What is a SPEED Square?
The speed square is a metal tool used in carpentry to help mark corners, or to quickly measure wood for cutting. It has many applications and may be used on roofs, to measure angles, as a protractor would, or to simply perform quick measurement. The speed square is a right triangle, and not a square as the name suggests. Instead the name suggests squaring so that corners which require 90-degree angles are appropriately measured. The right triangle portion is pushed against corners to decide where to cut, or determine appropriate placement of construction materials. The bottom of the line of the speed square usually has a handy ruler, perhaps 6 inches (15.24 cm) or longer. Most of the modern types of speed squares have a diamond marking the center of the ruler, for help as a protractor or to simple mark the middle point. The speed square was invented by Albert Johnson in 1930 and has long been considered a necessary tool for both amateur and professional carpenters. Those who scrapbook
The SPEED® Square is a triangular-shaped measuring tool that is made of metal. It has many applications and may be used on roofs, to measure angles, mark lumber, create perpendicular lines, or to simply perform a quick measurement. The SPEED® square is a product patented and produced by the Swanson Tool Co., Inc. Other generic forms of the tool are made by other manufacturers as well. These are more appropriately referred to as rafter angle squares or triangle-shaped measuring squares. The SPEED® Square is actually the shape of a right triangle — not a square as the name might imply. The term square actually goes to the action it helps perform &mdash to help square measurements so that corners which require 90-degree angles are appropriately measured. The tool is primarily used by pushing the right triangle of the tool against the corners of a measuring area. Appropriate markings are made accordingly. The long edge of the SPEED® Square, or hypotenuse of the triangle, can be used as a h
