Tool Talk
Woodworking Forum => Woodworking Forum => Topic started by: jimwrench on January 25, 2015, 02:07:13 PM
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This square was a gift from a friend at church this AM. I have never seen a nib like this on a square. Can one of you older guys remember what it was used for ? The nib is 1/2 by 1/16 and projects 3/8 from face of square. Don't know who made this square but Charles G Siewers used a similar three pronged escutcheon plate. Think I'll go back to church this evening maybe someone will give me a wrench or a plane or something.
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I do not know the answer, but, it looks like it would be handy to hold up that part
of the square while marking your project.
just a thought.
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I do not know the answer, but, it looks like it would be handy to hold up that part
of the square while marking your project.
just a thought.
My thought also.
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Yes, that is the purpose of the tab or nib. You only see it on the largest try squares. Sometimes it is a squarish or half round tab, and other times it is a small piece of round rod.
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Yes, that is the purpose of the tab or nib. You only see it on the largest try squares. Sometimes it is a squarish or half round tab, and other times it is a small piece of round rod.
Agree entirely. It's on the same plane as the blade, and in larger squares is just about essential. Have one myself.
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Thanks for the info I knew you old ( at 81 I can say old) guys would know. Now give me your best guess on the maker and my day is complete.
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Never seen a nib on a try square (till now)
Gotta ask the patently obvious; nib retracts into handle when in use / spring loaded deal?
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It is probably a Disston & Morss. I have had hundreds and hundreds of try squares, and have only had a few like that one. Look on the wood for a very faint stamping/mark. I often have to use a magnifying glass to find the marks on older wooden handled try squares. The last one I had that nice, I think I got around 65.00.
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Never seen a nib on a try square (till now)
Gotta ask the patently obvious; nib retracts into handle when in use / spring loaded deal?
Nope -- it's fixed so it is always there.
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OK, now I'm losing major traction here; if the nib is fixed that takes functionality from the tool
in that you are using the square attempting to keep one face of the work on essentially 1 point
instead of a plane formed by the face of the handle. Unless I am missing something, sounds like a way to introduce wobble & inaccuracies.
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Mike, the inside of the square isn't used that way, at least not this one. It is used to mark a square line on lets say a board. You lay the square on the edge of the board so the nib rest on top of the board to help hold the blade of the square level across the width of the board so it is easier to hold the square in place as you scribe the line.
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I have examined this square with my best lens and find no trace of a mark. Only squares I have found with the three point escutcheon plate were made by Charles G Spiers of Cincinnati,Oh. Some of them are marked. Have not found one with the inlaid star;don't know if this has some significance or if it was just a little embellishment.
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Look in a L.S.Starrett Tools catalog it is a stock support
for the larger squares
Bob
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Lewill2
Will go with the program on laying a square line on a board
How about when you are trying to use it for it's named purpose
Checking for square down the length of a board
handle on side; blade going down edge you've just planed/jointed
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If you look at the first picture the blade is about 23 - 24 inches long, I don't think you would use a square this big for that kind of layout/checking. You wouldn't/couldn't use this one, I agree with that. That's why there are so many different variations of tools out there. Somebody always has a better mouse trap. It just depends on your style of mouse.
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Square has found a home in my family room along with the Ertl model F-12 IHC tractor. Tractor was 1997 Farm Progress show edition. Late wife helped with that show in Dalton City Il and the model seemed like it should be mine. My new décor is old tools and whatever else catchs my eye.
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I like it !
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hi Jimwrench, I admire your thoughts & reason for your new decor. it makes for interesting
conversation.
I have one question; what is the item behind the plane with the word wrench ra----- ?
Frank
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Just says wrench ranch to remind me where I live.
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I have a very old (I estimate 1850's) 15 inch trysquare with a brass nib on the stock - it has two marks on it, one is the initials W G carved large into the wood (obviously an owner, my guess is the original owner) and the name DIXON in small lettering stamped as a single stamp (not made up from multiple punches). I don't think DIXON is the maker, probably a later owner.
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Mark, Didn't find maker of your square but did find a 19x10 square with the 5 diamond pattern. It is item 381140758745 and has a cylindrical pin nib. I guess it was up to the maker to decide when a square needed a nib. Would have posted picture of this other square but am somewhat computer technology handicapped.
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(http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/z/fvsAAOSwq7JUKWO-/$_57.JPG?rt=nc)
Here it is-
http://www.ebay.com/itm/381140758745?ru=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fsch%2Fi.html%3F_sacat%3D0%26_udlo%3D%26_udhi%3D%26_ftrt%3D901%26_ftrv%3D1%26_sabdlo%3D%26_sabdhi%3D%26_samilow%3D%26_samihi%3D%26_sadis%3D15%26_stpos%3D%26_sop%3D12%26_dmd%3D1%26_ipg%3D25%26_nkw%3D381140758745%26_rdc%3D1 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/381140758745?ru=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fsch%2Fi.html%3F_sacat%3D0%26_udlo%3D%26_udhi%3D%26_ftrt%3D901%26_ftrv%3D1%26_sabdlo%3D%26_sabdhi%3D%26_samilow%3D%26_samihi%3D%26_sadis%3D15%26_stpos%3D%26_sop%3D12%26_dmd%3D1%26_ipg%3D25%26_nkw%3D381140758745%26_rdc%3D1)
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I have a very old (I estimate 1850's) 15 inch trysquare with a brass nib on the stock - it has two marks on it, one is the initials W G carved large into the wood (obviously an owner, my guess is the original owner) and the name DIXON in small lettering stamped as a single stamp (not made up from multiple punches). I don't think DIXON is the maker, probably a later owner.
It's not surprising that maker's marks aren't found on these old squares. The diamond pattern seems to have been the industry standard on squares. The earliest depiction I've found is from 1812, English. I have an 1842 German catalog that shows the same diamonds, and Marples still makes squares like this. I have several such squares, and I don't recall a maker's mark on any of them.
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Square has found a home in my family room along with the Ertl model F-12 IHC tractor. Tractor was 1997 Farm Progress show edition. Late wife helped with that show in Dalton City Il and the model seemed like it should be mine. My new décor is old tools and whatever else catchs my eye.
Hey Jim,
I like the square! I also noticed what appears to be a #8 jointer on the table below. I think you have a nice collection going there. Seeing it made me smile. A few years ago I came across an old patina covered #5 that I thought would look great on a shelf in the family room at my (our) house. I re-arranged a few things on the shelf and put it in the "perfect" place. I stepped back, admired my addition to the decor, and went out to cut the grass. A couple hours later, I came back in the house and the plane was gone from the shelf. Everything was back the way it had been before I "improved" things. I went out in the shop and there was that #5 in the middle of my work bench. What I failed to do proir to bringing "that grungy thing into the house" was clear my decision to re-decorate with the "In Residence Minister of Decorating, Paint & Color, Furniture, And All Things Related to Style." Anyway, I like your display, and I think most guys here would appreciate your decorating choices.
Jim C.
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Jim,
You're living in a man house! Forget man-cave, you are definately pushing man's evolution.I'm still in the same position as Jim C. I did manage to get a bunch of oilers in the front room. In one of the deep shelves in front of the windows I managed to get some tools in there by discussing a rotating display, then forgetting about it.
Looks good. And the square is a very nice find.
Chilly