Gecko gauge... homemade

[WI/MI Border]

I am going to be siding a new garage this summer and while I wait for a May slab pour I have been running many tasks through my mind wonder how I will do this and that. So I was impressed with videos I have seen using a Gecko gauge on LP Smartside and Hardy siding. I'll be installing LP lap siding. My dad was fond of saying, "You have more time than money", so I always approach tasks with an inventive spirit. Well, not really inventive in this case. More improvisation.

So began to figure out if I could create a Gecko gauge at home with minimal costs. I'll try to document the build but I'm not sure it will be clearly described. Here goes...

The finished gauge. I'll be using 6" Smartside with a 4 7/8" reveal.


And a back side view.

 

[WI/MI Border]

Some scrap 3/8" lap siding mounted in the gauge. I think this old stuff was called Masonite or Colorlok. I use it on my drill press table to reduce drilling through my sacrificial inserts.

Business side of the assembly.


And a bsck side view. The "heel" that goes under the siding is just a Simpson mending plate that started out flat.

 

[whateg01]

I can't fault you for making a set, especially if you already had all the stuff. But the knockoff versions aren't that expensive.

 

[WI/MI Border]

Some details of how I made the base.

Base is 7 3/8" long. Width isn't critical, probably about 3" wide. You will notice the bandsaw blade kerfs from the lower cut out up to within about 1/2" of the end. This allows the center part to flex like a spring and allow clamping to the siding. The square ply is glued to the open end and the small rectangle is glued on top of that as well. The square is the clamp base and the rectangle just a filler.


A small piece of silicone pot holder is glued to the spring face to help hold the gauge on the siding. The simpson mending plate is shaped to fit over the square block and around the bottom of the gauge. I was going to glue it but decided to pop rivet it in place and add some small peices of silicone pot holder to keep from scratching the siding. Gluing would probably have been better.

 

[WI/MI Border]

I can't fault you for making a set, especially if you already had all the stuff. But the knockoff versions aren't that expensive.

Those look well made and $25 is a good price. I think I spent $1.25 at the dollar tree for the pot holders and 98 cents each for two simpson mending plates. I had everything else from other jigs (clamps) to scrap from the bin. And it was fun building them. I just like to tinker so...

 

[WI/MI Border]

This is just before riveting the mending plate in place. I think you can figure out the next steps. Attach the clamp, glue on a retaining block to hold the next piece of siding and nail baby nail!


I saw a neat adapter that does on a pneumatic coil siding nailer that helps consistently align the nail exactly where it should go on the lap siding. I might try to reinvent that wheel next out of scrape hardwood. After all, I have about 90 days of tinkering left before the building excitement starts.

 

[WI/MI Border]

Two gauges finished.

 

[fourjeepin]

I bought a set of gauges 13 years ago when enclosing my carport. They work great but I love the creativity and thrift to diy your own. Well done.

 

[mike93lx]

I like it! Does it clamp strongly enough to support themselves?

It feels like the bulk will make them awkward to use. Why so wide?

 

[WI/MI Border]

I like it! Does it clamp strongly enough to support themselves?

It feels like the bulk will make them awkward to use. Why so wide?

Well, it's not a proven design. I sure hope it works. The width isn't important, at least I don't think so. I think the wider the grip the more tension it will have. The clamp pressure is adjustable. It's not real high pressure for now. It held 12" wide x about three feet of 3/8" Colorlok/Masonite siding and I pulled hard to get it to release. It didn't budge. 6" LP Smartside at 16' long is a different animal but I am confident it will work. It'll be mid to late summer before proof of concept can be accomplished.

 

[mike93lx]

Well, it's not a proven design. I sure hope it works. The width isn't important, at least I don't think so. I think the wider the grip the more tension it will have. The clamp pressure is adjustable. It's not real high pressure for now. It held 12" wide x about three feet of 3/8" Colorlok/Masonite siding and I pulled hard to get it to release. It didn't budge. 6" LP Smartside at 16' long is a different animal but I am confident it will work. It'll be mid to late summer before proof of concept can be accomplished.

The gecko gauge are about 2" wide and clamp well enough to hold a 16 footer with a pair. I expect you could make yours a lot smaller without hurting grip. No need to have them gripping really hard and I could see that making it more difficult to install siding as you can't make adjustments easily

 

[WI/MI Border]

The gecko gauge are about 2" wide and clamp well enough to hold a 16 footer with a pair. I expect you could make yours a lot smaller without hurting grip. No need to have them gripping really hard and I could see that making it more difficult to install siding as you can't make adjustments easily

I just measured my gauges. They are 2 3/4" wide. Maybe the photos make them look much wider. I don't see a reason to trim them down. I don't have any experience with lap siding installation but I'm thinking they will be clamped on the siding 90% of the time. I'm not understanding why that extra 3/4" is going to get in the way? Again, no experience with them but it seems their use is pretty simple.

 

[mike93lx]

I just measured my gauges. They are 2 3/4" wide. Maybe the photos make them look much wider. I don't see a reason to trim them down. I don't have any experience with lap siding installation but I'm thinking they will be clamped on the siding 90% of the time. I'm not understanding why that extra 3/4" is going to get in the way? Again, no experience with them but it seems their use is pretty simple.

Ah, yeah, I would have guessed they were much wider, maybe 4 inches. I missed your post mentioning width

I just measure one of my geckos and they are actually 2.5", so you are a close match