For their latest One-Time Tool, Woodpeckers is producing what they are calling a Precision Carpenters Square, out of stainless steel and aluminum.
This is actually the 2nd time Woodpeckers has introduced this tool as a One Time Tool. The first time, it was called a 6SS Carpenters Square.
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When I think of a carpenters square, I think of the big L-shaped square used for laying out stair stringers or calculating roof pitch on dimensional lumber. Amazon search results agree with me. I think this tool is closer to what most people would call a “speed” square, or rafter square.
Naming conventions aside, this 6″ square is designed for the precise layout of angles. The stainless steel blade has 90° and 45° edges that are accurate to within 0.0085°. It has a 6″ long scale marked in 1/16″ increments on the opposite side, and angle markings in degrees on the hypotenuse.
Woodpeckers is using some new equipment to make annealed marks. These marks are supposed to be as durable as engravings and yet clear to read. To make the markings easier to read, the blade is bead blasted to produce a low sheen finish.
They say:
The inch and degree scales are made using state-of-the-art equipment to produce annealed marks that deliver the durability of engraving with enhanced visual clarity.
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The aluminum handles are removable via four stainless steel screws. This lets you use the square for layout on a flat surface. When you need to use the square against the edge of a board again, the handle locks into the blade with precision milled steel pins, so it’ll always be square to the edge.
4 socket head cap screws secure the base halves together, with the square sandwiched in between.
Like many of Woodpeckers precision tools, the Model 6SS Carpenters Square ships in a foam-lined case, and they sell the square with either metric or Imperial markings. Either way it’ll run you $99 plus shipping. You’ll want to order soon, because after 11/21/16 you won’t be able to buy this tool. Delivery is expected to be April 2017.
Carbide Processors also has the Woodpeckers Precision Carpenters Square for the same $99 price, plus if you purchase over $150 you get free shipping.
Price: $99
Order Deadline: 11/21/16
Shipping ETA: April 2017
COO: USA
Buy Now (via Woodpeckers)
Buy Now (via Carbide Processors)
A 6″ rafter or “speed” square probably won’t cost you more than $10 to $15, but if you start looking at comparable tools like a Starrett square or a combination square, you’ll pay $60 to $80 or more. So this tool is more on par with other precision measuring and layout tools.
Stuart’s Note: As a reminder, there’s a 2-for-1 Empire rafter square pack at HD for the holiday season, and a new bundle pack where you can get a 7″ rafter square and 9″ level for $10. You don’t get the same features, readability, or bulletproofness of the Woodpeckers, but I wanted to show you something on the other end of the spectrum.
Jason
Unless your building a space ship, you do not need to spend $100 on a speed square. I don’t know who could justify the cost on this thing, regardless of how “nice” it is. Also, look at the dimensions (it’s a miniature version of a speed square).
William Butler
This is neither a carpenters square (framing square, looks like a big “L”) nor a speed square. This is just a triangle with perfect 90 and 45 angles. But you can use WP precision triangles ($35) or 6″ carpenters square ($70) for that. http://www.woodpeck.com/triangles.html
http://www.woodpeck.com/carpentersq6.html
A speed square is not meant to build spaceships. Plus, real speed squares have hip/valley and common rafter markings on it. I’d like to know how many they sell of these things.
Woodpeckers may make nice stuff but they seem to be stretching for ideas now.
fred
Like a batch of other tools from Woodpeckers – this tool looks very nicely made and its cost is probably in line with the cost to manufacture it and make a profit on a short production run. It is by no means, however, a cost effective tool and lacks some of the functionality of a much cheaper speed square or a quality combination square.
BigDan
was it certified to be dead on balls accurate by the institute of weights and measures?
Dan
And tested for accuracy just a split second before its use, right?
BigDan
That’s right other Dan! Where’s the certificate of validation?
Benjamen
You know, for what many of the Woodpeckers measuring tools cost, coming with a NIST cert seems reasonable :>)
N
NIST doesn’t even get out of bed in the morning for a few hundred dollars. I think the cheapest calibration I’ve had them do was $2400 to measure a single resistance value on a simple resistor. Lol.
Blythe M
For that price it at least needs to have the holes every 1/16 like their other squares to mark rip cuts
Benjamen
While in theory that sounds like a good idea, I’ve found the holes to be of limited use. They don’t usually work with a regular pencil lead and it’s really hard to find a compromise between being tough enough and small enough with a mechanical pencil.
Maybe I should pick up one of Woodpeckers pencils:
http://www.woodpeck.com/mech_pencil_9mm.html#2470
Hmm, this is a 9mm lead. I need to look into why I have problems with using my 9mm lead pencils then?
Koko The Talking Ape
I wish the red aluminum “handles” were radiused on their long edges. With those square edges, a nick in the edge can raise a little divot of metal, which will push the square away from the workpiece a little, and throw off the alignment. And splinters in the workpiece can also jam into the tight corner between the handle and the triangle. A radius would give a little space for those splinters.
It might not seem like a big deal, but it would cost them very little to do, and they are marketing it as a super-accurate, premium tool.
Marty
Also, with a speed square, the base extends all the way to a pivot point for marking angles. Unless I’m missing something, this looks like you’d have to actually hold it true to a point, which takes away accuracy and repeatability.
Benjamen
Thank you to everybody that’s pointed out that this is different from a speed or rafter square — that’s something I probably should have done, but this is what I said:
” I think this tool is closer to what most people would call a “speed” square, or rafter square.”
Maybe I didn’t phrase that the best way, and by including an example of what a rafter square costs probably confused the matter more. I was just trying to make the point that calling this a carpenter’s square doesn’t seem right.
Allen
I have their 90* and 45* squares, they raised my woodworking to a higher level for sure.
goodnightjohnboy
It’s not a machinists square & it’s not a speed or framing square, then what the hell is it? No offense, but you’d have to be dumb as a sack of water to pay $100+tax for a halfass speed square. How do you get the correct angle degree for rafters or any angled flush cut if there’s no edge on the square to pivot? I didn’t know a 14oz square required handles. So basically the only thing it does is 90° crosscuts. Maybe 45° on nothing wider than a 2×4. I’ll stick with my $10-$20 useful square.
Tony
I view tools such as this as a piece of artwork. Some people place more importance on form over function, use it a few times, and save it as a collectible item. Although, I don’t see the need for one myself, I have no problem with people who do buy them.
However, I’ve noticed that Woodpeckers has started making second runs for some of their “OneTime” tools lately (e.g. Precision Framing Square, Carpenter’s Square) in contrast to what their website says: “After the order window closes, we prepare for a single production run and make only enough to fill the orders. When the tools ship, we retire it from our product line.” I’m not complaining. I think it’s great that others can buy a tool who may have missed it the first time that it was marketed as a “OneTime” production run. But maybe “Second-Time Tool” would be a more honest product description for a company which has found it necessary to change their marketing strategy.
biff
I cannot think of one possible use for this that could not be done just as well by something that costs a fraction of the price.
A toy for people that need new things to spend money on.