Project by DeLayne Peck | posted 05-03-2015 02:00 AM | 10705 views | 65 times favorited | 22 comments | ![]() |
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Marking 3 sides of a piece of stock is a error-ridden, clumsy, tedious task. Especially if you have a large number of lines to lay out. Commercial straddle squares capable of marking 3 faces without moving the square are expensive. So, I made one at $77.49 off retail.
Materials: One 2 1/2”, 1/4 20 TPI, hex head bolt. One #57 spring. Cost $2.50 Scrap 3/4” stock.
Construction:
1. Make two identical 3”W x 2”H blocks. My stock happened to be .60” thick Honduran Mahogany.
2. Cut out 1” x your stock thickness slots on each side.
3. Center mark the resulting guide tabs. (See photo 4) It’s important that bolt passes above the guide blocks.
4. Drill through Guide Tab A with a 1/4 bit.
5. Slowly drill tap Guide Tab B, 1/4” 20 TPI. B block is the traveler. I used a Greenlee Combination Drill Tap.
6. Cut two identical guide blocks, 1” x 2 1/2”. Glue in place into place on the A block, spring side.
7. Assemble, use a block to hold the straddle square fully open, carefully trim both ends square with a table saw.
Notes: Accommodates stock 1/8” to 1 1/4”. Works very smoothly and accurately. Sand to suit. A brass insert could be used instead of taping. Finished with Watco Oil. This project begs to have some sharp edges relieved with sanding or a 1/8” round over bit. Adding brass strips to inner faces was suggested in the comments!
Question, how I did cut out the tabs: I used a band saw and touched the cuts up by hand sanding. I checked frequently for square in every direction. Every dimension must be square and parallel to ensure the traveler tab does not bind, runs smooth and straight.
Follow up: This project was worth every minute I spent on it. I am amazed how often I use it. I keep it within reach clipped to a side table by my bench.
-- DJ Peck, Lincoln Nebraska. Lord, keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth.
22 comments so far
cutmantom
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407 posts in 4011 days
#1 posted 05-03-2015 02:24 AM
Cool idea
Johnny Boy
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#2 posted 05-03-2015 02:35 AM
I love it
-- Johnny Boy
waho6o9
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#3 posted 05-03-2015 03:52 AM
Fine ingenuity there DJPeck, good job!
robscastle
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#4 posted 05-03-2015 08:54 AM
A meticlous make and well detailed useful project
-- Regards Rob
Jim Rowe
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1124 posts in 3289 days
#5 posted 05-03-2015 09:18 AM
Neat and saves money!
Jim
-- It always looks better when it's finished!
MarkTheFiddler
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2068 posts in 3165 days
#6 posted 05-03-2015 02:59 PM
Thank you. You just made my life easier.
-- Thanks for all the lessons!
woodbutcherbynight
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7326 posts in 3385 days
#7 posted 05-03-2015 04:20 PM
Great idea, yet another project to add to the list. (laughing)
-- Live to tell the stories, they sound better that way.
hotbyte
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1023 posts in 3952 days
#8 posted 05-03-2015 04:30 PM
Nice idea! Love the spring part.
gbear
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536 posts in 5075 days
#9 posted 05-03-2015 05:15 PM
Sweet!!
-- gbear, Carmichael, CA
kiefer
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#10 posted 05-03-2015 06:19 PM
Nice tool !
This should be a useful tool for many and looks like a straight forward build .
Klaus
-- Kiefer https://www.youtube.com/user/woodkiefer1/videos
Jim Bertelson
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4275 posts in 4141 days
#11 posted 05-03-2015 10:31 PM
I saw the ad for the Woodpecker straddle square, and said to myself…..... that is one overpriced item, but a useful item. Thanks for the home built engineering, I shall build one for each of my shops!!
-- Jim, Anchorage Alaska
oldnovice
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#12 posted 05-04-2015 05:33 AM
Nice stuff DeLayne!
Better a shop made tool than an expensive purchased one!
-- "It's fine in practise but it will never work in theory"
drbyte
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847 posts in 5038 days
#13 posted 05-04-2015 01:09 PM
Nice! It may be begging for some edge softening but it’s screaming out for some brass strips on the faces!!
-- Dennis, WV
DeLayne Peck
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669 posts in 3178 days
#14 posted 05-04-2015 01:15 PM
Thank you Brethren. I hope this simple tool is valuable in a lot of shops! It would interesting to see a dovetail variation of this marking tool.
-- DJ Peck, Lincoln Nebraska. Lord, keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth.
helluvawreck
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#15 posted 05-04-2015 01:20 PM
Nice work. It will be very useful in your shop.
helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com
-- helluvawreck aka Charles, http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com
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