Tool questions
- Thread starter Keitai
- Start date
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It depends what the use is going to be, probably a 6" square for general use, but the longer ones if your scribing boards as opposed to marking cut lines on timber. Wolfcraft's universal angle and try square is probably more accurate for the former, as it cannot go out of adjustment.
Blup
Blup
D
Deleted member 174758
For general carpentry work I'd say that a 300mm is the most useful, but the size of combi square you need is dependent on what you do for a living. I carry both a 300mm and 400mm ones only on my current project because I'm cutting a lot of joists, rafters, plywood, etc where 300mm one alone would just too small, On the other hand 400mm is often too big. I have a 150mm one as well mainly for doing door ironmongery because if you are doing stuff where you are setting out lots of hardware like flush bolts you'll probably find a 150mm more convenient - the 300mm ruler tends to get in the way on some tasks
As to the Swanson, are you actually doing roofing? I have a 7in Johnson metric roofing square and a 250mm Swanson metric square, but neither does much roofing. The Swanson is mostly used to mark out and cut joists (up to 8 x 3s) with a 9in ripsaw - as a saw guide, whilst the 7in one is used with my cordless saw for the same sort of thing. The 7in one can be carried in my tool belt as well. Being metric and reasonably accurate I can use them for measuring and setting out (e.g. marking out a 70mm cut line along a joist where I need to rip down stock to produce a bearer). For joists with notched ends I often use the big saw, Swanson square and both my 300 and 400mm combi squares to mark the notching (old building where left and right notching can vary tremendously tremendously). I find metric squares far more useful, especially as architects drawings for roofs and so on have been metric for between 40 and 50 years, now! That response probably doesn't help much, but it is intended to illustrate usage
Probably the best nail sets on the market are Starret, which are as hard as hell - but very expensive. Stanley are good ones, too, which are handily colour coded for size (yellow, red and grey). Those are what I carry all the time. Avoid cheap Chinese carp
As to the Swanson, are you actually doing roofing? I have a 7in Johnson metric roofing square and a 250mm Swanson metric square, but neither does much roofing. The Swanson is mostly used to mark out and cut joists (up to 8 x 3s) with a 9in ripsaw - as a saw guide, whilst the 7in one is used with my cordless saw for the same sort of thing. The 7in one can be carried in my tool belt as well. Being metric and reasonably accurate I can use them for measuring and setting out (e.g. marking out a 70mm cut line along a joist where I need to rip down stock to produce a bearer). For joists with notched ends I often use the big saw, Swanson square and both my 300 and 400mm combi squares to mark the notching (old building where left and right notching can vary tremendously tremendously). I find metric squares far more useful, especially as architects drawings for roofs and so on have been metric for between 40 and 50 years, now! That response probably doesn't help much, but it is intended to illustrate usage
Probably the best nail sets on the market are Starret, which are as hard as hell - but very expensive. Stanley are good ones, too, which are handily colour coded for size (yellow, red and grey). Those are what I carry all the time. Avoid cheap Chinese carp
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EddieM
I'm not sure why you're considering buying tools if you don't know what they're used for.
I used one on skirting and architraves after nail gun so filler would hide them but wondered what other uses they have?
D
Deleted member 174758
I'm old school.in this respect - a nail set (NEVER a punch, which is IMHO a misleading modern term) is a form of tapered punch with a hollow point (to better locate on nail heads) which is used to "set" a nail or pin head below the surface of material. If you use it as a general punch to mark stuff or make holes you will destroy the hollow point and your set will forever after be sliding off nail heads when you hit it and damaging the work. Once you have cream crackered the end there is no way on earth to regrind it yourself. Which is why they should be thought of as NAIL SETS not general toold
Incidentally, misuse of these is one way old carpenters like me can tell if they are dealing with a tradesman or a chancer
Incidentally, misuse of these is one way old carpenters like me can tell if they are dealing with a tradesman or a chancer
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Your not even that good!!!
Calling yourself a tradesman/handyman and doing very bad work for customers only for you to come on a DIY site asking questions on how to do it. Cowboy builder comes to mind.
Andy
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Deleted member 174758
What I like about this forum is the diversity of opinions... 
Do I need wider nail sets? The fattest (red one) is same width as width of nail head. Nail doesn't fit inside the nail punch at all
No. The bigger head nails don't need to sit inside the hollow. Just make sure you centre it on the nail head and strike it vertically. If you are not holding it vertically it may slide off and damage the surrounding wood.
C
Captain Nemesis
So that you learn by finding out what they do? A case of "Ah, I see..."?
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