ABC of the Steel Square and Its Uses

by Fred. T. Hodgson

Not so with the mechanic of today; if he is not well up in all the minutiæ of his trade, he has but himself to blame, for although there is no royal road to knowledge, there are hundreds of open ways to obtain it; and the young mechanic who does not avail himself of one or other of these ways to enrich his mind, must lack energy, or be altogether indifferent about his trade, and may be put down as one who will never make a workman.

I have thought that it would not be out of place to preface this work on the “Steel Square,” with the foregoing remarks, in the hope that they may stimulate the young mechanic, and urge him forward to conquer what at best are only imaginary difficulties. A willing heart and a clear head will most assuredly win honorable distinction in any trade, if they are only properly used. Indeed, during an experience of many years in the employment and superintendence of mechanics of every grade, from the green “wood-haggler” to the finished and accomplished workman, I have invariably discovered that the finished workman was the result of persistent study and application, and not, as is popularly supposed, a natural or spontaneous production. It is true that some men possess greater natural mechanical abilities than others, and consequently a greater aptitude in grasping the principles that underlie the constructive arts; but, as a rule, such men are not reliable; they may he expert, equal to any mechanical emergency, and quick at mastering details, but they are seldom thorough, and never reliable where long sustained efforts are required.

The mechanic who reaches a fair degree of perfection by experience, study and application is the man who rises to the surface, and whose steadiness and trustworthiness force themselves on the notice of employers and superintendents. I have said this in order to give encouragement to those young mechanics who find it up-hill work to master the intricacies of the various arts they are engaged in, for they may rest assured that in the end work and application will be sure to win; and I am certain that a thorough study of the Steel Square and its capabilities will do more than anything else to aid the young workman in mastering many of the mechanical difficulties that will confront him from time to time in his daily occupation.

It must not be supposed that the work here presented exhausts the subject. The enterprising mechanic will find opportunity for using the square in the solution of many problems that will crop up during his daily work, and the principles herein laid down will aid very much towards correct solutions. In framing roofs, bridges, trestle-work, and constructions of timber, the Steel Square is a necessity to the American carpenter; but only a few of the more intelligent workmen ever use it for other purposes than to make measurements, lay off the mortices and tenons, and square over the various joints. Now, in framing bevel work of any description, the square may be used with great advantage and profit. Posts, girts, braces, and struts of every imaginable kind may be laid out by this wonderful instrument, if the operator will only study the plans with a view of making use of his square for obtaining the various bevels, lengths and cuts required to complete the work in hand. Tapering structures—the most difficult the framer meets with—do not contain a single bevel or length that can not be found by the square when properly applied, and it is this fact I wish to impress on my readers, for it would be impossible, in this work, to give every possible application of the square to work of this kind. I have, therefore, only given such examples as will enable any one to apply some one of them to any work in hand.

In the foregoing sketch I have given a few hints as to the kind of square to purchase when it is necessary to buy; in many cases, however, this book will find its way into the hands of mechanics and others, who will have old and favorite squares in their chests or workshops, and who will not care to dispose of a “well-tried friend” for the purpose of filling its place with another, simply because I have recommended it. To these workmen I would say that I do not advise a change, provided the old square is true, and the inches and sub-divisions are properly and accurately defined. I wish it distinctly understood that old squares, if true, and marked with inches and sub-divisions of inches, will perform nearly every solution presented in this book.

The lines and figures formed on the squares of different make, sometimes vary, both as to their position on the square, and their mode of application, but a thorough understanding of the application of the scales and lines shown on any first-class tool, will enable the student to comprehend the use of the lines and figures exhibited on other first-class squares.

To insure good results, it is necessary to be careful in the selection of the tool. The blade of the square should be 24 inches long, and two inches wide, and the tongue from 14 to 18 inches long and 1½ inches wide. The tongue should be exactly at right angles with the blade, or in other words the “square” should be perfectly square.

To test this question, get a board, about 12 or 14 inches wide, and four feet long, dress it on one side, and true up one edge as near straight as it is possible to make it. Lay the board on the bench, with the dressed side up, and the trued edge towards you, then apply the square, with the blade to the left, and mark across the prepared board with a penknife blade, pressing close against the edge of the tongue; this process done to your satisfaction, reverse the square, and move it until the tongue is close up to the knife mark; if you find that the edge of the tongue and mark coincide, it is proof that the tool is correct enough for your purposes. Later on, I will show by diagram how this test is performed.

This, of course, relates to the outside edge of the blade, and the outside edge of the tongue. If these edges should not be straight, or should not prove perfectly true, they should be filed or ground until they are straight and true. The outside edge of the blade should also be “trued” up and made exactly parallel with the inside edge, if such is required. The same process should be gone through on the tongue. As a rule, squares made by firms of repute are perfect, and require no adjusting; nevertheless, it is well to make a critical examination before purchasing.

The next thing to be considered is the use of the figures, lines, and scales, as exhibited on the square. It is supposed that the ordinary divisions and sub-divisions of the inch, into halves, quarters, eighths, and sixteenths are understood by the student; and that he also understands how to use that part of the square that is subdivided into twelfths of an inch. This being conceded, we now proceed to describe the various rules as shown on all good squares; but before proceeding further, it may not be out of place to state, that on the squares recommended in this book, one edge is subdivided into thirty-seconds of an inch.