Speed Squares

[George Bokros]

Are there any accurate speed squares? I am considering getting one to set up my EzSmart track saw rail using their EzSmart Square and Handle. I am thinking a speed square would be best as it will give a longer reference.

Anyone that has the EzSmart track saw system, any thought or ideas?

Thanks

George

[Hoang N Nguyen]

I don't have an EZsmart track so can't chime in there but I do make a lot of cuts on sheet goods. I usually use a large drywall square and it's been good to be so far. I've checked it with my 6" incra square at the T and it's dead on, but I can't confirm any further then that. I have confirmed it by pulling a tape on it, pretty much just set the square and mark my line across the sheet and pull a tape on both ends. It reads the same on my tape so I'm fine with it. I usually oversize my cuts when ripping down sheet goods and then taking it on my table saw to do my 5 cut rips to slowly bring it down to size. That will ensure I have a perfectly square sheet once done. It's a lot more work but worth it in the end for me.

[David Spurr]

Don't use a speed square. They are made for rough carpentry not fine machine setup.

[Ellen Benkin]

Go to a craft store and get two large plastic squares. The ones I've gotten there are remarkably accurate, light, and easy to hang on a hook. Use the method described above to check for square before you buy them.

[Cary Falk]

Don't use a speed square. They are made for rough carpentry not fine machine setup.
It depends where you look.


http://www.woodpeck.com/carpentertriangles.html

[Steve Jenkins]

If you have good crosscut sled for your tablsaw and the speed square is aluminum toss it on there and square it up if you want.

[John A langley]

I have 12 inch aluminum speed square that I paid like 12 bucks for. It is as accurate as my woodpeck stuff.

[Art Mann]

On a whim, I bought a cheap speed square made of aluminum at Harbor Freight. I think it was around $2. I turned out to be quite accurate according to my precision references and so I use it all the time mow for all but the most demanding applications. I can't guarantee they re all that way but mine is extremely useful and cost almost nothing.

[william watts]

I have a plastic speed square that checks square with my Starrette combination square so I use it with confidence. Reading this thread makes me think all speed squares are accurate ;).

[Pat Barry]

Seriously I got a grey plastic speed-square from Sears years ago and its plenty accurate. Of course I did take and compare it to the most expensive square they were selling at the time in the store and I don't recall but may have sorted through a few to pick the best one.

[Jim Matthews]

I use the EZSmart long guide for breaking down sheet goods.

On the Website, the common milling method involves
making a first pass to establish a reference edge.

From there, all measurements are taken.

I've got a large Shinwa aluminum square that gets used for this application.
http://www.toolsfromjapan.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=356_358_480&zenid=7cbd84a95f109e8a3a78474b2f7741ad

[steven c newman]

HAD a al. speed square. Had to keep replacing it, due to others in the Concrete Form Crew I was in...stepping on it. It did come in handy, with a Builder's Level, to re-align wall forms after we filled them up.

Didn't like the plastic ones, as they "moved" depending on the amount of sunlight hitting them.

Finally, just put together three bits of scrap wood, and some screws. THEN I had a large Speed Square I could also use on a jobsite tablesaw, guide a circular saw, guide a router, and even break down plywood sheets to make extra foms out of.
Accurate? As accurate as I needed it to be. Used a jobsite saw as a gauge. Lined the factory corner with the edge of the saw, AND a mitre slot. Checked to make sure they were square. There is a cleat to butt up against a board. It is usually long enough a couple "C" clamps can hold it. Price? Scrap pile for the wood parts, tool bag had enough screws. Seemed to do quite nicely. 313006313007313008Still in use, too.

Speed Squares not accurate? Depends on which ones you get, for starters. NO to plastic. Metal ones are better, BUT, take the time to check a few against a known square. One can "adjust" them as needed...if you find a good one, it shouldn't need any. Since these are sold in the same place as those BIG framing squares, grab a framing square to check a few speed squares. I'd rather do this myself, that way I KNOW they are good. Tip: Get the ones in the back of the hook. Others may have been there ahead of you, and put all the "bad" ones back on the hooks. The square part shouldn't be that hard to find, it is those angles on the square I don't trust. 12" speed squares MIGHT be good, but, do you want to haul that oversized thing around all day? The 6" ones were made to ride in the tool bag, or on a clip from the tool belt. After you have sat down on a couple, you will learn WHY we used the smaller ones.

[Jim Dwight]

Large drafting triangles are my preferred cheap square reference. I have several in the shop. I also like metal engineers squares. I have a couple speed squares, one aluminum, one plastic, and they are OK but not what I use for tool setup. These days you might have to mail order drafting triangles. Back when I was in school, all engineers had to learn drafting. Now it's CAD.

[jim mills]

Can you give a source for the drafting triangles? Thanks!

[Jim Matthews]

Ultrect art and drafting supplies

[Art Mann]

I believe I bought my 45-45 and 30-60 squares at Hobby Lobby, which is a craft store chain. I also had one left over from engineering school back in 1978. The 90 degree angle on all of them is the same as my precision machine squares. My speed square agrees also. I have one framing square that is also accurate but another one that is waaaay off as it came from the big box store. I think the brand of that one is Swanson or something like that.

[Keith Hankins]

It depends where you look.


http://www.woodpeck.com/carpentertriangles.html

you beat me to it! That one will be accurate!

[Brett Luna]

One of my favorite drafting triangles is the fluorescent orange variety like the Alvin 6" model (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000HF6ZNO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1). Besides letting background visual clutter through, clear or tinted triangles can have internal reflections and shadows that make it a bit hard for me to see when it's really flush to the blade. The orange edges pretty much glow, making it easier on these old eyes.

Oh...and it's made of thick enough plastic so that it can stand up on its own.

[Von Bickley]

I agree that speed squares are used primarily for frame carpenters, but I have 3 in my shop. One in my tool pouch and 2 hanging on the wall (8" and 12"). They are as accurate as I need.

[Mac McQuinn]

I've used my USA made Swan Speed Square for 17 years with great accuracy/results. Still have the little blue handbook which came with it.
Mac

[Jamie Buxton]

For use with my track saw, I built what is essentially a 3'x4' speed square. It ensures that the 4' track is really at right angles to the plywood edge when I make a crosscut. The speed square is built of Baltic birch ply edged with maple. The lumber edge was so that I could handplane to tune the square to exactly ninety degrees. The test of the square is to crosscut a sheet of plywood, and fold the cut edges back together. With a little tuning, the error at the tip of the square is less than 10 thousandths. That's about .01 degrees.

[Chuck Hart]

Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Triangle-Set-10-30-60/dp/B000HFUEOU
or
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Darts-crafts&field-keywords=drafting+triangle+squares&rh=n%3A2617941011%2Ck%3Adrafting+triangle+squares
or
look up drafting triangles

[Dennis Aspö]

I figured speed squares, being one piece machined bits of metal should be as accurate as more expensive engineering square and the like, when it comes to being square that is, the graduations on it are quite rough. But it is possibly the most trusted & useful square I own.

[Curt Harms]

I have a made-in-USA Empire speed square that is as square as I can measure. It sits on a shelf and is not used for outdoor carpentry tasks. I usually check two squares against one another sitting on a smooth flat surface like a cast iron table saw or jointer bed. I figure if two squares agree, they're either square or they have exactly complimentary errors. I find the odds of exactly complementary errors really small so I go with square. I'm sure machinists would find huge-in-their-world errors but its good enough for me and my .5 mm or .9 mm pencils.:)

[steven c newman]

I have even found a use for this homemade speedsquare
313119
Adjust for drift might even be easy to do. I have one Visegrips Fingerclamp holding it in place, on the infeed side of the blade. IF I do need a second one, seems to be easy enough to clamp the outfeed side. Drift would be just a smidgen of taper, then reclamp. Have also used this fence for the circular saws I have.
313120
Three bits of scrap wood, maybe 8 screws. Real expensive stuff, you know? Same with the base for the bandsaw, just some scraps....