Squares
- Thread starter Carquest
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Knight Woodworks
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The only framing square I know that's good to go is the Lee Valley Carpenters Stainless Steel Square. At $76.50 it's not cheep, but it is square. Otherwise buy whatever square meets your budget and make it square. I'm sure there are must be vids of folks making economy priced framing squares, square with a punch.
As for speed squares, I'm not a fan so, no suggestions.
John
As for speed squares, I'm not a fan so, no suggestions.
John
chrisrosenb
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Carquest said:
I do not know where you are located. The big box stores all have good squares. Menards, Lowes & Home Depot.
Amazon.com also has a large selection of good squares.
I have Swanson framing & speed squares & Menards Tool Shop brand squares. I have no complaints on any of them.
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I switched over to Starret framing squares. Woodcraft has them and I thought to be reasonable.
Peter
Peter
tjbnwi
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I've found these from Lee Valley to be excellent, very inexpensive and accurate to ±0.06°:
http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=32600&cat=1,42936,42941
Larry
http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=32600&cat=1,42936,42941
Larry
Cheese
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As much as I love Starrett, be careful with their framing square. It's very important to check it against a known standard. I went through 3 before I found one that was within their spec of +/- .015". Starrett was very good to work with, but it was still a PITA to go through the receive/verify/return process so many times.
waho6o9
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http://www.harryepstein.com/index.php/catalogsearch/result/?q=framing++square
If Square it'll set you back about 10.00 USD
If Square it'll set you back about 10.00 USD
Crankycarpenter58
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Chappell-greatand$
Lee Valley stainless great
Veritas precision and large precision squares (6"x3", 12"x6") are great.
The smaller one is great in pouch and for setting table saw blade back to 90.
Aluminumframing squares junk, easily dropped out of square.
Lee Valley stainless great
Veritas precision and large precision squares (6"x3", 12"x6") are great.
The smaller one is great in pouch and for setting table saw blade back to 90.
Aluminumframing squares junk, easily dropped out of square.
Michael Kellough
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I really like the old tapered-thickness rafter squares that you see in Sally Army stores, tip shops etc. for a dollar or two. So much better quality and heft than the rubbish, lightweight ones available now. To renovate and make legible again, a light sand with some wet & dry and a couple of spray coats of urethane lacquer makes them as good as new. Anything made from just about any manufacturer before the great depression is a class above in my opinion.
The only speed squares I buy are the very cheapest, east asian made aluminium ones that you see in disposals stores. That way, there's no need to shed a tear when it gets bent, trodden on, lost or stolen if it only costs a dollar. It should still be within a minute or two of orthogonality, and the effective equal of the hundred dollar poser's specials. Plus the expensive ones still persist with medieval scales rather than SI units.
I find it amusing that many people I know spend quite a bit on squares. Yes, a Mitotoyu, Moore & Wright or other certified square is going to be more accurate. One can spend hundreds on a well-made combination square, only to drop it or have a heavy rafter fall on it. Even more amusing is to see the uninitiated use an extremely crude marking tool such as a carpenter's pencil, texta pen or the like to mark a rather vague cutting line! This may be quite acceptable for bush carpentry, but realistically has absolutely no place in quality first or second fix building. It would be little short of criminal in cabinetmaking too. Nothing less than a fine, single bevelled hand honed marking knife is acceptable here.
Without a doubt however, my absolute favourite square would have to be Nobex's Octo squares, with the 200 & 300mm ones being most useful. A foot long square that fits in a pocket, with the blade folding out of harm's way (plus another 7 frequently used angles too), using positive sprung ball bearing detents to keep it at the required angle. My pet hate? That the lightly etched graduations don't last very long compared to a combi squares' stamped blade. Otherwise, pure Swedish brilliance & lateral thinking to solve an age-old problem: how to have a square big enough to be useful, accurate enough for precision (although not all of them actually are), and clever enough to be folded, protected and pocketable.
The only speed squares I buy are the very cheapest, east asian made aluminium ones that you see in disposals stores. That way, there's no need to shed a tear when it gets bent, trodden on, lost or stolen if it only costs a dollar. It should still be within a minute or two of orthogonality, and the effective equal of the hundred dollar poser's specials. Plus the expensive ones still persist with medieval scales rather than SI units.
I find it amusing that many people I know spend quite a bit on squares. Yes, a Mitotoyu, Moore & Wright or other certified square is going to be more accurate. One can spend hundreds on a well-made combination square, only to drop it or have a heavy rafter fall on it. Even more amusing is to see the uninitiated use an extremely crude marking tool such as a carpenter's pencil, texta pen or the like to mark a rather vague cutting line! This may be quite acceptable for bush carpentry, but realistically has absolutely no place in quality first or second fix building. It would be little short of criminal in cabinetmaking too. Nothing less than a fine, single bevelled hand honed marking knife is acceptable here.
Without a doubt however, my absolute favourite square would have to be Nobex's Octo squares, with the 200 & 300mm ones being most useful. A foot long square that fits in a pocket, with the blade folding out of harm's way (plus another 7 frequently used angles too), using positive sprung ball bearing detents to keep it at the required angle. My pet hate? That the lightly etched graduations don't last very long compared to a combi squares' stamped blade. Otherwise, pure Swedish brilliance & lateral thinking to solve an age-old problem: how to have a square big enough to be useful, accurate enough for precision (although not all of them actually are), and clever enough to be folded, protected and pocketable.
Michael Kellough
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"Otherwise, pure Swedish brilliance & lateral thinking to solve an age-old problem: how to have a square big enough to be useful, accurate enough for precision (although not all of them actually are), and clever enough to be folded, protected and pocketable."
Yes, the Nobex folding squares are brilliant when they're right on but they're rubbish when they're not since they can not be adjusted. The best value in a big square is an old framing square since they can be trued by the owner.
Framing squares are cut out by a big powerful shear that few people have access too.
It's a new day manufacturing-wise. Now complex parts can be cut with a high level of precision resulting in more versatile and economical tools like these.
The large square in the background is 12x18 inches.
You get 2 flat 12x18 pieces and the joining sections that can be useful by themselves for $100.
And they're not made of aluminum.
Yes, the Nobex folding squares are brilliant when they're right on but they're rubbish when they're not since they can not be adjusted. The best value in a big square is an old framing square since they can be trued by the owner.
Framing squares are cut out by a big powerful shear that few people have access too.
It's a new day manufacturing-wise. Now complex parts can be cut with a high level of precision resulting in more versatile and economical tools like these.
The large square in the background is 12x18 inches.
You get 2 flat 12x18 pieces and the joining sections that can be useful by themselves for $100.
And they're not made of aluminum.
Peter Belisle
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Depot carries Empire and some of their items are still made in the US. there's plenty of Youtube videos on how to check if a square is square.
if your budget can handle it Wood peckers are all nice, square and made in the US.
if your budget can handle it Wood peckers are all nice, square and made in the US.
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