Correcting A Framing Square

[custard]

Many of you may be aware of this trick already, but it was completely new to me.

I was chatting to a builder who was doing some work on my house. We were discussing squares and I mentioned I could think of lots of applications for a framing square but they weren't very accurate.

He replied that a framing square was as accurate as you make it, as he claimed they were easy to adjust. I dug out my framing square which we checked by ruling a pencil line against the factory edge of a sheet of MDF, sure enough it was less than 90 degrees.

His solution was to gently "peen" the inside corner on both sides of the square with a centre punch...and as if by magic the square opened up! He checked for square after each few taps, and in less than a minute it was reading as accurately as my prized Starrett. He said you can close up a square just as easily by tapping on the outside corner.

 

[ColeyS1]

What a great tip !! Thanks for sharing - I'll be checking mine on monday now

 

[carlb40]

Great tip and think something similar used to be done with the wooden / metal ones. However watch what you are doing as not all sheet goods have square corners now

 

[ColeyS1]

Great tip and think something similar used to be done with the wooden / metal ones. However watch what you are doing as not all sheet goods have square corners now

I reckon they drew a line then flipped the square over - just used the straight edge ;-)

 

[marcros]

there is an excellent thread somewhere on ukw about this. i will have a search

 

[marcros]

here we go...

construction-square-checking-adjusting-to-90-t12620.html

much the same advice as above, but with a pic or two.

 

[barkwindjammer]

here we go...

construction-square-checking-adjusting-to-90-t12620.html

much the same advice as above, but with a pic or two.

Bless, the amazingly resourcefull and innovative Niki - sadly missed
That guy inspired me greatly, his simplistic approach with the minimal of tools, and those craft knives seemed to be a feature in all his pictures 'stick knifes' lol, what a guy
Any 'noobs' not long joined would do themselves a favour in reading via the 'search' tool this guys posts.

 

[LJM]

Nice. Practical, makes you wonder why you didn't think of it!

 

[bugbear]

There are limits to the accuracy that can be achieved using this technique, limits that are imposed by the straightness of the two arms.

Once your angle is accurate to the same tolerance to which the arms are straight, further improvement of the angle is meaningless (and not even measurable!).

One would also need to check that the piening work at the corner hasn't made a teensy bulge that would throw everything off (like a stray glue spot can so easily do).

For a square to work you need an accurate (*) angle and two straight (*) and parallel sided (*) arms.

BugBear

(*) to the tolerance you're trying to work to.

 

[twothumbs]

I sometimes wonder if we expect too much when it comes to accuarcy and other matters now that we have all sorts of ways of checking and looking at things. The tools haven't changed too much over the years. Framing sq or roofing sq is for rough work, using sawn timber in big sizes so a level of accuracy which is not called for in joinery. Also being used on site it would be subject to a rogh usage. But a handy tool all the same. A article on making wooden sqares use dpencil marks which would in the right hands be equal to a knife. Best wsihes to all.