Stanley 46-071 Premium Quick Square Layout Tool
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Product Details
Manufacturer: Stanley Hand ToolsModel: 46-071
Product features:
- Durable aluminum construction
- Black body with yellow graduations provides maximum readability in all light conditions
- Multipurpose tool is ideal for use as a 0º to 90º protractor scale
- Works well as a saw guide
- Limited Lifetime Warranty
- Old House Journal (1-year)
- Measuring, Marking, and Layout: A Builder's Guide
- Stanley RST-60010 12-Inch Safety Cone, Orange
- Stanley RST-64006 Safe-T-Fit Plus N95 Disposable Respirator with Exhalation Valve and Boom Seal
- Stanley RST-62006 Sweat Band
Tools and Hardware Reviews of Stanley 46-071 Premium Quick Square Layout Tool
Customer Review: Fix any square like this cheap one
Summary: 3 Stars
I agree with two other reviewers here: One, the contrasting numbers are easier to read. That's especially useful for old eyes.
Two, Stanley QC is not great and MOST of their squares are NOT very square.
No problem!
Everyone needs a small "beater" square for home-projects; one they can carry easily, throw in a tool box and not have to "baby." Superb accuracy is not usually critical for small projects, but small inaccuracies tend to compound and create big problems with multiple cuts. You can adjust ANY square like this to be nearly perfect in minutes.
Here's how:
One, flatten the three edges (lightly) with 180-grit sandpaper. Temporarily affix the sand paper to a known flat surface like a surface-plate, honing guide, marble tile or glass plate. Rub the edges over the sandpaper LIGHTLY until the whole surface of each edge is abraded. Don't "rock" the square as you sand, Keep the square "square." If you can't do that by feel, then use a wood block to hold the square perpendicular to the sandpaper.
TWO, check the square with a GOOD RELIABLE square, like machinists squares or that heirloom Starrett you keep inside. When you find out which way it is off, either abrade more from the "fat" side or "peen" the corner to relieve an acute angle.
You can "square" any small square with this method in two minutes.
Don't have a machinist's square? Don't sweat.
Just mark a line from any straight-edge, then flip the square and mark another line from the same starting-point. If the square is "out" the lines will diverge. Because you flipped the square, you doubled the error, so whatever distance the line is off, is TWICE the error. That tells you how much you need to correct. (for instance, If the lines are a 16th off at the end, remove a 32nd.) If you want anal-retentive accuracy, don't use a pencil; use a knife-blade to make your lines. With this method, you can get a cheap square accurate to one-or-two-thousandths over a 6-inch length! That'll make your layouts and cuts BETTER than most miter-saws.
VISIBLE MARKINGS: You can make ANY square like this (with indented markings) easier to read. Apply any regular artist's or household paint to the surface. The type of paint is NOT too important. Contrasting color IS. For instance, I had a Swanson speed-square of plain aluminum, which was a light grayish tone. I used dark blue latex paint left over from another job.
Slather that contrasting paint all over the square. I use a paper towel and force the paint thoroughly into each indentation. You might want to keep paint away from the intersection of the base and the plate. (It's hard to clean out of corners.)
Then immediately squeegee off the excess paint. (A credit card works well for this) You will see the colored numbers clearly. To get the remaining thin-layer of color off the face, wait until the remaining surface-paint is bone-dry. (Outside in the sun this takes five minutes. A hair-dryer works too.) Use a sanding block to rub the surface. Fine grit sandpaper (240 or above) on a flat sanding-block won't touch the indented numbers or markings, ( which will still be slightly wet and shiny) but it WILL remove the extra paint and polish the surface. The markings are crisp and legible. It really looks nice when your done!
These tricks work just as well on those plastic speed-squares; maybe better! Plastic has a slight advantage over aluminum here: Aluminum, especially when it is painted Black like this Stanley, will change dimension noticeably or even warp in the hot sun. Like I said, that usually is no big deal for small projects. But plastic squares don't change dimension at all until they get hot enough to soften. If it is THAT hot out, you won't be working outside for long! Plastic squares survive falls and abuse better too. Once an aluminum tool is bent, it stays bent. Plastic is easier to sand into square and the faces clean-up faster too.
BLACK TOOLS can get hot enough to burn your hand when they are left out in the sun. Shiny metal is not quite as bad. Light colored plastic never gets so hot that it burns or distorts significantly. Also, plastic is easier to abrade with sandpaper and the paint adheres inside those indentations very well. Plastic squares are usually bright orange or yellow, so any dark color of paint will look great and be easy-to-read. After you sand the surface with a sanding block, the numbers on plastic squares seem crisper; more well-defined than aluminum.
So, if you already have one of these Black Aluminum squares, you can improve its accuracy for no cost in a few minutes.
If you are going to buy one of these because you like the looks, don't worry about Stanley's poor quality control. Squares are easy to "repair-to-square." If you have a light-colored aluminum square, you can still get readability with a cheap painting trick in five minutes. If you are on a tight budget and want a durable lightweight square, get a plastic one which won't warp, change dimension or ruin a saw blade when you accidentally nick it. I have seen those for as little as 50 cents on sale. $2.50 to $3.50 is common. Five-bucks for a plastic square is high.
You can get professional accuracy for nice outdoor projects with your cheap plastic square. Plus you can laugh at your neighbor when he picks up his hot black Stanley square after lunch!
This square is not substantially better or worse than most others like it. Almost all of them are mass-produced in China to the same apathetic standards. If you know these tricks, you can make any square like this as good as it needs to be for neat projects around the house. Save your money for important things like eye-protection and good cutting-tools.
Happy woodworking!
Description of Stanley 46-071 Premium Quick Square Layout Tool
10-1/4" Contractor Grade Quick Square, Rafter Layout Square With Black Body and Yellow Graduations For Maximum Readability In All Conditions, Aluminum Construction Is Lightweight Yet Durable, Extra Thick Body For Use As A Saw Glide With A 10 To 900 Protract Or Scale.Measuring & Layout Tools
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