Marking tools include a mitre box (1), a mitre square (2), a try square (3), a combination type (4), a sliding bevel (5) and a protractor (6)

Measuring things so you can cut and shape them to the size you want is one of the most basic do-it-yourself jobs, and one that isn't confined to woodwork.

For short measurements you can get by with a straight ruler, but a metre stick or a folding rule will be more useful for bench work.

However, most people prefer to use a retractable steel pocket rule, which can contain a tape measuring from 2m to 5m long. The handiest types have a spring-loaded return to draw the tape back into the holder, and also a tape lock so you can lock the tape out to take and check measurements. Some also allow you to take internal measurements such as inside drawers.

Most of your marking out will be lines at right angles to straight edges, and the tool to use for this is the try square. It can also be used to check squareness along the length of a piece of wood. The mitre square is a variation of this, and has its blade set at 45° to the stock so you can mark out mitre joints accurately. A combination square combines the fea­tures of both try and mitre squares, and its headstock can slide along the rule so that internal angles can be checked as. well as external ones. For angles other than 45° or 90°, you need a tool called a sliding bevel. This has a slotted steel blade attached to the stock with a wing nut, so it can be set to any angle with the aid of a protractor. The slot in the blade allows the blade length to be varied.

A mitre box is a cutting jig designed to allow you to make 45° cuts in wood and decorative mouldings up to about 50mm wide. The wood to be cut is held in the base of the box on a block of scrap wood and the saw is placed in opposite slots that keep it on line. The scrap wood ensures a clean cut and protects the box itself from damage. Some mitre boxes also contain a pair of slots for making the right-angled cuts.

Marking tools include the marking gauge (1), cutting gauge (2), mortise gauge (3), compasses (4), dividers (5) and beam compass (6)

The other operation for which marking tools are essential is making lines parallel to an existing edge. The marking gauge is the simplest type, and has a stem of wood with a pin set in one end and a stock which slides along the stem and can be locked in position at the required distance from the pin. The cut­ting gauge is similar, but has a small blade instead of a pin. The mortise gauge is used for marking out mortise and tenon joints, and has two pins. One is set on a slide so you can alter the distance between it and the fixed pin.

Common measuring tools include the metre rule (1), steel rule (2), tape measure (3), counter rule (4), surveyor's tape (5), straightedge (6) and folding rule (7).