I like combination squares. They are handy and I use them all the time. I know that Starrett combination squares are the hands-down favorite, but I just can’t justify the expense. I had an inexpensive Swanson that I picked up at Lowes for keeping in my toolbelt for measuring mortise depths and other things while working on my timber frame. It had issues. The ends of the ruler were not ground square (so not accurate), the locking nut, even when twisted down tight would not always prevent the ruler from sliding and losing its setting (grrr). I can’t say I was disappointed when I tightened it one day and then watched the ruler fall completely out. The post that secures the ruler in place broke (maybe if I didn’t have to tighten it so hard to get it to hold a setting, it wouldn’t have broken).
Wouldn't hold a setting, poorly ground, and eventually broke from trying to tighten the locking bolt enough for it to hold the ruler in place.
I was happy to have a reason to replace it. I went to Sears and bought the Craftsman 7″ combination square. This square is much more precisely ground and seems to hold a setting without having to crank down too hard on the locking nut. I’m not sure if I like that it is 7″ instead of 6″, but so far it doesn’t seem to make a difference. The lifetime warranty on it is an added plus.
This square is more precisely ground. The matte finish on the ruler makes it easier to see, especially when outside on a sunny day. You can also write on it with a pencil and then erase it. It is hard to tell in this photo, but the lines on the ruler are etched, not printed.
Something was missing though. It needed a “V” groove for the pencil. I often use a combination square as a marking gauge. However, without a little notch for the pencil tip, it is a little harder to make accurate marks. By using a saw file, I quickly cut a notch in each end of the ruler. The notch need only be half the thickness of the pencil lead you typically use. If you use a mechanical pencil, the notch can be smaller.
By rotating the swa file slightly as it cuts you can turn the v notch into a u notch if you prefer.
Laying out a line is as simple as holding the pencil in the notch then sliding the combination square along the side of your wood.
Sliding the combination square along the edge of the wood, brings the pencil along with it.
I have done the same thing to my 12″ and 16″ Combination Squares. (I have all three Craftsman sizes for less than one Starrett and they are guaranteed for life, which the Starretts are not.)
Previously
- Scarf Joints in American Timber Joinery
This is the last in a series of 6 articles by Jack Sobon, author of Timber Frame Construction.
We are often amazed at the lengths of timbers found in old American structures. Plates 40 ft. long are common. Fifty-footers are encountered occasionally, and timbers 60 and 70 ft. long are not unheard of. In the great [...]
- Roof Joinery in American Timber Joinery
Here is the 5th in a series of articles by Jack Sobon, timber framing book author.
In the design of timber-framed buildings, the roof is the dominant element. The structural system necessary to support its expanse greatly influences the total building design. In masonry buildings, the roof structure may be the only timber-framed element. The carpenters [...]
- Wall and Brace Joints in American Timber Joinery
This is the fourth in a series of articles by Jack Sobon, author of Timber Frame Construction. More great diagrams of joints and analysis of their strengths and weaknesses.
When a timber-framed building was sheathed horizontally, typically with clapboards, the supporting framework provided vertical nailers called studs, spaced according to the type of sheathing applied. [...]
- Sill and Floor Joints in American Timber Joinery
Third in a series of timber framing joint articles by Jack Sobon, author of a great book on timber framing. His diagrams make understanding even complicated joints easy.
Personally I find the sill and floor joints to be some of the most interesting. Sadly they are almost always hidden from view once the timber [...]
- Tying Joints: Tie at Plate in American Timber Joinery
This is the second in a series of articles written by Jack Sobon, author of Timber Frame Construction: All About Post and Beam Construction. His ability to represent common and not so common joints is outstanding.
The tie-at-plate category encompasses the most complex and varied of timber joints, including not only wall, roof and cornice [...]
- Tying Joints in American Timber Joinery
Here is the first in a series of articles written by Jack Sobon, author of one of my favorite timber framing books. The diagrams he uses are incredibly clear and effective at conveying the simplest and most complex timber framing joints.
Of all the joints that make up a traditional timbered frame, the
most important are [...]
- Drawshaving Larger Posts
I’ve done quite a bit of work around here using old cedar logs as posts for deck railing, gates and light posts. The wood is readily available as the forests near by seem full of old dead cedar trees that couldn’t keep up with the oaks and other giants. When the cedars died, their roots [...]
- Marking Knife Pheonix
Roughly 20 years ago I came into possession of some chisels from my grandfather. They have all been in service in my collection except one. A 3/4″ Keen Kutter paring chisel that suffered from a broken socket. Nearly half of the socket had cracked off. I looked for ways to repair it, and found none [...]
- New Fangled Saw Bench
In an effort to build myself a set of saw benches and give my 16 month old son a feeling of having his own workbench I started on this project. (Sawbench plans described in previous post)
I started out prepping some 2″+ thick Red Pine with my Fore Plane and of course I had a little [...]
- Saw Bench (toddler bench)
Lately my son (currently 16 months old) has been enjoying spending time with me in the workshop (he says workbop). He likes to hammer on stuff and is really enjoying using a toy saw and a toy plane to imitate his dad. The problem is, my bench is too high and the 5 gallon buckets [...]
- Coffee Table / Chest / Play Table (6) – Finishing Up
Gluing the Base
The base of this chest / play table is pretty large and I needed help getting all the pieces in place for the dry fit and the glue up. Fortunately my Father-in-law was here, so I enlisted his help. The dry fit went well, so we rehearsed who was going to be gluing [...]
- Sharpening a Card Scraper
There were several times when working on my timber frame project that I used a card scraper to clean up a bit of wood that had some nice grain or knot detail that I wanted to bring out. In the soft semi-green pine, the scraper worked pretty well without requiring me to pay a lot [...]
- Round Tenon Maker
When making a swinging gate out of natural cedar timbers for my deck, I had the need to make round tenons on the ends of some cedar branches. If I was doing a lot of them, it would have made sense to buy a dedicated round tenon cutter that is driven by a power drill. These [...]
- Coffee Table / Chest / Play Table (5) – Pattern Cutting Feet
The four side panels of this play table chest could simply rest on the floor, but it is pretty likely that the chest would rock a bit on a slightly uneven floor. It would also look a little bit too boxy for my taste. So I planned to trim away sections of each panel to [...]
- Coffee Table / Chest / Play Table (4) – Dados
With the dovetails now cut and dryfit, it is time to create the dado (a groove) in the side panels that will hold the floor of the chest in place. By planning for the location of the dado to terminate in a tail, I only have to create stopped dados in the tails, so only on [...]
- Coffee Table / Chest / Play Table (3) – Dovetails
The base of the chest will be held together with through dovetails (meaning the end grain of the tails will show). I like the alternating look of the endgrain and facegrain combinations. I have to admit that I am not an outstanding dovetailer …. some day I hope to be, but I’m not there yet..not [...]
- Coffee Table / Chest / Play Table (2)
So from my drawing of the Coffee Table / Chest / Play Table I determined how much wood I would need and returned from the home center with a decent selection of white pine.
The table sides are all panels 18″ high, so I created them by joining two 1″ x10″s By the time I jointed [...]
- Tongue & Groove Planes : Match Planes
Tongue and Groove is a method of joining boards that predates modern wood glue, biscuits and doweling jigs. I’ve seen Norm Abrams demonstrate how he creates tongue & groove using a table saw with a dado set installed, and I’ve seen others use a router table with a tongue and groove pair of router bits [...]
- Coffee Table / Chest / Play Table (1) Plan
I was at a high-end children’s toy store the other day with my son (1 yr old) and watched his eyes light up over a table full of Brio trains on a play table. As I watched how he used the table to play I noticed that the raised edge of the table kept the [...]
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