Starrett combination square

[jeff zambron]

is it worth the extra money to get the hardned forged heads over the cast iron ones thanks

[Jim Neeley]

Only if you drop the tool on a hard surface. Cast iron is brittle and more likely to crack.

[Benjamin Miller]

For woodworking, it's probably not necessary to spend the $100+ on a Starrett, when a nice $20 one from the home center is functionally identical, but if you want the absolute best money can buy...

In theory, cast iron has fewer stresses and is less likely to warp. In practice, I doubt either of these would move a noticeable amount even if you were checking with a dial indicator.

Starrett invented the combination square for metalworking. In that application, I could see a forged head taking a beating and lasting longer.

[phil harold]

I say get the hardened one
It will stay accurate longer
this is an adjustable square and with repeated use and abuse the casting does wear and will go out of wack
I have had many twenty dollar ones that only last a short time in wood working and carpentry
my mitutoyo, brown&sharp, and starrett squares have lasted me over 17 years and still accurate

[Kyle Iwamoto]

+1 on not spending a hundred bucks on a square when a Craftsman will do the same job. BUT, that being said, there is a lot of PERSONAL enjoyment gained when I use my 100 buck Starrett to make a 90 degree mark that is no better than the one I get from my Craftsman. Or the 20 buck one from the big box store. The Starrett resides in it's nice box most of the time. The other 2 get used more, since I really don't care if it falls off the table saw.

If you have the means, get the forged. Yes, it does not make ME a better woodworker.....

[lowell holmes]

I have the 65 dollar Starrett and I wouldn't be without it. It's worth every penny to me. It operates smoother than the borg squares and the graduations stay on the blade.

I agree with Phil.

The square was a present 10 or 12 years back.

[Chris Fournier]

I have had a CI Starrett for well over 20 years and it is the bee's knees. I use teflon spray or a quick lick of paste wax on it to keep it running smoothly and not wearing. When you pick up the Starret if urges you to do great work. When you pick up a box store square you feel like a house framer. I like house framing and have a $20 box store square which I wore out and had to replace.

1/64" scale that is readable is Starrett as well. If I amortize my Starret(s) (one in the wood shop and one in the machine shop) over their life span they are worth ever penny!

Now would I use a Starret for house framing? No I would not.

[Charles Coolidge]

I laugh in the general direction of cheap Home Depot/Craftsman squares buy the Starrett. I'd pay less attention to cast iron vs forged head and more attention to the rule. For those of us who's eyes are getting older the 'satin chrome' rules are easier to read. I have both 12" and 24" and use both often.

[Mark Wooden]

For woodworking, there's no appreciable difference in the cast iron head vs the forged steel, even in a production environment. I have both, both are equally accurate.There is a HUGE difference between precision squares made by Starrett, B&S, Mitutoyo (and a few others) and the "hangin' on a peg" squares found at the home centers and hardware stores. With a quality square you will layout clean, square lines; they're useful for machine set-up also. With the die cast head and chrome plated scale found on most stuff in the Borgs these days accuracy is very hit and miss (mostly miss) and they aren't designed to last, they want you to keep buying them. Buy the best you can afford, cry once, don't look back and be happy.
FWIW, there are a lot of used cast iron and cast steel square heads around by Stanley, Millers Falls, Sargent, even old Craftsman that were very good tools worth doing an accuracy check on and buying if found

[Larry Edgerton]

A square is a lifetime investment, so if you amortize the difference by however many years that you intend to use it, the cost difference is negligible.

I have a Mitutoyo forged set that I bought 30 years ago, and every time I use them I love the way they fall to the hand. I think it was well worth the investment.

Larry

[John Coloccia]

I would also lean towards Mitutoyo for something like this.

re: cheap combo squares
Common, guys. I'm assuming the guy isn't framing a barn. Even though it's woodworking, I still try to work to a very high degree of precision. You must make allowances for the wood squirming around, but if you're sloppy to begin with, and sloppy every step of the way, your stack up error can absolutely dwarf the wood movement itself. My philosophy is to work to as high a precision as I can, and design with the loosest tolerances I can. Then, everything always fits.

Incidentally, I do happen to have a cheap combo square here. It is absolutely dead nuts. I don't know where I got it from. I also don't know where I got the other 2 or 3 combos I have in the shop, and they're all absolute junk. I should just toss them.

[Richard Wagner]

Quality tools are great; especially if you can afford the "investment". On the other hand, my Stanley Combination Square and Framing Square have served me well for many, many years.

Besides, just how precise a square do general wood workers need? Whether measured by a Stanley or a Starrett, ninety degrees is ninety degrees. .

[Rich Riddle]

is it worth the extra money to get the hardened forged heads over the cast iron ones thanks

If you exclusively utilize the combination square for woodworking, it's not worth the extra money to purchase the forged Starrett over the cast iron one. If you also do other activities, such as metal working, it would be worth it to have the forged head. Your utilization determines your needs with the Starrett you have in question.

[Robert LaPlaca]

Since you asked specifically about Starrett, yes I would spend the extra money to get the forged head, I believe all the Starrett forged head combo squares are finished with a gloss black finish. The forged head keeps it's accuracy much better at the critical wear point (where the head and ruler slides) than does the cast head.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hartville Hardware has all the Starrett stuff on sale the 21st for 20% off.
It's a 2 day only sale on Friday and Saturday.