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Thread: Precision square - a bit of buyers remorse.

  1. #1

    Precision square - a bit of buyers remorse.

    Do you ever find what you were looking for after you settled for something else?

    A couple of years ago I needed a precision straight edge and triangle to setup a Felder combination machine. I wanted a triangle more than a framing square for a couple of reasons: 1) It's much more likely that a triangle will stay square if it gets bumped or dropped and 2) Triangles have a built in 45 degree reference which I would use.

    Unfortunately, I couldn't find a large triangle. I ended up getting Woodpeckers one-time-tool 16" x 26" framing square. The framing square isn't bad; it's just not as useful as a triangle.

    This is the triangle I really wanted. I didn't find it on my original search.

    The dilemma: should I sell my square and get the triangle?
    Sorry my message is so long, I didn't have time to write a short one.

  2. #2
    Marty,

    I have Brian's triangle. It is explicitly designed to set up sliders. So if this is your primary use case, I'd say go buy the triangle and don't look back.

    I also own a smaller version of the Woodpecker's square. It does come in handy in many situations as well. 16x26 might be a bit too large for those though.

  3. #3
    Join Date
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    I've been looking for a large square, and I think the Woodpeckers is the one I tried to get but it wasn't available. Thanks
    Last edited by Chris Padilla; 01-27-2016 at 4:44 PM.

  4. #4
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    I have the Lamb triangle and I really like it for dialing in my slider. I constantly swap out tools when I find something I believe will be better suited to my task...I sell what I don't need/want and buy the better one. Rarely do I regret the dollars lost when I do that, but,...everyone is different.

  5. #5
    Join Date
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    Buyers' remorse after buying a tool? What's that?

    Buy the triangle. Keep the square. Because 3 days AFTER you sell the square, you'll need it.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kyle Iwamoto View Post
    Buyers' remorse after buying a tool? What's that?

    Buy the triangle. Keep the square. Because 3 days AFTER you sell the square, you'll need it.
    Sell at tool? How do you do that unless you have two of something?

    I can't believe he doesn't need it at least once every 3 days. One of my most used tools.

  7. #7
    Join Date
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kyle Iwamoto View Post
    Buyers' remorse after buying a tool? What's that?

    Buy the triangle. Keep the square. Because 3 days AFTER you sell the square, you'll need it.
    This one right smack here. Having high quality (i.e. $$$$!!) setup tools is money well spent. You want that piece of woodworking equipment dialed in to the 9s as best you can and you'll smile every time you work with it. Well worth it.
    Wood: a fickle medium....

    Did you know SMC is user supported? Please help.

  8. #8
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    Dunno about the square, but a high-quality drafting triangle (ALVIN, STAEDTLER-MARS) is about all I ever use for setup. You can get them as big as 24" I believe.
    Jon Endres
    Killing Trees Since 1983

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jon Endres View Post
    Dunno about the square, but a high-quality drafting triangle (ALVIN, STAEDTLER-MARS) is about all I ever use for setup. You can get them as big as 24" I believe.
    I agree with Jon. As a matter of fact I have large triangles.

    http://www.engineersupply.com/Alvin-...-30-60-90.aspx

  10. #10
    I say ditch the squares for setting up a slider. Using the five cut method with large sheets of plywood will allow for much tighter tolerances to be achieved. Especially, since you have no real reference surface to square to on a slider.

    But still keep your old square and buy the new. You can never have too many ways to measure or square.

  11. #11
    Join Date
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    That big Woodpecker square is an excellent tool for use with a track saw guide rail. I use mine all the time and would be frustrated without it.
    I'm inclined to agree with this suggestion - "Buy the triangle. Keep the square. Because 3 days AFTER you sell the square, you'll need it."
    Good advice
    "... for when we become in heart completely poor, we at once are the treasurers & disbursers of enormous riches."
    WQJudge

  12. #12
    I use drafting triangles too. Inexpensive and accurate. But recently I bought one of these:

    http://www.amazon.com/Tools-Rafter-S...520QVPZNT8Q0WK

    It's just a 12 inch speed square. But I find it very handy. Much better for squaring a workpiece than the drafting trangles due to the thickness. I also use smaller engineers squares when they are big enough for the task at hand as well as smaller speed squares.

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by marty shultz View Post
    Do you ever find what you were looking for after you settled for something else?

    This is the triangle I really wanted. I didn't find it on my original search. The dilemma: should I sell my square and get the triangle?
    If you can afford the triangle that you truly want, then yes - sell the square and buy the triangle. Don't feel bad about any money you might lose there - you bought the square because you couldn't find what you wanted and needed a tool. You should get most of your money outtavthat square, Marty.

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by johnny means View Post
    I say ditch the squares for setting up a slider. Using the five cut method with large sheets of plywood will allow for much tighter tolerances to be achieved. Especially, since you have no real reference surface to square to on a slider.
    This is the only way to square a panel saw, vertical or otherwise. Though I would recommend using melamine over plywood. Plywood is never as flat, and particle board doesn't carry any tension that can be relaxed by cutting it. My panel saw was originally dialed in at within .002" in almost a 48" cut. Borderline impossible to get better results than that.

  15. #15
    While the 5-cut method is pretty accurate due to 4x error magnification, it is a bit wasteful on time and material. Especially if you need to tweak the cross cut fence multiple times chasing that 'perfect' setting. With that triangle and a good indicator you can get to within .001 / 20" in minutes.

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