Marking gauge. Missing the scriber so an early project for you. The pins are let down and act as a limit enabling it to be run along the edge of a table for marking parallel lines.

Hi Beeza   It is a surface gauge. There should be a knuckle clamp which would hold a dial indicator or a scriber. It is used to check flatness or height and with the scriber in place mark out lines parrallel to the base. It is used on a suface plate usualy or a machine bedway with a flat surface. The two pins are used to run along the edge of a piece or surface plate to check parallelism         I have one I made at collage and although I dont use it very much it is a usfull piece of equipment.

David

2 sizes always useful. Or set them to 2 different heights for repetitive work. Tilt screw for fine adjustment

He who dies with most tools wins

Michael Murray has a YouTube video giving a useful introduction as to what can be done with these devices in the modern era when paired with a dial gauge.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYJhXPHp4tU&t=216s

There are others but that was the first decent one I found.

Originally designed to be used with a holder to carry a deeply engraved ruler exactly perpendicular to a surface plate so these crier point could be set in the appropriate division to make a marking out line at exactly the right height.

This YouTube video is very brief but shows the use of scriber and rule

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk5ylDM5yEI

The Vee in the bottom lets the base sit squarely on a rod or shaft if needed.

Perhaps somewhat overlooked these days when magnetic bases for dial gauge holding and digital or vernier height gauges are readily available at affordable(ish) prices. I pretty much much don’t use mine but I have a decent amount of the flash gear.

Objectively not a device to be overlooked when tooling up on a tight budget.

Concerning the ball end at the top of the main rod it is said that this can also provide a safe parking spot for the point at the bent end of the scriber when stored.  Set the rod and scriber vertical and arrange things so the bent end point is tucked neatly into the groove formed by the junction between ball end and rod. Mine has been that way for “not telling you how many” years.

Clive

These are the other bits that go with them, can’t remember the last time I used mine.

Use the spare one to hold a dial gauge on the lathe bed, also make a little clamp with horizontal bar to act as lathe tool height setting gauge.
When you get a milling machine the two pins running along an edge feature can be used to set the vice square.
If you completely lose interest attach an old cut off spoon in place of the pointer, held horizontal, and use as a steam punk candle holder.

On 23 February 2025 at 18:28 beeza650 Said:

Thanks. So a few folk have said theirs is gathering dust. Think I will try and sell the bigger one. I’m getting a bit “down” actually that a lot might not get used by me.

Don’t jump to conclusions!  Much depends on what you do in the workshop, and what equipment you get.  That builds up over time – this is a hobby that develops in different ways.   Anything from simple basic machining to advanced tool-room technique.

I started out old-school by painting lumps of metal with Blue marking out fluid and scratching fine lines on it.   The method makes much use of the incomplete surface gauge you’re asking about.  Plus the calipers, set-squares and centre punches etc you also picked up.  The gauge can be used to transfer dimensions from a pattern to a job, as when replicating an existing part.

Having a mill fitted with a DRO pretty much eliminated blue marking out in my workshop, but the technique is still useful.   I own one too, and a digital height gauge – rarely used, but both keepers.  In the same vein, your collection has several tool-makers clamps.   They play well with marking out,  but are less valuable the way I do things.  Still occasionally useful though, so I’d be daft to get rid.

By finding a comprehensive collection, you’ve avoided the worst trap, which is buying the same tools new at enormous cost and then discovering many of them are rarely needed!  When the time comes, you will be pleased to have most of that stuff.

Dave

I was taught that the ball at the top of the surface gauge post was to assist in replacing the knuckle on the post after it has been removed for some reason. The fit between post and knuckle is very precise on surface gauges made by reputable makers and it is difficult to line up the knuckle so that it will slide onto the post if the post has a plain end. It’s much easier to fit the knuckle onto the ball, which is exactly the same diameter as the post, and then align and slide the monkey onto the post.