Best tool/jig I have come up with

[Scrappile]

The other day I was going trough a drawer looking for something and came across an accessory to a combination scare I have.  I think it was something to measure depth, like a depth gauge.  I never really figured it out and never used it for anything.   But the old brain clicked on and I took a hacksaw to it and made the best tool I have come up with to check the 90° of my scroll saw blade.  I cut it so it would fit either way, short or tall.  The combination square it went with was a cheap one.  Anyway check out you combo squares, there are other parts on them that could easily be cut to fit.

 

[flarud]

Nice!  I bought a small square to check my blades.  It wasn't square,, the square, not the blade.  I guess you get what you pay for. 

I'm going to take your post as an open invitation to post my own jigs!  LOL

I have about 4 or 5 jigs just for making my Adirondack style rocking chairs.  I thought that I invented this first one, but turns out I didn't.  In my head, I'm still gonna say that I invented it!  I call it the Bow Jig.  I use it to make the curve at the top of the back slats on the chairs.  It is adjustable for different sizes of "arches".  I cannot find a picture of it but I'll include a pic of the back slats.  I also made my own tapering jig which is also used on the back slats.  I think I have 2 other jigs just for making the chairs also. 

   

Edited June 8, 2023 by flarud

[Scrappile]

Very nice chair.  I have always wanted to make a few. I especially like that yours rocks.

[flarud]

3 hours ago, Scrappile said:

Very nice chair.  I have always wanted to make a few. I especially like that yours rocks.

And is much easier to get out of than a traditional Adirondack style! I've made about a dozen or so.  My latest version doesn't have any screws holding the arms in place.  I drill holes on the bottom side of the arms and use dowels and glue.. gives it a cleaner look. 

[Sycamore67]

And now.. Back to the original topic....

Great idea with the square.  I routinely check my blades to make certain they are correct.  It makes a big difference when cutting things like puzzles.

[BadBob]

15 hours ago, flarud said:

I bought a small square to check my blades.  It wasn't square,, the square, not the blade.  I guess you get what you pay for.

I have a collection of squares. A few years ago, I decided to test all my squares and eliminate anything out of square. I got a big surprise.

A Stanley over 40 years old and bought out of a clearance bin at a lumber store was dead on.

A 12-inch plastic rafter square currently selling for $4.99 at Harbor Freight was dead on.

A 12-inch combination square, I got free in one of those deals where you qualify for a gift when placing an order was dead on.

An adjustable try square I got free when placing an order was dead on at 90 degrees, and as far as I could determine, it was correct for all the preset angles.

A cheap 12-inch framing square that was the first square I ever purchased more than 40 years ago was dead on, and considering how low my income was then, I would be shocked if I paid $5 for it.

None of my most expensive squares was square.

I tested them by using a Starrett straight edge and a granite plate.

 

 

[Sycamore67]

I have a couple small squares....PEC and Groz.  They are dead on.  My woodworking squares are very good and good enough for most woodworking.

[MarieC]

I have a few squares but I really only trust my Groz machinist square.

[OCtoolguy]

I don't use a square. I just do the time-tested method of cutting a kerf in one side of a block and then spinning it around to the backside of the blade and check it to make sure it slides in the groove. After doing this a couple of times and then checking with a machinist's square, I found that it is always dead on. And, I have more than enough scraps.

 

[rafairchild2]

Like you, I am a frequent checker of all things square.   I got it on Amazon for about $10. Antrader Machinist Square, 2-Inch.

 

[Scrappile]

I wasn't so fussy about it until I tried doing intarsia.  Then it became pretty important.  Watching it closely is helping me correct a problem I have, but didn't realize it until I started intarsia and that is pushing the blade to one side and causing a "Not" 90° cut.  I am improving but a hard habit to overcome. I check the blade for squareness, then check my cut for squareness, very often.... Getting better.

[Peter N White]

You will get better old habits are very hard to break.

[BadBob]

I have many squares because I do many other things besides scroll sawing. If I were only scroll sawing, I would still need a square. The first thing that comes to mind is compound cuts. If the stock is not square when cutting compound cuts you can get unexpected results.

I use squares for aligning tools. For example, if I am sanding edges, I need the sander to be square to the table.

[NC Scroller]

My go to is an old expired credit card.  Checked it with several other squares and it is dead on.

[OCtoolguy]

18 hours ago, NC Scroller said:

My go to is an old expired credit card.  Checked it with several other squares and it is dead on.

And I have a ton of them in my desk drawer. I also use one to "scrape" the bubbles out from under tape and shelf liner. If I still rode a bike, I might attach one to my wheels as we did as kids.

 

[CharleyL]

An easy way to check if the blade is exactly at 90 deg to the table is to take a scrap piece of wood and cut straight into it about 1/16" deep. Then back out of the cut and turn off the saw. Rotate this block of wood around to the back side of the blade and see if the back edge of the blade (not running) will slide easily into the saw kerf. If it does, the blade is 90 degrees to the table. If not, adjust the table or blade angle and repeat the test.

Charley

  

[Wichman]

The best tool/jig I have found for getting close to 90*(I still use the "cut a line and check the backside for fine tuning) is a pair of 1-2-3 blocks; these blocks are machined out of a block of steel and are within .0002" of squareness on all 6 sides, they are about as simple as you can get.