I've written about framing squares but they are generally too small to ensure that something like an entire wall or foundation line is square. So there are a couple of other methods that can be used which only require a... read more.
The American steel square dates from the industrial revolution. It served as a form of calculator in the pre-electronic days and was the subject of a number of treatises and innovation. In contrast, the Japanese square - called a "sashigane"... read more.
The speed square has a couple advantages over a normal steel framing square for marking and cutting rafters. Because of the pivot point at the corner of the square, you only need to line up one number rather than two.... read more.
Most people use a square to make things straight or square, but it doesn't have to be that way. It can be used to make graceful curves as well. Here is how to draw an ellipse with a framing... read more.
Framing or carpenters squares last a long time and are big enough that they can get stepped on or dropped or have something put them out of square sometime over their life. Fortunately it is easy to check and adjust... read more.
At first glance the rafter table stamped into the side of a framing square can be a bit tricky to understand. But it is not so difficult once you get the hang of it. The first thing to understand... read more.
Since I published the first review of the Swanson Speed Square, many people have been wondering how to use it. There are actually a large number of things you can do with it, but the most common is probably to... read more.
Watches are a good example of the value of good design and making trade-offs. The watch shown is an example of one which is quite robust because of the original design decisions, and one which had a life of... read more.
The Swanson speed square is an old favorite. It was invented in 1930 by Albert J. Johnson and has had a few additional features added over the years. The one I'm showing is from around 1988. They had just... read more.
I've used bad and good levels. Some with broken or misadjusted vials, some "I-beam" levels which catch stuff in the flanges and the brand I finally settled on is Stabila. I haven't found anything better. I prefer the 187... read more.
Geometry is an important part of a lot of woodworking. Most of the time, the work is based on straight lines and a fixed set of angles (90, 45, 22.5 ...) but still a compass can be useful to... read more.
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