Siding installation gauge

A tool comprising:

• (a) a tool body having a rear board engagement surface;
• (b) an upper support member attached to and extending upward from the tool body and having one or more upper registration surfaces;
• (c) a clamp engaged with and movable, relative to the tool body, between a clamped arrangement and an unclamped arrangement, the clamp including (i) a coupling portion engaged with and extending rearward from the tool body, (ii) a clamping portion substantially rigidly attached to a rearward end of the coupling portion and extending upward therefrom spaced apart from the rear board engagement surface of the tool body, and (iii) a clamp lever substantially rigidly attached to the rearward end of the coupling portion and extending downward therefrom;
• (d) a clamp stop attached to the clamp lever or the tool body and positioned between the clamp lever and the tool body;
• and
• (e) an actuating mechanism (i) coupled to the tool body and the clamp and (ii) movable between an actuated arrangement and a non-actuated arrangement,
• wherein:
• (f) with the clamp in the clamped arrangement, the tool is characterized by a clamp spacing between the rear board engagement surface and the clamping portion of the clamp;
• (g) the one or more upper registration surfaces are structurally arranged so as to engage and support a lower edge of an upper siding board that is positioned on the one or more upper registration surfaces with a lower portion of a rear surface the upper siding board facing an upper portion of a front surface of a lower siding board received between the clamping portion of the clamp and the rear board engagement surface;
• (h) the tool body, the clamp, and the actuating mechanism are structurally arranged so that (i) movement of the actuating mechanism from the non-actuated arrangement to the actuated arrangement at least partly retracts the coupling portion into or through the tool body and thereby forces movement of the clamp toward the rear board engagement surface into the clamped arrangement, (ii) in the actuated arrangement, the actuating mechanism retains the clamp in the clamped arrangement, and (iii) in the non-actuated arrangement, the actuating mechanism permits movement of the clamp into the non-clamped arrangement;
• and
• (i) the clamp lever and the clamp stop are structurally arranged so that movement of the clamp into the clamped arrangement results in engagement of the clamp lever, clamp stop, and tool body with the clamp lever separated from the tool body by a clamp lever spacing.