Precision Square For Tool Setup

[Warped Woodwerks]

While the toolmaker is half the precision of the Master it is still 5-10 times better than the others and for the price probably sufficient for your needs. I don't think you will be disappointed. Maybe ten years down the road you will look back and think 'What a bargain that would have been" but you will have ten years of accurate use and $200 invested in some other tool that you need.

Mike,

You are so right... We all talk about the.. "buy once... cry once.." experience.. and I am usually onboard with that (table saw, table saw blades, track saw, TSO track saw stuff..etc.).. but why did I not continue that purchasing path when it came to my squares? :'(

I am definitely crying more than once..

With all of the squares I invested my hard earned money into.. I could have bought a 6" & 12" Starrett square :'(

That's their calibration procedure. It does provide a lot of insight as to how they actually test it.

The Bruce tool works square doesn't provide any spec and says it's adjustable - in fact they provide a method, so IMO, they're guaranteeing nothing. It's up to you to make it accurate using other equipment as a reference.

Scott.. you are right. My Bridge City squares are very similar to the Blue Spruce squares.. made to be adjusted. :\

I am going to go with that 6" Starrett Toolmaker SS square.

Not sure I'll buy a 2nd Starrett (4" or 12"), since I'll most likely want to compare the other Starrett to it.. and knowing my luck.. one of the squares will be off... Haha

Anyways... "buy once, cry once."

Thanks again..

 

[bainin]

I tend to think of woodworking in terms of one-off unique items. This goes for the finished product, as well as the process to getting it there.
As you are going along, you are forced to make minor adjustments/tweaks for what you observe and have to counter be it user introduced, wood introduced or tool introduced.

Its like tennis, you hit it over the net and you just don't know how its going to come back at you, if at all

 

[tvrgeek]

Was looking to see if Starrett offered that calibration document with their squares.
When looking around, on the website for that 6" square, I came across this for their Toolmaker square, not their Master Precision Square:

Made in America: No

Where are these things made? China?

Starrett's Master Precision Square is made in the USA.. interesting.


These are made in the USA, but not sure about their accuracy\precision... Another contender?

https://bluesprucetoolworks.com/products/square

I apologize, for adding another square to the mix, but I am trying to narrow things down to 1 square... and I am getting close.

Thanks again for everyone's insight\help\opinions\etc... oh, and putting up with me over obsessing this.

Scott,

I know you weren't pushing that 12" Starrett.. it is all good. Since Starrett is known for their "extreme" accuracy.. and credibility.. to me.. it might be worth buying their 6" (don't think I see any 8"), since I would trust that square a lot more than my Kinex (currently).. then testing my $20-something Kinex against that Starrett... keeping the Kinex and buying another, possibly a larger square of their (if the Kinex is "right on the money" against that Starrett), then aligning my 3 Bridge City squares.. then if that is all good... I'll be in a happy place.

So many what-ifs...


Richard,

1st thing I am trying to do is setup my tools for "perfect" alignment. I can't make accurate cuts & joints (or pretty close to accurate cuts) with poorly aligned tables\blades, tools. Sure, I might be able to make "good enough" cuts\joints, but as you mentioned earlier.. unfortunately.. I am an over obsessor :\ over analyzer, too. True, wood moves like crazy, and I am ok\accepting of that.

2nd thing would be marking layout lines on my pieces of wood. I am currently working on a project that requires decent accuracy, but once I throw 1 of my Bridge City squares (or the PEC\Kinex) on the wood and draw a line down it for my cut (has to be a 9" channel in length), both lines (about 2" apart) taper apart\closer and are no longer 2" in parallel. I have to make 18 cuts that have 2" parallel gaps spaced every 4-1/4" in a 40" long board, and if the 1st 2" channel is off by (let's say) a 1/16th - 1/32th.. when I get down to the end of that 40" board.. that last 2" channel with be off by a lot and will turn that project into trash. I hope I am describing this project ok, so you can get a proper mental picture of it?

Your description for use seems a bit confusing. Maybe a sketch. You are making multiple long dado's? Maybe a square is the wrong tool. Maybe a pair of dividers is what you need.

 

[ManitouCA]

Another precision tool you might want to consider is a Lufkin 900 planer gauge. It’s dead on square and a great machine set up tool. They’re hardened steel bodies and you can buy them used online for $50-100. I have one that was my dads and I use it all the time. I’ve verified its accuracy with my 6” Master Precision Square (also my dads). An interesting tidbit is that I have a 1938 Starrett catalog that was in his machinist tool box. The 6” Master Precision square that is now $400 was $9.00 in 1938.

The tools I literally use every single day are my Starrett 12” hardened steel combo square and my Lufkin 6” hardened steel double square. They're indispensable tools! When doing layouts involving angles I use my large Starrett no. 10
protractor.