Layout Square

I saw one of these in a video recently, I’ve not seen one before, anyone on here use one? Looks quite handy with the vernier.

**LINK**

I had one pretty much the same a while back which was used primarily for woodworking, and was dead handy. A Vernier wasn't much use though, It could be ok for engineering but doubt if it would offer any real advantages over traditional kit.

Mike

Reviews on Axminster  website aren't very encouraging

Edited By Rob McSweeney on 11/07/2023 12:37:32

Viv, my reading of the reviews is counter to yours.

The recurring theme of penny-pinching on a plastic thumb wheel will be because it is inexpensive. Rectifying would make a nice wee workshop project I would guess.

Paul

The second picture on the advert with it in use seems to be marking a distance that has no relation to the scale. One could mark to the scale by using the pencil in the end of the slot. I think it needs two scales and maybe some drilled holes for the pencil at useful distances for marking eg both sides of a mortice.

I think it is an armchair tool - the designer never actually tried using it.

edit I now see a feint line on the edge next to the 4.

Edited By Bazyle on 11/07/2023 14:32:52

What reviews did you read?

I've had one for years and it's brilliant. Two things would make it better. First a spring washer under the clamp screw to provide a little friction when setting. Second a Vernier scale on the slide one day I'll get round to fitting the first and engraving the second. Mine has a nice steel thumb nut. A Shame if they've made that from plastic but a good exercise to make one. Highly recommended.

I don't want to rain on anyone's parade, but for possibly slightly different purposes than this one, you can now get T squares with hundreds of tiny holes laser drilled along its length. These are spaced at millimetre distances from the T, but other holes around each whole millimetre hole are drilled at +1/4, +1/2, +3/4mm.

So now marking out something to the accuracy required in woodwork, i.e. to about 0.5mm, is very easy to do, and because you put your 0.7mm pencil lead in an actual hole, rather than eyeballing it against a scale, the accuracy and precision is much better. Also, you can slide the T square along to make a line Xmm in from the edge very easily and accurately.

I've got an old model of this with no vernier scale, very useful, use it all the time, shame they don't make an imperial model too. I'm sure mine cost more than fifteen quid fifteen or so years ago, a simple useful tool.

Dave

Personally I am extremely pleased with my Axminster Professional Square/Stop , part number102379. It has done all I've ever asked of it , is cheaper , has a brass screw and will accommodate any metric/imperial 22mm-30mm steel rule .

I also have one following a comment from Harold Hall. I quite like it, but I don't use it all that much. Why! Frankly, I'm getting past it, but yes it's ok.

Mine is metric & non vernier, and cost, according to my records, £7.50 on 16 December 2010. Seems a bit cheap that, so if anyone from Axminster happens to read this, perhaps they could confirm? Order ref was WEB714260.

Cheers,

Peter G. Shaw.

As a layout tool the Axminster device seems to fit accuracy-wise between an adjustable set-square and a vernier or digital caliper.

I don't do much layout with blue and scribing, preferring mill-table and DRO, but when within about 0.5mm is good enough, especially woodwork, then out comes my adjustable set-square. This example scribes a line on felt tip 50mm from the end of the steel flat:

Same result as the Axminster tool, but the Axminster device is handier and should be more precise because it has a vernier. The Axminster isn't as precise as a digital caliper in this application, but must be less fiddly.

I reckon an Axminster would be well worth owning if a lot of laying-out was being done. Otherwise, a caliper and adjustable set-square will do the job and can be used in other configurations.

I expected to get a lot more use out of my adjustable set-square set when I bought it, and invested in a large bottle of layout blue and a Height Gauge. Not a waste of money but in practice, I don't have much call for any of them.

How much marking out do others do?

Dave