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What are carpentry squares?

What are carpentry squares?

Square, in measurement, device consisting of two straightedges set at right angles to each other. It is used by carpenters and machinists for checking the correctness of right angles, as a guide when drawing lines on materials before cutting, or for locating holes. The tools shown in the Figure are carpenter’s squares.

Who invented the Carpenter square?

Silas Hawes
Introduction The carpenter’s square was invented centuries ago, and is also called a builder’s, flat, framing, rafter, and a steel square. It was patented in 1819 by Silas Hawes, a blacksmith from South Shaftsbury, Vermont.

What are the four features of a carpenter’s square?

The square has many uses, including laying out common rafters, hip rafters and stairs. It has a diagonal scale, board foot scale and an octagonal scale. On the newer framing squares there are degree conversions for different pitches and fractional equivalents.

What does square mean in woodworking?

Carpentry projects must be square, level, and plumb to be successful. Square means corners are 90 degrees. Level is always gauged by a device, such as a carpenter’s level, but level does not always mean parallel to the ground. Plumb is vertical, most accurately gauged by a plumb bob.

What is the origin of the Carpenter’s square?

The first metal squares made in the United States for the use of carpenters were probably made by Silas Hawes, a blacksmith of South Shaftsbury, Vermont, about the time that the War of 1812 closed. One day he welded some old pit-saw blades together to form squares, stamped scales on them and sold them to a peddler.

What does Carpenter’s square mean?

A carpenter’s square, also called a framing square, is a versatile instrument for laying out stair stringers, roof rafters and determining angles, among other duties. Usually made from aluminum or steel, carpenter’s squares are etched with tables and numbers that go beyond a simple ruler.

How do you use a framing square?

How to Use a Framing Square. Note the graduated scales. Generally, the framing square is broken down into fractions of an inch on top, and in centimeters on the bottom. Measure a cut. Place one arm parallel against the edge of a piece of material that you wish to cut at a right angle.

What is a carpenter’s tool called?

A cat’s paw or cat’s claw is a standard carpenter ‘s tool, consisting of a round or hexagonal bar that curves at one end to form a pointed, cup-shaped tip with a V-shaped cleft for gripping nailheads.