Can anyone recommend me a accurate engineers square?

[Tetsuaiga]

I've been using an old carpenters square, its quite a cheap thing so want to get one I know is straight.

I was in a local tool store the other day and compared two carpenter squares and they didn't match each other by quite a bit =s. I can hardly understand how people can sell these when they arnt accurate, thats their whole job to be accurate.

So I think i'll get a metal engineers square but don't know different makers apart. There's one on rutlands website from America for sale by Incra but it costs 70 pounds and i'm not looking to spend quite that much yet.

Anyway anyone have a recommendation?




Thanks

 

[wizard]

Moore & Wright off ebay

 

[n0legs]

:!:

 

[Tetsuaiga]

Thanks =) came across them in the past and they seemed good as they were graded. I'll probably go with the Moore and Wright.

 

[undergroundhunter]

I bought both of mine from machine mart, they are as acurate as you are probable going to need in woodworking.

Matt

 

[MMUK]

Mitutoyo for preference personally but M&W are good too. But I do have a good relationship with Mitutoyo so I get preferential prices

 

[marcros]

I bought a 3" one from eBay which is brilliant for small work pieces. It was only a few quid and is well worth having. I also have the incra. I imported mine but they do come on offer from time to time with about 20 quid off. Still not sure they are worth 50 quid when you could have a perfectly good one for much less. They look pretty though!

 

[Steve Maskery]

I'm not sure if this is what you are looking for, but I bought Axi's own brand combination square a few years ago, when I was reluctant to splash out on a M&W. It is absolutely excellent and I have no regrets at all.
If you want a small engineer's square, have look at Cromwell.
S

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Don't forget that squares are tested on the inside, not the outside, iirs. This might explain differences between two of them, if checking the outsides.

 

[cedarwood]

bought these off the bay and they are spot on german quality, copy and paste this in the search bar ( CARPENTERS ENGINEERS TRI TRY SQUARE 2 X PCS SET SQUARE )

 

[adidat]

ebay item 190926711676

are these them?

adidat

 

[adidat]

these ones are half the price of the other link

ebay item 181231166194

interestingly the 3 piece set are even cheaper :duno:?

ebay item 121097885439

adidat

 

[MMUK]

ebay item 190926711676

are these them?

adidat

How much?

You can get the 3 piece set in B&M for £4.99! I know, I bought a set a while ago for use on site (was sick of people "borrowing" my tools and thought they won't "borrow" cheap ones).

Workzone tools are proper DIY. The squares don't stay square, the rule is alu riveted in and very soon the joints open up and the 90* can be anything from 85* to 95*.

 

[adidat]

hang on i wasn't claiming there quality i thought workzone is poundland stuff! stick to starrett if you ask me!

adidat

 

[Harbo]

I've got cheap ones from RGD Tools and Chronos and they've proved to be accurate.

Posted included in the prices.

Rod

 

[bugbear]

I was in a local tool store the other day and compared two carpenter squares and they didn't match each other by quite a bit =s. I can hardly understand how people can sell these when they arnt accurate, thats their whole job to be accurate.

What level of error will the tasks you have in mind tolerate? 1mm? 1/100 of an inch? 1/1000 of an inch? 1/10000 of an inch?

All these accuracies are available (all squares have some error, but some errors are very small indeed).

Better accuracy costs more money, and many makers have a range of accuracies (and prices...). So choosing by maker may well not be the whole answer to your question.

BugBear

 

[cedarwood]

Nothing stays accurate if it's bashed about, I have had my two workzone for over a year now and they are still as good as when I got them.
I also have three old type woodworkers square's with rosewood and steel blade and none of them are spot on, I also have the stanley ally 90/45 with bubble levels and it ain't square either.
I do also have a 6 inch stainless engineers square and it is spot on both inside and outside for small work but isn't very good when it comes to marking out a piece of 8x4.

 

[RogerP]

.....but isn't very good when it comes to marking out a piece of 8x4.

Make up a large 3, 4, 5, square ... http://mikelindstrom.wordpress.com/2007/01/22/getting-things-square-with-the-world-3-4-5-triangles/

 

[bugbear]

.....but isn't very good when it comes to marking out a piece of 8x4.

Make up a large 3, 4, 5, square ... http://mikelindstrom.wordpress.com/2007/01/22/getting-things-square-with-the-world-3-4-5-triangles/

Here's a site layout tool based on Pythagoras

The smallest one is a 99-132-165 (in inches) which is good old 3-4-5 when you reduce it. Big and accurate!

BugBear

 

[Tony Spear]

You can't go wrong with a good Gunn and Mo.....whoops - wrong forum!