Tischlerwinkel

It’s always astonishing that many manufacturers simply fail to produce an accurate carpenter’s square. Perhaps this is because carpenter’s squares in Germany are not standardized. However, there is at least a somewhat reliable rule of thumb: the accuracy depends on what you are willing to spend on a square. You should also consider whether a manufacturer is willing to publicly adhere to a quality standard. In the everyday practice of woodworking, you don’t need the accuracy of a measuring square. On the contrary, this can lead to frustration because every saw cut changes the tension in the wood – angles and reference edges change. Rather, the quality of a square should be appropriate to the work objective and the material.

Bamboo composite, brass, and hardened steel – these are the materials used by the small Sheffield manufacturer CROWN to make squares and bevel gauges. They are produced according to BRITISH STANDARD. According to BRITISH STANDARD 3322, carpenter’s squares may have a deviation from the right angle of 0.01 mm per 1 cm of steel blade length – for a 305 mm square, this is a maximum deviation of 0.3 mm. The stated dimensions refer to the inside of the steel blade!

ECE precision squares are equipped with a blue, spring-hard steel blade with a laser-etched mm scale. Rosewood arms and steel springs are connected with 4 brass rivets. The inner and outer reference edges of the arm are each fitted with a double-grooved brass rail. ECE guarantees an accuracy of +- 0.1 mm based on the length of the steel blade. The stated dimensions refer to the inside of the steel blade.

Something quite special are the squares with a sliding stop from Starrett. This adjustability makes them significantly more versatile than squares with a fixed stop.