Milwaukee Metric Rafter Square

Product Information

For a few dollars more you can get aluminum speed squares. These will literally last you a lifetime. Swanson made the original, but Irwin makes one that is excellent for poor eyesight or dark conditions. The beautiful Milwaukee rafter square is extremely accurate, and they also make a 4 -1/2” trim square that I especially like when using 2x4s. Many companies make a 12” model. I use this size most often as a saw guide—more on that later.

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. Both the 7 inch and 4-inch squares have guidelines that may be used to draw straight lines parallel to each other at 1/8 inch intervals.

Recommendations

But recesses aren’t required for accurate measurements. Speed squares with precise edges, versus rounded edges that don’t lay 100% flat on a board, are a handy feature. It’s easy to mark precise and consistent lines when you can butt your pencil directly onto the edge of your speed square where it meets the work surface. Squares with rounded edges will lead to inconsistently-marked lines, depending on the angle you hold your pencil. Size options

A speed square is actually a triangle! It needs to be light, durable and accurate. Only the highest grades of aerospace aluminium alloys are used to make the best speed squares. Speed Square Dimensions 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. 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. 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. One significant factor of readability is how durable the etching is. The last thing you want is for the numbers to wear off, making it completely unusable. DurabilityThe 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. 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. Because of the accurate laser etching along the length of the speed square’s base, it may be used as a ruler.

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. Most speed squares are pretty accurate, but the average homeowner does not need absolute perfection for every project. However, detailed work requires accurate tools. For example, most woodworking requires complete accuracy. Readability 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. Made in the USA from decent gauge aluminium alloy, they’re lightweight, rigid, and thankfully non-reflective. You get the full range of roof pitches, angles, and hip values etched and then inked onto the surface of the metal, so you know they’re not going to rub off.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.