# Truing a square? Recommend better?



## PPBART (Nov 11, 2011)

How would you true a framing square that is off-square? 

What square would you recommend for general cabinet/furniture building?


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## jimn (Nov 13, 2010)

An out of square square will ruin any job . Time to buy a new one .


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## kwikfishron (Mar 11, 2010)

PPBART said:


> How would you true a framing square that is off-square?


You can true a framing square by punching divots either at the inside or the outside corner of the square depending on which way it needs to go. There are some YouTube videos out there that can walk you through the process.



> An out of square square will ruin any job . Time to buy a new one .


Just because it's new doesn't mean it's true.


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## Mort (Nov 26, 2008)

When you go to buy one, bring a pencil and piece of paper. Trace the two perpendicular lines and then flip it over and do the same thing. If the long line is perfectly straight, it's square.


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## 47_47 (Sep 11, 2007)

When I go to buy one, I just line it up with the floor tile to check for square.


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## PPBART (Nov 11, 2011)

Mort said:


> When you go to buy one...


Any recommendations as to brand?


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## ratherbefishing (Jan 13, 2011)

Truing them with a punch isn't hard and is a very cool technique. 
http://www.popularwoodworking.com/tricks/truing-your-squares
http://www.newwoodworker.com/fxfrmsqr.html


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## Scottg (Nov 5, 2012)

http://www.woodpeck.com/

Expensive. To me anyway. But their stuff is precise and you can feel the quality. I've got a carpenter's square, a t-square and some of their clamping squares. Would love to be getting a lot of stuff from them, but can only - barely - justify the price for the stuff I use most.


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

If price is not a factor--Starret is the top choice for me---


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## PPBART (Nov 11, 2011)

Scottg said:


> http://www.woodpeck.com/
> 
> Expensive...


Nice tools, but pricey -- sorta like the Whole Foods of woodworking <g>.

I tried the punch technique on an old steel framing square that was more than 1/16" off in 24"; got it to about 1/64" with several punches.


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## carpdad (Oct 11, 2010)

I have a steel engineers square that always stays inside, which I test now and then and use to test outdoor aluminum square.


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## mako1 (Jan 7, 2014)

When doing remodeling or carpenter work your square does not need to be perfect.Whatever you are working on is not.Consistency is more important than accuracy in the end.
When doing cabinet work more accuracy is needed but a framing square is rarely used to obtain this accuracy.


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## A Squared (Dec 19, 2005)

ratherbefishing said:


> Truing them with a punch isn't hard and is a very cool technique.
> http://www.popularwoodworking.com/tricks/truing-your-squares
> http://www.newwoodworker.com/fxfrmsqr.html



AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! 

DO NOT DO WHAT THE SECOND WEBPAGE [email protected]!!!!!

Sorry, but it makes me want to pull my hair out. You see this advice fairly often, and it's really bad advice. The webpage at the second link recommends that you "fix" a square by making a series of punches along the length of the tongue (short leg), about a 1/4 inch in.

DO NOT DO THIS! it "fixes" the out of square, square, by adding a curve to the tongue. So now, not only is your square still not square, it's not straight, either. Now, in addition to being out of square, it's going to rock a little as you try to use it, or if you're using the other way, the line you draw will be not only un-square, but it will have a curve to it. This is not an improvement. 

Now, the argument I usually get at this point (yes, I have on a number of occasions tried to politely explain to internet experts why this is not a good idea) is that the curve is small, so it doesn't make any difference. This is BS reasoning, because in order to "true" a square this way, you have to add a curve to it that is as big as the angle by which is is out of square. So if the "out of square" angle is big enough to make a difference for what you're doing (if it isn't why are you worrying about it ?) then logically a curve of that same size is going to be big eoungh to make a difference. 

If you need to adjust a framing square, do it by making punches at the heel, as has already been described. Punches on the outside if you need to "close it up" a little, punches on the inside, if you need to "open it up" a little. You can also do the same by hammering it in the same areas for the same effect.


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