Dial Gauge for Raker Measurements

On Functioning Antique Cross Cut saws.

After seeing other filers use a dial gauge for measuring the set on cutter teeth, I thought I might manage something similar to set up a dial gauge for measuring raker teeth set. I have often found that trying to check the raker measurement on used cross saws is not easy unless the set is very close to the setting I have on one or two raker gauges that are already set up.  With this dial gauge I can make a quick and accurate measurement.  This tool also gives me a second way to double check my work on setting the rakers. With the use of this dial gauge I have already found that the precision with which I can check the raker setting reveals a number of my own errors.  Using this tool I started checking saws I have recently set rakers on  and revealed errors of 5 thousandths, probably from my not holding the raker gauge tool carefully enough.  This dial gauge can also show if I have over-filed the cutters, which I think also has caused some of the error I am finding. In this photo the gauge is reading about 0.004 inches.  I set the gauge so that it would read 0.000 inches if the raker depth is 0.012 inches, therefore in this example I can easily see that the raker needs to be filed down another 0.004 inches.
I found an inexpensive ($20) dial gauge on Amazon.com that comes without any mounting equipment, and I made an adaptation to use it with an antique combo raker/jointer that was an extra in the toolbox. I have no experience with dial gauges.  What I found is that the tool I got has three features that help make it adaptable for my plan.   1. The dial number face is made to turn so that the gauge can be set to a zero point that will be adaptable to any configuration of starting point that happens to derive from my home made tool. 2. The standard dial foot contact point is like a ball point pen.  This end piece is removable so that I could replace it with a small screw to give a flat end point that works better on the sloping raker teeth than does the original ball point. 3. The dial gauge has a 1/4" mounting eye on the back which works very well with the simple attachment I made.
The adaptation I made does not change the raker/jointer in any way that would limit its future normal use or antique condition. The first step was to take the raker/jointer plate that normally serves as a raker filing guide and remove it. Next I fashioned a scrap iron strap from a heavy hinge into an angled brace that mounts with the small screw holes already in the raker/filer tool.  It took a couple of tries bending the iron piece in a vice to get the two angles I needed.  I mount the brace with only one screw on the base so that it can pivot and match where the center needs to be for lining up with the rakers on the saw. I use a machinist ruler set edgewise in the tool to set my zero point.  The raker runs lower than the zero so the gauge goes backward in measuring the raker.  Because of this, I set the gauge to read my desire set number at the zero point (for example 0.012 inch) and then when my raker is the proper desired depth the gauge reads 0.000 inch.  This makes visualizing the error easier for me.
This is the dial gauge that others have adapted to make measurements of the set on the crosscut cutter teeth.  This tool needs to be adapted to mimic the dimensions of the spider gauge by moving the support feet nearest the dial to a distance nearer the bottom support feet.  This tool is made for use on circle saws but with adapting as noted by other users, works well in conjunction with a normal spider gauge for crosscut saw sharpening work.	On my web page you can see the cutter measuring tool I made with the same dial gauge I use above.  One dial gauge for me can attach to two tools.