Accurate T Square....

[Tony Falotico]

Any suggestions on an accurate (I mean dead on accurate every time) T Square ?? I have a drywall square, it's great for cutting sheet rock, but it is NOT accurate. A good framing square is awkward (at least for me) and not as accurate as I want.

I'm looking at the Woodpeckers 24" aluminum T Square for $130. Any alternates or suggestions would be appreciated. Personally I think its a lot of money, but my goal for the next few months is to master the art of 'square'. What do you all use for reference??

BTW: I tried to search the forum to see if this topic has been discussed before, but the search engine will not recognize the T by itself, and square brings up every third post.

[JayStPeter]

Does it have to be a t-square. I've had good success with a framing square with framing square fence from Lee Valley. For slightly smaller stuff, the Starret combo-square rules. It comes with longer rules also.

Jay

[Andrew Ault]

Pat Warner makes a couple of interesting T squares.

It may or may not suit your needs.

One thing, though, if it suits your requirements, you can be certain that it will be accurate. Pat's a pretty meticulous guy.

www.patwarner.com

-Andy

[Jamie Buxton]

Have you considered making one?

[Ken Garlock]

Tony, I picked up a Starrett 36" T-square this spring at a local hardware store for under $20. It checked dead on against my Starrett combination square. That is good enough for me, after all it is a Starrett and they don't make any junk :cool:

Here is the page from the Starrett Catalog (http://catalog.starrett.com/catalog/catalog/groupf.asp?groupid=620)

[Dave Tinley]

Tony-
I went to a local office supply store that sold drafting equiptment and found a 36" model for about thirty dollars.
It had 4 screws holding the head on the beam. I elongated two opposing corner holes and set it with a machinist square till it was dead on. I double checked it on a long piece of plywood and seems to be about 1/64th off from 1 to 36 inches. Which I think is close enough.
I am like you, never could get the hang of a carpenters square, I even had some blocks machined to fit on the edges, just never got comfortable with it.

HTH
Dave

[Alan Turner]

15 years ago I needed a large, accurate T-square, so went to a store or yard that handled drywall T-squares, with my Starrett, and found one right on. I have taken very good care of it, and use it only for drafting, and for marking sheet goods. I hangs on the wall, and is never used for drywall.
I don't know if today one could do the same thing.

[Tony Falotico]

I'll have to think this one out, but so far I kinda like Jay's suggestion of the framing square with framing square fence from Lee Valley. Looks like it will do the job without breaking the tool budget.

I'll be by Woodcraft tomorrow and look for ideas there also........ Thanks again!

[Don Baer]

Jay;
An old woodworkers trick taught to me by my Dad (an old woodworker) when sellecing a square he would take it to a piece of sheet goods, lay it on the edge of the board and draw a line verticaly. Then he would flip the square over and draw another line over the original. If there was any differance in the two lines you knew the square was not sqaure. I now do this with every square I buy.

If it ain't sqaure it goes back.

[JayStPeter]

Jay;
An old woodworkers trick taught to me by my Dad (an old woodworker) when sellecing a square he would take it to a piece of sheet goods, lay it on the edge of the board and draw a line verticaly. Then he would flip the square over and draw another line over the original. If there was any differance in the two lines you knew the square was not sqaure. I now do this with every square I buy.

If it ain't sqaure it goes back.

Yep, I use cheap squares from the borg. I bring along a pencil and test them on their MDF supply :D

[Gary Herrmann]

And, you can adjust any square to be perfectly 90 degrees with a nail set and a hammer. Did that with my old Stanleys, and they're dead on.

[Norman Hitt]

Yep, My Dad taught me the SAME tricks as Don and Gary mentioned when I was about 8 yrs old, & I've used them ever since. What really Irks me though, is that they can't even machine the two sides of each leg of the squares parallel to each other anymore, and you have to first get either the inside or the outside square, and then dress the other side to match, (in case you want to use either the inside or outside edges of the square).

[Per Swenson]

<!--StartFragment --> For 20 to 30 dollars the Johnson adjustable T square
Is the sleeper bargain. It locks in perfect with detents.
It folds up so it doesn't get knocked out of square.
They all do. when you drop em a couple of times.
And it is twice as hefty as a regular T square.
I also find that 9 out of 10 times it is not the square that is out
but the fellow with the pencil.
Per

[Tim Morton]

<!--StartFragment --> For 20 to 30 dollars the Johnson adjustable T square
Is the sleeper bargain. It locks in perfect with detents.
It folds up so it doesn't get knocked out of square.
They all do. when you drop em a couple of times.
And it is twice as hefty as a regular T square.
I also find that 9 out of 10 times it is not the square that is out
but the fellow with the pencil.
Per

nice tip Per...I never heard of such a thing before...its now in my cart. I am going to post a link to amazon, because i am unclear on the rules regarding such a thing. I know people will ask where to buy this tool..so here goes.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00002N5OK/103-1674455-2715840?v=glance

[Steve Aiken]

If you want a big square, you might want to look at the "Asquare" from Lee Valley. Advertized as accurate to 1/32 in. over 4 ft. http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=40926&cat=1,42936,42944

I'm not sure if it is the Johnson that Per referenced or not, but LV has a similar one called "48 in. Adjustable T-Square." It is advertized as true to 1/16 in over the 4 foot length.
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=32591&cat=1,42936,42944

Steve

[Bill Fields]

Per mentioned dropping his square and Johnson.. Here is tip of the hat to Johnson:


I dropped my 40 year old Johnson combo square and the little thingie that is threaded that grabs the ruler snapped. Sent the part to Johnson "for their inspection" and got new parts by return mail.

BILL FIELDS

[Bruce Page]

Tony, I use a Helix 30" T-square that I got from Office Max. It's probably not as rugged as the Woodpecker square, but it is accurate and a whole lot cheaper at about $30

[Tony Falotico]

Picked up the Johnson today at the orange place, $8 less than the amazon price. They had six of them, they set in grooves for 90 degrees, I checked three of them with a carpenters square, two were off about a 16th in 24", one was dead on. I folded it and rechecked it three times, stayed square each time. I sure hope the carpenter's square was accurate.

Thanks again for responses, we'll see how this goes. It is adjustable so I can check it ands tweak it if need be before each use.


EDIT: Okay, just went out to the shop and tested on a sheet of plywood, seems dead on !! :)