combination square woes

[thomvic]

Chris and Mathew

Thanks for that info on rule size. It doesn't make me feel a lot better though when a steel rule costs over £20 an inch"

Richard

 

[marcus]

I picked up a 6" starret on ebay a few months back and have been chuffed to bits with it.

I also have a six inch starret which I bought new about five years ago. I ordered it from a local shop without asking how much it would be, having heard they are a good make. I assumed I would pay about £15. The guy in the shop looked really embarrassed when I went in to collect it and he told me the price - he hadn't expected it to be so much either.

Still he'd ordered it specially from the states, so I coughed up, and I haven't once regretted it - it's a beauty. On the other hand I regret buying my Stanley 12" every time I use it....

 

[afreegreek]

I have Bridge City squares (2), a Bridge City mitre square, 6 engineer's squares.. 2",3",4",6",8",and 12" and a Starrett combination square with 12" and 18" blades. other than the 2" and 3" engineer's squares and the Starrett is the only one I use. the rest are drawer filler because I find set squares are pretty useless.. especially the brass bladed Bridge City ones.. if they weren't such eye candy, I'd toss them in the dumpster...

 

[afreegreek]

I have Bridge City squares (2), a Bridge City mitre square, 6 engineer's squares.. 2",3",4",6",8",and 12" and a Starrett combination square with 12" and 18" blades. other than the 2" and 3" engineer's squares and the Starrett is the only one I use. the rest are drawer filler because I find set squares are pretty useless.. especially the brass bladed Bridge City ones.. if they weren't such eye candy, I'd toss them in the dumpster...

 

[dannykaye]

years ago I bought a cheap (£2 ish) cast iron square, for years I thought I couldnt saw straight, 90 was ok but 45 for mitres no way, then I got a M&W set on ebay for about £50 and realised that the 45 was off, sad I never thought it could be anything but me


I now havs a £20 stanley set like this one but bright yellow. I checked and it is as good as the m&w one. BTW the good ones like the M&W the bits don't fall out!

edit: I took a fine file to the 45 one the old one and it has improved my ability to saw straight

 

[Steve Maskery]

I've been looking to upgrade mine for ages. I forget the make, I've had it 20 years or more. The 90 was OK but the 45 out. Useless for proper precision.

I baulked at the price of the Starrett and eventually went for an Axi. I think it was PAC who recommended it. I was a tad disappointed when I got it. It looked OK, but a bit like a cheap copy of something very good (which I suppose it is, really).

But it appears to be spot on in accuracy, and it is fine for everyday use. Not a Starrett, no, but I don't regret buying it. It's a good compromise. The rule and the protractor are easy to read, with fine markings, so that is a boon as my arms seem to have shrunk in the last few years.

I'm happy.

(With that, anyway! I think I probably got divorced today )

 

[jimi43]

I would have said that combination squares are useful for most things but not a set square 90 degrees.

I have tried many options but on a smallish scale nothing can beat my old MW...

Bootfair...£20....probably the most I have ever shelled out at a bootfair but worth every penny!

Jim

 

[Max Power]

Sorry to hear about your problems Steve,it must be a very stressful time for you, but things do start to get better with time so try and stay positive

 

[Ironballs]

I had/have one of the cheapo combis but wondered why I was struggling to get accurate mitres after using it to set my tablesaw. Turns out it isn't quite 45 deg but oh so slightly off. Ended up getting the Axi boxset that I think Steve was talking about, a few more quid but not too much and you do get a lot for your cash

BTW - I see afreegreek is still having his double posting issue. Must be permanently hammered!

PS - good luck Steve

 

[chingerspy]

Useful thread to dig up for me right now I will need a new square or set of squares after finding out why all my longer lines were wonky using the Wickes special :roll: I have my 2" engineers square from college still though and it's as straight as ever it was.

So the Axi set gets the thumbs up then? If it's good enough for Steve and Ironballs, it's good enough for me! Is this the set? Is this the set?

Steve: sorry to hear that mate. I went through one about 8 years ago (nearly to the day!) Time will help a bit at first, then a lot, now I could give a monkeys. Here to help if I can.

 

[Ironballs]

That's the one, nice piece of equipment

 

[Steve Maskery]

That's the one.
Thanks for the support guys. I've just had a good evening with a good mate in a good pub with 1.5 pints of good beer. There was also a group of Good Mate's professional colleagues from years ago, quite by accident, and no-one else in the pub, so the landlord was happy to cut the crap music and we sat, drank and discussed mental health issues, Harley Davidsons, NGOs, the restrictions placed on people who have to give a reference to people who are totally inadequate for the job and several other genuinely interesting topics as well. It was a good evening. Very good.

I wished Judith "Happy Divorce". She didn't respond.

S

 

[Ironballs]

On the plus side Steve, you're not going to get delivery men asking you if you're Mrs Maskery anymore. Well, at least I hope not :shock:

 

[Steve Maskery]

Thank you IB, that has made me laugh.
S

 

[chingerspy]

Good, good, one other investment I will try to find cash for then I was going to go for all metal engineers squares as I sort of lost faith in normal wood/metal design ones.

Steve, 1.5 beers and a sense of humour are good moves. Answers are not at the bottom of the tenth pint or that bottle of whiskey I looked

 

[afreegreek]

Good, good, one other investment I will try to find cash for then I was going to go for all metal engineers squares as I sort of lost faith in normal wood/metal design ones.

Steve, 1.5 beers and a sense of humour are good moves. Answers are not at the bottom of the tenth pint or that bottle of whiskey I looked

all the wood/metal type wood worker's squares I've tried have wide blades and wide stocks. they are not that comfortable to hold or as easy to control as the all steel engineer's style. they have narrower blades and stocks but thicker blades.. much better to knife a line against and to hold in position while you do it.. they are cheap too. I have a really expensive 6" Starrett master square No. 20 that I keep just to check the other ones incase I drop them or something. it's accurate to .0001" over the 6 inches.. my other squares which were much cheaper check to be square against this reference at about 1/4 the price. I have a bunch that I bought from Lee Valley and they are very nice to use and pretty cheap too..

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx ... at=1,42936

 

[chingerspy]

Yes I think I was looking at them. It's a real pain in the proverbial for someone like me starting the hobby to find that all along their sqaure was out of kilter I've been using that since taking it up around new year. I'm tempted to throw this one at the Wickes MD but I fear it may come back like a boomerang!

I definately feel more comfortable with engineers squares (trained in engineering but never a career) They give me confidence as they are all metal and feel pretty sturdy.

 

[Eric The Viking]

Yes I think I was looking at them. It's a real pain in the proverbial for someone like me starting the hobby to find that all along their sqaure was out of kilter I've been using that since taking it up around new year. I'm tempted to throw this one at the Wickes MD but I fear it may come back like a boomerang!

I definately feel more comfortable with engineers squares (trained in engineering but never a career) They give me confidence as they are all metal and feel pretty sturdy.

I think we all learn the hard way

Squares and spirit levels: always, always check 'em before use: I had an 8x11ft window installed three times by the firm, as twice the twits doing it used an untrue spirit level didn't check it, and couldn't work out why, eleven feet higher up the house, it didn't fit! It took their manager to explain it to them...

One of the best squares I have for day-to-day use is a plastic set square, with a block moulded on it to align with edges. It's getting a bit old and worn now, so that I have to use pressure on it in a particular way, but I'm used to it. I still check it regularly though, and don't trust it for crucial things. It's branded 'Keetosquare", circa 1983, and if I could find another I'd jump at the chance.

 

[dannykaye]

A friend of mine had a cheap combination set, borrowed my japanese marking knife and cut a sliver off the ruler there are good reasons for hard steel

 

[PeterBassett]

I've got four (4! they breed) dirt cheap combination squares from B&Q.

I don't use them for checking square but they are dead useful for keeping a distance measurement.

Pete