New square required!

[Jacob]

I've had a couple of Bahco squares. Cheap, good quality, no precision/accuracy problems.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/bahco-combin ... 5mm-/3870K?

 

[bugbear]

Use one of the tests above to find out which direction it is out and then use a small needle file to take a little of one or other edge of the brass hook that holds the ruler until it is correct.

In all the squares I've seen, the hook is a single point of contact, pulling the rule down onto two small seats. Squareness is adjusted by filing the seats (relative to each other).

Sounds like yours was different.

Here's a video that shows how to adjust the common style I had.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HByNXxtep00

BugBear

 

[transatlantic]

I'll say it again! .. someone needs to come out with an adjustable square! .. one that has a wee bit of wiggle room that we can set ourselves using the flip trick (which is good enough for woodwork)

Colen Clenton offers them in Australia.

Mike beat me to it but there might be one or two left here:

https://www.hntgordon.com.au/colen-clen ... tools.html

kind of defeats the object if the adjustable squares are just as expensive as the accurate squares

 

[nabs]

In all the squares I've seen, the hook is a single point of contact, pulling the rule down onto two small seats. Squareness is adjusted by filing the seats (relative to each other).

Sounds like yours was different.

Here's a video that shows how to adjust the common style I had.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HByNXxtep00

BugBear

Admittedly it was many moons ago, but I could have sworn I filed the hook bit - when I am back at home I will take a closer look.

 

[undergroundhunter]

I will second Bahco squares I have a 6" and the 16" and both were spot on as good as my eyes can tell using knife lines.

matt

 

[stoopiduk]

I'm no precision woodworker, but the range of Bahco combination squares I've bought have all served me very well. I have four different sizes, and the quality and accuracy is consistently high.

 

[shed9]

I'll say it again! .. someone needs to come out with an adjustable square! .. one that has a wee bit of wiggle room that we can set ourselves using the flip trick (which is good enough for woodwork)

Colen Clenton offers them in Australia.

Mike beat me to it but there might be one or two left here:

https://www.hntgordon.com.au/colen-clen ... tools.html

kind of defeats the object if the adjustable squares are just as expensive as the accurate squares

Trend do an adjustable square called an M3. RRP is £40ish but you sometimes see them pop up new on Ebay for >£25. Used one for years and a decent bit of kit. The one thing I like about it which you wouldn't necessarily look out for in a square is it will balance itself on the work piece without support - sounds redundant but often strangely comes in handy.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I have an infinitely adjustable square -
https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/311917264622?c ... 495&crdt=0

 

[Mark A]

I bought a Bahco 12" combination square from Toolstation recently and it's about 1mm out. Should have returned it but forgot.

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

 

[Jacob]

I bought a Bahco 12" combination square from Toolstation recently and it's about 1mm out. Should have returned it but forgot.

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

Just needs a little tweak with a file and it will be equal to the expensive alternatives and save you £100 or more.

 

[woodbrains]

I bought a Bahco 12" combination square from Toolstation recently and it's about 1mm out. Should have returned it but forgot.

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

Just needs a little tweak with a file and it will be equal to the expensive alternatives and save you £100 or more.

Hello,

At least until the die cast stock moves and it goes out of square again. A Starrett costs less than 100 so you can't save this much and they are manufactured to guaranteed tolerances of within 4 thou per foot.

Mike.

 

[Jacob]

I bought a Bahco 12" combination square from Toolstation recently and it's about 1mm out. Should have returned it but forgot.

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

Just needs a little tweak with a file and it will be equal to the expensive alternatives and save you £100 or more.

Hello,

At least until the die cast stock moves and it goes out of square again....

But they don't move so that's OK.
Keeping your tools trim and in order is normal. The expensive stuff is for people who can't do it.

 

[woodbrains]

Hello,

I wonder if fixing an out of square square will also simultaneously yield a 45° that is 45°. Unlikely, and when you file away at it there will be no returns on the thing. Advising anyone to buy a square that isn't square and fixing it is lunacy. And die cast zinc certainly does move, at least one poster on this thread noticed it.

Mike.

 

[Jacob]

..... die cast zinc certainly does move, at least one poster on this thread noticed it.

Mike.

Bahco stock is die cast alloy of some sort and shows no sign of moving, but I'll keep my eyes on them!

Accuracy/precision can get beginners exited for a very old fashioned reason - the hope that the tool is to blame!
But it is possible to make do with all sorts of garbage, getting into the (sub conscious?) habit of correcting known errors etc and producing precise work

 

[Peter Sefton]

Spending £20 on a quality BS939 engineers square is a good investment, I personally wouldn't waste £15 on something that isn't square it will leads to a lifetime of frustration and mistakes.

Cheers Peter

 

[D_W]

Buy a combination square that is older and that has a hardened head and not too much wear on the rule. It should be half the price or less of a new unhardened square, and it will be more square, work more nicely (smoothly) and last ten times as long as a square with an unhardened head.

And be more useful than a try square (because you can mark off of the end of it).

 

[Peter Sefton]

Buy a combination square that is older and that has a hardened head and not too much wear on the rule. It should be half the price or less of a new unhardened square, and it will be more square, work more nicely (smoothly) and last ten times as long as a square with an unhardened head.

And be more useful than a try square (because you can mark off of the end of it).

I have an old Rabone Chesterman No 1913 classic, I spent my hard earned cash as a teenager 30 something years ago to buy this square. I bet it's been out of square for at least the last 28 years!

I think you have to spend a real lot of money to get a really good combination square, I can't say its something I personally recommend doing.

Cheers Peter

 

[D_W]

Hi Peter - i think that's a bit too old. I'll give you an example:
* I bought two unhardened starrett squares (used, but in reasonable condition), and one PEC combination square - unhardened. These were OK, but the starretts were worn out, and the PEC isn't that great - its action is really rough, you have to fight it some. It's also reasonably square, but not what you'd want if you have a choice.
* After that, I got a suggestion from a machinist and toolmaker over here who is relatively well known to go find used squares with hardened heads (actually, he just said make sure the head is hardened, and didn't specify used). He suggested any decent older brand is fine.

I subsequently bought two lufkin squares for $30 each. Both are dead square, both with good action and hardened heads. I think I bought them about three years apart, because I like to have two of those, and the first three I bought, I never should have. They're probably half as old as your square, perhaps less, and I could see from the listings they were low wear. Lufkin is a brand that's been diluted in the states, so it was easier to buy them for a reasonable price than it would be to find an old starrett. Anyway, I like to have two of things that aren't that expensive in case I misplace one - then I don't have to spend an hour of shop time chasing down something - the first will reappear at some point while I use the second. Watched pot never boils kind of thing. No excuse why it took me several years to have the sense to replace the dud versions - just didn't think about it until someone else requested, i guess.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lufkin-Com...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

(I made this seller an offer of $30, regardless of what the expired listing says was paid - I guess ebay doesn't like to share the offer price that's actually accepted)

Of course, there's always just a chance that I've had luck (both bad with unhardened squares, and good with hardened). The toolmaker who told me this tip (who was charged with fixing squares for people who had worn them out, and came to develop a preference for hardened squares) suggests that the odds are in our favor if we follow it, though.

This reminds me that I need to list my other squares on ebay.

Not advocating anyone buy new squares of this type - they're expensive. Certainly not advocating anyone buy expensive unhardened new squares of this type, either - they have a poor future and will need correcting if used heavily. But used squares with hardened heads, a decent brand and little visible wear are a pretty good bet.

(I have a reference moore and wright square that I use to check these things when they arrive, so I'm not guessing at whether or not they're actually as square as they appear to be).

 

[custard]

The problem with engineers squares is once they get up to around about 12'' or 300mm the stock is becoming a bit too heavy to be comfortably used in the way most woodworkers use them, i.e. with one hand holding the blade flat on the workpiece while the other hand scribes or pencils a line. At this size and above the weight of the solid steel stock trying to swing down risks introducing inaccuracies.

 

[Peter Sefton]

Custard you make some valid points on the larger steel squares, I think this is why the larger solid aluminium squares with lips in the stock are very popular.

I have an old 12" Morre and Wright from when they were Sheffield made, it's a beast but still very accurate.

Cheers

Peter