Why George Loves Combination Squares

There are a handful of tools in the shop that I use nearly every day. A combination square is one of them. These are such versatile tools. I love that you can interchange the heads for different functions, getting even more mileage out of a nearly indispensable tool. Round stock, angles, marking and measuring. The combination square provides one-stop-shopping for all these tasks, and more.

The combination square’s back story

The combination square was invented in the 1860s, and was originally considered a tool for engineers and architects. Today it has found its way into wood and metal shops, onto construction sites, and into the hands of nearly anyone who needs to mark, measure or lay out lines. You may find that some people call it an adjustable square or even a bevel protractor. For me, combination square is the best all-encompassing name, thanks to the variety of functions this tool can perform.

George’s square

The combination square used in this video was made by iGaging. It comes with all the heads you saw here.