Nib on trysquare

[jimwrench]

  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.

[turnnut]

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.

[Papaw]

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.

[wvtools]

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.

[Branson]

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.

[jimwrench]

 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.

[Mike H]

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?

[wvtools]

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.

[Branson]

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.

[Mike H]

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.

[Lewill2]

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.

[jimwrench]

 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.

[bleonard]

Look in a L.S.Starrett Tools catalog it is a stock support
for the larger squares
Bob

[Mike H]

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

[Lewill2]

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.