Perfectly Aligned 90 Degree Ruler?

[DavidL]

In woodworking there are combination squares that mark a perfect 90 degree line and I want to know if there are commercially made items are made for leather.

My idea is to make one of those rulers and have it pushed up against the table so that way you can push a piece of leather with a straight edge into it to mark up a 90 degree line. The ruler will be mounted onto the table so it doesn't move and can move down or up to fit different thicknesses.

Has anyone here tried to do something like this. It seems like It would work and would like your thoughts on it.

[billybopp]

I have two of the squares you have pictured. One is 12", the other 24". I frequently use them in conjunction with my marble slap and / self-healing mat. They aren't mounted, but they work great. I also have a larger carpenter's square that I use when cutting big pieces of leather. ... And an assortment of rubber or cork backed metal rulers from 6" to 60". I also have a General tools ultra-rule square that I really love for marking things with the scratch awl, but they appear to be no longer made.

Bill

[Chief31794]

I use T-sqares a lot, but when I want excellent accuracy I use a clear acrylic quilting square, friskars makes good ones, I have several of different sizes. They work great. The problem I have with T-sqares and Tri-Squares, etc, is that they only work well if the edge you are putting it against is perfectly straight. Leather, even when cut very carefully might not be exactly straight.

I use the T-sqares to line up borders across straps, etc.

Chief

Edited November 20, 2014 by Chief31794

[Hi Im Joe]

I use T-sqares a lot, but when I want excellent accuracy I use a clear acrylic quilting square, friskars makes good ones, I have several of different sizes. They work great. The problem I have with T-sqares and Tri-Squares, etc, is that they only work well if the edge you are putting it against is perfectly straight. Leather, even when cut very carefully might not be exactly straight.

I use the T-sqares to line up borders across straps, etc.

Chief

I second the quilting square. One of the best things I have ever bought for leatherwork.

[DavidL]

quilting squares are they for marking or are there openings so you can cut?

I been having trouble with getting completely squared boxes. It usually ends up square. 1 out of 10 times it will be off by a fraction of a mm, its not much but if its not a square it bothers me a bit. It is also a huge time waster to draw 2 sides using a 90 degree ruler and then have to line up the ruler to cut -- very difficult to get the ruler to fall exactly on the line made by a scratch mark with a pen mark its nearly impossible for me.

Do you guys have any tips? I been thinking about getting a solid metal sheet, very thin. Get that sheet and rest it in the tiny groove that the scratch awl makes and push a ruler against it and it will be exactly on that line

Or the modified wood working square mounted to the edge of a table and then I could use an awl placed on the line to push the straight edge against.

[Dwight]

You did not say how big the squares are. If they are 4 inches or less, a strap cutter will give you 2 perfectly cut sides, making your only task, . . . cutting the ends.

My table has a 36 x 60 mat in one inch squares, . . . and it and a long ruler works for me.

May God bless,

Dwight

[Chief31794]

quilting squares are they for marking or are there openings so you can cut?

I been having trouble with getting completely squared boxes. It usually ends up square. 1 out of 10 times it will be off by a fraction of a mm, its not much but if its not a square it bothers me a bit. It is also a huge time waster to draw 2 sides using a 90 degree ruler and then have to line up the ruler to cut -- very difficult to get the ruler to fall exactly on the line made by a scratch mark with a pen mark its nearly impossible for me.

Do you guys have any tips? I been thinking about getting a solid metal sheet, very thin. Get that sheet and rest it in the tiny groove that the scratch awl makes and push a ruler against it and it will be exactly on that line

Or the modified wood working square mounted to the edge of a table and then I could use an awl placed on the line to push the straight edge against.

You put the lines on the square on the line so that the edge of the square is where you want to cut, then you can use a rotary cutter or any kind of knife to cut along the edge. I have them in 12.5" X 12.5", 8.5" X 8.5" and 6.5" X 6.5" the cover just about every thing.

Chief

[Red Cent]

+ on the quilting squares (courtesy of my wife) and the 90 degree squares.

Making a square or a rectangle "square". You square both of the perpendicular sides and then add them together. Then you take the sum of the two numbers and take the square root of that number.

A 6" square will have a diagonal measurement of 8.48528137". 6 X 6 = 36. 36 + 36 = 72. The square root of 72 is 8.48528137".

Been a long time for that to be remembered. And I did not make good grades in math

[DavidL]

Il check them both out, thanks.

[WyomingSlick]

There is a reason why a straight-edge ruler and a compass should be in every leather craftsman's toolbox.

With them and a knowledge of geometry, a person can very accurately layout almost any thing needed in leatherwork.

For those of you who don't remember their geometry; here is an excellent website with animated, step by step, procedures for

performing geometric constructions: http://www.mathsisfun.com/geometry/constructions.html

For very accurate work, I prefer to use drafting compasses because their very fine points are extremely accurate.

Very good drafting sets can be picked up on eBay for a fraction of their original cost since computers have replaced them in the

engineering/drafting profession.

[Ingrid H]

In woodworking there are combination squares that mark a perfect 90 degree line and I want to know if there are commercially made items are made for leather.

My idea is to make one of those rulers and have it pushed up against the table so that way you can push a piece of leather with a straight edge into it to mark up a 90 degree line. The ruler will be mounted onto the table so it doesn't move and can move down or up to fit different thicknesses.

Has anyone here tried to do something like this. It seems like It would work and would like your thoughts on it.

I'm a carpenter by trade so I own squares from about 3" to 48", and they come in handy in my leather working. Unless you are going to tack your leather to a table, you don't really need a table. Just cut a straight edge onto your leather and use that edge to square off from. I use a 6" combination square like in the photo you added for laying out stuff on straps.

Drafting tables are square and you can use a t-square with them... If you wanted to get really fancy you could do a drafting board with a parallel rule. A parallel rule runs on cables, so it can lift off the surface of the board (to accommodate the thickness of the leather), create parallel lines and serve as a base to square off of. I still have two drafting tables from before the days of using computers for architectural design. I never thought about using them with leather. Thanks!!!

[RiverCity]

In woodworking there are combination squares that mark a perfect 90 degree line and I want to know if there are commercially made items are made for leather.

My idea is to make one of those rulers and have it pushed up against the table so that way you can push a piece of leather with a straight edge into it to mark up a 90 degree line. The ruler will be mounted onto the table so it doesn't move and can move down or up to fit different thicknesses.

Has anyone here tried to do something like this. It seems like It would work and would like your thoughts on it.

To do what you are suggesting, I would get a standard carpenters square, drill 3 holes, one on each end and one on the corner say 9/32". Get some 1/4 20 t nuts, short compression springs( compressed they need to be thinner than the thinnest leather you plan on using) fender washers and some 1/4 20 thumb screws. Use the square that you drilled are your template to mark your table. Drill the 3 holes in the table for the t nuts. Hammer them into the table from the under side. Put your springs over the holes. The square sits on this with fender washers over the holes, then the thumbscrews through everything into the t nuts. The springs keep the square above the table surface, and can be tightened down to whatever thickness leather you are working on.

All of that said, its not needed, the square works fine as a stand alone tool. But you can certainly engineer something cool that might work great for you!

Chuck

Edited November 21, 2014 by RiverCity

[papaw]

I use a drywall tee square at one time I had it bolted down on cut table with 10 oz. leather washers used to raise it to slide leather under, but always in the way when needing more space.

[Colt W Knight]

I mostly use the acrylic drafting squares, but I also use metal scales and wood working squares.