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If you are familiar with Woodpeckers products the accuracy and quality of their TS-32-2 Precision Square will not surprise you. Everybody else needs this kind of surprise. Click image to enlarge

Woodpeckers TS-32-2 Precision Square

Perfect Length, Perfectly Accurate

Text & Photos by Tom Hintz

Posted - 3-2-2008

Woodpeckers newest foray into the layout world is their TS-32-2 Precision Square. Aside from the traditional impeccable Woodpecker manufacturing, the design of this tool is perfect for the larger layout tasks in any woodworking shop.

Materials and Machines

As is their habit, Woodpeckers chose high-end aluminum material for the TS-32-2 Precision Square. That metal is then shaped on their equally high-end CNC (computer numerically controlled) machinery in their North Royalton, Ohio shops. That combination of materials and machine capability

Everything, right dow to the attachment of the head to the blade is well done and as close to bulletproof as you can get without divine assistance. Click image to enlarge

mean the TS-32-2 Precision Square is accurate when you get it and stays that way forever if you treat it with the respect it deserves. (That means not throwing it around...) Woodpeckers is so sure of the TS-32-2 Precision Square accuracy they guarantee it to 0.001" for life!

Using CNC machine centers allows Woodpeckers to incorporate features such as the pencil-guiding holes along the center of the32 1/2"-long TS-32-2 Precision Square blade and the engraved scales on both of its edges. After anodizing, the scales are filled with contrasting color that makes them very easy to read, even at an angle.

Intelligent Design

Lots of tools claim user-inspired design but few accomplish it like the TS-32-2 Precision Square. The base shape of the TS-32-2 Precision Square head with its stepped edges makes it very easy to use on large pieces of wood. That in turn allows the user to get the full benefit of the overall accuracy.

From the unique tapered edge scales (left) to the pencil-capturing holes down the center (right) the Woodpeckers TS-32-2 Precision Square is very well planned and precisely made. Click images to enlarge

The 32 1/2" length of the blade, below the T-square head may sound odd but means you can easily reach beyond the center (width) of common 4-foot by 8-foot sheet goods. That overlap makes drawing full-width cutoff or layout lines simple and far more accurate.

The shape of the blade may appear "over done" at first but look closer and there are use-driven reasons for every portion of the profile. Not the least of which are the tapered edges (30-degree angle) that bring the 1/32" resolution scale markings (both sides) down to the surface of the material being marked. That eliminates the built-in parallax errors of trying to put the pencil exactly at a line that is above the material. If you are not looking at the mark and pencil dead-on straight, that gap between the mark gets distorted and induces errors. Tapering the edges cures that and eliminates those small but compiling errors.

Even the double row of 1mm holes down the center of the TS-32-2 Precision Square blade are precisely drilled (and tapered no less) in a staggered pattern at 1/16" intervals. These holes are designed to fit common pencils as well as mechanical pencils and make drawing lines parallel to the material edge a virtual no-brainer. Because the pencil is "captured" in the hole, the grain of the wood has no impact on drawing a perfectly straight line.

In the Shop

The 32 1/2" length of the blade allows drawing precise layout lines across the width of full 4' by 8' sheet goods.

This may well be the shortest "In The Shop" segment ever in my reviews because the TS-32-2 Precision Square simply does everything it is advertised to and more. The design and manufacture of the TS-32-2 Precision Square means that using it is exceptionally simple and automatically accurate. For the uninitiated, this is nothing new to Woodpeckers products.

With a street price of $139.95 (3-2-2008) the Woodpeckers TS-32-2 Precision Square is not cheap but nothing even approaching this level of quality and accuracy is. Plus, Woodpeckers includes a CNC machined MDF case/wall plaque that makes it easy to keep your investment handy yet protected. It also allows displaying it where you get an auto-gloat anytime someone enters your shop!

See/buy the Woodpeckers TS-32-2 Precision Square on their site - Click Here

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