How to square up?

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CYC

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23 Jul 2003
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Location
Kildare, Ireland
Hi everyone,
Since we have lots of highly competent woodworkers on this forum, I want to ask a simple technique which I have not found explanations on.

How do you square up when assembling for example a door or the front frame of a drawer unit, etc. ?
I mean, let's say I am just gluing up a door and as I measure the diagonals I find it's not square. I know you have to play with the clamps a little, but what exactly should I do to square it up?

It may be difficult to explain without diagrams, so if you know of a good site that explains this, just give me the URL.
I'll check back on monday for your answers :lol:

CYC
 
CYC I use my favourite tool to squre up.

Measure the diagonals, and then MALLET
into submission! :twisted:

Signal
 
SIG how crude :twisted: of you no finness that lad ,i tap it in to square with a nice rubber mallet (hammer) . frank
 
Boys, boys, boys, you know better than to use the mallet! If it's not square, hit it with an axe and make another!

Actually, I read somewhere that you want to fiddle with the clamps a bit so that it's pulling the longer diagonal a bit harder to bring it back into square. I did this on a door frame, and it worked a treat - essentially you loosen off a clamp a little, and then set it on a slight skew so that the end at the "long" diagonal is nearer the corner than the end of the "short" diagonal. This helps to pull it into square. You'll want to be checking for square every time you move a clamp.

I'm sure that somebody will be able to explain that a lot better than I can!

Cheers,

AG
 
sheesh, fiddling with clamps, I dunno give me a good mallet any day of the week.

A Mallet is a universal tool swing it hard enough and it will fix just bout anything. And if it dont then its to buggered to be bothered with.

Must admit no good on bikes but then as AG can testify u cant go far wrong with an axe..

Signal
 
I do believe that the " 'it it wiv an 'ammer " technique is highly effective but I really can't comment, having never had problems with alignment on squaring up... :wink: (believe that and you'll believe anything). Actually, I have found that if you use some cheap clamps they can sometimes distort the 'squareness'.

Off topic, I went to the show at Stoneleigh today and wished I hadn't bothered. It's nowhere near as big as it was at the NEC and the prices weren't very competitive either. Could I find anything on my shopping list? Could I heck. There again, my pocket was picked and someone went off with the list, so I probably didn't look for everything I needed. Thank goodness my cash and cards were in my jeans front pockets.

Yours

Gill
 
Cor wot a pipper,

sorry to hear that gill.

Still least the readies and plastic where safe

Signal
 
Best way I have found is to have a really long cramp to hand, with packing blocks with notches double side taped to the cramp faces. Then, if your frame shows out of square, put the cramp across the corners of the longest diagonal so that the notches in the packing blocks lock onto the corners, and tighten it up till the cabinet is square (ideally just a bit past because it will spring back slightly when the clamps are released)

John
 
Hi Gill

Sorry to hear about your bad day at Stoneleigh. Luckily, it was just your shopping list and not your money.

I didn't go to the NEC, so perhaps for me Stoneleigh might be ok. Here's hoping.

Cheers
Neil
[/i]
 
zacly frank, HIT IT! always work fer me!

Hows your saw did you get it fixed in the end?

Signal
 
So use a long cramp accross the diagonal or hit it with a big fat mallet!

I remember the Norm himself simply applying more force on the clamps used the glue the frame, may be I dreamt it.

Anyway, for the glorious majestic technique of hitting it, the next question is: Where?

CYC
 
CYC":wwxztu11 said:
Anyway, for the glorious majestic technique of hitting it, the next question is: Where?

In your case, Ireland 8) :) .


Tap (don't hit) it on one of the corners which has the longest diagonal. I can't quite work out how to describe the direction in which you should tap it, but there are two possibilities and if you choose the wrong one then the problem will be exacerbated. Choose the right one and the problem will be rectified.

Your

Gill
 
Of course this all assumes both your opposite sides are exactly the same length doesn't it. If not you could get both diagonals measuring the same but still not have things square! Then you have to decide which corners you want square. :D

Cheers

Gidon
 
Square whats that tables are meant to be wobbly and doors are meant to have uneven gaps :lol: . Always used a nice size framing square then atleast you get 1 right angle :roll:
 
Gill, surely the direction you want to tap it in is from one or other of the corners on the longest diagonal towards the diagonally opposite corner? Always remembering to protect the wood from bruising which can be real so and so to get out later

Cramp-up squares (pieces of triangular plywood with holes drilled through to take cramp jaws) can help keep things square to start with - that and diagonally-applied sash cramps (front and rear of the carcase if possible) with home-made V-blocks (amazing what hot melt guns can do)

AP - just remember to check that roofing square for - squareness. They aren't always square, y'know

Scrit
 
Owning up now, I dont just give it a good malleting. For big carcas work I use squaring blocks.

Basically a squre of 3/4 or thicker material with a centred hole bored to half the thickness of the timber, and then a horizontal housing routed across the middle and a vertical housing to form a cross centred on the hole.

You then push the block over the intersecting corners and it should, if you made them square, hold you carcas sqaure and act as an extra pair of hands.

Ill try and post an image in the gallery as it sounds more complicated than it is

Signal
 
Scrit always check all my tools regular . Remember measure twice cut once, reach for the plasters :lol:
 
I have posted an image in the jigs section of the gallery

chars

signal
 

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