Thread: Which Square Do I Buy?

Outback

The cheapest alternative is to straighten your square (tell us what you have and we can advise). But this does not mean you still can't buy another square!

Being expensive does not guarentee accuracy. I have a very accurate cheap Chinese square. But you do basically get what you pay for.

If I could have just one square it would be a Starrett 12"/300mm combination. Mine is just fantastic and several levels above the cheapies you see on sale. But Expensive retail (about $500) unless you shop around on eBay as I did.

The best fixed squares are those made locally by Colen Clenton, but still seriously expensive. The big advantage of these is that they are adjustable for slight movement, so you can reset them if the blade moves slightly. I don't own any (yet).

I have a Crown knockoff of the CC 4" square. It is excellent at the cost, about $50 from Timbecon.

The other square I can recommend is a Nobex. These are adjustable between 45, 90 and 135 degrees, and guarenteed for accuracy (or return them). Around $50 from Carba-tec.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Thanks for the reply Derek,
I've has afew lookers, but no one else has forwarde advice.
My current square is a combinateion, had a bit of work and I guess its just worn, wehn you tighten the mechanism it seems to pull out of whack.
The Starret sounds great, but from what I read ( $500.00) comes with its own divorce ( ot sure if thats good or bad )

Again the CC range is a bit out of my league just yet.

The CC knock off sounds ideal, as does the Nobex, adjustable stuff worries me a bit, (I refer here to the Nobex) but if they are prepared to back it wiith money back, I'm interested.

Derek is right in that a cheap square can be an accurate square. The hassle is that they don't always stay square.

I have a Bridge City 7" that is accurate and, in any event, adjustable, but that is up there with Starrett for price, and I have a $50 no brand one that is accurate on its good days.

The cheap one was one of about a dozen the shop had in stock. I tested them all on a straight edge and bought the best of them.

The plastic geometry triangles that kids buy for school are usually accurate and, for a few dollars, are worth having in the shop. I use one to check the cheap square to see if it is a good day.

A small steel engineer's square is also a great test tool and is very useful for testing that internal angles are square when gluing and clamping frames and cabinets.

Outback

I have two combination squares both are fairly old. One is a Rabone I think, the other is a cheap no name. Both are now starting to be a bit unreliable as like you said when you tighten the screw they pull out of square. Up until recently they have both been equally accurate also have a cheapie fixed blade that is spot on. All of these I check regularly on a roofing square that I know is right. I will have to buy a new combo soon but will only buy after I have checked the accuracy regardless of price. Like you I don't feel I can justify a $500 price ticket for a square. Nothing I make needs to be that accurate, and i'm not looking for a divorce just yet.
When squaring larger frames and cupboards I prefer to use a squaring rod as I find this to be much more accurate than any square I have used.
Regards Bob

Outback

If you're interested in the Starret, look on eBay (USA). I paid about $100. Otherwise the Nobex ($50) is great.

Regards from Perth

Derek

I use an engineers square most of the time and a cheap combination (aluminium ruler toledo) when I need it. I also have one of Roger Gifkins precision squares (about $20) to keep a check on the other two and to use on smaller jobs. Oh, and a framing square for big jobs.

http://www.gifkins.com.au/PRECISION%20SQUARE.htm

Dan

I seem to collect squares

A big framing square - handy for big work.

A relatively cheap combination square I rarely use.

A 3" engineers square - great for machine setup etc.

A Marples (now Irwin) 200mm aluminium from Carbatec - very nice.

Bahco 200 & 300mm - the type that basically sits on the panel and hooks over one edge. Handy on panel work.

And my favourites - 6" & 9" Marples brass & rosewood - bought on eBay from the US, 30 year old new stock. VERY nice to use. Got them for US$14 & US$17. Bargain.

All of them are accurate - not to engineering standards probably, but more than accurate enough. Each is good in different situations.

Don't get me started on rulers I have a Rabone and a Toledo - both are really nice. The other dozen or so cheapies are junk.

I have a Stanley Combination square that is about 25 years old that is still spot on accurate. It has a steel blade with a alloy body with a level bubble that broke years ago.

I also have one of those Empire Poly Squares that is accurate and was about $9.00 made in America bought from Bunnings.


And as well of course a big framing square that I have never questioned but of course I have never dropped either.

The combination square has been carried around in toolboxes for years with all the other hand tools.

Hi Ya Outback,

Have a look at Colen Clenton's squares, I have 3 of them and am very happy with them.

The thing that sold me on them is that they are adjustable back to square if you drop them!

The Starret is a great tool, but fairly expensive. Have a look at the Nobex (as Derek suggested). They are a folding square which locks in at 90 and 45 deg. Surprisingly they are extremely accurate and damned convenient. Another bonus is if dropped they dont go out of square. Not sure that they would sell them at Woolies, though.

Cheers,

Thanks for yoyr help everyone.
MIK have offered to supply me with a Nobex square.
In retun I have offered $42.00 plus some postage.

In the mean time I have borrowed an engineers square to keep me going for a couple of days.
(yes Dad I checked to see if it was square)
(Yes Mum I will be very careful with it)

Is this the Starrett square you refer to?



Starrett Square

I bought a Fischer copy of the Starret set which isn't too bad. Timbecon have them for $80 but I got mine for $45 from a local market.

Hey Outback,

My Starrett just turned up today from the US for $325.00 Aust (bloody DHL charged $63 US to get it here). I got the model with the chrome finish blade with metric and imperial on a 12" rule with the forged square head and protractor and centre finder. see link below.

I got it from a mob called www.mytoolstore.com and they had pretty good service. I have checked it already and as you would expect it is deadly accurate. Whilst I am sure that I could get something a bit cheaper that may be accurate for a while, I bought this for the rest of my woodworking life ( well that's at least how I am justifying it to myself anyway).

I just got sick of "making do".

http://www.http://www.mytoolstore.co.../combin07.html

usual disclaimer - no affiliation etc.

BTW, in another post I posted that Blackwoods wanted over $800 for the same thing.

regards,

AD

Outback

I don't think that you'll be disappointed with the Nobex. With the Starrett, it is my "reach for" tool.

The Starrett combination square comes in a number of configurations and prices, all depending on finishes. The blade I have is the Satin chrome, which is the most expensive. Current price for the 4-piece set from The Wood Works in Sydney is $519

see: http://www.thewoodworks.com.au/detai...=3165239933633

I think the basic 2-piece set is close to $200.

But if you look on eBay.com you can pick up a second hand 2-piece set for about $50 USD or a 4-piece set for about $80 USD, which is what I did.

Regards from Perth

Derek