18" precision square


wdwerker

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Sometimes the big framing square doesn't fit inside a cabinet or I'm reluctant to take it out to jobsites. They offered up this oversized precision speed square when I had just gotten paid on a big project so decided I deserved a treat. I even opted for the MDF case.  Then I completely forgot I had ordered it. They shipped earlier than promised and when it hit my credit card I wasn't expecting it. Forgot how much it was and had a little sticker shock. I've got 6" & 12" speed squares but the edges aren't that flat & precision. This 18" square works great with a circular saw onsite. It gets more use than I thought it would. 

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Its not as heavy as the framing square and it stands up inside a cabinet on its own quite well. That lets me have both hands free to apply a diagonal clamp when a case is a bit out of square during glue up. 

Its kind of a luxury sometimes you just have to indulge.

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  • 11 months later...

This just came across my email in an ad from Highland, I'm tempted to pull the trigger. Glad to hear the good review. I could definitely up my game with a larger square that is accurate, having the 45 on it is even a big benefit. 

I'll be using it for layout, tool angle verifying and adjusting, and checking project squareness. Since I'm doing mainly smaller furniture pieces, I'm worried the 18" is too big. Sort of like Chesnut asked, does anyone see the downside of just getting the 12"?

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2 hours ago, Bmac said:

This just came across my email in an ad from Highland, I'm tempted to pull the trigger. Glad to hear the good review. I could definitely up my game with a larger square that is accurate, having the 45 on it is even a big benefit. 

I'll be using it for layout, tool angle verifying and adjusting, and checking project squareness. Since I'm doing mainly smaller furniture pieces, I'm worried the 18" is too big. Sort of like Chesnut asked, does anyone see the downside of just getting the 12"?

My thought after i posted was i can probably get a decent 12" square from another company for less, and if needed lap the sides to make it square. Finding an 18" square is going to be difficult and tuning an 18" square even harder.

Yeah yeah i can hear the "But tune a square!" It's not that hard if you have a good lapping plate like a piece of granite and some sticky sand paper. For most of the stuff we woodworkers do the accuracy woodpeckers offers exceeds what we need with exceptions.

28 minutes ago, ben_r_ said:

I say if you have any intentions of using it with the Festool MFT as they often advertise it to be used, I would get the 18".

I'll probably never own an MFT but I've used the concept to make my own MFT for cutting accurate 90 degree cuts quickly. I get the benefit of the MFT but hot dang is that a LOT for a glorified table with a fence.

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1 hour ago, Chestnut said:

I'll probably never own an MFT but I've used the concept to make my own MFT for cutting accurate 90 degree cuts quickly. I get the benefit of the MFT but hot dang is that a LOT for a glorified table with a fence.

Oh man, for sure! That think is so ridiculously overpriced for what it is! I have a lot of Festool tools, but that one, every time I have gotten my hands on one I just cant believe how surprised I am over how silly it feels. Thankfully I am not a mobile worker and only work in my home shop, so I dont need the portability I guess it offers. That said, I do use my 26" Woodpeckers Square all the time to square up guide rails for track saw cuts. Not THATS a tool I recommend to everyone that has a track saw!

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55 minutes ago, Chet said:

I don't know how much the woodpecker square is but I have been thinking about getting this one from TSO  18-precision-basic-triangle

I already have their guide rail square that I use with my track saw and it is top quality.

That one is $10 cheaper so i might not get the wood peckers out of sheer resistance to their backwards graduations on their rulers.

I like the idea of the track square but that's some good cash for an alignment tool that only works with the track saw. I don't find that i'm using my track saw for critical square cuts very often.

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1 hour ago, Chestnut said:

I like the idea of the track square but that's some good cash for an alignment tool that only works with the track saw. I don't find that i'm using my track saw for critical square cuts very often.

I bought it mainly to use on the top of my dining table when getting it to final length and width, but since then I have had numerous occasions were I was helping my kids with projects using ply and it is real nice for truing up the factory edge of sheet goods.  Having it attached to the track is a lot easier  and faster then holding a square with one hand and lining up the track with the other.

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On 2/19/2019 at 9:26 AM, Chestnut said:

@wdwerker If you were goign to get just 1 of the squares would you get the 18" or the 12"?

I got the 18” one the first time it was offered.  I’ve used it to guide my tracksaw on crosscuts , layout work & checking large cases .  It’s useful but overpriced. I bought it as a reward for completing a profitable job.

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23 hours ago, Chestnut said:

I like the idea of the track square but that's some good cash for an alignment tool that only works with the track saw. I don't find that i'm using my track saw for critical square cuts very often.

Exactly! Too expensive for a kinda one trick pony. I can and do use my 26" Woodpeckers square for a lot of other things besides my guide rails.

That and TSO kind of annoyed me with all their SPAMing and self-promoting on the FOG. Then when they released their version of a parallel guide system I was blown away at the price for the complete system. First thing I thought was: "Who do these guys think they are?! Woodpeckers?!" Especially when the Precision Dogs system is 1/3 the price and works perfectly (LINK). Or the Seneca offering for a bit more that does the same thing. 

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2 hours ago, ben_r_ said:

Too expensive for a kinda one trick pony.

This sounds like a good description of a lot of Woodpeckers stuff.

2 hours ago, ben_r_ said:

That and TSO kind of annoyed me with all their SPAMing and self-promoting on the FOG

I would think that if the FOG admin and moderators are not stoping them from posting, they must be a vendor member and have the same right to post as any other member.

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I've spent more on a one trick pony, dang thing got away...

I have no judgement on the stuff for me it comes down to does it fit my woodworkign style? Maybe .... Would i get a lot of use out of it? Maybe again.... Is it excellent value for money? Maybe ..... it's just to many maybes for me to justify. I have a feeling that if i used one for a month i'd buy it in a heart beat but ignorance is a fuller wallet.

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5 hours ago, Chet said:

I would think that if the FOG admin and moderators are not stoping them from posting, they must be a vendor member and have the same right to post as any other member.

Funny you should mention that. A complaint was sent to the mods about it and one responded saying that they agreed it was getting a bit out of hand and that others had mentioned it as well. Since then their spamming seems to have stopped.

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