T-square recommendations please

[Lonsdale73]

Lonsdale73 - this sounds very similar to my experience.

You haven't mentioned "shooting board" - for me, this was the missing link. I can happily measure an accurate square, and can even cut a fairly straight line, but without the shooting board I couldn't get a cut very square.

Anyone should be able to get a square edge when using a shooting board and handplane. It is a wonderfully simple device, and I completely overlooked it when I started out on this hobby again after many years.

Thanks. I had to google 'shooting board' and found this useful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwYJhfChDdM It evoked long forgotten memories of woodwork classes back at school. Wonder if Mr Horsefield is still with us? Or Mr McGarry?

 

[Lonsdale73]

Quick update. A very happy and generous friend sprung for the Woodpecker TS600 for me. Yes it's still an expensive piece of kit for what it is but even an engineering ignoramus like me can appreciate its inherent quality. Would love to say it's transformed me into a master craftsman practically overnight but that would be stretching the truth way too far. However, it has instilled an enormous amount of confidence in my ability to at least measure and mark accurately which in tun has encouraged me to tackle new techniques with a modicum of success. I guess woodwork is as much about confidence and experience as any other technically demanding subject and it's all too easy for a bad workman to blame his tools however I'm still mindful of my granda's adage about having the right tool for the job. And this certainly is.

 

[MusicMan]

Readers of this thread might like to look at my 'high accuracy square-checking jig' that i've just posted in the Jigs forum.

Keith

 

[Steve Maskery]

I realise that I'm a bit late to the party here but for the sake of completeness, I should point out that for any frame to end up square at all four corners, it's not enough for the joinery to be right, the opposite sides must be exactly the same length (hence cutting them in pairs) That is true whether using mitres like a picture frame or M&T like a door.

It's not sufficient to measure the diagonals. They can be the same and the frame still be out. All it takes is for one side to be shorter than its oppo and you have a trapezoid which still has identical diagonals.

BTW, good camera talk above. I'm a some-gear-but-not-much-idea sort of photographer As I'm looking to get some new video kit at the mo, I need to up my game somewhat.