# Johnson Carpenters Square Model CS-1



## JesseTutt (Aug 15, 2012)

Dallas, I have had similar experiences with carpenter's squares. I have yet to find one that out of the store was square.

There was an article I read a while back where someone placed a piece of wood on each side of the short leg of the square. The wood was wider than the metal. Using oversized holes in the metal he was then able to adjust the wood to form a perfect 90 degree angle.

I found a different solution, one of my neighbors is a machinist and I send the squares to him for fixing.


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## BinghamtonEd (Nov 30, 2011)

Thanks for the heads up, I will definitely be avoiding these.

Call me old-fashioned, but you know what I think a square should be? Square.


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## Handtooler (Jul 24, 2012)

I noticed a entry in the right column ads for a "Professional" Model numbered square. Would these be any more accurate than your selection? I purchased a "Craftsman" framing square in about 1974 that seems to be perfectly square on both inside and outside measurements when flipped. Its steel embossed numerals board ft one side rafter measurements on the other. Paid about $6.00 then. Wanna try one of these?


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## Dal300 (Aug 4, 2011)

Thanks Russell,

I really miss my old Empire square. It was accurate and I used it for countless layouts when I was contracting remodeling jobs.

I think I bought it in about 1980 so it wasn't much younger than your Craftsman.

I just wonder how Johnson can sell a piece of crap like the CS-1. It really was so far off there would be no way to do any accurate work with it.

I finally used a straight edge and my folding rule to lay out by 3-4-5 method.

Maybe I can find another old square at the flea market next month.

Also, I'm not sure I would trust anything from Johnson anymore.


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## Hartmann (Jun 28, 2010)

This is a good example that not everything made in usa is well made and we can find some piece of crap like the CS-1


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## mbs (May 8, 2010)

I was frustrated because I couldn't find an accurate square at any of the local stores.

Woodpeckers made a beautiful framing square in their "one time runs" but it was pricey. I happen to get one of the last ones.

There's a guy on the Felder Owners Group that machines large triangles when he get's enough orders. His name is Brian Lamb. His triangles will be pricey too but accurate.

I did a review on the Woodpeckers framing square.


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## Dal300 (Aug 4, 2011)

I had the wife take the square back for a refund this morning on her way to the post office.

This evening I sent an email to the company:

Yesterday I found myself in need of a carpenters framing square and took myself to the local True Value Hardware in our town. The only offering was a Johnson CS1.
I had to search through several to find even one that seemed close to being square.
I took it home and this morning checked it for square using the flip method. At 12" it was about 5/16" out of square. At 24" it was a full 11/16" out of square.
I must say, I have never been so disappointed in a tool made in the USA. This square wouldn't be much good for anything except as welding filler.

By the way, I posted a review of this tool on Lumberjocks.com, http://lumberjocks.com/reviews/3210 
This is a forum of thousands of wood workers from around the world.

I hope the quality of all your tools isn't as bad as the example I saw today.

Thank you for your time.

Dal Farnworth

Let's see if they respond.

DF


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## Tedstor (Mar 12, 2011)

I inherited a berylilum-copper Stanley square from my wife's grandfather. Probably purchased in the 70s or 80s. Its out of square by ~1/32 over 24". Given my needs, I can live with that. But I don't use the carpenter square much anymore. Drafter's T-squares seem to fill that role a bit better and easier. Heck, drafting tools in general are dead-on accurate, easy to use, and fairly inexpensive. When setting up a tool, I tend to reach for a .99 cent drafting triangle over my 1-2-3 blocks.


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## JGM0658 (Aug 16, 2011)

Dallas, I don't know if this trick would work with your square as it seems it is way off square, but if it is to the inside then hit it with a steel guide on the inside corner. If it is out of square to the outside then hit it on the outside corner.

I use a small one mainly for drawer work and I fix it this way compared to my Starret square.


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## Dal300 (Aug 4, 2011)

*Tedstor* I usually use drafting or engineers squares also, but I was doing this outside on the deck, crawling around on my hands and knees. I have a bad habit of laying things down and then crawling over the top of them… not conducive to accuracy. LOL.

*Jorge* I was going to try that method, but this thing was so far out that I figured I'd just end up with a square with a fold at the junction of each arm.

One thing I do have to mention about my local True Value…. They may not carry a large inventory, but usually their prices are on par with the Box stores 40 miles away for construction grade lumber and will order better stuff if I ask them too.
They also have no problem taking back anything I've bought that isn't right.
That's one of the perks of living in a small town!


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

11/16" out at 24" sounds like a lot. I calculated it and it is only about 1.5 degrees. Less than I expected it to be. Not that I'm making excuses. I think my 70s vintage framing square is dead on, but maybe I'd better recheck it ;-) You would think they could set up an accurate, close tolerance operation to stamp these things out.


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## derosa (Aug 21, 2010)

I bought their combination square which tested out in the store as the squarest one there, took it home and discovered it was still way out but that the piece the ruler slides through was really square. Turned out the groove wasn't machined the best and some material was left behind from the machining process, a little time with the file and it came out perfectly square. Slightly disappointing that I needed to spend the time dealing with something that should have been cleaner but at least it was way better then the 4" craftsman combination square someone bought me, that has no hope of being square without a lot of filing that I don't have the time for.


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## Dusty56 (Apr 20, 2008)

Nice , intelligent , helpful review. Thank you so much ,Dallas : )

*Topa* , think of it this way , 
11/16" over 24" equals a little over 5/16" out of square per foot. Wee bit too much for my use. : )


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

I didn't say it was good. I expected it to be more than 1.5 degrees.


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## Dusty56 (Apr 20, 2008)

Isn't that bad enough ? LOL Have a great weekend !


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

Yes, I just expected it to be 4 or 5 degrees!


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## Dusty56 (Apr 20, 2008)

I hear ya : )


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## Dal300 (Aug 4, 2011)

Well, I heard from Johnson.

*Hello Dal,
. 
We are sorry to hear of the problem you are having with your Johnson square. I have forwarded your comments on to our Quality Manager for review. If you are interested in sending the square to us for warranty consideration, please provide your address so that we may issue you a prepaid return label. If the square is found to be outside of its normal square tolerance of + .010 per 12" length and found to be free of damage, we would send a replacement to you.

Thanks,

Marlaina Taylor

Customer Service Specialist

Johnson Level & Tool

"Building Better Tools to Build a Better World"

P Please consider the environment before printing this email*

I doubt any one of those squares would have been as close as .010 @ 12"

The closest would have been about .250" @ 12".


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