Choosing a 6" Combination

es,es, therethere areare moremore thanthan threethree 6"6" combinationcombination We tested each square for accuracy in both Y Starrett: PEC: SPI: squares on the market. But of the many varieties the 90° and 45° aspects (out of the box) then ran Tight fi t Loose fi t Loose fi t available we prefer to purchase one quality square, the blade through the head 100 times to check rather than buying multiple inexpensive for any wear and change in accuracy. We no every time it rusts or, well, goes out of square. changes in accuracy after the wear testing. Woodworkers need an accurate, durable Beyond accuracy, we looked at ease of use square. We chose three brands that are sold with (how smoothly the blade could be moved and just the basic body and blade. All have cast steel reversed), and also visibility and legibility of bodies, rather than forged and hardened bodies. the scales on the blade. The hardened steel versions are more expensive, To be highly recommended the had to be and after speaking with company representatives accurate and easy to use. Only one of the three Wear strip we feel comfortable that the cast bodies will pro- squares met that criteria: Starrett. And because The more accurate the fi t of the blade into the vide reliable service for . accuracy is the primary reason for using a square, body, the less chance of a loose fi t affecting accu- Each of the squares has four scales etched on the other squares’ accuracy issues make it impos- racy and operation. A narrower wear strip will the blade (1⁄8ths, 1⁄1616ths, 1⁄3232nds and 1⁄6464ths), and sible to recommend them. WM likely wear faster, changing the accuracy of the includes a scratch awl and . — David Thiel square in a shorter period of time.

6"6" CombinationCombination SquaresSquares Highly Not Not Recommended Recommended Recommended

BRAND StarrettStarrett ((mfgmfg inin USA)USA) PECPEC TToolsools ((mfgmfg inin USA)USA) SPISPI ((SwissSwiss PrecisionPrecision Instruments)Instruments) ((mfgmfg inin China)China) PRICE $56.90 $42.58 $37.95 3 19 21 BODY THICKNESS ⁄4" ⁄3232" ⁄3232" 15 63 63 27 7 15 13 1 29 BODY FACES 1 ⁄1616", ⁄6464", 2 ⁄6464" 1 ⁄3232", 1 ⁄6464", 2 ⁄1616" 1 ⁄1616", 1 ⁄8", 2 ⁄6464" 23 23 25 BLADE WIDTH ⁄3232" ⁄3232" ⁄3232" CONTACT 978-249-3551 or starrett.com 310-787-4500 or productsengineering.com 888-774-8200 or swissprec.com COMMENTS While the most expensive of The PEC square proved accurate in the 90° test The SPI square was out of square in the 90° test by 1 1 the three squares, the Starrett has the benefi t of to both sides of the blade, but was off ⁄1010th of a ⁄6464" over the 6" length of the blade, but only on being accurate in both the 90° and 45° tests. degree in the 45° test. one side of the blade. We checked the blade for The surface of the body was in excellent shape The surface of the body was discolored with parallelism and found no problem. We concluded with a quality and a clean, well-fi nished the start of some rust and showed some slight that the center on the blade was off and the surface. The blade was easy to read, with a sur- pitting. The blade has decent markings that are lock bolt tightening in the groove threw off the one face fi nish that seemed to shrug off fi ngerprints. fi nely etched, but in the 1⁄3232nd and 1⁄6464th scale side – strange. The SPI was accurate in the 45° test. The etchings were crisp and legible in all scales. there wasn’t enough height differentiation on The surface of the body was in better shape than The blade-to-body fi t was excellent with just the marks to make the numbers easily readable, the PEC, including the casting quality. The blade enough clearance to offer a smooth movement as you can see above. is fi nely etched, but as with the PEC the line height in the body. The Starrett also employed a lock- The blade-to-body fi t was loose, and move- and the numbers made it diffi cult to differentiate ing bolt that held the tang in proper orienta- ment of the blade was OK, but short of smooth. the markings from one another. tion, making it easy to fi t the blade back into the It required some extra fi nesse to replace the The blade-to-body fi t was loose and the blade body. The Starrett also uses an oversized knurled blade in the body. This was due to the loose moved stiffl y in the body. A dangling locking bolt locking knob for easier use. fi t of the blade and the loosely aligned locking also made replacing the blade in the body some- At fi rst glance the SPI and Starrett squares are bolt. The knurled locking knob was smaller in what awkward. The oversized knurled locking knob very similar. But when you look close and put diameter than the cast head, making it harder to made grasping and relatively easy. them to work the differences become obvious. grasp and turn. Priced slightly less than the PEC square, the SPI is For accuracy and ease of use your money is best While a better choice than an economy made better than the PEC, but it still has readability spent with the Starrett. square, it should still be accurate and easy to use. issues and its accuracy is a concern.

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