[OP]
Contributor
You know, the ones that have a blade that's only a couple mm's high? They are intended to make it easier to slip between close-set tails to check for squareness across the grain. Sterling Toolworks and Chris Vesper both sell versions. (You can get Vesper's version at Highland WW now, BTW.)
Are they as useful as they appear to be?
Thanks!
Fred
Contributor
I cannot speak for the Sterling, but have used Chris Vesper's squares, including the small double square with dovetail attachments, for a number of years. Chris' work is about the best on the planet. You will pay a little more, but these are true lifetime tools of unequalled accuracy.
I need to add that Chris is a good friend of mine, but this just means that I get to play with all his wares. They are just superbly designed and made.
Regards from Perth
Derek
Contributor
I can usually eyeball it with my small try square along the top edge looking down into the void.
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
Member
Chris Vesper is not a friend (wish he were), except for that I agree with every thing Derek says about the small double square. I have a couple on my bench at all times, one with the narrow blade the other with the standard blade. They are one of the best and most used tools I own.Originally Posted by Derek Cohen
ken
Contributor
I have the Sterling one and like it. It's very good for beginners in making dovetails. Beginners sometimes have trouble sawing straight across. And if your tail is not cut straight across, when you go to put the two pieces together, you're going to have a problem.
I use it in my dovetails class to show students whether the tail is cut straight across. They can then pare the tail and check the side of the tail with that tool. When the space between the tails is small, there's not another way that I know of to check the squareness of the tail, except by eye.
Mike
[I might add that what I'm talking about is the blade that you put in a double square head (or small combination square head), as shown on this page.]
[Added note: I looked on Chris Vesper's web site and I can't find anyplace where he sells the blade only. It appears that he only sells that small blade as part of a package. If anyone knows that he sells just the blade, please post. Sterling sells just the blade for $25, which you can pair with a low cost PEC or iGauging double square head. The PEC double square blem is excellent and low cost.]
Last edited by Mike Henderson; 10-18-2015 at 2:49 PM.
Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.
Contributor
I don't necessary attribute checking your work to being a beginner. On thin dovetails I rarely check, but case sized dovetails, especially for heavy casework where all of the dovetails will show through I will definitely check my work.
It's also useful for small tenons, and full blind dovetails, amongst other things i'm surely forgetting.
I have a vesper sliding bevel....it is wonderful. I look forward to using it on projects.
Bumbling forward into the unknown.
Member
http://www.amazon.com/Depth-Gauge-Pe.../dp/B0049RAEME
I use the small depth gage shown on the link above as a square on dovetail pins.
Member
I have several-Woodjoy and a beaut made for me by Phillip Marcou. But I prefer to use a sliding bevel square to layout the slopes and always use a small engineer's square to layout squared lines. Since I'm a ham-fisted amateur and not being paid by the job, I use a tiny engineer's square to test squareness after the cuts at the bottom.
If the thunder don't get you, the lightning will.
[OP]
Contributor
Thanks guys! I'm glad they're useful. I think I'll order just thr blade from Sterling since it fits PEC/I-gaging.
Mike, I don't see just the blade on Vesper's site either. It's very tempting to buy the whole square - everyone says such great things about his work and I hate the way my I-gaging mechanism sticks. But . . . . .
Lowell, thanks for the tip on using the depth gauge. I think for $25 for the Sterling blade, I'll just go buy one. But yours is definitely a good option!
Marcou? Man, Tony that's slick. But I'd be afraid I'd scratch that thing. He does such beautiful work.
Member
You won't be sorry. I bought one from Sterling, at Handworks. It has really helped me get my dovetails to fit better and quicker. It was money well spent.
Contributor
I found that the PEC blem is smoother than the iGauging double square. If you can find a PEC blem - I think I paid about $16 for it - get one of them. Smoother than the iGauging.
You'll get a rule with it and you can use it as a general purpose rule when you put the Sterling thing in the head. They may offer a 6" rule on a blem - don't know. If they do, a 6" general purpose rule is a bit better than a 4".
Mike
Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.
Member
I've had the Lee Valley 4" double square for years. I like it, it stays out on my bench. At their current price, it is a bargain.
Member
lowell, I wonder if the Lee Valley square would fit the Sterling DT blade? That does seem like a good price for a Made In USA precision square.
Member
I didn't snap to the Sterling blade because I did not realize it was from Tools for Working wood.
It really is a slick design.
However, I've used the depth gauge I mentioned in an earlier post for so many years, I'm happy with what I have.
The depth gage will check the dove tails for being precise, both the bottom of the dove tail and the squareness if the of the dove tail.
This has me thinking though, I have a small miter gauge that could be ground to a narrow stepped shape that would allow checking the pins as well.
Contributor
I have the Lee Valley double square - bought quite a few years ago but I expect they still sell the same one. I'll check to see if the Sterling blade fits it, but I'm pretty sure it will.
I'm fairly sure that LV has that double square made for them. It's identical to the Mitutoyo double square.
Mike
[I checked and the Sterling blade fits the LV head.]
Last edited by Mike Henderson; 10-19-2015 at 8:17 PM.
Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.
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