Measuring and Layout Part II - A bit of history with a bit of application

As promised I'm going to dive into the meat and potatoes of taking accurate measurements and making precise marks for your precision cuts.  Today I'll show you what I use nearly every day for measuring and layout followed by a short list of some things I wish I had.  After that a primer on how to use them (next time - as this one is getting long).

Accuracy and precision are always relative.  If I'm doing cabinet work or building some type of box for a project, I like to keep my tolerances (new word here) to within plus or minus 1/32 of an inch.  Let's say I'm framing in a new deck for the backyard - 1/8 of an inch will do just fine out there.  Why is that and how do you determine how precise we need to be?

It depends.

What's the material?  What's the outcome?  Who are the clients?  How much time do you have?  And really, how good are your tools?  Answering these will easily tell you how accurate and precise you need to be.  The long dimensional lumber that is typically used in construction today has a relatively small moment of inertia.  Because I know that, I know that if I'm framing a deck and need to pull a board over a small bit to make it fit, I can do it.  I don't waste too much time with the details.  (Unfortunately, I'm OCD and most of my rough cut lumber is dead nuts on - bad example?)  You could be a little more flexible in your work though.  Contrast this with cutting nice square steel legs for the upcoming series on the Cube Table build - my tolerances were within 1/32 of an inch.  It's tough to make that 3/4" thick steel bar bend to your will like yellow pine does.  Enough talk, on to the tools.

The ultimate tool.

Tools, you say?  Finally something interesting on a How-To blog.

Here's the compliment of measuring tools that I commonly use.  Not that impressive compared to some, but I've found that with some ingenuity you can really make these work in your favor.  (Note that I said I've got a wish list too..)  After all, this is a DIY blog for doing great work on the cheap - don't forget that.

Arranged to be OCD friendly.

Running in a clockwise spiral from the top left and ending roughly in the middle, here's what I've got and where you can get them.  Spoiler alert - I really like Amazon Prime.  With careful planning you can save money and have everything arrive on your doorstep.  Oh yeah, I don't get paid if you link from here, they are just one of my favorite retailers.

Low profile edge clamp - get one that will at least let you cut 48" plywood.

24 inch Bostitch level - have at least one good level.  I recommend the two footer and at least a four of six footer if you are in the mood to install cabinets or put up siding.

Incra rulers - The T-Squares are awesome, get the 6" and 18".  These will single-handedly increase your precision and accuracy by leaps and bounds over the plastic ruler you've been using.

Swanson Speed Square - Get the best. Get the original.  Swansons are thick, won't bend, and stay square when you drop it.  You will drop it.

Stanley tape measure - Get the original chrome 25 footer.  No gimmicks needed here.

Combination Square - Comes in handy a lot, but I use it less and less since I've gotten my Incra T-Squares.  This cheap one sucks isn't that great, and I would use one more if I had this one.

Marking tools - I like mechanical drafting pencils, a carpenter's pencil and a good eraser that doesn't leave much dust or residue when used on wood.  You'll need a 0.5mm lead to use with the Incras.  I use a fine tip permanent marker for the same reason and the green one to mark on metal with.  I also suggest a soapstone "pencil" if you work with metal much.  I can't find  mine.

A center punch - More of a marking tool, and not my favorite way to get a hole started (you're on your own after the first 60 seconds).  There are plenty better ways to get an accurate hole drilled in metal.

Magnetic square clamps - a must have if working with steel.  Mine are from Harbor Freight.  Get two.

Painter's Tape - Perfect for laying down on something that won't take a pencil or pen mark.  Like the ceramic coated metal of the vintage fridge I'm restoring.  Also great for laying down a straight line to make cut marks.

Brown and Sharpe Vernier calipers - You don't have to put down the big money for these or Starretts - but a $25 pair of digital or dial faced ones would work in a pinch.

Compass - These combined with the Incra ruler make a deadly precise circle.

Pricing

You can get the whole kit for around $250.  That's a lot of cash if you're buying it all at once.  At a minimum I'd start with the tape measure, the speed square, the level, one 18" Incra T-square and a better combination square.  Those few will get you started and were what I worked with as a framing carpenter and hobbyist for years.  These are an investment, and I'm a bad example here, but buy the best ones you can afford as they last a long time.  This is especially true when you read the wish list below.  Lastly, be careful with them.  Try not to drop  your precision squares and your calipers and indicators.  They are as tender as a newborn's head.

The Wish List

Now, on to my wish list.  These are some things that would allow me to either setup tooling better or help in keeping things square.  As I'm not running a machine shop I can keep the list pretty short; however, I'm always on the lookout for a better way to measure something.

First up - Setup blocks - These are cheap and probably aren't that great, but you get the idea.  Would be real handy clamping things together to ensure that they are square.  These come in all shapes and sizes and I'd like one of each, please.

Setup blocks.

Parallel Bars - I had never seen these until my brief internship at a machine shop.  What a great invention.

Parallel bars.  No monkey business here.

Machinist's Square - These are the cat's meow for checking the squareness of your saw's fence and blade.  I currently use the speed square, but you have to mind the carbide teeth so you don't mess up.

Square or L?

And lastly, a dial indicator with stand.  This is the perfect thing for checking the runout on your drill press, setting up your table saw or measuring Top Dead Center (TDC) on your engine.

That's all I've got to show you on some things you might want to have on hand to build your accurate and precise projects.  You won't be building a reactor or a battleship with what I've shown you, but your cabinets and end table projects will come out square and the in-wall speakers you install won't make you worry if your guests notice them being crooked.

With all that said, what do you use every day to keep it accurate and keep it precise?  I'd love to hear your tips and reviews of your favorite brands of the things I've mentioned.