Marking saw guide

1. An angle marking saw guide for marking a plank having a front side, comprising:

(a) a planar marking member including a protractor portion extending upwardly from a flat ruled straight edge portion having a straight edge, the protractor portion ending in an arcuate edge having a constant radius from a pivot point disposed at a central location of the straight edge portion, a plurality of graduated angle markings disposed adjacent to the arcuate edge, the protractor portion defining an arcuate slot that is concentric with the arcuate edge passing through the protractor portion, a first detent defined at a first end of the arcuate edge and a second detent defined at second end of the arcuate edge, the second end angularly opposite from the first end;

(b) a planar reference member including a substantially rectangular portion having a front edge and an opposite back edge and a substantially triangular portion extending laterally from the rectangular portion, the triangular portion including a first angled edge and a transverse second angled edge that meets the first angled edge at a vertex, the marking member pivotally affixed to the reference member with a fastener disposed adjacent to the vertex, the first angled edge having an angle relative to the front edge so that the triangular portion extends no further than the straight edge when the marking member is rotated fully in a first angular direction and the second angled edge having an angle relative to the back edge so that the triangular portion extends no further than the straight edge when the marking member is rotated fully in a second angular direction opposite from the first angular direction;

(c) a vertical wall portion depending downwardly from the front edge of the planar reference member and configured to engage the front side of the plank so as to maintain the reference member in a fixed angular relationship with the front side;

(d) a lip surface extending upwardly at an angle between 5° and 85° from the back edge of the reference member and configured to facilitate lifting of the reference member from the plank;

(e) a setting bolt extending upwardly from the reference member through the arcuate slot defined by the protractor portion;

(f) a setting nut engaged with the setting bolt and configured to apply force to the protractor portion so as to hold the marking member in a fixed angular relationship with the reference member when the setting nut is secured tightly against the protractor portion and configured to allow free angular movement of the protractor portion with respect to the reference member when the setting nut is not secured tightly against the protractor portion;

(g) a stopping structure extending upwardly from the reference member so as to limit rotational motion of the marking member in the first angular direction by engaging the first detent and in the second angular direction by engaging the second detent, the stopping structure ending in a pointing member that is configured to point at the graduated angle markings so that when the pointing member points at a selected one of the graduated angle markings, the straight edge has an angle relative to the vertical wall portion that corresponds to the selected one of the graduated angle markings; and

(h) a clip affixed to the reference member and configured facilitate the holding of the angle marking saw guide on a tool belt.

2. The angle marking saw guide of claim 1 , wherein the vertical wall portion defines a nail hole passing therethrough.

3. The angle marking saw guide of claim 2 , further comprising a nail driven through the nail hole into the plank so as to hold the marking member in a fixed relationship with the plank.

4. The angle marking saw guide of claim 1 , wherein the clip comprises a rectangular area that has been punched from the reference member on three sides and bent upwardly away from the reference member.

5. The angle marking saw guide of claim 1 , wherein the flat ruled straight edge portion includes markings adjacent to the straight edge that provide an indication of length along the straight edge.

6. The angle marking saw guide of claim 1 , wherein the marking member and the reference member are each made of a material selected from a group of materials consisting of: sheet aluminum, sheet steel, sheet plastic, and combinations thereof.

7. The angle marking saw guide of claim 1 , wherein the flat ruled straight edge portion defines a plurality of spaced apart holes passing therethrough and configured to receive a marking point therethrough to facilitate the marking of curved lines on the plank.

8. The angle marking saw guide of claim 1 , wherein the lip surface comprises an area in which the back edge of the reference member has been bent upwardly.

9. The angle marking saw guide of claim 1 , wherein the fastener comprises a rivet having a head that is flush with a bottom surface of the reference member.

10. The angle marking saw guide of claim 1 , wherein the setting bolt has a head that is flush with a bottom surface of the reference member.

11. A marking guide for marking a plank having a front side, comprising:

(a) a planar marking member including a protractor portion extending upwardly from a flat ruled straight edge portion having a straight edge, a plurality of spaced apart ruled markings adjacent the straight edge that provide an indication of length along the straight edge, the protractor portion ending in an arcuate edge having a constant radius from a pivot point disposed at a central location of the straight edge portion, a plurality of graduated angle markings disposed adjacent to the arcuate edge, the protractor portion defining an arcuate slot that is concentric with the arcuate edge passing through the protractor portion, a first detent defined at a first end of the arcuate edge and a second detent defined at second end of the arcuate edge, the second end angularly opposite from the first end;

(b) a planar reference member including a substantially rectangular portion having a front edge and an opposite back edge and a substantially triangular portion extending laterally from the rectangular portion, the triangular portion including a first angled edge and a transverse second angled edge that meets the first angled edge at a vertex, the marking member pivotally affixed to the reference member with a fastener disposed adjacent to the vertex, the first angled edge having an angle relative to the front edge so that the triangular portion extends no further than the straight edge when the marking member is rotated fully in a first angular direction and the second angled edge having an angle relative to the back edge so that the triangular portion extends no further than the straight edge when the marking member is rotated fully in a second angular direction opposite from the first angular direction;

(c) a vertical wall portion depending downwardly from the front edge of the planar reference member and configured to engage the front side of the plank so as to maintain the reference member in a fixed angular relationship with the front side, the vertical wall portion defining a nail hole passing therethrough;

(d) a lip surface bent upwardly from the back edge of the reference member and configured to facilitate lifting of the reference member from the plank;

(e) a setting bolt extending upwardly from the reference member through the arcuate slot defined by the protractor portion;

(f) a setting nut engaged with the setting bolt and configured to apply force to the protractor portion so as to hold the marking member in a fixed angular relationship with the reference member when the setting nut is secured tightly against the protractor portion and configured to allow free angular movement of the protractor portion with respect to the reference member when the setting nut is not secured tightly against the protractor portion;

(g) a stopping structure extending upwardly from the reference member so as to limit rotational motion of the marking member in the first angular direction by engaging the first detent and in the second angular direction by engaging the second detent, the stopping structure ending in a pointing member that is configured to point at the graduated angle markings so that when the pointing member points at a selected one of the graduated angle markings, the straight edge has an angle relative to the vertical wall portion that corresponds to the selected one of the graduated angle markings;

(h) a nail driven through the nail hole into the plank so as to hold the reference member in a fixed relationship with the plank; and

(i) a clip affixed to the reference member and configured facilitate the holding of the angle marking saw guide on a tool belt.

12. The marking guide of claim 11 , wherein the marking member and the reference member are each made of a material selected from a group of materials consisting of: sheet aluminum, sheet steel, sheet plastic, and combinations thereof.

13. The marking guide of claim 11 , wherein the flat ruled straight edge portion defines a plurality of spaced apart holes passing therethrough and configured to receive a marking point therethrough to facilitate the marking of curved lines on the plank.

14. The marking guide of claim 11 , wherein the fastener comprises a rivet having a head that is flush with a bottom surface of the reference member.

15. The marking guide of claim 11 , wherein the setting bolt has a head that is flush with a bottom surface of the reference member.