Gauge Blocks for Planing Boards
Gauge blocks ensure that multiple boards are planed to the same thickness.
I’m a high-school technology teacher, and in my construction classes we often need to plane rough-sawn pine boards down to 3 ⁄ 4 in. Unfortunately, one student’s notion of 3 ⁄ 4 in. may not be the same as another’s. To stop an overzealous student from making the wood too thin and to help ensure that all our planed boards are a consistent thickness from day to day, we use shop-made gauge blocks.
We begin by setting the planer to 3 ⁄ 4 in. and measuring the distance from the infeed/outfeed table to the frame above it. We then cut blocks that each have two different thicknesses. The wider part of the block fits inside the cutting area and acts as a wedge that blocks the table from being raised any higher. The more narrow part of the block is fitted with a rare earth magnet to hold it in place. These blocks have virtually eliminated any differences in material thickness. The size and shape of the block will vary based on the model of your planer, but the concept is the same. Just make sure to double-check that the blocks are still producing the board thickness you want after you sharpen or replace the blades.
—Jamie Cuyler, Phoenix, N.Y.
Edited and illustrated by Charles Miller.
From Fine Homebuilding #319
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