Ready to set up

[Tom H]

Hello all,

Finally picked up the TS (BT clone) from Sears the other day. The posts here were very helpful, and thanks to everyone for posting all the great information. I haven't had time to put it together yet, but have some time off this week and should be able to get it done.

I've been looking for some draftsman's triangles after reading the very thorough information page from George (gmack5). These are hard to find! It looks like they have to be orderd online. Harbor Freight and Western Tool Supply are both within five minutes of my house, neither has these items. Also looked at drafting services and hobby shops in the yellow pages with no luck. They look like something that will come in handy for things besides setting up the table, so I'll probably go ahead and order them. The first site that comes up on google with a search for draftsman's triangles is shopsmith.com. Anyone know if these are the tools George is talking about?

All I have now is a speed square, don't even have a combination square, so a trip to the tool store is in order anyway. If a framing square will get me started until the triangles arrive, I guess I'll get one (might be necessary in the future anyway?)

Thanks in advance for any thoughts or suggestions!

Tom

[jackellis]

I bought my drafting triangles at an art supply store for about 10-15 bucks apiece.

One bit of advice on combination squares - spend for a good one. I had four by various makers including Stanley. The cheapest one with a plastic head turned out to be the only truly square one. I've now picked up a Starrett on eBay, along with protractor and center finder heads, plus several extra rules. Mitutoyo and Brown and Sharpe also make pretty good measuring instruments.

[JR]

I use a framing square to set the SMT fence. As long as the square is square, you're good to go.

Like Jack, I bought my triangles at an art supply shop.

Good Luck,
JR

[LarryG]

I use a framing square to set the SMT fence. As long as the square is square, you're good to go.

Ditto, and exactly right.

And while drafting triangles do tend to be more accurate than the average un-tuned framing square, one cannot assume any given one is any more accurate than any other marking/measuring device. They're not all perfectly square -- and if they're not, you can't fix them. I literally have a drawer full of triangles left over from my pre-CAD days. Some of them are accurate, some of them aren't, none of them have ever seen the inside of my shop.

[bigdaddyjohn]

triangles

You can also pick them up at any office supply store. Staples, Office Depot, etc. Sometimes at Walmart. Amazing how supply and demand effects prices. Now that we use CAD almost exclusively, the darn things are MORE expensive than when we used to draw by hand.

Bigdaddyjohn

[ironhat]

Ditto, and exactly right.

And while drafting triangles do tend to be more accurate than the average un-tuned framing square, one cannot assume any given one is any more accurate than any other marking/measuring device. They're not all perfectly square -- and if they're not, you can't fix them. <snip>

I saw this recently on a website - likely to iffy to e of any use - but it was regarding 'tuning'. It stated that for a square with an angle of >90* to strike the inside of the 'L' on one side with a center punch. For 90* strike the outside corner. I can't imagine getting it exact. This is just an FYI of dubious use.
Later,
Chiz