Woodcraft combination square (on sale)

[davidtu]

Anyone have this? Is it any good? I can't justify a Starrett yet... but would like something decent.

http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=3064

As you can see its half off right now.

[Knottscott]

Hi David - I don't have one, but I remember reading mixed comments about it the last time it was on sale for ~ $15. I'd got a Fowler that's very good.

[cgallery]

I suggest getting a Shars on eBay. A four-piece 12" set is about $20-$25. A three piece (head, center-finding head, and blade) 6" is about $15. Then, get some diamond files (I used the edge of a DMT credit-card sharpener) and fine-tune the one they send you. I was able to tune a 6" set during my kid's softball game and get it at least or more accurate than my high-priced Starrett.

I find the 6" Shars gets used a lot more than the 12" Starrett.

In any event, whatever you buy, be ready to check it and tune it. Unless it is a Starrett, which shouldn't need any work.

[LCHIEN]

I don't know if this $12 square set is 1.5 x as good as the $8 three-head combination square for sale at harborfreight, probably given woodcraft's markups vs HF's its the same square.


But after i got that POS, I ditched it and got a starrett set on e-bay for around $65.

I'd avoid real cheap combination squares. Just not very usable.

[LinuxRandal]

Does anyone know if Starrett ever made them for Craftsman?


A while back I won an old one (50's era from what a friend with a old catalog said) that is a Craftsman (still NIB), but I believe was made either by Starrett, or I think General. I figured since it is a hand tool covered by the lifetime warranty, the $40 I won it for wasn't too bad, and it seems a LOT more accurate then anything I had.
Thanks

[davidtu]

Thanks for the comments guys, I will pass on this one.

[cgallery]

An important distinction, if you ask me, is the construction of the square. You want either a cast iron or hardened steel head, and a hardened rule. The cheapies are usually cast aluminum heads and stainless rules. The back and forth of the rule wears the head unevenly and then your square isn't, (if it ever was).

If you ever find old squares at rummage sales and ignore them because you don't know if they are square or not, buy them anyway. As long as the materials are good, you can adjust them with diamond files and make 'em like new again.