Why have a bunch of them?
Get one GOOD 12" combo, a 6" combo of the same quality, and a saddle square, and you're good to go. You can do the whole deal for under $100 if you shop around.
Barry
A draftsman's triangle is more than adequate. Also, a T-square 36"long in nowhere near $100. Also, a parallel bar for a drafting table is around $100. Why don't more people use them? maybe because they don't cost enough. I set my drill press with a 30-60 triangle, my bandsaw with it also. I use a parallel bar for my jointer and my planer, and a
45 degree triangle for setting my table saw and es[pecially the miter guage. By the way, a UniFence fence is wonderful for setting up the planer; it is long, very stable and very straight.
Set of 3 engineer squares from HF were about $10 and like I say as square as the starret combo could measure. The Starret was my dad's and handed down (has all three heads). I also have a Disston wood handled square handed down, a $5 carpenter's square, a $5.99 speed square (I think that is the right term for a fairly rough cast aluminum dohicky from HD) and a plastic drafting triangle. Thus I have far more squares than I need and I have about $25 in them (I don't know what dad spent on the starrets and Disston, but I would bet they were bought used and cheap knowing him).
Dave Hall
Keeter- could you talk about this a bit more? I'm having a hard time picturing it. are the reference points the screw heads or are the screws being used to warp the mdf into/out of line so that the opposite edge is straight? Bridger (who can be hopelessly dense at times)
On Fri, 6 Feb 2004 14:35:49 -0500, scribbled:
For straightedges, make your own.
Takes me back to my days of working with red lead and persian blue.
I may try it as an experiment some day, ror now I'll be happy with my steel rule.
The MDF is solely there as the carrier (fixture) for holding the screws. The screws are acting as the contact points for the straight edge. In other words, you could use just about anything suitable that would hold a screw because the beauty of this is, you can re-calibrate it as often as needed.
Let me get the article and see if I can relate what John White has done without re-writing the entire text.
Here we go. I'll hit on the high spots.
Three pieces of MDF 3/4" X 5" X the length of what you are wanting to test.
Into one edge of each piece screw in three fine thread
1 3/4" drywall screws, one at each end and one at the center (center David). I should point out that the spacing needs to be semi-exact (same) from piece to piece otherwise it don't want to work right. I should also note that the spacing of the screws has to be per the surface being tested, i.e., say your leveling your jointer and the infeed table is 22" long, the screws need to be 21"ish on center.Leave the screws with a 1/4" projection. File down the heads of the screws to remove any burrs.
Mark the MDF pieces: A - Test Bar (the final product/what you are making here) B - Calibration Bar C - Calibration Bar
Place A against B and adjust only the center screw on B until all six screws touch.
Place A against C and adjust the center screw on C until all six screws touch.
Place B against C and adjust the center screws of "both" equally until all six screws touch.
Place B against A and adjust the center screw on A only until it touches.
Rinse and repeat the earlier steps until all pieces touch at all six screws on any given combination of parts A, B and C and no additional fiddling needs to be done.
Myself? I need chalk when something like this is being es'plained textorally so I'd advise (advice in rec.wood speak) that you visit the Swenson site and see how he 'splains it with actual straight edges as the principle is the same.
Your Mileage May Vary.
Oh! Someone had mentioned there only being three points and trying to level a table where four points would be desirable? What White does is, raise the tables to where they clear the cutters (rotate cutters?) and leveling the table at the throat of the jointer. Then you place the test bar across the tables with two screws on the infeed table and one screw on the far end of the outfeed table. Then using feeler gages (gauges David) measure the amount of rise or fall in that table. Shim to makes things right and make final adjustments when done.
UA100
I would consider the above to be the minimum requirement. Like clamps, you can never have enough combination squares when marking out a project.
UA100
Or maybe they're a bit unwieldy in the apron?
Drafting triangles do make excellent setup squares, but why go looking for it when a perfectly adequate tool is already in your pocket?
Any good combination square measures 90 and 45 degrees accurately, is square to the handle on both sides and ends of the ruler, is very easy on the eyes with clear markings, measures depth, thickness, and distance to about 1/128" accuracy, quickly finds centers of boards, acts as a great marking gauge, and fits in your pocket. All of this can be done with no extra parts or add-ons, just the blade and handle.
A 6", my favorite size, is about $40 or so, brand new on eBay.
It's the Swiss Army layout tool!
Barry
A small engineer's square will stand up on its edge. A draughtsman's square won't.
It will with the aid of a little plumber's putty.
-- Jack Novak Buffalo, NY - USA (Remove "SPAM" from email address to reply)
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