Lee Valley has come out with a new Veritas drill bit stop gauge, designed to make it easier to adjust depth stop collars and other such accessories.
They advertise that the new gauge should make setting drill bit stop collars a lot easier than can be done with a traditional ruler.
Using a rule to set a depth stop or countersink on a drill bit typically requires juggling all three items in one hand while tightening the hex key with the other. This gauge has a V-shaped cross section that centers and aligns the bit on the gauge, making it less awkward and frustrating to hold them together.
The Veritas gauge has a 110° angle and can accommodate drill bits up to 1″ in diameter. It has measurement scales in both inch and metric markings, with graduations in 1/16″ and mm increments.
The gauge is made from anodized aluminum with laser-etched markings and measures 3-1/4″ in length.
If you think it might be useful, this made-in-Canada gauge is priced under $7.
Price: $6.95
Buy Now(via Lee Valley)
P.S. Look at the collar in Lee Valley’s product photo. Side-clamping shaft collars like that typically work a lot better than those that bite into drill bits with a set screw.
Discussion
Does one need a uni-tasker like this? Perhaps not, but it does look useful and is very attractively priced. Setting drill bit depth stop collars isn’t a terribly complicated process, but I always end up playing a game of trial and error. The new Veritas gauge won’t be on my immediate shopping list, but I’ll keep track of how many times I say “I sure could have used that” over the next few months.
