Marking - Layout - Measuring Tools

[Steve Wargo]

An old stright chip carving knife. It's probably from arounf the 50's and Paul teases me about the fact that it looks terrible and doesn't cut worth a darn. The fact is the steel is so crappy that it just won't take an edge. My Grandfather gave it to me and it's one of the few tools he gave me that I have a use for. So I use it. It's about a 3 1/2" straight blade sharpened to a point on the end. It has a little flex, but works fine for marking all hand cut joinery.

[Doug Shepard]

One of my absolute favorites for marking/measuring is this little 3" Incra T-Rule. I've got longer ones too, but this is the one that gets used 95% of the time. Don't know of anyone else besides Hartville selling the 3" version, but at only $15, competition doesn't really seem to be an issue.

http://www.hartvilletool.com/product/10841

[Bob Hovde]

My point is that newbies tend to reach for a longer square when they would be much better served accuracy-wise by taking diagonals....either outside with a tape or inside with an extension rule or bar gage. Nothing to do with whole numbers at all.

This is the fastest, most accurate, way to check for squareness - when you're sure the opposite sides are the same length! I caught my builder laying out a perfect tetrahedron for my foundation footer. The diagonals were exactly the same, but one side was longer than its opposite.

Bob

[Mark Singer]

Checking diagnols will work well for anything that is rectangular and large. If you are checking a stretcher to leg for squareness...there is no other side...you must use a square. Also on small drawers a square is more accurate since the position of the rule is critical on a small object. For machine set up...a square will tell you if the bandsaw table and blade are at 90 degrees... Both methods are very good it depends on the application...in chair building there are typically no diagnols to pull since the legs are at angles...

This is the fastest, most accurate, way to check for squareness - when you're sure the opposite sides are the same length! I caught my builder laying out a perfect tetrahedron for my foundation footer. The diagonals were exactly the same, but one side was longer than its opposite.

Bob

[Davy Barr]

One of my favorite and most used marking tools in the shop is the Veritas large saddle square. Sure does come in handy.

[Joel Moskowitz]

I use the following 12" combination square (occasioanlly with an 18" blade) a 4" and 2 1/2" double square.
One of several cominbation gauges and a panel gauge (so I can keep settings saved)
a tape measure.

The squares are used almost always for square only. In general I hardly ever make an actual measurement. THe first piece is cut to what is needed and everything else is scribed to fit.
The tape is used to check diagnols.

[Ed Hardin]

I use the little 4" double square from veritas constantly. It is always in my pocket and use it for everything from marking lines to setting blade heights. I also keep the steel 6" 18" and 24" rules from LV really handy.

[Ryan Singer]

No, measuring has nothing to do with whole numbers.. Diagonals are a good way to check for squareness.

About WHOLE NUMBERS..that is my 2 cents on design ethics and not so much on construction. I think a good designer should be able to make something easy to build. whole numbers make it faster when adding, that's all..

you weren't muddy Bob

Guess I was muddy again. Sorry.

My point is that newbies tend to reach for a longer square when they would be much better served accuracy-wise by taking diagonals....either outside with a tape or inside with an extension rule or bar gage. Nothing to do with whole numbers at all.