I thought it would be appropriate to make my first post about something fundamental to woodworking. I spent days pondering what is a good foundation point to start with, then it struck me: square.
Square is a critical principal in woodworking and the more you become one with the squareness, the easier woodworking will become for you and the better your work will be. When I first started woodworking, I didn’t realize the importance of accuracy. I thought, “If I’m a little off, I can just use a lot of glue.” Well as you can probably guess, I learned quickly that was a bad idea. I also wasn’t real keen on the principal of squareness right away because I wanted to do cool stuff… different stuff… stuff that isn’t all square. But even extravagant designs with many different angles still rely on squareness.
So, what is square? It’s 90 degrees. Exactly 90 degrees. If you are 1 degree off, then you’ll be 1/4 inch off in a foot or a full inch off in 4 feet. That’s a big problem and that is why square is so important.
You get the idea. But now, what to do with it? My first suggestion is to get a good square and always keep it handy. In fact, I have 5 squares in my shop that I can think of off the top of my head. And I’m thinking about buying another. You’re probably wondering why I need so many squares. And the fact is that they are all different sizes. It’s important to have the right size square to fit into the are in which you’re working.
The other thing that’s important related to square is your shop. Everything in your shop should be square. Keep a square handy at the table saw and check it every time you set it up. The same goes for your bandsaw and your drill press. Make sure all of your equipment is square (or can be when it needs to be).
If you don’t already have them, I suggest getting a nice variety of squares. Make sure you have ones that will work on the inside of corners and the outside. And squares with a nice lip that can be rested against the perpendicular edge of a board you are marking are a must. Have different sizes on hand so that you’re never in a space too tight for your square or too long to reach.
Now go get a square and keep it handy.