Woodworker's Journal 2008-32-5, страница 65

Today's SHOP

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A combination square is usually one of the first tools a woodworker acquires. Without dispute, it is "the" essential layout and setup tool.

The sort of combination square you have says a bit about you as a woodworker. The first one I used — for a couple of decades, at least — was a 1940s Craftsman I got from my dad. I used it for home improvement and construction projects and furniture-making work without much thought about its accuracy or about all the different uses I had for it.

About 15 years ago, I retired it in favor of a Starrett I bought secondhand — a four-piece set with a 24" blade. I hadn't used this square long before I realized ... well... it wasn't square. And then I discovered a hidden benefit of owning a premium square: the manufacturer will fix it! I mailed it to Athol, Massachusetts, and in a week, the postman brought it back. Good as new!

In short order, I got a second Starrett, a new one with a 12" blade. It was an admission that a 24" blade is really too long for most work. Some time later, conceding

that even the 12" blade is too long for close work, I got a 4" square, all top-drawer and a bit pricey.

But wait a minute here. Let's think "practically" for a moment. For about 15 bucks, you can buy a combination square that's virtually a duplicate of my old Craftsman. In addition, you can buy a 6" Craftsman square and a 16" Craftsman square, each for about the same $15. Why would I instead spend $250?

It's a fair question. What makes one combination square worth $70 more than another? Are the differences significant to a woodworker?

To explain it — to myself as much as to you — I doubled back on myself, doing an inventory of what I do with combination squares (see the series oi sidebars) and surveying the marketplace (read on).

Combination squares have many practical applications in woodworking. Accuracy becomes more and more important as your projects' sophistication increases.

The options before you are legion. You have to look online to appreciate what all is available. Hardware stores and home centers carry an array of models targeted at tradespeople and DIYers. Woodworking tool retailers stock two or three configurations, hitting low, medium and premium price points. But machinists' tool retailers go way beyond that. One online retailer lists about 600 items from about a dozen manufacturers in the combination square category.

The Basic Combination Square

The basic tool consists of a head, called a "square head" despite its polygonal shape, and a 12" metal ruler, called a "blade," that's graduated, usually with a different scale on each edge. A special bolt in the head engages a groove centered in one face of the blade, so you can slide and lock the head along the blade.

Today's Shop continues on page 66...

The 4-piece

Combination Square

45°to blade

bolt knob

Bubble level

65

Satin blade finish

Reversible protractor head

Etched

graduations as

Center head

Scratch awl

Go for the Best:

The ne plus ultra of combination squares is a premium brand, four-piece set. It's invaluable for tuning and setting up machines, precision layout and measuring and verifying the trueness of boards, subassemblies and assemblies. A good tool will last a lifetime.