Buying Squares

[Mike Burke]

I am searching for a couple good squares to add to my collection. Willing to pay for good tools that will last me forever.

I am comparing Woodpeckers and Bridge City squares.

Bridge City has a good sale going on right now. I know they are good tools but most of the time to expensive. Its a good sale which makes them attractive as far as cost.

I like some of the features of the Wood peckers squares but they are to expensive also...and not on sale right now.

Having a hard time making up my mind. Should I pay for the features I like about woodpeckers or buy the attractiveness of the Bridge City tools on sale ?

Suggestions that would sway be one way or the other ?

Or other higher quality squares that would be worth looking at ?


Thanks

[glenn bradley]

I have some tools that are a bit more than they need to be. I paid the price because I wanted that particular tool and I do smile whenever I use one of these items. I have also passed on some items since they would be just too nice to use and would end up on display instead of on the bench. The important thing is that money gets well spent. If you pay more than a comparable Starrett or even a PEC (both lifetime tools) there had better be some value there. If the value is that you just plain like the looks of one over the other better, so be it.

[Derek Cohen]

The absolute best squares are from Chris Vesper.

Chris is a good friend, so I am biased. But this has enabled me to use everything he has made, and I have used many of the better square made by others. In the end, I own a good bit of chris' work. It is sublime! :)

https://www.vespertools.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/blackwood-try-squares2-800x494.jpg

https://www.vespertools.com.au/

Regards from Perth

Derek

[David Eisenhauer]

Derek - If you can induce Chris to come up with a 50% off SMC price scheme, I promise to burn a candle daily in my shop to not only Chris, but you as well. And I mean the nice smelling ones, not the ones that smell like tires wrapped in visquine.

[Derek Cohen]

David, the exchange rate is well in your favour! That 50% off is closer than you realise.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Brian Holcombe]

Vesper, certainly. I like mitutoyo and Starrett also.

[Nicholas Lawrence]

Or other higher quality squares that would be worth looking at ?


I started with a cheap square. After some frustration getting things to fit properly I bought a Starret. Things did not miraculously start fitting, but it was helpful to know it was not the square that was the problem.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

Maybe I missed it, but, did you say what you wanted to do with the square?

I use my Woodpeckers mini square often, usually related to sharpening planes and chisels, highly recommended:

https://www.woodpeck.com/woodpeckers-mini-square.html

I am also fond of these their 641/851 squares

https://www.woodpeck.com/641-851-squares-set.html

Not exactly a square, but I love their Paolini Pocket Rules

https://www.woodpeck.com/ppr-2019.html

I Love the Vesper tools, as for squares, this is my favorite set:

https://www.vespertools.com.au/vesper-squares/precision-double-squares/

I can even check very small dovetails for square :-) All of his squares are top notch.

Lee Valley has some nice squares:

https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/tools/hand-tools/marking-and-measuring/squares

I have some Engineer's Squares, they are rather inexpensive and I use them more than I expected. Note that the 2" version is kind of similar to the Woodpecker's mini square but I prefer the woodpeckers for my chisels and plane blades usually.

I have a couple of combination squares, one Starrett and a couple that are not. I have at least one Precision Double Square, the one that I have is from Lee Valley.

I have some Rafter angle squares, probably got them at a big box store, they work fine especially when I am using construction lumber.

Then there is this type of square. Here are two versions, one expensive with more features, one MUCH less expensive with fewer features.

https://www.woodpeck.com/delve-square-ss-20.html
https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/tools/hand-tools/marking-and-measuring/squares/110954-veritas-1-1-2-inch-pocket-layout-square?item=05N5410

[Mike Burke]

Andrew...I didn't state what I am using them for. Thought about that after I posted.
I like to do case work...cabinets, benches, shelves, anything square. Those are things I like to build..linear projects.

Leaning toward the woodpeckers 642ss and the 1282ss
they have some features l like.

Thanks for the suggestions. Glen's comments put it in prescriptive...buy what you want and like it every time you get to use it.

[lowell holmes]

I buy my squares from Lowes and Home Depot. You can pick them up and see which one you want.

[Izzy Camire]

I have a Woodpecker 821 that never leaves my bench. It was expensive but worth it.

[johnny means]

I've bought a couple of the red tools. I'm pretty unimpressed. I've pretty much concluded that aluminum isn't the way to go with measuring tools on a shop (doesn't play well with making knives). I've got some Starrett stuff, it's nice but doesn't outperform my more reasonably priced hobbyist store brand stuff. The Borg stuff is junk, but still works just fine for 95% of what I do. Buy what you want lonly works well when you don't have a budget. I would get a lot more use buying a dozen more clamps than a pretty square.

[Bill Yacey]

If you want a good square to use as a reference for checking other squares or critical assemblies, you might want to consider Chappell.
https://chappellsquare.com/

[Brian Holcombe]

For checking square I use a surface plate and an angle block that has been scraped in. Handy setup to have if you like buying good squares for cheap on eBay.

I like machinist squares because they are made from hardened and ground steel.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

I've pretty much concluded that aluminum isn't the way to go with measuring tools on a shop (doesn't play well with making knives).

Especially when I am marking dovetails perpendicular to the top, I use a small combination square that I inherited. Don't remember the brand, but it is an expensive one, or was when it was purchased. I have also used those cheap engineering squares, they work well. I don't remember if my small combination square is a 4" or a 6", I think it is a 6" for the dovetails. And no, I do not use my vesper squares with a marking knife in general.

[glenn bradley]

Andrew...I didn't state what I am using them for. Thought about that after I posted.
I like to do case work...cabinets, benches, shelves, anything square. Those are things I like to build..linear projects.

Leaning toward the woodpeckers 642ss and the 1282ss
they have some features l like.

Thanks for the suggestions. Glen's comments put it in prescriptive...buy what you want and like it every time you get to use it.

Sounds like a good call. For large case work I have a couple of shop-tweaked framing squares but, the sorely lack and 'nice to use' features like a lip to catch the edge of a large panel, a thickness that allows them to stand on their own and so forth. As mentioned, Woodpecker's stuff is very well made and that price doesn't seem as 'proud' for the features they provide as some of their other items. I have a couple of Woodpecker's larger rules and they have performed flawlessly for many years.

[William Chain]

I recently picked up a few products from www.chipsfly.com by igaging. I picked up squares in metric and imperial, in what are equivalent to the WP delve squares and their regular squares. Checked them at work in the machine shop. Bang on square, all measurements and index points are bang on, and you can get 3-4 of them for the same price as a single item in the WP fancy red stuff.

[Ben Helmich]

Woodgraphic precision on Amazon. Knockoff from Korea. I really like mine.

[Jim Matthews]

PEC double squares for me.

If I must layout any marks longer than 6" I lean on my venerable Starret machinist square.

Longer squares I check by measuring diagonals, derived from a crisp pencil line.

[Doug Dawson]

I am searching for a couple good squares to add to my collection. Willing to pay for good tools that will last me forever.

I am comparing Woodpeckers and Bridge City squares.

Bridge City has a good sale going on right now. I know they are good tools but most of the time to expensive. Its a good sale which makes them attractive as far as cost.

I like some of the features of the Wood peckers squares but they are to expensive also...and not on sale right now.

Having a hard time making up my mind. Should I pay for the features I like about woodpeckers or buy the attractiveness of the Bridge City tools on sale ?

Suggestions that would sway be one way or the other ?

Or other higher quality squares that would be worth looking at ?


Thanks

The brand doesn’t matter, the accuracy does. You should test anything you get. I have some grisly squares, they test well against each other and against my starrets. People will expound upon how to do this.

[Ben Darrah]

I have mulitiple woodpeckers squares. All are dead nuts on. Taylor Toolworks (Not affiliated) sells PEC cosmetic blemishes at a deep discount. I bought a couple and they are also dead on. My tools tend to get "Cosmetic Blemished" on my bench anyway.

[Ben Darrah]

I have mulitiple woodpeckers squares. All are dead nuts on. Taylor Toolworks (Not affiliated) sells PEC cosmetic blemishes at a deep discount. I bought a couple and they are also dead on. My tools tend to get "Cosmetic Blemished" on my bench anyway.

[Mike Burke]

Thanks for all the reply's and suggestions.
I have a PEC 6" double square, also the 6" woodpeckers rule. so...I went ahead and ordered the woodpeckers 1282ss. I like the features it has and I think it will work well for what I need a larger square for.
I have bought from Taylor Tool works before and will get a 12" combination square my next purchase.
Thanks again for the help.