Got into a debate at the local makerspace about whether you really need a machinist square or if a combo square is good enough

Last month I was over at the HackRVA makerspace in Richmond helping a buddy set up his new workbench. We were squaring up his fence to the table saw and I pulled out my trusty old combo square to check it. This older guy walks over and starts saying I'm wasting my time, that combo squares drift over time and you need a solid machinist square for anything important. I've been using combo squares for most of my woodworking for like 8 years and haven't noticed issues, but he made a point that if you are off by even 1/64th of an inch on a long cut it adds up fast. On the other hand, my machinist square is a pain to use for bigger setups since its only 6 inches. Anyone else run into this debate and figure out a middle ground that works?

2 comments

2 Comments

holly8982d ago

Last weekend I was helping a friend level his jointer at the Nashville makerspace and this guy pulls out this vintage 12 inch combination square from the 40s, all brass and rusted. He swore by it for everything, but when we actually checked it against my 4 inch machinist square the combo was off by almost a full 64th. I've been using a 6 inch Starrett combo for 5 years and never cross-checked it, now I'm paranoid every time I cut a tenon.

richardk262d ago

Man that's rough. I'd be paranoid too after seeing something like that. Makes you wonder how many projects were a little off without you knowing.