Decent square

[Andrew Hughes]

One way to check a framing square at the Borg, is grab several or more and take them over to the sheet goods.Check them up to the mdf or plywood stacks.Soon you will find the bad ones and several that agree with each other.Thats how I found mine and it's not perfect but good enough for me.Aj

[Rich Greinert]

Here is one method.
http://www.popularwoodworking.com/tr...g-your-squares

[Bradley Gray]

All you need is a straight edged piece of wood or ply make a mark- reverse the square and check. Cymbal crash.

[Sean Troy]

I will certainly try the truing up method(s). Sounds like another fun project fixing a tool. Thanks all for the great information. Where else could one go and get so much usable information?

[Keith Westfall]

Hard to believe it took 18 post for someone to say: Lay it on a board and draw a line, and then flip it over and see if it lines up.

Let us know how you make out...

[Jack Jackson]

I second the Woodpeckers advice - the 1218 I think is probably the most popular size - http://www.woodpeck.com/1281.html

I've got a larger one but they're really nice to use and if they aren't square Woodpeckers will make it right (unless it's one that you can adjust yourself with screws)

[Sean Troy]

Hard to believe it took 18 post for someone to say: Lay it on a board and draw a line, and then flip it over and see if it lines up.

Let us know how you make out...

I did that last night after talking to my next door neighbor. Off a 1/16th over 18 inches to the outside it seems. I'm hoping for better.

[Al Launier]

Hard to believe it took 18 post for someone to say: Lay it on a board and draw a line, and then flip it over and see if it lines up.

Let us know how you make out...

Ditto! Keep it simple (KISS).

[Sean Troy]

I just went back out to the shop and actually wore my reading glasses this time. The square is 22x16. Doing the method of drawing a line and flipping it over, drawing another line with the start point the same, the long side is actually just under 3/16 off at 22" and the short side seems pretty darn close. That sure seems like a lot to off ?

[Al Launier]

I just went back out to the shop and actually wore my reading glasses this time. The square is 22x16. Doing the method of drawing a line and flipping it over, drawing another line with the start point the same, the long side is actually just under 3/16 off at 22" and the short side seems pretty darn close. That sure seems like a lot to off ?

Flipping the square doubles the error. If the "gap" at 22" is ~3/16", then the square is actually off only 3/32" at 22" as the error is doubled when checked this way. Back to your measurements, if it's off ~3/16" at 22", then it should be off a proportional amount at 16", i.e. ~9/64. So, the square is off ~3/32" @ 22 and, therefore ~ 1/16" @ 16".

[Matthew Hills]

I just went back out to the shop and actually wore my reading glasses this time. The square is 22x16. Doing the method of drawing a line and flipping it over, drawing another line with the start point the same, the long side is actually just under 3/16 off at 22" and the short side seems pretty darn close. That sure seems like a lot to off ?

Weird to have one leg be accurate and the other off, unless there is an angular error and the leg widths taper.

Are the inner edges of the square flat? (i.e., is it stable or does it rock when you reference it against your sheet good?)


Matt

[ken masoumi]

The most accurate and inexpensive square in my opinion is a drafting square,I bought one for under$20 from office depot and have used it for squaring up my table saw blade,or check other squares with it ,to my surprise 3 out 7 were out .

[Rod Sheridan]

I haven't even got to the Five Cut method which I will do. I'm just trying to square it up as close as I can before hand to temporarily lock it down to do the five cut method.

Then close is good enough, use whatever square you want, then use the 5 cut method.......Rod.

[Sean Troy]

I tried the truing method mentioned with very little movement towards square. I'm starting to think an 8.00 square just ain't worth it...

[Art Mann]

All you need is a straight edged piece of wood or ply make a mark- reverse the square and check. Cymbal crash.

To do that, you need to find a flat surface that truly has a straight edge. To determine that, you need a reference straight edge. It is not a good idea to assume a table edge or factory fresh sheet of plywood is all that straight. I bought a precision straight edge and started checking things with a feeler gauge some years ago and it is surprising what looks straight but isn't. It is also surprising to discover that table saw tops are typically not very flat.