How do you maintain a marking gauge?

1. You simply store in a carpenters belt.

2. keep the face of the measurement block and the slide clean and well lubricated. This will help it slide on the surface of the workpiece smoothly and makes adjustments easier, a little carnauba wax (or Butcher's Wax) is perfect for this, for both steel block and wooden block marking gauges. Be sure to wipe away the excess with a clean cotton rag. Also, keep the points well sharpened, this allows them to cut through the wood grain rather than tear at it. For mortise marking gauges, be careful you don't change the distances between the two points by over cutting the points when sharpening them, keep the points centered on the pins.

3. waxing the blocks and slides will help protect steel gauges from rusting.