This square is the squariest, i mean it.

As the only purpose for using this inexpensive plastic device is to check for square, and per your own words it functions very well for this single purpose, it should be 5 stars. Sorry to disagree.

-- "I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The point is to bring them the real facts." - Abraham Lincoln

If square is square , it should be 5 stars…. That’s what you expected , bought , and paid for : )

-- When did quiet and quite become the same word ? I'm guessing about the same time as your and you're did.

I’ve never found a speed square out of square but most of the time I use mine is for construction so it’s not as critical.

-- W James Brokenbourgh Custom furniture maker http://artisticwoodstudio.com/

I agree with the others, with squares it’s 5 stars or 0. The fact that this one is cheap makes it accessible to many and the fact that it is plastic makes it impervious to corrosion in tough environments. Great buy.

I’d go a step further, the ones that were not square should be called out with 0 stars. Help us avoid buying a mistake.

It’s funny – I just did the same thing this past week with three old (inherited) combination squares, two metal rafter squares and two try squares. I was determined to get any of them out of my shop that weren’t true. My trash bucket ended up with all of them (including the one I most often used!) except one combination square and one of the two try squares.

The remaining combination square, which I had never before used, was all crude and rusty, so I laid it flat on a sheet of sandpaper and cleaned both sides then put a light coat of machine oil on it. It’s now my “go-to” square!

Anyway, I don’t know if the ones I threw away were out-of-square when they were manufactured or if they had been dropped. I’d hate to rate any of them with 0 stars for that reason.

-- From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things, and the work of their hands brings them reward. - Prov 12:14

I was being a bit flippant above and i can see how i created some confusion on the ratings For me, 5 stars means perfect in every way. 4 stars is great and you should buy it, 3 is that it does it’s job just fine, nothing special and no major complaints, 2 is it works but I don’t recommend it, 1 star is something to avoid.

With that in mind, a square square should be a 3, this one impressed me by being the only square square I had so I gave it a 4. Maybe I am off and doing your job competently is 5 star territory but that just seems wrong to me.

Also I don’t want to point out the off squares because it could have been something I did or just the way I use the tool. The ledge on the speed square makes registering it against a flat edge near foolproof. While I think I can do the same with an L square I might be off or I could have banged it up a while ago and that is why it is off. I assume that the extra mass keeps the speed square from flexing out of true.

I think this type of square often comes in handy if it’s square. I prefer the ones that are at least made out of metal. I have a Bridgeport and I can make them square if they aren’t. If someone makes a square it should be square don’t you think. Wouldn’t that be the square thing to do?

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com

-- If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away. Henry David Thoreau

Here is my two cents as far as ratings go. I believe that a 5 star means something is exceptional. Now a LN plane, for example, is an exceptional tool that is a pleasure to use and such quality does require a certain price (if it was priced at 3 times its current price, it may not justify a 5 star rating). However, a square that is perfectly accurate and inexpensive, though not with the tactile pleasure of the LN plane, can also be an exceptional tool, based on exceptional value.

I’ve got a similar cheap plastic square. I would agree that even though it’s square, and accurately so, it just doesn’t FEEL like a quality square. I know what you mean.

-- Mos - Twin Cities, MN -- Stanley #45 Evangelist - www.youtube.com/MosquitoMods

all my speed squares are dead square I always check them before i ring them up

-- when I am not on Lumberjocks I am on @ http://thisoldworkshop.com where we allow free speech

I like those squares you can drop them and they stay square. I have 3 or 4 around always can find .

I’ve had this exact square hanging on my wall for years, it’s my go-to square for small jobs. Never let me down. 4 stars, 5 stars, who cares? Great square for not much money…

-- Paul, Tennessee, http://www.tsunamiguitars.com

I would suppose that if it was square, then the 45 angle would have to be exactly 45 as well? Did you look at that?

-- "Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life"....Pablo Picasso

I got confused between my 12 inch Johnson!!!!! That alone gets 5 stars from me, best laugh I had all day.

John

-- John

@ kapanen – I did not test the 45 angle, which would be exactly 45 if the angle is 90 (which this post confirms) and the distance to the corners is the same, and the long side is straight…, which may or may not be the case. As I use a jig for my miters and I don’t rely on the square, I have no real experience on the acuracy of the angle.

@ John – if you want to get a look at my 12 inch Johnson you can always click the link.
Glad I could give you a laugh. No need to point out that it is actually 11 inches.