What Layout and Measuring Tools?

| What are the essential layout and measuring tools for the | woodworking shop? Which ones are the most needed and which ones are | the nice to have?

Depends on what's being made. Since you didn't specify "minimalist" or "low-budget", I'll suggest as essential:

Combination square with protractor head Trammel points Long straightedge Knife

Nice to have:

Sharp pencil Tape rule Framing square Drywall square (mine is square and straight) Compass and dividers 1-2-3 Block Digital depth gauge Digital calipers Saddle square

-- Morris Dovey DeSoto Solar DeSoto, Iowa USA

dial protractor. :)

er

I would add a dial caliper with fractions clearly marked ( saw one at Lowes in the $20.00 range), great for planing and checking thickness. Maybe then a 3' straight edge. The perfect size for most cabinet work when you are building bases. OH!! and a folding ruler! The extension slider will measure inside-to-inside and keep your measurement if you just want to trace it direct.Nice for adding shelves to cases.

Tom in KY, addicted and over-run with the tool habit.

| Philly (in XigHf.192$0s.99@trndny04) said: | || What are the essential layout and measuring tools for the || woodworking shop? Which ones are the most needed and which ones are || the nice to have? | | Depends on what's being made. Since you didn't specify "minimalist" | or "low-budget", I'll suggest as essential: | | Combination square with protractor head | Trammel points | Long straightedge | Knife | | Nice to have: | | Sharp pencil | Tape rule | Framing square | Drywall square (mine is square and straight) | Compass and dividers | 1-2-3 Block | Digital depth gauge | Digital calipers | Saddle square

Another entry in the "nice to have" catagory: A "SmartLevel" with both

-- Morris Dovey DeSoto Solar DeSoto, Iowa USA

Tape measure Digital caliper speed square

• Combination square of good manufacture. Empire or Johnson top-of-the-line is the lowest you want to go. Skip the protractor head and center finder. Oooh, listen: you can hear the distant chanting of the villagers: "Star-rett, Star-rett..."
• Plastic school protractor (local grocer's)
• Good quality framer's square
• Good quality pencils. You might consider B or 2B instead of the ubiquitous #2/HB.

You can cobble up center-finders, scratch awls (rub a 16d nail on the sidewalk), marking knives, trammels, and the like as you need them. Once you've made a device, you'll know what you want to look for in a store-bought version. Then, and only then, go nuts with a Lee Valley catalog.

Nice:

If you do your own designs, you might look at French curves and a better protractor. Add a T-square and drafting board, or CAD software if you're so inclined.

IMHO, the other guys are messing with your head. ;-)

The most important layout and measuring devices are your own eyes, brain, and hands. Understand when and where you need the precision of a carpenter's pencil, a mechanical pencil, a scratch awl, and a marking knife. Have fun.

You don't use a tape measure?? Geesh, I must be living in the dark ages.

Nah, I just don't make things that are big enough to need one. Good idea to add one to OP's list. So, OP, get a tape measure. Bright fluorescent!

Nice list Morris. In addition to Morris's list I would include:

Chalk - I use chalk all the time. I put chalk marks on would to be joined. When all the chalk is gone the face is flat. I also use it in place of a pencil when I can. It is a lot easier to get rid of than pencil marks.

Drafting Pencil - I use it in place of a marking knife in many situations.

Center Finding Ruler

Good Lighting - I am getting older and need good light to accurately measure and layout

Only One Tape Measure - I used to keep a bunch of tapes around so there was always one close but I found out the hard way that they each had their own measurement system. Now I keep only one tape and make sure that all machines are referenced to it.

Frank Drackman wrote: [schnible]

Chalk or talcum powder? Chalk is abrasive on tool edges, I think.

er

Struth. I said dial protractor, but I laid it up against angles measured and cut using my simple protractor, and there was only 5 minutes or less divergence from the desired angle.

But it looks very nice.

er

So is wood, I think..

pencil marks.

Depends on the wood. Maple, beech, or cherry, yes. Red oak, hell no. Did that exactly once. Wound up spending an hour and a half with a dental explorer, picking chalk out of the pores, before applying finish; even the 1.5HP dust collector wouldn't get it all.

I never thought of the open pore problem. Did you try a wet sponge? Almost

And sand embedded in the wood. So I've heard.

er

My most used, so I'd call them my most essential:

- 6" Starrett combo square

- 16' tape measure (I like my Fast Cap "story pole" flat tape)

- Lee Valley Saddle square (just get one)

- Cheap, really basic, brass thickness calipers (no dial, Garrett Wade?)

- Marking knife (Veritas striking is my favorite, XActo #1works - great with no sharpening & is cheap)

- GOOD Bevel gage

- Pencils (#1, 2, & 3, + red green & blue)

- Sharpie

- Crayons (jointed edge & direction marks)

- Chalk (rough part layout)

- 3' steel ruler

- Old Starrett dividers ($5 at a flea market)

- Lee Valley clip on pencil sharpener

- Plastic protractor & 30/60/90 & 45/45/90 triangles from Staples

- shop made flex bow for forming curves

- large framing square

- string

Stuff I got along without for years, but wouldn't let go now, including stuff for specific tasks:

- 3' Machinist's Reference Straight Edge (the one you keep in the box unless checking machines)

- more GOOD bevel gages in various sizes (once they're set...)

- 12" Starrett combo (I actually bought this before the 6", the 6" is more useful to me)

- 4" double square (you can never have too many preset measurements)

- Bevel Boss or Lee Valley angle finder / setter

- Veritas fractional / decimal dial caliper

- Veritas drawing bow

- Veritas measuring stick heads (for checking diagonals)

- 6, 12, & 24" steel rules

- 6' straight edge

- Assorted Stabila levels

- Starrett angle finder (used in finish / installation work only

- mechanic's feeler gages

- marking awl

- drilling awl

- center punch

- GOOD marking / cutting gages

- chalk line

- compass & beam compass heads

- plastic french curve

- profile gage

Stuff I've used maybe once, and need to put on eBay, real wastes of money for me:

- aluminum saddle dovetail markers

- Cheap combo squares

- Home center bevel gages

- Starrett protractor head (Bevel Boss & gage MUCH better!)

- 45 deg saddle square

- Crappy marking & cutting gages

- Center finding rulers (it's easier for me to do the math than to go get the other ruler )

- feet/inch calculator ( a $3 solar jobbie is just as easy for me) Barry

In addition to the above responses I would add:

Must Have: A high-quality 6 in. steel rule (is probably the most-used tool in my entire shop).

Very Nice to Have: A pair of sliding sticks (I'm not sure of proper name for this) with a little clamp that lets you move the sticks to mark a given length. Gives you an exact and precise indicator of a length without having to measure and record. Also lets you get the length of all kinds to places that are difficult/impossible to measure with a tape or rule, e.g. inside of drawer spaces in a cabinet or inside diagonals of a drawer or cabinet. You buy the pair of clamps from a woodworking supplier (e.g. Rockler) and cut the wood strips yourself. The clamps can be used for any length of wood, so you can have multiple sets of sticks to easily mark different length ranges. .

--Billy

A T-square is pretty handy. The sample at the

If you're going to do traditional joinery get a Tite-Mark marking gauge - with the accessory pair of mortise and tenon cutting wheels. Does what it's supposed to do better and easier than anything out there.

charlie b