Gauges By Colen Clenton

These gauges have a host of really elegant engineering features that show how carefully the maker, Colen Clenton, considered their use and function.

The pins are all made of hardened, high-speed steel to ensure years of service. The fixed pin on the mortise gauge can be easily adjusted to match the moving pin precisely, without having to file either of the pins. The entire mechanism is in-line, so there are no issues with either wood movement or racking. The fence locking knob on all the gauges are made of polished brass, which not only looks cool, but also subtly prevents you from over-tightening the lock. A brass pad prevents the stem from getting damaged by the lock. The pencil clamp on the pencil gauge and the screw adjuster on the mortise gauge have a sintered finish. Sintering promotes a roughened surface that gives you a great grip, so you can precisely set the mortise gauge, or lock in the pencil quickly and positively. It’s specifically designed so that if you accidentally bounce your gauge on your work, you won’t get a dent that you might get with a regular knurling.

All the tools have stems approximately 8″ long and are purposely angled slightly so that when the stem positively locks in both dimensions. When unlocked, the arms drops free without the need to tap it. This makes it much easier to adjust the fence precisely. The fences all have inlaid brass bands for easy running and protection against wear. The fences are notched so that the pins or cutters can retract into the fence for protection, and also allow you to set the fence right up to the pin.

Five types of gauges are available (from the left): (1) a pencil gauge wherein a pencil is clamped at an angle, so that the side of the pencil will be parallel to the fence (shown in rose she-oak); (2) a marking gauge with a single adjustable high-speed steel pin (shown in rose she-oak); (3) a cutting gauge with a single adjustable high-speed steel cutter (shown in lace she-oak); (4) a screw-adjustable mortise gauge (shown in blackwood); and (5) a a screw-adjustable cutting mortise gauge (see insert) which is similar to the regular mortise gauge but with cutting knives instead of pins.

The tools are available in either rose she-oak or blackwood, both dense, stable, native Australian hardwoods. We might also have a limited quantity of lace she-oak tools available. If lace she-oak is available we will list it on the site. Made in Australia.

“Colen Clenton gauges … have serious glamour! They are wonderfully designed and engineered for several lifetimes of hard work…These gauges are beautifully fashioned and a pleasure to use” – Furniture & Cabinetmaking, November 2001

“This marking gauge is made to made to the same remarkable standard as Colen Clenton’s cutting, pencil and mortice gauge. The rose she oak has outstanding stability and wear resistance. The locking mechanism is extremely smooth, positive and cunning. On close inspection you see that the fine threaded locking screw twists the stem in its rectangular hole. Thus, when locked, there is no play in either direction and the stem is always held square to the stock. (The main design fault of traditional English marking gauges is that the stock inevitably wobbles or is too tight in one plane. I wish the manufacturers here would pay attention to this point).” – David Charlesworth, Furniture & Cabinetmaking, January 2003