Layout Tools

[Steve Southwood]

Folks, I need some quality layout tools. What would you buy or have bought, that is good stuff. I want stuff that is going to be around longer than a couple years.

[Joe Scharle]

Starret tri square
Herlihy 12" adjustable Right Triangle and 2 small drafting triangles.
Pinnacle 8" square.
Small 3" machinist square.
Woodcraft 24" hook rule.

Are the most trusted measurement tools in my shop.

[glenn bradley]

Long and short setup bars
6, 12, 18 and 24" steel rules
right to left 12' tape
6" digital/fractional calipers


I use these items more than any others. If I had to narrow it further it would be the 6" rule, the calipers and the setup bars.

If I were to expand:


Digital angle gauge
saddle square
6" and 12" combo square
36" steel straight edge
long feeler gauges

[Bill Huber]

The things I use the most in my shop.

2 - 6 inch Starret combo squares
http://www.woodcraft.com/product.aspx?ProductID=06L21&FamilyID=437

1 - 12 inch center finder rule
http://www.mannyswoodworkersplace.com/304-1012.html

1 - 8 inch divider.
http://www.mannyswoodworkersplace.com/3020008.html

1 - Woodpecker story stick, I have got to the point I really like this one.
http://www.woodpeck.com/storystick.html

1 - Incra precision protractor
http://www.incra.com/product_specialtyrules.htm

1 - Incra precision T-Rule
http://www.incra.com/product_trules.htm

These are the tools that I use all the time for laying out just about everything. The Starrett combos get used the most but the others are great to have. The 2 Incra tools are really nice to have the protractor is just flat awesome to use.
The story stick I would not have bought but was given to me, now I use it all the time and love it.

[Dustin Lane]

what is the difference between all the starrett combo squares? i see some for $100+ and others for $25. how do you tell which is which?

[Peter Quinn]

Mostly I use starret combo squares, a small pinnacle double square, some groz engineer's squares, and a Lee valley framing square for bigger things. I have some long starret straight edges and rulers (24" and 36"), and a variety of short starret rulers (6" and 12"). I use a cheap chip carving knife for scratching layout lines and a Lee Valley wheel type layout tool for laying out some things. There is a tool flea market once a year near me where a vendor sells starret seconds with very minor defects at roughly 25%-40% of retail, most of my starret gear has come from him. Every defect is marked in grease pencil so its easy to judge whether or not a tool is usable to me. They have VERY high standards, so most of my stuff has some very minor etching error in the 64's scale which I can barely see any more anyway! Otherwise I'd probably have less starret and more something cheaper but servicable.

For curves I have my grandfather's trammel points and pencil setup (glad I didn't have to pay for those), and a general compass ($2 at the borg) for small stuff. I use a scrap of wood taped to two bricks for irregular curves, works nicely and very affordable.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

you can make most of the tools you need excepting for specialty items like a Good tape measure, a good machinist square, and fancy pants angle finders. However, for years and years (centuries really) first rate tradesmen made all their own tools and produced superior work with them.

Start by making yourself a good square, a bevel square, protractors, dividers marking gauges and knives. None of it is rocket science and here is the best part: You don't need the tools , to make the tools.

So it's it's money (and it so often is) I say make your own.

I still have my first square I made from oak scrap over 30 years ago and I still use it.

[Frank Drew]

The trammel points that Peter mentions are very handy if you need to lay out a large-ish circle, and you're only limited by the size of scrap you can find.

If you plan on any mortise and tenon work, a good mortise/marking gauge is probably essential.

[Bill Huber]

you can make most of the tools you need excepting for specialty items like a Good tape measure, a good machinist square, and fancy pants angle finders. However, for years and years (centuries really) first rate tradesmen made all their own tools and produced superior work with them.

Start by making yourself a good square, a bevel square, protractors, dividers marking gauges and knives. None of it is rocket science and here is the best part: You don't need the tools , to make the tools.

So it's it's money (and it so often is) I say make your own.

I still have my first square I made from oak scrap over 30 years ago and I still use it.


The thing about making your own tools is then you can't get on SMC and complain about them being off .000000001 in a foot. We know that all woodworking tools need to be good down to .0001 right....:D

[Steve Southwood]

Thanks folks, I'll do a quick inventory and see what I need to add. Been looking thru the Lee Valley catalog, seen a couple items I would like.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello,

what is the difference between all the starrett combo squares? i see some for $100+ and others for $25. how do you tell which is which?
Materials used, the finish & the number of heads, the gradation (SAE, Metric or both), cast vs forged, level of acccuracy.

An 11 H combination for instance is SAE (inch)
An 11 M combination is metric
An 11 MH is both.

An 11H-4-4R is an 11 series, 4" w/#4R regular blade w/cast iron head, wrinkle finish.
An C11H-4-4R is an 11 series, 4" w#4R satin chrome blade w/cast iron head, wrinkle finish.

A 33H-4-4R is a 33series, 4" w/#4 blade w/ forged & hardened steel heads and smooth enamel finish.

Also - some models have quick readings in 50ths and 100ths (aircraft)

For general around the shop use, for most things which are a step up from Harry Homeowner, the:

C11H-12-4R is probably the best one to get
from the real basic info above you can deduce it's a-
C = satin chrome blade
11 = cast not forged.
12"
4R = #4 blade (8ths. 16ths quick read 32nds, 64ths)
It runs around $75.00/$85.00 give or take - depending on sale prices.

It's accruate enough for tool setup - accurate enough for use as a check against your "every day" squares - economical enough that it's within the means of most people - long enough (12") that if you can add a protractor head to it at a later time if you wish.

PS - if you're seeing an L.S.Starrett combination square for anything in the under $50.00 price range, it's either an outstanding sale - in which case please post a link to it, it's used - which usually isn't a bad thing unless it's been abused, the seller has no idea what they have, or it's not a real Starrett.

The exception to the above would be the Starrett 6" student model.
The 10H-6-4R can be found in the $40/$45 range on sale.
it's a 10 series - cast iron head, comes in SAE, metric or both, 6" 4R blade.
Excellent for setup & priced reasonably enough for everyday use.
I'd have gone this route except I had the $$ at the time for the C11H-12-4R & it was on sale.

HTH.

(I'm sure I messed up part of the details since this is mostly what i gleaned from their catalog a few weeks ago prior to buying a combo square)

Edited to add :
About the accuracy.
All Starrett tools are accurate. Some need to have a letter of certifiication, which runs extra.
The C11H-12-4RW/SLC runs about $40.00 more - give or take.