilling, screws, etc. Surprisingly, one of my most frequently used tools

Carpenter’s Pencil
Square, flat, used for simple marking

0.5mm Mechanical Pencil
Used for This can be even more accurate than a knife line if used properly, because you can see whether you have left the pencil line on, ‘split the line’ or so on.

Mortice Gauge
In my workshop I have several measuring gauges. It is great to have a few so you can keep them set up throughout a job. However, in my essential kit, I carry only one - a mortice gauge that serves all of my gauging needs.

Metal Straight Edge
I have a wonderful 600mm Starrett that says in the workshop toolchest and is treated like glass. It is great to have one straight edge upon which you can really rely. The one I carry is a bevelled edge metal straight edge, but to be honest, you could carefully make yourself a wooden one which would do the job. After all, that is what all the old makers used to do.

Winding sticks
You can use any two parallel sticks to check for twist (or wind - rhymes with find), but if you can make yourself a fancy set from some contrasting hardwoods, so much the better.

600mm ruler, 300mm ruler, 150mm ruler
You should look for rulers that ONLY have millimetres marks and no half-millimetres (half-millimetres are incredibly challenging to read). I can’t speak to Imperial measurement (US customary units) - I have no problem with feet and inches, but fractions of an inch? No… I’ll use the metric system and say thank-you to the French! (I love the French, btw).

5m Stanley Powerlock Tape Measure
I was always taught that tape measures were not to be trusted, but I find this one in particular to be very accurate, which is why I mention it by brand.

3” Engineer’s Square
3” is a great size for many furniture components, and really light-weight to hold and use. The larger squares can be quite unwieldy when used on a smaller piece.

100mm and 150mm Combination Squares
These two combination squares are endlessly useful for so many tasks. Longer ones are useful too - I have 300mm in the workshop toolkit.

Malleting
OK, I know…malleting is not a word. But it gives a nice alliteration in the title. Basically here are a couple of variations of hammers: the descendant of a rock on a stick. I have a few different sizes, but if I had to, I could reduce it down to just two:

Black Rubber Mallet
A relic from my childhood - used for driving wooden tent pegs into the ground when I was in the Scouts. I find a traditional beech joiners mallet to send too many uncomfortable vibrations through my wrist, and a white rubber mallet is too soft for hitting chisels. This is the perfect sweet spot of softness and hardness, for comfortable malleting (oh, perhaps it is a word?!). I have covered this one in leather so it doesn’t mark the wood and I can use it as an assembly mallet.

8oz Japanese hammer
A flat, square-sided head just seems to be infinitely more useful than the traditional western round-headed hammers. It is very well balanced and you can slide it horizontally along the work. I use this one a lot, whereas my round-headed hammers usually get ignored. An example where I would actually go straight to the Japanese tool and ignore the western version.

And…that’s it!

Final words
The tools in these four articles are just a starting point. But they’re a good starting point. I also have another useful bag that includes things like PPE (ear defenders, dust mask, goggles); ‘mechanical’ tools like screwdrivers, pliers and spanners; a cordless drill and an impact driver. But with regards to the hand-tools, if you follow this list, you’ll be well set up to tackle most furniture tasks.

Please let me know if this series has been useful, and if you would like to see further series such as this one.

Until next time,
Stay sharp friends,
~sh

Stephen Hickman
Studio Cabinetmaker