How to Square a Square and Make it True | Hand Tool Woodworking tip

So how exactly do you square a square? Whether it is a tri-square, framing, carpenter's, or combination square they may or may not actually be square. here is a quick method to check it without the use of another square and how to repair and fix the square.

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[etishuk]

After initial filing, I would suggest running those edges lengthwise against a dead-flat diamond stone sharpening plate to make sure there are no valleys or hills left from your filing process.

[donbass]

I would suggest you remove the brass plate and insert shim material either towards the blade or towards the base end. I have two Stanley’s like this, one 10 inch and one six once, and used shim stock for one and a snippet of soda can aluminum for the other. Worked perfectly without filing, peining, or other method which requires the removal of metal or wood.
Also, make sure none of the screws in the brass plate protrude at all! Either tighten it down or dress it down with a file. Be sure and not remove the screw slot while filing if the screw protrudes too much!

[fxm]

In school we were taught how to true up a square by gently peening the blade as close to the stock as possible on the side with the acute angle. This has the effect of lengthening that side and pushing the blade in the opposite direction. Technically, this is introducing a slight curve to the blade, but when you do it as close to the stock as possible, the short side of the curve will be miniscule. We were doing it with machinist's squares where 0.0001" curvature or out of true would have been unacceptable, so I think it's more than acceptable tolerance for woodworking. I've used the technique myself on framing squares, try squares, machinist squares, etc. with no problem. One of the advantaged of doing it this way is that you do not change the dimensions of the blade, width wise, or have to worry about throwing off the parallelism of the two blade edges.

[matthewezell]

How have I never seen this video till now? I've created an entire play list just for tool maintenance and this is invaluable to that. Thank you.

[andrewgarratt]

I’ve wanted and passed up many of those beauty’s for cheap!
I’ve fixed many-a-framing square with a punch and hammer...but always thought the rosewood and brass squares were unsalable. 😭 if I’d seen this video 4 years ago I would have one of every size by now...for dirt cheap.
I won’t pass one up again!!, thanks so much !! Those thangs to me are simply beautiful!, even if I’m late, glad to know they are usable. Thanks a lot!!!

[clatechilders]

Thanks so much! Just what I needed to know. I have had SO much trouble with un-square squares. Love your channel!

[johnnypk]

Bro, “Plywood doesn’t warp or bend” is a patently false statement. U have to know that. Go to HD or L box stores the way they store their plywood leads to it’s warping and bending.

[lindsaymiller]

Wow, how simple was that, going to my shed to fix my squares now, thank you

[shonuffisthemaster]

something ive gone a long time without knowing, now i finally do. nice to see you covering the basics

[MakeBrooklyn]

Great info James, thank you. I wish I had known when I was first starting out that a square isn't necessarily square. It would have saved me a bunch of frustration!

[stephanieray]

Thanks so much for making this. I had to file a bit (1/16 or so) from the vacuum hose attachment on my router, and seeing this gave me the confidence to go at it with a file. Now, on to the squares!

[gnarthdarkanen]

Gonna say, I don't know exactly about "frustrations"... BUT by being able to fix the thing, you've started saving me money.


Yeah, I've run into that "this square ain't square" situation before... Usually got disgusted and threw the thing as far and hard as I could throw it... no sense keeping a "dead" square, and I wouldn't wish that on someone else, so no sale... (lolz) aside from scrap maybe.
Man... think of the money I could've saved by now. ;o)

[Kuchuflaz]

Nice video, I really didn't know how to compare my squares and check the accurate. I always trust my combination square (because looks more solid), recently I buy a cheap woodman square and comparing them I believe that my new cheap square was a fraud. But doing this test I really notice than my cheap square is almost perfect (I see no difference in both lines), but my trusty (and more expensive) combination square was wrong (by most of 3mm). Now is time to fix it. Thank you.

[juleswebb]

For some reason I've never been confident enough to do this, but now I've seen you do it successfully I'll sort all my squares this way, as none of them are dead-on square! I thought of passing the edges (once squared) over sandpaper glued to a sheet of glass to ensure absolute straightness : )

[darhoo]

None of my cheapie square is true. Thanks for the greate fixing method you shared! Do not forget to check if the edge keeps straite after filing. I have another idea that whether a shooting board and a sand block could do the same job either.

[sfaoldguy]

Great info! Looked at squares in the store today and most didn't match up even coming from the same company and being a more expensive brand. Didn't know which was correct so left without getting one. Now I can get whatever and true it myself. Thanks!

[mcorrade]

cool I have the exact same old square and also got it at a garage sale with the same amount of out of alignment. I thought there was no way to fix it and I really wanted to because its a great old square. Thanks

[Dalesworkshop]

Thanks for sharing this information, I now will check all my squares cause I am sure they need some attention.

[patrickbrett]

Having bought several squares recently that were not square from the factories this video is exactly suited for me, I didn't find any useful advice on squaring squares and didn't want to just attack them with a file but now I know that is how you square your squares I will do the same to my unsquare squares. If a square is not square can you still call it a square or should we call it an unsquare?

[Shizenfism]

Very useful info, thanks James. One problem I'm having is getting my straight edges dead straight without a dead flat reference to check them on; hard to tell if the sole of your plane is flat if your straight edge is bowed.