Shop Made Router/Scratch Gauge for Making Guitar Binding Ledges, Part 2

My early bridges...were made entirely by hand using the smoothing plane, the hand saw, chisels and a scratching gauge...

Jose Romanillos, Making a Spanish Guitar, 2013


Some one asked me if I could supply plans to make a scratching gauge, as much as I would like to, I don't have the time and I am trying to stay away from making this a "how-to" blog. There are many blogs/websites out there in the Internet hinterland that show you how to make a guitar, I don't want to compete them.

All I want to do is make guitars and sell them.

Here is a short photo essay of my scratch gauge, a person should be able to make a copy of one by looking at these photos.

And, you should look at Roy Underhill's books on how to make marking gauges, and click here to visit Adam Cherubini's marking gauge PDF.

And, and, you should read the books on guitar making that I have listed elsewhere in this blog, just go to the search book and enter in "the best books on guitar making".

To make my gauge you will also need a 1/4-20 tap to cut the threads for the brass screw which is available from Rockler.








By tapering the fence, starting a 3/32 of an inch from hole for the arm, you can compensate for the arching of the guitar back. See the last photo.




I made the shaft a "V" shape to compensate for the curves of the side.



Use a piece from an old card scraper to make the router tooth.




Leave the arm long to register against the guitar sides.

Experiment and have fun!

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