I need a good 9x12 imperial square

[Günter VögelBerg]

Can anyone please suggest a good square of this size, preferably with a center finding rule on one edge? I bought a Chappell square and it is not even close to 90, which is too bad because it is very nicely machined and engraved. I have emailed them, but I am skeptical if this one got past their QC.

[Gary Ragatz]

If the manufacturer won't help you out, you might try truing it yourself: https://www.popularwoodworking.com/tricks/truing-your-squares/

[Scott Winners]

What Gary said. The square I inherited from my Grandfather has quite a few dimples, he obviously dropped it "a lot" but kept checking and truing it.

[Jim Koepke]

Gunter, are you talking about a framing square or a combination square?

If it is a combination square, depending on the maker it might be easy to correct.

Some have lands above the bottom of the track for the ruler. Careful removal of metal from one or the other of these can bring the square true.

This video explains this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HByNXxtep00

jtk

[alan west]

I don't know exactly what you mean by imperial square. But thru various projects I had the need for some large squares and was shocked at the cost to buy one. So I learned how to make whatever square I needed out of wood instead. It's not as hard as you would think

[Jim Matthews]

First I've heard of this company.
Beautifully made, these should last forever.

At these prices, they should be accurate.

[Günter VögelBerg]

Framing square, I suppose, but not large enough for framing. A square made of a single piece of steel that lays flat. By imperial I mean graduated in inches. I agree about expecting it to be accurate for the priceh. It's not like I bought one at Home Depot.

[Curt Harms]

Empire makes an 8 X 12 with 1/8" graduations. It's not 'fancy-schmancy' but I have one and it seems square. I guess it depends on how good you want. Home Depot sells them so you can grab a handful, find a flat surface and check one against another. When you find two that when stood back to back don't let daylight through they're both most likely square enough for my purposes.

http://www.empirelevel.com/framing-squares.php

[Bill Carey]

Empire makes an 8 X 12 with 1/8" graduations. It's not 'fancy-schmancy' but I have one and it seems square. I guess it depends on how good you want. Home Depot sells them so you can grab a handful, find a flat surface and check one against another. When you find two that when stood back to back don't let daylight through they're both most likely square enough for my purposes.

http://www.empirelevel.com/framing-squares.php

I have the empire 8x12 and it works fine for me. Nestles up nicely to my big framing squares, and my Starrett combo square.

[Nicholas Lawrence]

Have not heard of them, but it looks like they are a company that is trying to do things right. I would be very surprised if they did not make it right.

[steven c newman]

Swanson TS153 is what I have been using to get the drawers I build ...square. 8" x 12"...framing square style....just checked about 5 minutes ago...dead-on square...

much better than laying a full sized framer square in a drawer, to make sure it IS square when I add the bottoms....

[Mike Brady]

Chappell are the best I have ever seen. Lie-Nielsen sold them for awhile, which is how I got mine. If yours isn't pristine and unused, they might not take it back, but they might correct it for you. Starrett charges (a lot!) for repairs, so don't be surprise if Chappell does the same.

*Just checked, and Chappell has a 60-day money back guarantee.

[Günter VögelBerg]

OK. I'll wait to hear back from Chappell. To make sure I was not insane I measured it again this morning and every square I have (including a starrett machine square) has it slightly acute. My digital protractor says it is 89.7.

[Jim Matthews]

The "standard" is not another square.

https://www.familyhandyman.com/tools/check-if-a-square-is-square/

[Curt Harms]

The "standard" is not another square.

https://www.familyhandyman.com/tools/check-if-a-square-is-square/

It's not, but the liklihood of two squares having exactly complimentary errors seems pretty slim. The two parallel lines trick works well, the human eye seems pretty good about detecting out-of-parallel.

[steven c newman]

417654
Mine in use...for assembling frame and panel sides to a Chest of Drawers..
417655
Including a dry fit, or two...
417656
mainly for jobs this larger square won't quite fit into..

[lowell holmes]

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Empire-8...00/100148335An easy check is to draw a line across a board and then flip the square over and check the line. If it checks, you are square.
If you check and it is square, but you don't have parallel lines, you have other issues.
I have had good luck with these squares.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Swanson-Too...Square/3047988

Also check this

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Empire-8...-100/100148335