DIY Basics: Essential Guide To Measuring And Marking Tools

This tool has a spring-operated percussion mechanism, so there is no need to hit it with a hammer.

Grasp the tool in one hand and push down firmly where you want to locate the mark.

This compresses and triggers the spring to punch a dimple in timber or metal surfaces.

It’s perfect for repetitive jobs like locating hole centres before drilling for adjustable shelf pins.

Similar to a marking gauge in style and function, this tool scribes double lines on the ends of timber for laying out mortises.

Simply lock the gauge’s fence at the exact measurement and set the mortise width, then hold the face of the fence against the edge of the timber and draw the pins across it to complete the setout.

At the heart of this tool is a series of transparent vials containing coloured liquid.

There is a bubble of air in each vial and a pair of lines to show when it is precisely centred.

A spirit level normally has at least two vials. One bubble is centred when the tool is exactly vertical, or plumb, and the other bubble shows when it is exactly horizontal, or level.

There is often a third vial set to show a 45º slant, or one that can be adjusted to a range of angles.

A torpedo level is short and robust, while a line level has a single lightweight vial with hooks that can be hung on a stringline.

A post level has perpendicular vials mounted on a right-angled bracket to show when a post is plumb in both directions.

Believed to have been first used in ancient Egypt, chalklines are simple and practical tools for marking straight lines easily over long distances or irregular surfaces.

The spool is loaded with bright chalk, coating a thin nylon cord.

The cord is stretched taut across the surface to be marked then snapped against it, transferring the chalk.

A hand crank is used to wind the line back into the spool.

A laser level projects a horizontal and often also a vertical beam of coherent light onto a wall, floor or ceiling, and usually incorporates a self-levelling feature that ensures the lines are exactly plumb and level.

Great for interior jobs such as tiling and showing stud positions on walls, a laser level really comes into its own for major construction or landscaping projects.

If an optional receiver is also used, the beam can be effective over distances up to 50m.

Laser levels are often sold with a tripod.

Some versions of this tool are designed to show the exact width and position of studs and other objects behind plasterboard, while others can identify the specific properties of what they are sensing.

Their readings are usually displayed on an LCD screen, and indicate whether there is metal or AC current at a given location in the wall, showing the position of plumbing or live electrical cables.

With a backlit screen that features a low-battery indicator, it’s unlikely you’ll have to use the analogue vials that are usually included on this tool.

Digital levels can show the angle at which they are tilted to 0.1º, and beep when they are exactly vertical, horizontal, or at 45º.

The screen flips automatically when the tool is upside down, and the magnetised edges allow hands-free use on metal surfaces.

Like a slightly simpler version of a mortise gauge, a marking gauge scribes a single line parallel to the edge of a timber workpiece.

This can be used to locate dowel holes or biscuit slots, or to show cutting depth for half-lap joints.

Step 1. Set the distance Slide the gauge’s stock to the required marking distance along the beam, which often features a graduated scale.

If the marking gauge does not have an integrated scale, set the distance using a steel rule, then tighten the locking nut.

Grasp the marking gauge with your fingers around the stock and hold the stock against the timber.

Cut the line into the timber fibres, working from both edges to meet in the middle.

The cut line may curve as the stock rolls off the board face if you work in one direction only.

Secure the workpiece in a vice or portable workbench. Hold the stock of the gauge against the face of the timber and pull the gauge along to scribe the line on the long grain. Make a few gentle passes rather than one heavy one, to avoid slipping and damaging the surface.