Milwaukee Metric Rafter Square

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By now you may be asking yourself, “why do I have to do this math?” Good news! When cutting boards, you don’t. The angles on a speed square match up with the angles on your miter saw—which are also based on 0 degrees being vertical. Therefore, a 30-degree cut on the miter saw is simply a 30-degree line on the speed square. Make your mark, then make your cut. 3. How to Make Straight Cuts Using a Speed Square as a Guide The Swanson tool Co S0107 huge 12-inch speed square layout tool is a larger version of the Swanson tool Co S0107 inch speed square layout tool, featuring an extra 5 inches for larger tasks and a layout bar. The speed square is especially important in roof building for determining roof pitch and cutting an exact seat into the rafter to match the double plate of the wall. It also comes with common and hip value scales that are very beneficial for rafter construction. That’s why a speed square is also called a rafter square. First off, they are precision built with accurate frames. A speed square is only as good as its squareness and its ability to mark 45-degree angles. All speed squares that made our shortlist were square out of the box. A speed square may be used as a saw guide for perfect square cuts, line scriber, protractor, out of square corner angle finder, roof pitch finder, protractor for angle measurement, framing square, stair layout square, among other things.

Dewalt, iGaging, Milwaukee, and Swanson manufacture some of the best speed squares for the price. These four brands have models that span the price spectrum from bargain bin to gift-worthy. They also cover the spectrum of needs from weekend DIY’er to the professional contractor. Speed squares are typically made of either plastic or aluminum. The plastic ones are lightweight and give you high visibility. They just don’t last as long as the aluminum ones. The plastic speed squares are non-marring and ideal for use on painted surfaces like siding. The Taiwanese CH Hanson 03060 speed square distinguishes out with its three bubble vails, which help to the tool’s accuracy while leveling, plumbing, and determining roof pitches. If you buy a speed square that only lasts a few months before the graduations start to fade, it’s a waste of money. After all, what good is a square if it can’t be used to measure distance or determine angles? If it keeps its squareness, you might get one excellent item out of it, but we can assure you that it won’t result in an efficient way.There are a variety of sizes on our list of top speed squares, including the Igaging 4 inch square, the regular 7-inch square, and the Swanson 12″ speed square, measured along the hypotenuse side of the speed square triangle. These obviously come in a variety of sizes and are tailored to match individual requirements. You’ll never know how you got by without a speed square once you’ve tried it out. Speed Square Construction Many of the best speed squares will also have slight recesses, making it easy to set your pencil into when scribing lines. We suggest investing in an aluminum speed square since they are powerful, durable, and long-lasting.

Various cuts at key lengths for joinery and rafter layout purposes may be found on the triangle. They also have a line guide for scribing a notch. With a speed square, you may draw parallel lines at a predetermined distance from one another, generally 1/4 inches, without sacrificing squareness.

Things to Consider Buying Speed Square

The speed square is available in a variety of scales, including 1/8, 1/10, 1/12, and 1/16 scales. It’s silver in hue and barely 8.8 ounces in weight. The layout bar on this speed square is really exceptional. When dealing with out-of-square corners or constructing stair stringers, the layout bar is a must-have tool. A 12-inch speed square is most handy for cross cuts on wider workpieces, such as 2 x 8 lumber and larger, as well as certain sheet goods. Who makes the best speed square?

Suppose you prefer the aluminum alloy speed square. In that case, you can make your choice among the Empire level E2994, Swanson tool COS0101 7-inch speed square, iGaging bench square, 45-degree aluminum alloy angle ruler, Dewalt DWHT46031 rafter square, CH Hanson 03000 square, SwansonHanson tool COS107 Big 12-inch speed square, and the credence EX6 2-in-1 extendable layout tool. 3. Graduation Visibility The Swanson tool Co., Inc is a 2-in-1 speed square that comes in 7 and 12-inch sizes and is built of a heavy-gauge aerospace aluminum alloy with a non-glare matte surface for easy reading in any light. The material a speed square is made out of will have a direct effect on its durability. These versatile tools get used a lot, so they take a lot of wear and tear. They can wear down and become unreadable after only moderate usage if made of low-quality materials. In short, the Empire level E2994, Milwaukee MLSQ070, and Swanson tool SW1201K are the top three choices of the best speed squares. They are sturdy, incredibly accurate with flawlessly squared edges, and flawlessly squared edges.The scope of the job mostly determines the size you choose. When dealing with big lumbers, such as 2 by 8 and up, the larger square comes in helpful since its size makes it easier to set up layout frames and transfer measurements from one lumber to the next. Since they normally come with a layout bar, they’re also great for laying out rafters, stairways, angles, and birds mouth joints. When looking to acquire a speed square, this is one of the most critical elements to consider. Among the best speed squares examined, aluminum and plastic are the most prevalent material kinds available. In my opinion, perhaps the single most important use of the speed square is helping you make straight cuts. To use a speed square as a saw guide, start by marking the line you intend to cut across a board at either 90 or 45 degrees. Now put your saw so the teeth of the blade are lined up with the cut line. Hold the speed square against the saw’s shoe as a fence as shown in the photo. Make sure you keep your space between the saw blade and the cut line consistent. The diamond-shaped cut-out on the square is a unique feature you could utilize to square any line drawn on the board so that a perfect 90-degree line may be drawn from the line to the board’s edge. A 0.7 mechanical pencil, a tube of lead, and a plastic container for convenient organizing and storage are all included in the iGaging speed square bundle.

The Irwin 1794464 is a 7-inch aluminum speed square produced in China. It’s built of a robust rust-proof metal with deep marking for easy reading and visibility, much like many other speed squares. The iGaging speed square is a di-material speed square with two components. Individual speed squares measuring 4 inches and 7 inches are included with the equipment. The objective here is to have the appropriate tool size for the job. As a result, a 4-inch speed square would be ideal for a smaller project setup, whilst a 7-inch speed square would be ideal for larger projects and materials.A speed square is a hand tool used in woodworking and carpentry projects. Its triangle shape is well suited for marking accurate 90-degree and 45-degree lines. Speed squares are also referred to as carpenter or rafter squares. Regardless of the name, they’re all the same tool. A painted surface, on the other hand, would easily wear off over time as it rubbed off on other surfaces. In the end, the graduations would progressively fade away until they were no longer apparent. A plastic speed square may be durable, but it isn’t as durable or wear-resistant as its metal counterparts. This part will go through the numerous factors to consider while selecting the optimal speed square for you. 1. Accuracy