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My favorite speed square finally gave out after 12 years...
Was framing a little bump-out in a garage yesterday and reached for my old Swanson speed square. The lip on it had worn down so much over the years it was off by almost 1/16th of an inch. Didnt notice until I checked a 90 and saw the gap. Had to finish the job with a cheap backup I keep in the truck. Felt like losing an old friend honestly. Anyone else keep using a tool way past its prime?
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drews553d ago
Learned that lesson the hard way myself a few years back. Check your square against a known straight edge every few months, it saves a lot of scrap wood and frustration. You can also file down the body a bit to true up the edge if the lip is still decent, just go slow and keep checking. Once it's off by a 64th or more though, it's time to retire it. That old square did its time for sure.
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kim_mason553d ago
Wow, a whole 1/16th off? That's wild.
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emma_jones4d ago
Hold up, a 1/16th? That's crazy. I've worn down a few speed squares in my time but never enough to throw a 90 off by that much. You must have used that thing every single day to get that kind of wear on the lip. I would have just assumed I was getting sloppy at marking cuts, not that the square itself was the problem. Man, that's a bummer.
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