Do I Need A $200 Combination Square?

I have purchased several Starrett squares at garage sales and flea markets. The best deal was a 4 piece 12" for $25. (I did have to replace a vial.) Just keep your eyes open. The scale I use most is a 2" square rather than the combos. They are mot must haves, but they sure come in handy from time to time. Even a cheapie will get you by until you can find better.
Randy
 
I have several small double squares and I use them every day.

I rarely use the 45º on my builder's square, and almost never use the protractor head. Most of the time when I need to mark 45º I just use a drafting triangle.

I've found the center finder almost useless. The rule is right on the line and any mark you make, even with a blade is off the line. I always have to make several marks from different angles and estimate the center.
 
Thanks Franko, and everyone else!
I hadn't thought about the fact that the rule is right down the center-- but I guess if it wasn't, then the location of the center line would depend on how far your mark (maybe with a scribe) was from the rule-- and I suppose this might vary between individuals-right? Your solution for finding centers of doing multiple lines to create a triangle or whatever-- seems like a great idea.
Bob
 
The proper way to use a center square is to mark at least 2 lines & never just one.
 
In my experience it requires 4 lines at 90º with a center finder, three at 120º minimum. I don't see how two lines could be enough. If you make a line and then another from 180º, they will not meet in the center.
 
I have bought several nice things made in China. Tablet I'm typing on for one. ;) I have some iGuaging scales that are very accurate. Advertised to the half thousand. With costume firmware on a microcontroller they are good down to 2 ths. I have been using HF digital calipers for 20 years. I've bought 6 I think & 4 of them them are still working. One failed because the battery leaked & the terminal ate away. The other one never was good. It took good repeatable measurements but the display always flashed dead battery & if you left it sit a few months without use it drained the battery. One is just now starting to get a little lose but it still measures well. I bought some analog micrometers about 20 years ago from HF also & they still read good. I've checked my standards with my uncle's that own a machine shop & they were dead on with his. I adjusted them when I first got them & the one I use the most often I adjusted again about a year ago. I have kids so I'm not sure it wasn't them playing with them. I recently bought 2 dial indicators one that is from Hong Kong that is .001mm that has a really nice finish & is so smooth that came with two well created dove tail post & was packaged really nice. Cost me $10 TYD so I thought why not try it. At the same time I bought a Mitutoyo .001" with stand, case for the indicator, & 2 dove tail post. Even tho it came in with the case it wasn't in it & was just thrown in the bag with everything else. The finish wasn't great to start with having wavy sides more like cast instead of finished & it only came with one dove tail that you switch the two post in that are really rough made out of some really crappy metal. The stand isn't much better. On top of all that it gut really beat up in shipping.

This isn't the same for all Chinese tools. I usually expect to do some work to power tools but have had good ones for the most part. I recently bought several things from Grizzly with two of them being milling vices. One got really thrown around in shipping so the bent lead screw may have been from that but the other one was just crappy finishing. It still had casting sand in it, parts were missed painting, the turn table didn't have the slot to bolt it down, & I had to finish milling the slot for the one that was there so the bolt that came with it would fit. So I say it isn't where it is made but who made the specs for what is exceptable. I also got some 123 blocks that I didn't see how they could be screwed up but I was wrong. The holes are undersized so they can't be bolted together or even bolted to my table without making adaptors.
 
Thanks very much, guys, for the info-- I guess it's buyer beware for everything except maybe Starret which is so expensive-- I will probably use Starret and mainly Chinese--that I will have to inspect/modify.
 
I don't own any Starret but the way people talk about how the quaity has droped I don't think I want to spend that kind of money. I've had a really bad run the last couple weeks on the Grizzly stuff so I'm starting to wonder why waste my money. I really need to get my foundry built to start cassting some of my own stuff. I'm not very good at this stuff yet but I'll get there as I get time to play with it. I have made spacile tools to get those odd jobs done for years. This seems to be a little different tho. I seem to have to make a tool to make a tool to do a job. Sometimes I end up buying a tool to make the tool. Best deal I have bought so far is those Chinese center drills off eBay. I bought a set two years ago expecting them not to last very long but I haven't broken the first one. ;) Probably shouldn't have said that.
 
Thanks for the info! Didn't know Starret had quality issues now too! --So sad, the decline of American excellence in all trades and manufacturing.
Bob
 
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