Cutting Plywood square

[RonMiller]

Here is the Steve Jones table. I've kept this on a favorites list for a while but haven't the time to make one. Seems like it would really work well tho.

http://festoolownersgroup.com/festool-jigs-tool-enhancements/cutting-table-update/

 

[Birdhunter]

Thanks for the suggestion to call Woodpeckers. They had a few of the 26" framing squares left and I bought one.

I had previously left a request on their discontinued tools web site entry form with no response.

 

[Tinker]

Yes, I have one of those story sticks. Brilliant tool. Amazing for aligning drawers, shelf widths, even carcass sides under 48".

For the thirty plus years i was a brick/stone/block mason, i used a Lufkin brick spacing rule.  It was the same as the folding rules used for carpentry and sometimes in the shop.  The mason's ruler had multiple spacings so that no matter what sized brick was being used, the coursing could be laid out to come out perfect at the top of wall, or level with bottoms and tops of windows without making adjustments in the last two or three courses.  Those rulers were not always made as solid or with wood as thick as my carpenters folding rules so i always had several in my tool bag just in case of breakage.  I would not be without them.

For block work, i made out story poles to determine the exact thickness for bed joints for each course.  On many jobs, i set up corner story poles at every corner.  I would run my coursing strings from those well anchored corner poles.  with that method, i did not even require a level to do corners.  The corner poles and strings were my guides. 

I am surprised I have not resorted to story sticks for woodworking.  [doh] [doh] [doh]
Tinker

 

[ccarrolladams]

Thanks for the suggestion to call Woodpeckers. They had a few of the 26" framing squares left and I bought one.

I had previously left a request on their discontinued tools web site entry form with no response.

Hi Bird Hunter,

Apparently you were the Woodpecker customer who spoke to Mike J about the precision framing squares this morning shortly before I phoned him. Just to be safe, I ordered another of the 660mm metric version of the large square.

Mike J did say they were out of stock of the MDF Wall cases for the 660/26" squares.

He said that they do not respond to those who fill out the request forms, but once they decide to rum another batch of products, they will e-mail those who requested same. I am sure there will also be mass e-mailings and publicity as with all the other 'one-time' tools.

Mike J politely declined to discuss the 2013 'One-Time' tool selection. He could have a future in the CIA or on Matt Weiner's 'Mad Men' writing staff.

 

[Birdhunter]

The Woodpeckers' products are excellent and I've been very pleased with their customer support. Good people.

 

[Aaron Underdahl]

Z

 

[fshanno]

A note about the big Woodpeckers square.  The cap screws loosened on mine.  Had a devil of a time getting the two plates perfectly aligned with the solid square.  It depends on friction, there is no kind of lock in to position them.  So check them periodically.

 

[Tinker]

Carpenters framing squares without the blocks are inclined to occasionally go out of square from banging around on jobs.
Not always enough to be a serius problem for rough framing or form work, but where precision was needed, they could be a problem.
They could be straightened out by punching in the right place with a center punch or a nail set.  if the square was damaged to a oblique angle, a dimple ing the inside edge of the angle would spread the joint.  a dimple at the outer corner would close up the angle of it were obtuse.  It was not a big problem.
Tinker

 

[pghmyn]

Sometimes the simplest solution is the best. If you have a reliable framing square, just use that. I had a sheet of 4x8 plywood that was out of square by about 1/16" to 1/8" just like you. I trimmed up one side with my TS55, and then used a framing square to lay out my track for the remaining pieces. Worked like a charm.