Having accurate measuring devices can be helpful in the shop.
David Weaver mentions:
It's nice to have a precision square and a decent dial caliper.
A dial caliper is very useful to check auger bits against dowel stock when dowels are used in a project. They are also good for checking a saw's set.
Most of my planes have been checked for flat and square, some are, some aren't. Some it doesn't matter since it is only going to be used as a scrub plane or to knock off some saw marks.
My feelings are split on this subject. The yearly arrival of the swallows has never rejected any of the bird houses in our field due to it being out of square. In the case of some, they do not even care that they are downright ugly.
One of my biggest problems used to be trying to make everything supper accurate. My methods have changed from constant use of a tape measure to using a story stick or cutting to fit. My work seems to end up better now. Quite often different tape measures do not agree one with another. Most of my measuring of short items is now done with a four fold yard stick that is off by an 1/8" in some places.
A caveat here, there are some precision measuring devices used in my shop at times. Most of the time they are not required for my projects. Most of the time my projects do not even come close to the realm of high end woodworking.
On some of my work the parts are made with tolerances that would be in the range of thousandths of an inch. It doesn't require precision instruments to get there. The main requirement is a flat working surface. Two sides of a box can be set side by side. Then run a finger over the edge where the two come together. If it is out much more than a thousandths of an inch, you will know. When doing this turn one piece end for end. If they are not parallel, it will be noticed. Then flip one top to bottom. If it is out of square, well you can see where this is going.
Squareness can also be tested by standing pieces on end next to each other. If the gap comes together or expands, the ends are not square. If they look good, move one piece around so the sides that were on the outside are now on the inside. If the pieces are out of square by the same amount, this will let you know.
For many projects knowing how to compare parts and make them fit without measuring devices is just as valid a way to get the job done.
My shooting board is not trusted. The pieces coming off of it are checked constantly. This is a good example of were "errors accumulate." If the fence succumbs to the constant pressure from the plane or the plane's blade gets skewed, the cut will not be square.
On the other hand, there isn't much power woodworking in my shop. Someone with a table saw, jointer and a few other electron burners would likely benefit from having some accurate tools to check their everyday tools.
Though even with the most accurate set up, it is the result that matters.
jtk
Last edited by Jim Koepke; 02-11-2013 at 2:04 PM.
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