JessEm Tool Setting Gauge: JessEm.com $60 (large imperial gauge)
THIS UNIQUE HEIGHT GAUGE beats others I’ve used, in a number of important ways. For one, it’s versatile. The blade is exactly 1⁄8 in. thick, with corresponding lines on the measuring scale 1⁄8 in. apart. This lets you use the top or bottom of the blade to line up a cut. And the blade is long and accurate, meaning you can use any part of it as a reference. Better yet, the gauge flips squarely onto its side, letting you use it to set the distance between a fence and a bit, for example.
The gauge is also very accurate, thanks to its heavyduty construction, wide base, excellent machining, and toothed measuring rack, which locks at 1⁄16-in. increments. While some height gauges measure in much smaller increments, I find that sixteenths are great for the vast majority of situations that call for a setup gauge like this one.
The JessEm Tool-Setting Gauge is made with stainless steel, in two sizes, with metric and imperial measurements available for each. Personally, I would choose the larger model. Priced at just $60, with a 5-in.- long base and 31⁄4 in. of vertical travel, I think it’s a steal. The smaller model is $40, with 2 in. of travel.
—Asa Christiana is FWW’s editor-at-large.
Photos: Asa Christiana
From Fine Woodworking #310.
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