Square repair problem

[digitalbot]

Has anyone any experience of repairing these things?
As you can see from the photo, the brass face has come away at the top and I can't think how I would re-attach it and make it useable again ( the metal thing in the gap is a fat feeler gauge ).
How is the brass face attached to the wooden stock? Does anyone know?
I can't see how I would get a drill bit in there and keep it parallel and stop it veering off into the steel.
And I am reluctant to try and prise it all off for fear of ruining it completely.

All suggestions welcome.

 

[Racers]

Hi

The old way was with small screws or brass nails that get filled flush.
I have removed both types, straightened and cleaned the brass and wood and re attached them.
Screws are the easiest ones to do but you can make brass nails with tin snips and brass plate.

Pete

 

[Harbo]

I've made a few in the past where the face was attached by small brass screws.
Drill the face with a pilot hole then a hole the diameter of the screw then countersink it.
Screw in then carefully file flush.

You maybe able to do it without taking it off?


Rod

 

[tobytools]

if it got sentimental value then do as has been mentioned above, but (don't take this the wrong way) could you get it engineered straight, maby it would be better to buy a new one moore and wright are excellent. very reliable, don't get me wrong the older ones made from timber and brass looks nice and some are excellent tools them selves but are they 90degrees??

one again im just saying use and do what makes you happy no offence intended
TT

this is a nice one for a good seller on ebay.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Large-9-Rosew ... 51b222d726

 

[woodbrains]

Hello,

If you don't want to remove the brass face, glue the parted bit back on. Polyurethane glue teased into the gap with the feeler gauge and then clamp. Poly will stick to just about anything including any adhesive already there, doesn't mind the Oilly nature of the rosewood and is plenty strong. You will have a bit of scraping of the foamy squeeze out later, but that shouldn't be a problem. Otherwise, superglue, if you use the slower setting gel, to give you time to clamp.

Mike.

 

[Harbo]

Ive found a photo now:

Rod

 

[tobytools]

Ive found a photo now:

Rod

beautiful, i want one
TT

 

[digitalbot]

And after all your responses I still don't know how it's possibly attached.
If it's still in its original form, and when I got it it was covered in crud, paint and dust looking like it hadn't been touched for about 30 years, so i'm presuming it was, what would the manufacturer have used? Are there some pins underneath the brass face or is it a glue of some sort?
I can't get any sort of drill bit in there, even in a archimedes drill. The face is only about 8/9mm and the smallest chuck I've come across would still put any screw through at an angle.
I wouldn't have thought that glue would have held it securely enough, that bond being between wood and metal.
These sorts of things may not be worth much but for want of a little bit of knowledge and some time and effort you get a very nice useful tool for nothing. And it's 12" and I don't have one of those.


Lovely work Harbo.

 

[Racers]

Prize it off straighten it up and reattach it, brass nails seem to be the only way it could be held on with out evidence of fixing.

Is you don't straighten it I can't see any glue lasting under tension.

Once you have fixed it then check its square, I have had to file a couple to make them square.

Pete

 

[Dangermouse]

Once the brass is out of line I doubt very much it could be put back to a good 90 degrees, especially as its a 12 inch one, with that length any tiny bit out will be greatly magnified at the end. I'd bin it and get another vintage one, but in good order. They aren't that expensive on eBay.

 

[woodbrains]

Hello,

As long as the brass hasn't kinked, it will glue back flat and the square will work fine, provided there are no other problems. I've done it a quite a few times before. Some squares I have seen have a few brass pins holding the plate on and they are usually quite invisible, unless they come loose and protrude. They often do not go along the bifurcated sides, which is why they often lift there. The better ones do have fixings there, like the excellent looking ones Harbo made. They have to be drilled before the blade is fixed in, though.

That said, if you have a Dremel, you could drill some fine holes, angled slightly will not be a problem, but I would still use glue.

Mike.