Tonights tip is another easy but useful idea that has served me well. A blacksmiths square is made by welding a 6" long section of 1/2" square stock, perpendicular to the center of a 12" long piece of the same. This gives a tool in the shape of an elongated T. Hard to explain how useful this is, til you use it.

24, 12 and 8 are the proportions, gives a framing square and a bench square. You hold onto the end you are not using to keep from burning your hand.

Thanks for the clarification Irnsrgn, I came up with those dimensions myself, for a project I did a long time ago. Great to get your input.

I buy old framing squares and cut off one leg at an angle to make a blacksmith's hook square with the scale already built in.

If you adjust where and the angle you cut it you can also have a 90 and 45 deg built in as well.

Never paid more than a dollar for an old framing square too!

Please explain the difference between a framing square and a bench square.......and what is a blacksmith's hook square?

A framing square has a body 24 inches long, and tongue 16 inches long. A bench square has a body 12 inches long and a tongue 8 inches long for laying out on the bench its not so unwieldly as the framing square.

I think he is referring to a large Hook Rule made from a square, hook rules are used by machinists and woodworkers and it has a small hook on one end to hook over an edge for marking or measuring accurately from an edge. In old time books and technical manuals measuring is called mensurating.

Yes it's a hook rule; but by leaving a bit more of the tongue on it's also a square (and a 45 or other degree if you go that route).

Now it's not a shrink rule and my hats off to you if you make one that is! I found a 4 scale shrink rule at the fleamarket once for US$3 and snatched it up but gave it to a friend who did metal casting.

You notice how putting a measuring tape on hot steel causes problems? This simple to makle took deals with getting accurate measurements on hot steel. My rule has inside and outside scales too. Using calipers could be a way around the hot stuff as well.

Edited July 16, 200817 yr by ThomasPowers

Thomas, thank you for another quickly made, inexpensive and useful tool.

Blacksmith Calipers, both width and thickness measurement with one tool.

Jr. those calipers are great did you make them?

of course, always make what I can't buy reasonable.

I use Swanson speed squares in the home shop. 6" and 12". Perhaps you have seen them. They are what I will use until I die. I also have some tri-squares that get a fair amount of use. I also use other measuring and marking tools ( sliding "t" bevel ) as well. I have a 7 year old grandson. Back in March or so he was here and I took him to the shop. We talked a bit and I asked him if he knew the shape of the small Swanson. He said it was a triangle ( he was 6 at the time ). I told him it was yes a triangle but it was a square ( tool ). He remembered this in June when he returned ( that THAT triangle was a square and how it it was used ).