A ruler can be used to draw straight lines but there is no quarranty that the line drawn is accurate and exactly straight,this is where the engineering square is brought into use.
An engineering square also known as machinist square is similar in size and construction to a try square.
It is a tool used for making straight lines and are used to measure angles.
Enhance your Engineering Knowledge by Subscribe us
The engineering square is widely used in the field of metal working & wood working areas.It acts as a square and as well as a ruler.
Construction
The construction is simple. It consists of two parts. It is made up of a steel blade and a stock or body which is a thick base part in the square joined together in the form of a ‘L’ shape.
The blades are made up of good quality tool or alloy steel that is hardened and ground .The steel blade and stock are graduated inside and outside.It is available in various sizes and are portable.
We can easily carry the tool as a handheld equipment.The stock has standard sizes such as 50-1000mm.
An engineering scriber is used to mark the measurements taken.The differences between a try square and an engineering square are accuracy and material used.
Advantages over try square
The engineering square is accurate both inside and outside whereas the try square is accurate only on the inside.
The engineering square is made entirely of metal whereas in the try square the stock is made of hardwood.
Another important advantage of using an engineering square is that the shape of the inside corner ensures getting an accurate reading.
It has been an important tool for engineer’s since Industrial Revolution.
Principle
The working of the engineering square is also similar to try square,the square blade is placed across the area we want to test or mark.
Classification
The engineer’s square is classified into two.One has thicker blade and the other one is without stock.
Therefore the engineering square is mainly used for the purpose of checking squareness and marking the body in the workpiece.