# What combination square do you recommend?



## Duane Bledsoe (Oct 18, 2012)

I'm having a bit of an issue with my squares. I have one that has a plastic slide, and I've never trusted it. I only bought it to get the steel ruler to use on my table saw when setting the fence. I put the slide on it and did a test tonight to see if it reads right, where you set it on a perfect straight edge and make a mark along side the ruler, then flip it and make another mark side by side the first one, and then check for parallel. It failed. 

I have another old one that has a steel slide. It's at least 20 years or more old. It is very minimally off but really close to accurate doing the same test, less than a millimeter different, but when compared physically to my framing square's corner it seems even more off than that. It wobbles with the framing square corner inside its corner and the gap at the end of the ruler is about 1/16 or more. I don't understand how it can mark such straight parallel lines when slid to the other end. The framing square is solid, unadjustable, and not bent so is should be accurate.

I went to Lowe's tonight and looked at a Swanson square they had, compared it to a framing square there and saw a very slight difference in it as well, and it is brand new. 

I don't know a lot about these type squares but it seems that since they are movable that there is bound to be a margin of error with them being out of square a tiny bit. I'm trying to improve my accuracy in woodworking and I am shooting for dead nuts accurate marks and cuts. I started using 6H pencils to mark with to make the finest cut lines possible. I'm shooting for 1/64 inch accuracy whenever I can. Am I asking too much there? I'm going to have to use some kind of square to mark the wood and I don't think my speed square's edge will let me be accurate enough so i was hoping the combination square would. How much out of squareness is acceptable in these tools?


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## DaveTTC (May 25, 2012)

For a sliding combination square I always like Rabone Chesterman. Not sure if you can still get them, think they were from the UK.

Dave The Turning Cowboy


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

I use a 12" and a 16" Stanley. I also have a Starrett that sits on a shelf that was a gift. It seems to impress my friends, but I don't like it.










 







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## BZawat (Sep 21, 2012)

Honestly, IMO combination squares are unreliable for actually squaring something. I only use them when I need something that I can adjust to a desired depth in marking out a consistent reveal, or for setting hinge plates back from the edge of frameless cabinet fronts, for example. 

If you really want accurate, get a machinist's square, and only use it to gauge your everyday squares by. 

And no, I don't think 1/64" is excessive. It's good to set the bar at a difficult-to-reach height ;-)


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## Hammer1 (Aug 1, 2010)

Get a 6" engineers square, it's perfect for machine set ups, checking the accuracy of cuts and you can take it with you to check other squares you may want to buy. 
Amazon.com: Robert Larson 885-1006 6-Inch Engineer Square: Home Improvement


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## Dave66 (Apr 6, 2012)

I use framing squares or an 8" machinist's square to check for outside squareness, but my preferred method is measuring diagonals. I use drafting triangles to check inside squareness and set my TS blade. 

I have three Stanley, 6", combo squares that are only used for depth marking. 

It's good to shoot high for accuracy, but don't obsess over it. Wood always moves some so machine shop precision is overkill.

I use 0.7mm mechanical pencils. Ahhh, to be able to even see 6H marks again. - lol


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## Wema826 (Jul 22, 2012)

Or you can make your own tri squares. here is a link to a site that i have found. He reminds me of a Roy Underhill in sorts. I have made some of these squares the same way he shows and they are dead nuts accurate. and easy to "tune up" if they become out of square. 

http://logancabinetshoppe.com/blog/2011/02/episode-33/

and here is the link to his home page. 

http://www.logancabinetshoppe.com/


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## preacherman (Nov 29, 2011)

If you must have a combination square I would recommend a Starrett. They are pricey but I really like mine. However, I use my Crown square more than anything else. I think it is the six inch model, very accurate and it does not cost nearly as much.


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## Duane Bledsoe (Oct 18, 2012)

I don't need a combination square anymore. I was only using it for its fine edge on the metal ruler for marking lines and taking for granted it was accurate. I thought with the slide being aluminum that it would be more accurate. I have a speed square that is nice and heavy for job site use but its edge isn't fine enough for me to make a tight line with so I skipped it at the time.

Yesterday I had a chance to compare my framing square to another one to check its squareness. Unless both of them are off by the same amount (doubtful), then mine is dead on so I'm satisfied that the combination squares I compared to it are off. And the combination square I checked in the store against yet a third framing square was off there as well, so I have decided that combination squares are not very accurate. Maybe for setting bit depth or blade depth on tools, they might be fine, but I'm going to get a few of the engineer's squares in different sizes to use for marking wood for crosscuts in the future, and maybe some other measuring instruments for laying out other marks on other things.

Thank you all for the input!


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## Pirate (Jul 23, 2009)

Duane Bledsoe said:


> Yesterday I had a chance to compare my framing square to another one to check its squareness. Unless both of them are off by the same amount (doubtful), then mine is dead on so I'm satisfied that the combination squares I compared to it are off. And the combination square I checked in the store against yet a third framing square was off there as well, so I have decided that combination squares are not very accurate. Maybe for setting bit depth or blade depth on tools, they might be fine, but I'm going to get a few of the engineer's squares in different sizes to use for marking wood for crosscuts in the future, and maybe some other measuring instruments for laying out other marks on other things.
> 
> Thank you all for the input!



I wouldn't assume that both squares are out of square.
Years ago, I had a car come in the shop, because both headlites were out. Started checking switch, wiring, etc, first, because it was "doubtful" that both were burned out. Wrong!!!

One of my most used squares is a cheapo, Lowes, or HD 6" combination square. Mostly for marking reveals.
For marking a square line, I use tri squares.


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## Hammer1 (Aug 1, 2010)

Duane, you don't have to square marks on your wood unless you are using a handsaw. Set up your power saws accurately, they will automatically cut the board square. All you need is a tick mark so you know where to cut. You won't see many pros waisting time drawing marks across their boards when using miter saws, table saws, RAS and even square cuts with a portable circular saw guided by a speed square.


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## Duane Bledsoe (Oct 18, 2012)

Yeah, I know that. I do it though because I'm inexperienced when it comes to woodworking and trying to be so precise. If I watch the saw cut across on the line then it reassures me that the saw is still cutting square. I don't have anyone who can teach me anything about the craft or the tools. I just have to rely on what I read on how to set up the saws correctly, and hope I understood it well enough to get it right. Since I have a habit of doubting myself, I like all the reassurance I can get.

I've used miter saws in the past but rarely a slider, and on them I just made a tick mark and trusted them for accuracy. It was just for cutting wood to do home repairs and in a lot of cases accuracy was only important to the 1/4 inch. When doing trim it mattered more but I just did tick marks there, too, and never had a problem. But with a brand new sliding miter that I know nothing about its reliability, and trying to be precise to the 1/64th inch for my projects (some furniture stuff, too), I wanted to make sure it was dead on so I just did anything I could think of to make sure. Making the full mark also makes me slow down since it takes longer, and that, I think, sometimes keeps me from making a mistake from rushing things.


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## J.C. (Jan 20, 2012)

I wouldn't trust a framing square to be square. They are notorious for being less than square right off the shelf. I also wouldn't trust most combination squares. A Starrett or Bridge City Toolworks combination squares would be two of the better ones. 

For just normal squares Woodpeckers, Incra, Starrett, and Bridge City Tool Works would be my choices.
For framing squares, Chappell Univeral Square is a great choice.


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## J.C. (Jan 20, 2012)

Here's a good site for Miter Saw Tune-Ups.


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## Purrmaster (Jul 19, 2012)

I've got an Empire (you can get it at Home Depot) combo square that seems quite good. I read some other people on here talking about how good they were so I picked one up. Starrett will be quite accurate but cost an arm and a leg. I have been less impressed with my Swanson.


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## gideon (May 26, 2010)

you can find all sorts of starrett and old stanleys on ebay, flea markets and auctions. I have an old stanley which I use a lot. 

I also use precision squares a lot. I really like the weighted handles. I hav e a set of three woodrivers, a rabone and an 11 inch browne and sharpe which I absolutely love using.


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## Fastback (Sep 2, 2012)

When you come right down to it the most accurate are the plastic drafting squares (as already said). I am not talking about engineer and Starrett squares they are in a class of their own. Just remember if you have a engineers square and drop it it is probable not any better off than a cheap one. I have at least one of each, but I tend to use my 6-inch Empire. I also have a 4-inch try square(don't remember the name brand) I keep in my apron for marking cuts.

As for power tool accuracy just remember you need a good square for set up. So what I am saying is a good square is as important as any other tool.


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## Duane Bledsoe (Oct 18, 2012)

Recently I was at Walmart and they sell Stanley combo squares. I compared theirs to a framing square they had there and it seemed pretty accurate. Still moved ever so slightly but was a lot closer than the Swanson I looked at before. If I decide to get one then it will probably be one of these. I may have to go through several though. The first one I tried the ruler markings were off by about 1/32 inch when compared to the framing square. The ruler didn't start at dead zero, it was about half in the middle of the first 1/16 mark. 

But so far, I'm happier with the engineer's square I recently bought than I was with anything else I had tried to date.


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