Good Square, Reasonable Cost

[steven c newman]

Hmmm, keep an eye out for a Stanley No. 20.....12" try square...

As for WHY use a framing square? some panels are just too wide for your normal squares..
square.jpgsquares.jpg

[Patrick Chase]

Hmmm, keep an eye out for a Stanley No. 20.....12" try square...

If you can score one of those on a rust hunt then you deserve some sort of award.

[Mike Henderson]

I bought a PEC 24" blade for my combo square which covers 18" with ease. Stores easily out of the way when not in use and comes in very handy when I want it.

Attachment 379940

Another alternative is the Starrett 8HC combination square. They come up for sale (used) on eBay every now and then at about $100. Search for Starrett Large Combination Square.

Here's a picture of an 8HC with a 24" rule next to a regular 12" combination square.
Starrett-H8.jpg

Mike

[With apologies to Crocodile Dundee: "You call that a combination square? THIS is a combination square!"]

[steven c newman]

Found on the World's Longest Yard Sale last summer...$1

[Patrick Chase]

Whoa!!! Everything IS relative! Those WP squares are looking more reasonable now .

In fairness the 12" version of the Starrett is a relative bargain at $700.

W.r.t. the Woodpecker, machining a square out of a solid Aluminum tooling plate strikes me as problematic in two respects. First, they can't adjust squareness after cutting (at least not without re-cutting) as the maker can with traditional 2-piece squares. If that plate has any internal stresses then it may shift on them. They can and probably do mitigate that by using multiple cutting passes to "sneak up" on the final dimensions, but that costs machine time and drives the price up.

Second and on a related note, if you manage to knock the square out of true (say, but dropping it) then there's no possibility of adjusting it as you can with a traditional 2-piece friction-fit machinist's square.

[Bob Leistner]

There is plenty of information out there to make your own from a stable hard wood. Don't let some of these folks steer you to rocket science precision. It's only woodworking.

[Peter Christensen]

In fairness the 12" version of the Starrett is a relative bargain at $700.

W.r.t. the Woodpecker, machining a square out of a solid Aluminum tooling plate strikes me as problematic in two respects. First, they can't adjust squareness after cutting (at least not without re-cutting) as the maker can with traditional 2-piece squares. If that plate has any internal stresses then it may shift on them. They can and probably do mitigate that by using multiple cutting passes to "sneak up" on the final dimensions, but that costs machine time and drives the price up.

Second and on a related note, if you manage to knock the square out of true (say, but dropping it) then there's no possibility of adjusting it as you can with a traditional 2-piece friction-fit machinist's square.

Aluminium tooling plate is not like most other aluminium products like sheet, plate, extrusion etc., in that it is cast and then Blanchard ground flat and to thickness. Because it is cast there is virtually no stress in it so doesn’t move. It is good for making jigs and machine tooling because it doesn’t move, hence the name.

Since the square is machined equally on both sides that also reduces movement. What little there is can be corrected by bending. I’m not interested in one though as there are other squares available that are more than good enough for woodwork.

I bought a cylinder square and with it on a granite surface plate I can verify my squares and if needed correct them. If I choose to make a square of any kind I can do the same.

[Jim Koepke]

As far as my tools go, they are accurate enough so my eye can not see the error. My eyes are still doing well.

If a 6" board is off square by a couple thousandths it most likely isn't going to be visible on the finished piece.

The cost of some of the squares offered in previous links is way above my needs.

jtk

[Dan Hulbert]

I've had good luck with drafting triangles over the years. Perhaps something like this would suit your needs for a fraction of the cost.
https://smile.amazon.com/Westcott-Pr...ting+triangles

[Prashun Patel]

I have two of the Starrett Carpenter squares. At 8", I think they are perfect for most marking in the shop. They are cheap and have been good enough for me. I am also a fan of their 36" ruler.

[Brian Holcombe]

I like using a try square, they’re accurate and multipurpose (handy for machine setup and good as a short straight edge). Multiple sizes are nice.

Matsui measure is my go-to they are very accurate and moderately priced (in my opinion).

Outside of that, Vesper is definetly not bargain priced but his work is really worth paying for. You get an excellent product and it supports a small shop craftsperson who is extremely talented.

[James Waldron]

For an 18 inch square, try $43.99, 0.001 over 6 inches: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Blem-Cosmet...item2343e5372c

For a 24 inch square, try $52.99, 0.001 over 6 inches: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Blem-Cosmet...item2344284188

The accuracy is overkill for woodworking and the price and quality are hard to beat. If you want an old fashioned try square in wood, or wood and brass, in these sizes, you're pretty much limited to shop built versions. Find these in the wild might well be a life's work. They are that rare.

[Mike Henderson]

For an 18 inch square, try $43.99, 0.001 over 6 inches: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Blem-Cosmet...item2343e5372c

For a 24 inch square, try $52.99, 0.001 over 6 inches: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Blem-Cosmet...item2344284188

The accuracy is overkill for woodworking and the price and quality are hard to beat. If you want an old fashioned try square in wood, or wood and brass, in these sizes, you're pretty much limited to shop built versions. Find these in the wild might well be a life's work. They are that rare.

I have some of the PEC blems and they're very good. The PEC are as good as the Starrett, in my opinion.

Mike

[Jim Koepke]

For an 18 inch square, try $43.99, 0.001 over 6 inches: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Blem-Cosmet...item2343e5372c

For a 24 inch square, try $52.99, 0.001 over 6 inches: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Blem-Cosmet...item2344284188

The accuracy is overkill for woodworking and the price and quality are hard to beat. If you want an old fashioned try square in wood, or wood and brass, in these sizes, you're pretty much limited to shop built versions. Find these in the wild might well be a life's work. They are that rare.

The first problem for me with those is both of them show a 12" square. My suspicions are always raised by a listing where the seller can not be bothered to post an actual picture of the product.

Second, maybe Joe, the OP of this thread, is like me and prefers the try square style over a combination square style tool. Though he may be looking for something that is definitely more difficult to find than what my hunt entails.

There is a nice 14" Bridge City model on ebay currently at $127.50 with 5 days to go. It is possibly worth every penny of what it will end up at the close of the auction. In my case there are not that many pennies in my piggy bank.

Also in my case it will likely be easier to just build my own. It may run me $50 in acquiring the parts, but it will be worth every bit as much as any that are likely to cross my path in the time it takes me to get a round tuit.

jtk

[Pat Barry]

I asked OP why he wanted such a large square in the first place and no response. In my mind there are very few drivers for such a tool. A framing square serves the purpose very nicely. In fact, such a large try square is a waste of money. So again, why is such a large square needed?