# Woodpecker's Straddle Squares; worth it or not



## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

Are they worth it or not? http://www.woodpeck.com/ottstraddlesquare.html?et_mid=591914&rid=104964793


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## davidmicraig (Nov 21, 2009)

I can't think of one time I had to mark both faces and the edge or end grain at the same time. I do have to mark on one face and one edge or end grain section at the same time. I have a straddle square that I bought for about 7 bucks for that. Other folks have commented that I might have been wasting money there as well as they use door hinges. I think it is a neat concept, but would rather spend the 35 bucks on one of their story sticks instead.


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## pintodeluxe (Sep 12, 2010)

It won't do anything more than a 6" combination square. I don't have room for both in my shop apron.


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

Depends on whether you'd rather spend your dough on
tools or wood.


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## Rick Dennington (Aug 27, 2009)

Nah…...don't waste your time or money on them things….They sure are not worth that price…..4" or 6" square will get the job done…...You could prolly make a jig in your shop that would serve the same purpose…


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## NiteWalker (May 7, 2011)

Not worth it.
I've been happy with the small veritas saddle square from lee valley.


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

When I first saw them, my impression was what a neat idea. Then I thought, a dovetail marker like that would be more useful, but I never mark the back side of a dovetail. So, neat idea, but useless for most applications. The video shows marking a tenon all the way around, but I'd just use a marking gauge for that ) I guess the consensus is, pass on this one.


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## Rick Dennington (Aug 27, 2009)

Yep…....I would…...!!!


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## bluekingfisher (Mar 30, 2010)

Gimmicky Bob, I reckon you would you them once, maybe twice, throw them in a drawer then forget all about em!


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## knockknock (Jun 13, 2012)

When I carry a mark from one face to another, I usually want to carrry the line across the whole face, like they showed with the square. When they showed their straddle square, they left out switching back and forth, using a square to mark across the face, then using their straddle square for the edge, then switching back to a square to mark across the face.

I do find it interesting (and possibly useful) that their straddle square marks across the edge and around to the face, when marking for machine cross cuts. But isn't just marking the edge, usually good enough in that case.


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## Woodbum (Jan 3, 2010)

Ordered a set. Will review it when I get them. What I might use or think is "worth it" is totally different from some others, but I was cuious. I am a sucker for accurate layout tools. Got a lot of em and use a lot of em. I am also a sucker for Incra and Woodpeckers. High quality products that do what they say will do. Might be a little pricey, but a $1,000 router $800 "dust extraction" unit (read shop vac) or a $3500 table saw are a little steep for me. Are they worth it? not to me but they are to a lot of you guys out there. Have a great day, smile more, and be safe!


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## dhazelton (Feb 11, 2012)

$110? Not worth it to me. Would think you could easily make something (nonadjustable) out of scrap wood that would be good enough. But your definition of 'good enough' may be different than mine.


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## brtech (May 26, 2010)

If you are doing something that needs that much accuracy, you probably are in knife territory rather than pencil marks. Use Peter Seller's knifewall technique of scribing the reference edge with a regular square, flip the board over, hold the knife in the cut mark and bring the square up to it. Then scribe the adjacent side. Flip over and do the same trick, using the original scribe line to align the square. You are using the first scribe as the reference for the others and having a mechanical stop to do the alignment. I suspect the straddle square would not improve on that because you still need two operations to get scribes the length of the work piece with it.

Of course all of these techniques rely on the work piece being accurately machined to have faces perpendicular to one another.


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## Kentuk55 (Sep 21, 2010)

I agree with a lot of the responses above. If it was a needed tool, to me, it is still way too highly priced. These companies kill me with their high costs of products. Come on now. I know the CEO's gotta go on their high priced vacations, but, they won't get there from my wallet


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## Rick Dennington (Aug 27, 2009)

I don't / wouldn't ever buy anything from them…I are way too high on their prices, and I haven't found anything they sell that I can't live without…..I guess they need fuel for the jet….!!!


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## MrRon (Jul 9, 2009)

No way. That is not a tool. It's just a gadget and one that could easily be made from scrap hardwood or aluminum if you have metal working tools/machines.


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## Earlextech (Jan 13, 2011)

These are extremely accurate marking devices. You may or may not have a use for them, you may or may not be able to replicate them on your own, make your own decision about how relevent they are to your woodworking process.

However, you should all know that Woodpeckers has no corporate jet that the CEO uses for high priced vacations. This is an American made tool, designed, manufactured and distributed by American workers and built in Ohio. If you would rather buy the Chinese version at about a 1/3 the price, that's your perogitive, but don't complain that you can't earn a living, making minumum wage, not getting paid what you think you're worth because we have to compete with China.


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## Woodbum (Jan 3, 2010)

Earlextech and I agree on this issue.

Richard Hummell is the President of Woodpeckers and as down to earth guy as you will meet. If you see a blonde lady working their booth at woodworking shows, it is his wife Kathy, a very nice person who with Richard has worked hard to build a first class Company. They are just plain old fashioned American folks trying to make a living making and selling a quality product. Richard used to demo Incra products at trade shows himself, and his Company is known for selling accurate tools that have a market to many woodworkers. If the product is not for some of you out there, fine. Just don't buy it. But don't make assumptions and statements about greedy CEOs and jets when when you do not have all of the facts. I do not work for Woodpeckers or any of their dealers, but truly like their products, and in others' eyes may be a dumb sh*t for buying them but hey this is America.


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## jusfine (May 22, 2010)

I have quite a number of Woodpecker tools (squares, guages, other squares, etc), have nothing negative to say about them (except the drill press table fence) and was considering these squares as well, but the shipping to Canada is almost half the cost of the tools, so I won't be ordering them.

I realize I could make them, but I do like the quality of the tools they produce, and it's not worth my time.

Shipping costs kills orders!


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## MJCD (Nov 28, 2011)

High-quality products, no doubt. Every time I see Woodpecker products, you can see the quality, and they performs as advertised.

However, it's all about price/performance, if not, we'd probably be buying-out Festool production. I have a list of functional things awaiting a wallet, so my price/performance threshold sets my decision tree.

MJCD


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## BentheViking (May 19, 2011)

saw this and thought it was a little gimmicky


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## moke (Oct 19, 2010)

Woodpecker seems so overpriced. I bought a 90.00 12inch square from them once. I discovered about half way into a project that my square was not quite square so I sent my wife to the local tool store and told her to get the best square they had…..I had no idea woodpecker stuff was so much. A few months ago I ordered a Shop Fox square 12" for 15.00--mostly because I was hesitatant to use a 90.00 square very much!
When I got the Shop fox it looked to be the same extrusion, the numbers were from the same font…it was just aluminum color instead of red…..red powder coating must really be expensive huh!!


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

This would be good for me because I inevitably mark the wrong side.


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## OggieOglethorpe (Aug 15, 2012)

Not…

Develop the simple skill to transfer lines from face to face.

I don't see a problem with a cheap saddle square, but the Woodpecker's product is expensive, and if you think about it, takes more effort to use.

BTW… I own a Woodpecker's router lift and triangle square. They're well made, and I would buy them again.


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## oldnovice (Mar 7, 2009)

I think they could be useful if they were reasonably priced!


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## kwhit190211 (Feb 13, 2008)

i always say, to each his own. If you have more money than brains, then by all means buy it. But, for me that is to much money for a guy who looks & reserches a lot befor he buys a certain tool. Just what in the heck is wrong with using a tony square anyways. For a lot of years that is all I used to get a mark on the side of the board. Or, hell even use you tape to measure the end to end measurement. Just what in the heck is so hard about that? I think that the person who though this one up is the same ding-a-ling that thought up those silly bands that the kids went wild for a few years ago. I think that he needs more money to take care of the servants & the upkeep of the island that he is living on, somewhere. And, maybe he is running out of cash so he thought up another useless idea!!


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