How To True Up A Combination Square The Simple Way AND Tune It Up To Make It Work Better For You

This is how you check a combination square for square, how to true up a combination square, and how to TUNE up a combination square so that it lasts you just that much longer.
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[@InspireWoodcraft]

This is what happens when you suddenly become a stay-at-home-parent, a stay-at-home-teacher, and the world is on fire. Hopefully you guys get enough usable info out of this video but if not, be sure to let me know what you need help with!

[@beal5666]

Awesome ass usual Jody! How would you square up a framing square? Video? This type of content is incredibly important and useful. We also love to see more of a collection of videos like these that go over thinks like design, finishing, organizing your work and work areas or wood species identification just to give some ideas. Love your stuff! Great teaching (presentation) style! Keep it up and stay healthy!

[@gbluetoo]

Truing the framing square is pretty simple. Eyeball the stock and tongue to be sure neither is bent. That's mostly unfixable, but may be good enough for rough work, e.g. greenwood which will change as it dries. Check the true as described in the vid. If less than 90d, use a center punch on the tongue ~1/4" in from the inner edge and near the junction with the body and make a dimple. Check for true and repeat if not yet on. For >90d, do the same on the outer side of the tongue. For very small errors, I have seen framers scribe a line from the inner to outer corner and put the dimple near the outer to close the angle and near the inner corner to open it. I've only had to adjust a framing square once so have only done the first example. It only took two dimples. YMMV, but if it is out more than ~3/32" it may not be worth fixing; just get you money back. g

[@kiddiescripterkiller]

Use the superglue and tennis ball technique for babysitting... Superglue their feet to the ceiling, jamb a tennis ball in thier mouth. Problem solved... ;)

[@Alex-hx6bj]

HEEELP! My ruler won’t go back into the housing?! Doesn’t seem to fit next to the locking but!!!

[@brandonpurselley402]

What brand of combination square is consider high end. I bought one at Home Depot for around 20$. My thoughts was it was high end well a huge step up from a speed sq. Lol

[@rogerpoulin2068]

Don't feel challenged. You're doing a great job. Take things one step at a time. I love your videos.

[@stufarnham]

As someone with a serious case of OCD I love your concern with precision.

[@billrugg-easey4764]

I just checked my square yesterday, it wasn't true I was going to do this on my very ancient moore & Wright square malleable iron not pot metal it turned out there was a blob of CA glue on one of the pads. Check for cleanliness first is my suggestion especially if you're a glue splatterer like me! Keep well and prosper

[@danielcox9202]

I know this is an older of your videos but it just puts the nail in the discussion about how helpful you videos can be. Many of the things that are said become "ah ha" moments for me. Things I know that I never really put together when I should have. Thanks for the assistance and best wishes.

[@GraemePayne1967Marine]

Very good and clear explanation of how to check for squareness and correct it if needed. As another commenter noted, both long edges of the rule need to be parallel as well as straight.

[@g1mpster]

Really appreciate the video. I’ve got a cheap Swanson combination square that I recently found out wasn’t and have been wondering what the right way is to fix it. Really appreciate the tutorial. And keep your head up, I know things are scary right now because they’re unpredictable but we will all get through this. If you are struggling, remember that it takes a stronger man to ask for help than to go it alone, it’s not a sign of weakness or anything to say you’re overwhelmed. Try to embrace your family, friends, church, community, or any other support groups you have. Don’t worry if they can help you, just tell them what you need and I think you’ll be surprised by the ways they come up with to help you. Stay strong, just keep moving forward. 👍

[@nelsonbrum8496]

I'm a machinist that dabbles in woodworking. I have a 6" and a 16" Empire combo squares at work. I guess I got lucky, I've checked them on our CMM and found both to be

[@trick58]

I hear you man, I've moved all my university classes to online in the last week - dealing with 300+ students. I don't have children too, but it is a hard grind. Still, you do a great job explaining. I appreciate your lessons and imo, it hits the perfect level of detail. Thank you for what you do. This helped me!

[@theHAL9000]

Every Starrett tool I've got was a budget buster ... but I still have and use each one; they're perfect.

[@peternicholsonu6090]

Had no idea! I have been squaring off from both sides and then scribing the difference. Same as reversing a spirit level and taking the ‘neutral’ line. Thankyou for showing the OCD method.

[@jeffreyhill1011]

Shit like this is why I payed lots of money getting my surface plate and layup table graded and trued. Worth every penny. I do more machining than woodworking these days but I was able to make my own VERY accurate measuring tools that I know I can trust for much less than Starret or Mititoyo charge. Great video you explained it in a concise easy to digest manner.

[@patricksimone8845]

Very useful information especially for a novice like me. I found that when inserting the ruler into the square that if you loosen the screw and push on the spring you can slide the ruler back on without ever having to tip it to align the grove,

[@charlesstratford1612]

Always a professional you are. Another handy tip(s) and suggestion. Nicely done

[@TheSkiggly]

As expected..another quality video packed full of useful information. I am so grateful that you share your wisdom and know how with us in this format. After watching any of your content, I always walk away feeling more confident armed with new information or at least something to consider. Wishing you and your family good health, extreme joy and prosperity. Thanks again.

[@stevehopkins5907]

I had long suspected that my old Craftsman combination square was not. Checked it with my digital angle finder this morning and it was off just .1 degree. Used a little sandpaper on the high side and now it's 90 degrees every time! Thanks for the fit tip.

[@msgajhimelret9496]

Well said; Good advice and presentation ... Keep the little ones and Mommy happy and you're doing great. Thanks for the video

[@Rodbuilder109]

Great video. A good refresher. I forgot about some of the ways to square a square. Thank you

[@markgoode4109]

Very helpful video on these tools. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and giving tips on their maintenance. Best wishes to you.

[@paulm.4946]

Excellent information. I would say you covered everything very well and understanding. I can't remember how many cheap squares I have thrown away not knowing this was all I had to do. Now I know. Thanks for sharing this info.

[@EquilibriaHealth]

kind of thought I knew things like this yet you always have a tip for me to pick up. Also totally agree on the 'how much work you need to put in to a job to save a few pound (or bucks)'. Many times people loose sight of that. Just restored fully a Stanley Plane n6 and it took me aaaaages. Thanks good man. As always pragmatic and very practical.

[@trackie1957]

Great video made under “trying” conditions! When you are truing up the head using sandpaper on the jointer, having a flat surface is helpful but it doesn’t guarantee the tool will come out flat. it’s a good idea to count the strokes and turn it around so you go the same number of times each way so that errors cancel out. The tendency is to remove more material at the front as you push the work across the paper, so the bottom and front faces will go out of square. You can take advantage of this phenomenon to correct out of squareness, but it can also introduce a slight curve. Check your progress often. Making a cheap or damaged tool perform well can be a satisfying experience, and it’s a good skill to learn. One lesson is to buy quality, which can mean buy cheap, but look closely before you buy! If you were a toolmaker, you’d use three similar tools and lap them against each other, alternating the surfaces, but then again, you’d have surface grinders, scrapers and surface plates. This is about woodworking, not toolmaking!

[@mojitomaker]

Had no idea you could adjust these, thank you. I’m on team #deepdive - the more detail the better!

[@semco72057]

You have showed me something I didn't know about the combination square which I didn't know before. I thought all of the combination squares was the same, but you showed us here that this isn't true and I will remember this when shopping for tools.

[@johnrokosky]

This was enlightening. Danke.

[@ricktelles435]

A lot of great information you have provided to us. Your explanations were clear and detailed. Iam really greatful for how much anxiety and pressure you took off from my shoulders when I needed to have to make a straight cut. Thank You. Richard

[@kenl2861]

Awesome detail on an otherwise boring (but very important) subject!!! Thank you for taking the time to explain in such clear terms. I’m gonna go check my combo squares right now ...

[@keithpantermoller328]

Never knew I could adjust the combination squares, thanks!

[@jnorth5840]

>You should also check for parallel of the rule before tuning the pads by useing a caliper. In a former job I was a machinest at a zinc die casting company. For several years we manufactured the combination heads for a cheaper tool company. We cast, painted and milled the heads. To ensure squareness, one of the steps was checking with a rule against a known standard. We used a known rule we had checked each time. Some of rules the company gave us were several thousandths off from parraell from end to end.

[@joebrewer5885]

Love the fact you used the word "Rule" not ruler, just a pet peeve of mine, they are not "rulers" but most don't know the difference.

[@bobbykraus1189]

You are an excellent presenter!

[@RabbitInAHumanWoild]

I bought a combination square from Lee Valley for a good price but when I checked it, it was, well, unsquare. I used a thin file to do what you suggested and all is well. However, I didn't realise that the blade could remove metal as well so I'll be softening the edges. Thanks for that.

[@bobbigdaddy1]

I always thought starret tools were way over priced until I inherited some. The combination square was dead on even though it was around 40 years old.

[@roydunn4649]

Yep, as a professional welder of 28+ years, buy high quality tools every single time. Then take care of them like you were going to pass them down to your kids. The ONLY squares, protractors or centering heads I have are Starett. For calipers, only Brown and Sharp.

[@sen74diehard]

@@roydunn4649 Out of curiosity what do you think about mitutoyo tools? I have no bad experience with there measuring tools.

[@tubbz691]

@@sen74diehard in my experience Mitutoyo makes great tools. It all depends on who you talk to and what they do. If I was buying a dial caliper it would be Brown & Sharp, someone else would buy Starret or Mitutoyo. I personally like and trust Starrett layout tools and have never had any accuracy issues in 28+ years of professional welding.

[@Ffsdevgj]

I find your videos extremely helpful, thanks a bunch!

[@jgo5707]

THANK YOU. This is exactly what I needed

[@skeetstaruk9460]

great video, well presented, authoritative and engaging. taught me some things I didn't know.

[@JustinShaedo]

Everyone seems to have an opinion on these things .... but this video just gives the skills to fix and improve. Respect.

[@ronh5422]

When I true a square I find that I am also going to be checking it multiple times. Therefore I am making multiple sets of lines. If I am using a piece of wood to mark on it soon becomes cluttered. I hate marking on a nice piece of wood so I tape a 8.5 X 11 piece of typing paper to the wood surface and proceed as you have identified so well. If I need to replace the piece of paper due to soooo many lines drawn on it I can remove it and place another piece of paper. When the rule is square I can remove the tape and paper and I still have a nice unmarked piece of wood.

[@JohnWaclawski]

Heh...all those lines had me concerned about squaring up my combination. Throwing tape down is brilliant! Thanks for the idea!

[@drewscreen]

That's a great idea. If you are taping a sheet of paper to a board, couldn't you also tape it to the top surface of your tablesaw, using the front edge as your reference?

[@ronh5422]

@@drewscreen -- YES !! Using the front edge of your table saw is excellent. Your sheet of paper taped to the top of your table saw only needs to be slightly longer than the blade of your square. Once I have adjusted the square and I am ready to test again I always mark out the previous lines drawn so I dont become confused. Good luck.

[@kencoleman7762]

Great video and very useful. Thanks for persevering.

[@lincolndickerson1293]

fastasticly thorough as always! Thanks

[@Becka_Harper]

I usually use a framers square that's kept away from anything that might damage it to check for square on my combination squares.

[@bigbee714]

I have a General combination square set from the late 60s that belonged to my uncle. It wasn't square so I never used it. Killed me because it's such a beautiful well made tool. I used your method and I am pleased to say that it's dead nuts square now! Cheers!

[@stylusnc]

I'm in my garage dealing with this exact problem at the moment. Awesome!

[@PeterB_California]

Details are always good 👍

[@darcymcnabb9259]

This is good information to get to instructors in schools ...help with there budgets. Many have the cheaper version of tool . Extending the life of there tools would help cast strapped schools .

[@williamdavis4542]

When you were checking for square, you avoided a mistake that I bet most people make. I believe most people intuitively try to draw both lines right on top of each other. What you really want is to have a tiny gap like you did. Eyeballing that gap is much more precise. Otherwise, you could have your second line off by a half line width to the right near the head and half a line width to the left at the other end. It would look like a solid line, when it fact it isn't. Having that gap also helps you avoid going the wrong way with your correction.

[@21thTek]

Excelent ! 🏆🏆🏆

[@royksk]

When I was an apprentice joiner, back in the 1960s, I was taught to check a square for accuracy by holding the square against a true edge and drawing a line at what should be 90°; then flip the square over and draw a line next to it. This shows up more clearly the convergence or divergence of the two lines than drawing parallel lines as done here.

[@markharmon4963]

I believe that is what He did.

[@christopherfairfowl5521]

As draughtsman of over 50 years of experience on the board and cad can I give you a tip? The pencil or pen will work much better if it is perpendicular to the paper or wood as you draw the line, - not 30 or 45 degrees to the paper or wood. Tilting the pencil at a slight angle along the axis of the straight edge is desirable and if you twist or spin the pencil between your fingers as you draw the line the lead/graphite will self sharpen to a point as you draw the line and won’t end up with a flat. If you don’t twist the pencil then as it flattens when you drag it across the paper or wood the line will thicken. Simple.... Thanks for the tip, my square was out and I didn’t know you can fix that - you saved me from buying a new one 👍 cheers.

[@MJ-nb1qn]

A good square has hardened ways inserted. My philosophy is, “You will never regret buying quality tools”.

[@xinixxagnix201]

Correct, i have a Starret and have hardened inlays ;)

[@nelsonbrum8496]

My philosophy: "Cry once, buy the best."

[@shermanlarsen7840]

Good, cheap trick from “ “, using “cheap replacement paper. Also CLEAN first! I have some badly abused and rusted Starret parts that need to be rehabilitated before I start, but now know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Great video. Simple, no frills explanation, and respect for a craftsman’s ability to make a marginal tool perform at a higher level!!

[@ScottyBingham]

Thank you for this! I had no idea!

[@petergosney6433]

Great video. Note that all rulers will develop a hard and even hooked edge, when burnished by metal, such as a marking or cutting knife being constantly drawn along it. One way to relieve these edges, and even straighten and remove nicks, is by drawing it across (at an angle) on a fine grit wet and dry sheet of sandpaper laid on a piece of float glass on the bench. Take care not to press too hard, especially when canted on an angle. A couple of drops of water UNDER the paper will temporarily adhere it to the glass. The same technique works in straightening wood and drafting rules too, but softly, softly.

[@BobBob-eh5sb]

Ok, this is 3 years old but here goes anyway. When he was talking about not being able to add material, it made me think of videos about other things when they talk about adding a little tape to something to make it bigger or whatever. My thought was to put the tape on one end or the other of the holder edge. Before someone says that the tape will wear off, I had another thought while writing this. Thin strip of metal like a feeler gauge. A feeler gauge could be used to determine how much you’d need. Then get a piece that size, glue it to the right end of the holder. Maybe go a tad bigger, then you can file it down till it’s right on and to taper the edges if needed to avoid a cut finger when using it. Just a thought.

[@jimw544]

Great info and great presentation. I have a 12" & 6" Starrett. I have looked at the PEC squares a few time and they are well worth the money. I can't see a dollars difference between PEC and Starrett.

[@40033mgr]

I appreciate your detail !

[@g.fortin3228]

You have some good insight to offer .. and it's appreciated. I'm all for quality, having something tunes, and of course saving some money when possible. Win-win.

[@huejanus5505]

Remember that by checking squares this way, the two parallel lines, the difference is doubled so remove less than you think you have to. Just check it often when sanding/filing it.

[@michaelalbany]

I never even thought of trueing up a square. Great info! And I have the jewelers files already! Time for a macro lens to zoom in to these tools? 😉

[@johnbesharian9965]

I have an "Impossible" maxim: "It's 'impossible to have too many tools, too many spares, too much money to afford them, or too much space to store them".

[@billcoley8520]

There is a way to rue up he large squares. It involves a metal punch and a hammer. You place the punch in certain spots and hit the punch , every time you hit it ,it moves in or out.

[@scottmartin7717]

Love this series and I find many of these tips and tricks to be helpful. As someone who has entered the accuracy-obsessed stage of my work they couldn't be more perfect. I got an old delta miter saw that is all cast iron and about 100 pounds, but it is as true as can be. Now I know what to reference some fixes on ;D

[@ninjadad3769]

Your videos have really helped me a lot on stuff like this, I actually checked my speed square the other day and dang sure enough it was off not by much but it was off. It was a cheaper aluminum one but it had the lil cuts you can put a pencil in to scrib is bared the long way. I got me a cheap combination square at a mom and pop store down the road from my house it was 5$ but it’s been inside that store for probably 10-15 years lmao, but I wish I’d watch this first now because mines got most likely aluminum but it’s super hard and stiff rule, but that is good. What I didn’t think about was how fast it’s probably going to ware out because the other part is freakin plastic smh lol, I won’t complain tho 5$ ain’t to much and I got a really nice ruler if nothing else lol.its even got a little level built on the plastic part, maybe it’s a good one and it’s just been sitting on that back wall where there tools are and are 10 years late on a price up lol. I doubt I’m that lucky lol.

[@lawrencegatt4515]

Love 💓 you’re videos mate from Australia 🇦🇺 .

[@kevindowd7769]

Very good presentation... Thanks!

[@jewdd1989]

Wouldn’t it be nice to buy one off the shelf that was accurate to begin with! What a novel idea. I have the same one you have and sure enough it’s not square… in fact I wondered if it was because it didn’t seem to be consistent even when checking if my cuts were square. So frustrating

[@kerryfoster1]

Good video. Check for muck in the slot! Could be saw dust or just dirty. Use a sliver of wood to clean the slot.

[@nafs53]

I did much of this cosmetic work plus some light lubrication and it did function a lot smoother. I've yet to test all 4 ways for accuracy tho..

[@toneltd]

thanks again for ur info took me a long time to square a square but starrett

[@TheOrcasRule]

One thing I've noticed with my cheaper combination squares is that it matters HOW you tighten them. For example, one of mine ( I think also an Empire) is true IF I make sure I put pressure down before I tighten it up! So, I think sometimes it's just a matter of how you go about tightening them. I'd check that method before removing any material. Removing material might be necessary, but, if it's not, you could make the whole thing worse, or even unuseable completely.

[@jakeqwaninne8502]

most of what i've bought from empire is pretty good, i think what happens is , it gets to home depot, and unboxed, and the workers aren't very careful displaying them, i saw a guy drop an entire box of rafter squares about 5 feet to the floor, he was getting them down from an upper shelf, he had no idea why i asked the manager if i could get one from another case, most of those guys are clueless

[@davidyeo4302]

Add another lesson to the tool box. I'm just going to order a new one and check it. Mine was cheap 20 years ago and not worth trying to square up. Thanks for all the work!

[@trevorclarke6075]

What pencils do you use please Keep up the great work love your teaching methods

[@genelomas332]

Regarding the 6 inch Empire, I recently noticed with mine that the hook on the lock bolt had worn away to the extent that the ruler no longer gets held tightly.. I find this really frustrating as Empire squares are quite expensive here in Australia.. I'm yet to fix it, but I think in order to do that I'll need to fabricate a whole new square bolt from something harder than the compressed foundry slag from which the original lock bolt was made. Thanks for the content.. :)

[@MCsCreations]

Fantastic, dude! Thanks for all the tips! 😃

[@jerrydempsey5428]

I'm glad I found your video. My combination square is out of true and I didn't have a clue as how to fix it. I'll try your suggestions to see how it works out. Thanks. Oh, is there a proper way to assemble the ruler in the head. It seems to fit both way (upside down)?

[@fjoy3376]

I inherited two of these from my grandfather ... the rule on both has surface rust and some pitting ... any ideas on how to restore them without ruining them?

[@kerrystimpson5111]

Thank you for the help

[@mildyproductive9726]

I agree these 6" combo squares are improved when you flatten the face. The way these things are made, these faces are very slightly hollow ground and have a very tiny contact area which won't register consistently against pieces of plywood or whatnot. But you can't make a flat surface simply by rubbing something over sandpaper. This will round over your "flat," no matter how flat the platen. The corners and ends of your square's reference surface will be eroded away. You can verify this by rubbing your rounded-over square on a flat lapping plate. The paper is too compressible; the leading edge when you rub over the sandpaper is going to dip and erode/round. You will make your square ever so slightly into a rocking chair bottom. If you overdid the sandpaper, you might find your square will get different readings depending on how you press it against your stock. Also, it is important to check the edges of the ruler part to make sure they are straight and parallel. If the edge of the ruler is slightly banana'd, the angle will change when you move the ruler in/out. I have two of these squares, and neither was straight, out of the box. And again, you can't just rub it on sandpaper over float glass (or a jointer bed) to make it straight! The technique I used for flattening my squares (both edges of the rule and faces of the body) is to use a flat machinist ceramic stone. This is a rigid stone that doesn't flex or really wear. It's way too slow to do the flattening. It's your eyes, to see what flat is. Then you hit the shiny areas (these are your high spots) with sandpaper, using small sanding blocks or finger-platen. Then you go back and forth to check your progress. When your shiny plateaus cover sufficient area for your liking (and they cover at least the entire border of your flat) then you can stop. When you do the edge of the slide/rule, same thing. But then you also need calipers that are good down to a thous to ensure parallel-ness. When you do both edges, you should be able to measure the same width of the slide everywhere you measure with the calipers. If you did the sandpaper thing, oh boy. You will have a lot of work to undo. It might be more work than how it started.

[@InspireWoodcraft]

I know what you mean with the rule edges being straight and parallel. It’s something that I had forgot to mention in the video. The more I thought about it, the more it dawned on me that that’s way too much work for a $10 tool. I really wish I understood the first part of your comment better though. I did what I showed to that very square and the sole is square and true to the side and it is flat. There is no rounding off of anything. I’m really curious as to what you mean though. This is no different than how we joint lumber. But maybe I’m missing something.

[@mildyproductive9726]

@@InspireWoodcraft Lumber is much softer (and the pieces bigger). It's a matter of degrees. When I did my combo squares, I first used sandpaper over a flat plate of steel, seeing as it was "only" zinc aluminum alloy (even though I knew better). And I thought they were flat. But they still weren't consistent as my engineers squares. So ok, I said no more shortcuts. I rubbed against my flat stone, and nope. Not flat. In fact, they were better before I messed with them. I had inadvertently convexed these edges/faces. The corners were low by probably several thousandths. And yes, fixing these things was way more work than should go into a $10 tool! And no, my stone isn't out-of-flat. And there's no way to tell by eye. You can't just hold up a 3" square's body against a straight edge and see this issue. If you doubt it, "straighten" the edge of your rule on your sandpaper. Then measure the width with calipers. You'll find a big fat spot in the middle, and the ends will be skinny.

[@InspireWoodcraft]

I see. But were you freehand flattening or holding it upright against a known 90 degree reference and taking off all the material until you got down to flat? I put marker on mine (like you would with a plane sole) and flattened it down until the marker was gone, while keeping it against the 90 jointer fence the entire time to ensure a positive reference. It was quite the chore for a square I didn’t care for anymore anyway. But I figure I can put it in the kids’ tool box. Very interesting indeed. I wish I could see the process you went through.

[@mildyproductive9726]

@@InspireWoodcraft No, I didn't use a 90 degree angle. I kept the face tight against the paper in controlled strokes The marker doesn't tell you anything. The marker comes off where the sandpaper takes it. And that won't be in a flat plane. Also the grit from the sandpaper touches way down into low spots to remove not just sharpie, but also material from where you don't want to remove it. When I sanded mine, I watched the corners get "flat," and the low spot in the center shrink. Didn't need any sharpie. But flat wasn't flat. If you try what I said about sanding and measuring your slide with calipers (you can do that with any piece of metal, of course, cuz you will mess up the slide/rule if you do it), I bet you will see what I am talking about. And I will perhaps try sanding a piece of aluminum or steel using a 90 degree support, tomorrow. I'm curious about that. If you want to make small metal parts flat, and you don't have a mill and a surface grinder, then you might want to pick up a hard, flat stone, so you have some eyes for this kind of thing. It's revealing, seeing how badly you missed flat. Now that I flattened and straightened them properly, calipers show my slides to be the same width to within half a thou all the way across. And my combo squares are so accurate, I discovered one of my engineer squares was out of whack. FWIW, my 12" combo square was the cheapest one. And the face of the square was hollow-ground like my 6" squares. But the slide was ground straight and parallel, at least. I think they skip the grinding step on the 6" squares, these days. Over 12", that would be noticeable. Over 6", they maybe figure no one will care that much, I guess. All the better this way; I am not sure how straight I could make a 12" slide, seeing as my biggest flat stone is only 8" long.

[@TheOtherGuybo]

Great instruction!

[@XxStupendousManxX]

@Inspire Woodcraft I use a speed square to guide a circular saw cut. Would a combination square work well too?

[@MarzNet256]

Very useful info. Another trick to prevent premature wear of the pads is to loosen the nut a bit more and push it up. Then insert ruler with a little more clearance. The grove in ruler should cause it to hang on clamp when installing, keeping it's bottom edge for touching body. This will help keep the bottom edge from wearing them out as fast.

[@kubectlgetpo]

I like to use a 123 block to check for squareness of my tools

[@HWCism]

Nice job. Thanks

[@greglevandoski2983]

Jodee, how accurate was your PEC protractor head from Taytools? Mine was off 3 degrees and they told me it was not guaranteed to be accurate, just the square was. Pretty disappointing but I do love the square. Great and useful channel btw!

[@johnmalone6780]

Just saw the video. Nice job. Must have been popular because the link for Amazon shows that it is currently unavailable..

[@trptgk]

When checking for square, can you also use a speed square?

[@JimJackson-q3r]

How do you square up a larger square like 2 ft x 3 ft

[@Captleemo]

You can use a sharpie to mark your square and easily remove the marks with some Off mosquito spray.

[@javierramirez8339]

Why no check out with big square (24" sq) ??

[@joer5627]

Duh! I never gave this much of a thought. Not a good idea. I will start changing that. Thank you

[@matt_staton]

How is this different than a speed square?

[@davidross5291]

What's your thoughts on buying an old Starrett and restoring it back to new? They are pretty cheap on eBay and most just need elbow grease and a tune-up.

[@lindaloftus8780]

How do you square up a large framing or utility square?

[@HepauDK]

So, what to do if the rule itself isn't straight? The one I just bought has about 3/32" bow ont he tall end. If I had access to a plane grinder, I could have it fixed in 10 minutes. I do however, NOT have access to a plane grinder. I could buy a better quality one, but I hate wasting money, and I will probably not use it quite as much as my speed square and my 3x4" and 4x6" knife edge squares.

[@InspireWoodcraft]

You can file it with a metal file and at the high spots and then check to make sure both side are parallel. I have had to do that with framing squares before.

[@makenchips]

Oh pretty good information you could put a chisel point on your pencil on paper quality Bond paper when drawing a lion say you should be about a 30 seconds of an inch apart and then you take Insight the line which means you get down to the table with your eye and look down the set of lines you don't look at them . 99% of the people don't understand that when you go to adjust your Square you push against the nut after you loosened it then move the scale once you're near your mark like very near you can release the nut in the spring all the square in place then you're just nudge to your final dimension then tighten it down. Also, a light film of oil wipe down of the scale will help lubricate the small pads the scale restaurant in the body and the Half Moon from the bolt that travels in the skill in the middle give it some lubricant too. Just loosen the nut in Dragon the dry scale back and forth across the alignment Nubs in the body but surely take it out of alignment overtime. Is there a Precision Instruments they should be treated like that first learn how to use your instrument and also then learn how to maintain it I'll give you a lifetime of use accurate use

[@richardc6932]

Make the jig, just don’t use a crappy square to make it. For those that want accuracy, buy a quality tool such as a Starret.

[@frrapp2366]

anouther type of file that would work and might be available is a point or ignition file

[@jakeqwaninne8502]

i used my frett file, but harbour sells little files, they are shit , but they will work long enough to do this, probably longer, but lesss than $5,

[@woody1380]

Surely the sandpaper method will not only sand the "pads" that the ruler sits on but also the walls of the slot and make the gap wider and therefore sloppy and not holding the ruler properly over time.

[@richardmalone1986]

Really like your approach and information; being new to woodworking I apricate your efforts. Thank You. Now it's time for me to subsribe.

[@peterhansson7967]

Using the folded sandpaper will make surface where the ruler will ”land” concave. That is a risk in every case and tool you recomend actually… And by ”rounding over” the edges of the ruler you aggrevate the consequenses. I.e. You run the risk of having a square that is inconsistent. And that is way worse than having a square that consistantly is a fraction of. These tools are machine made and the precision a machine works with is far greater than any of your recommended fix will give. Also the big difference in length of the two parts of the square can create problems. One grain of dust halfway from the ruler will multiply the deviation at the end of the ruler. If the ruler is 6 times longer than the base and the grain is halfway fram the ruler the deviation will be 12 (2x6) times as big at the end of the ruler!!

[@alfredoverno9674]

my "lady" thought I was crazy when I told her "I have to square up and tune up the old combination square" (it belonged to her dad). 1970's issue.

[@alfredomarquez9777]

WHAAAATTT???... Dear Inspire Woodcraft: I simply CAN'T believe how you DESTROYED the UNIQUE versatility of the infamous EMPIRE Combination square!!! It is the UTMOST VERSATILITY of the unique EMPIRE Combination square that offers the user not one, run-of-the-mill "90° square"... but the patented, genius design of the Extra-soft aluminum "guides" which bring, not just one, boring and plain "90°" setting, but a FULL, INFINITELY variable and Rich settings from slightly less than 88°, to an slightly more than 92° in a single, brilliantly designed model! That Empire square you showed at 10:37 on your other video, that reads a precise but bland 90°, MUST BE a fake one... because true, Authentic EMPIRE squares only come in sets of four Authentic, Factory Authorized and Exclusive models: - The 88° one, - the 89°, - the 91° and finally, - the 92° . On the combination squares, Empire offers you the UTMOST VERSATILITY: a single, truly versatile combination square either on 12" or 6" models, that can perform brilliantly BETWEEN ANY ANGLE, from slighly less than 88°, to slightly MORE than 92°, all in just one extraordinary square... Now, you can rightly blame that it WAS NOT YOUR FAULT AT ALL... Thanks to that unique combination square, exclusively from EMPIRE! Why buy five different squares, when you can have just one that gives you a truly INFINITE choice of angles for the price of one??? Don' let you lose this magnificent offer, from Empire, at your local HomeDepo...