By loosening the jam nut on the top of the tool, you can adjust the readout sleeve to zero. Re-tighten the jam nut. From this point on, your tool will measure depth readings very accurately. What makes this system enjoyable is you read the depth setting for the top of the tool, you do not have to flip the tool over and read or measure the depth as you would on traditional gages. This feature is very handy. Graduations for the DG-2 are available in either English (1/32nd's) or in metric (millimeters).

Depth gages are very handy shop aids and have a myriad of useful functions. Obvious uses include depth readings in blind situations and all rabbet and dado depth measurements, and is particularly useful in conjunction with router setups. Your DG-2 will also perform similar functions as a hook rule.

Your depth gage is a completely different tool with the addition of a cutter. By attaching the hardened steel cutting disc to the bottom of the depth stem, (the bevel on the cutter faces the sole of the tool) and adjusting zero (by repeating the process described above) to accommodate the thickness of the cutter, you have a fantastic marking gage. If you want to scribe a line exactly 2" from the edge of a board, slide the stem until 2" is in line with the readout sleeve, lock in place and off you go. It works and cuts exactly like our marking gages, razor clean marks, right where you want them.

If you choose to attach the cutter disc with the bevel facing away from the sole of the body, you have created a "hook" which will allow you to trap material between the disc and the sole for very accurate width measurements. Again, the beauty of the tool is your ability to set zero each time you wish to change the function of the tool.

The DG-2 Depth Gage will accurately read to a depth of 5" with the English version and 127 millimeters with the metric. The depth stem will fit in a hole no smaller than 3/8".

The two biggest problems with bevels involve the inability of the blade to lock securely and the locking mechanism, which interferes with the registration of the handle to your work. Neither of these problems occurs with our bevels. From a manufacturing standpoint, our bevels are the most complicated tools we make, and once you get one in your hand, you'll see why. All of our hard work makes your work easy!

Each bevel employs a hardened steel (Rockwell 54), satin chromed blade. Our unique friction locking mechanism employs two seated and knurled washers which bear against the blade when the knob is tightened. It stays put until you change it. Every shop needs some sort of device to deal with non-reference angles. In our opinion you won't find a better bevel!

The feel of this tool in the hand is magnificent and the function is ever nicer. The handle is wrapped in 1/16" brass. The knob is large enough to get a good grip on and threads into a sealed, dust proof nut, yet it will never interfere with the use of the tool. The blade is bushed in the handle so there is metal to metal contact when secured. The blade stays locked where you want it -- insuring utmost accuracy during the scribing and layout process. The TB-1 is designed in the tradition of the true T-bevels of yesterday. The blade is infinitely adjustable over a full 360 degrees. This tool is for all of the angles not available in fixed reference squares.

If you thought the simple miter joint was tough, try making octagons!  Each cut represents a potential error that will be multiplied by 16 when the frame or box is assembled! You simply cannot afford to guess when that many sides are involved. The MS-3 22-1/2 Degree Miter Square has a blade length of 7-1/4". It is perfect for all octagonal work and other uses which include inlayed floors, frames, planter boxes, etc.

Matching a square to the job is an important aspect of craftsmanship. The TS-1.5 Mid-Sized Try Square is the "middle brother" of our squares. With a blade length of 6-1/2" from heel to toe, it is sized exactly between the TS-1 and the TS-2. Consequently, it is particularly appreciated by those who do box work or make case goods and drawers.

If the MS-2 is too big and the MS-1 too small, the MS-1.5 Mid-Sized Miter Square is for you. This is also a great companion square to the TS-1.5 Mid-Sized Try Square. With an 8-1/4" blade length, this is not a common size tool and therefore has become quite popular in the marketplace. For “gap free” miters, try this square on for size.

If you’re using a yardstick in your shop you may want to consider upgrading to one of the world’s finest 36" rules. This is the rule for designing or laying out large pieces. Also works great for setting up a pair of trammel points.

The BP-18 Bevel Protractor uses an eighteen inch indicator. Made from the same hardened and plated steel as the protractor plate, this pivot arm contains the hairline cursor (beveled to avoid parallax errors) by which you set angles. The length of this arm will allow you to layout many of your angles directly without the need of transferring to another bevel. This saves you time, improves your accuracy and is particularly useful in setting up table saw miter gages!

The heart of this tool is a brass and steel pivot mechanism (patent pending) that allows our tool makers to calibrate this tool to a perfect 90 degree setting. This ability negates the inaccuracies of hole and cursor variations. Lastly, a bevel setting is not worth a hoot if it is easily bumped out of alignment. Our BP-18 Bevel Protractor locks at the point of pivot and there is a secondary locking mechanism up the arm for total stability of your settings. These features create an incredibly accurate and extraordinarily useful shop aid.

Another of the handy features of the Bevel Protractor are adjacent measuring scales on the top and left edges. For those of you who occasionally need a scale that reads in tenths or twentieths, here it is. The top scale reads left to right by sixteenths and is very useful for setting up machine fences. These two scales can be used together to obtain ratio settings. For example, if you need to make a dovetail profile that is 7:1, set your T-bevel on the one-inch mark on one scale, and the seven-inch mark on the other! it's easy, fast and accurate!

The back face of the BP-18 Bevel Protractor has not gone to waste either. It contains many of the most useful shop formulas pertaining to circle geometry. What better place to make this information available than on the very tool that will use it! Included with the circle geometry formulas are rise, run and pitch formulas and an English/metric conversion table. All are photochemically etched into the steel, black filled and will not wear off.

The BP-18 Bevel Protractor can be used independently or in conjunction with another adjustable bevel. Traditionally you would set the bevel protractor at the chosen angle and transfer the setting to a T-bevel that will allow you to set machines to acute or obtuse angles. Since both edges of the BP-18 Bevel Protractor are accurate to the indicator, this is the perfect tool for setting our AS-24 Adjustable Angle Square!

The Woodworker's Guide to Compound Miters that contains all the compound angle settings for the table or radial arm saw which will give you an incredible lift in capability. These numbers are extremely difficult to calculate on your own and are even harder to find!

For example, let's say you want to make a seven-sided box with the sides at an eleven degree angle. At what angle do you set your blade? At what angle do you set the miter gage? Hundreds of problems like this are easily tackled with The Woodworker's Guide to Compound Miters.

The TT-1 Turning Tree is made in nine sections. Individual sections can be removed and kept in your apron pocket as quick references until your turning job is completed. We recommend you don't place this precision tool on the outboard end of your lathe while you turn, lest it vibrate onto the floor. All sections nest together, sturdy as a tree, awaiting your calipers. The major diameter of each section is permanently marked with the diameters of all four cylinders which make up that particular section. You'll know at a glance which section contains the diameter to match the drill you used to make the mortise. Additionally, the TT-1 Turning Tree sections can be used to size existing holes. Simply grab the section which closely resembles the hole you wish to measure and drop the narrow end into the hole until you find the size which fits. This can be extremely helpful in repairing antiques or making replacement parts.

If you are creatively oriented, the TT-1 Turning Tree offers a solid visual reference for a turned diameter. Sometimes it is very difficult to visualize the subtle difference between 3/4" and 13/16". This tool should help you make design decisions by being a ready visual source for diameters.

Another handy application of the TT-1 Turning Tree is laying out a small radius. The major diameter of each section can be used as a circle template. You can draw a perfect radius on a corner by aligning the diameter tangent with each reference edge.

The TT-1 Turning Tree is made completely from steel and sits in a handsome Juara wood base. The sections alternate in color so you can visually read the diameters from a distance.

scribing a centerline on stock up to 7-3/8" wide

   scribing a parallel line on straight edges up to 3-5/8" from the edge (a marking gage will also do this)

   scribing a parallel line on curved edges up to 3-5/8" from the edge (a marking gage won't do this accurately)

   locating dead center on the end of square stock up to 5-1/4" square (no tool will do this as quickly)

   locating dead center on the end of round stock up to 7-3/8" diameter (no other tool will do this accurately)

   locating center or scribing a centerline on tapered stock accurately and quickly

   scribing a continuous centerline down the length of round stock

Each rosewood handle is flawlessly hand turned. The balance of this tool in your hand is unlike any you have ever experienced. The control of this awl, (somewhat like a conductor’s baton) allows you to lay down lines in the tightest situations; like making dovetails, mortise and tenons or tracing profiles. The 4-1/2" hardened steel blade is long and narrow, terminating in a very fine point.

The SA-1 Scratch Awl is designed to complement its big brother, the SA-2. It is great for starting screw holes and making divots for brad point drills. The handle comes to rest in the palm of your hand, the point acting as an extension of your index finger. This immobilizes your wrist and allows you to transfer “weight” to the point. As a safety feature, the brass ferrule completely encapsulates the tang and directs all downward forces to the minor diameter of the handle.

You can adjust the angle of any point or drawing tool to the work surface. When the drawing point trails the leg of the compass, it’s possible to draw large arcs and circles with only one finger touching the tool! This feature allows you to draft circles and arcs with unprecedented ease.

From a solid, 4-lb piece of 360 brass alloy, we've fashioned a level housing that negates the traditional problems of warping in a wood-bodied level. The precision vials have a tolerance of 300 seconds on a 2mm scale plus or minus 30 seconds. Soda-lime glass windows, buffered and sealed on each side by "O" rings, protect the plumb and 45-degree vials from typical shop hostilities. The top vial, which reads level, is adjustable. The plumb vial and the 45 degree vial never need adjusting. The sole of the BL-9 has a recess cut out to facilitate leveling pipes and non-flat work.

The AS-5 is factory calibrated to be within 0.001" of square, measured from the end of the blade. That's one thousandth of an inch over the length of the blade, inside and out! The most demanding craftspeople will revel in the soothing comfort this accuracy provides. I am speaking from experience when I share with you that woodworking takes on a new dimension once you have tools you can implicitly trust. 

The AS-9 Adjustable Try Squares are factory calibrated to be within 0.001" of square, measured from the end of the blade. That's one thousandth of an inch over the length of the blade, inside and out! The most demanding craftspeople will revel in the soothing comfort this accuracy provides. I am speaking from experience when I share with you that woodworking takes on a new dimension once you have tools you can implicitly trust. 

Our plummet features a removable, stainless steel tip. Because plummets occasionally "plummet", it's comforting to know you can easily replace the point.

There are two features that make this tool extraordinary in comparison to others. First, this is actually two plumb bobs in one. And the second is the unique spool base in which the plumb bob comes to rest.

To create the second plummet, simply unscrew the finial and the point from the body and fasten them together. You now have a small, 1 ounce plumb bob for indoor use! No other plummet gives you this flexibility. Both are stunning works of art and perform flawlessly. Our knurled brass spool is an elegantly simple design that easily fits your thumb or forefinger allowing you to control the length of cord extended. The cord is a tough braided polyester fiber, .019" thick.

Storing a plumb bob is one of the most awkward assignments in your shop. The tool simply does not belong in a tool box because it gets abused. We solve this dilemma by designing a rosewood stand that proudly displays the plummet and safely stores the spool and cord away from dust and grime. This tool looks just as at home on a desk or shelf as it does in your shop.

The Squevel handle is milled from a solid 1-1/2 lb. chunk of #360 half hard, tempered brass. Unlike many of our other tools which are constructed around a wood core, this is a solid metal handle with a wood inlay.

The brass stock is precisely milled on a computer driven mill. The brass is cleaned and prepped to receive the wood inlays, two matched pieces per side. The handle is now ready to receive the fixed blade which is initially "frozen" in place with the commercial cyanoacrylate adhesive and then mechanically locked with three rivets.

From a manufacturing standpoint, what happens next is fascinating to watch. We temporarily lock the adjustable bevel blade in place in the handle. Then the entire tool is placed into a fixture where the butt of the handle is profiled in two planes. This creates a terrific-looking tool. The rest of the process is detailing and finishing, all of the little extras which make our tools stand out from the pack.

It's accurate to within 0.002" over the 6-1/2" blade length, inside and out. Use it for all of your squaring needs; it's made to last and should be a tireless workhorse for you and future woodworkers.

Buried into the solid brass handle is a small bevel. This small bevel is perfect for laying out dovetails, angled tenons, and is particularly useful for setting angles on machines with narrow throats, such as band saw tables and scrollsaw tables. The bevel blade length is 3-7/8" in a 90° setting.

Locking the bevel to the handle is one of our nicely turned, infilled brass knobs.

Besides the penny, and some gorgeous rosewood or Juara™ wood, each of these special commemorative tools will be sequentially engraved with an edition number.

This tool was produced in 1993.

The small size of the AS-3 Adjustable Try Square does many things very well. Like the AS-14, the inside rule is precisely aligned with the inside face of the handle, and the outside rule is accurately registered with the back of the handle. The blade measures 3" on the outside and 2" on the inside rule. It is perhaps the finest tool yet invented for setting router bit depths. Set it on your router base, spin the bit to the height of your choice indicated on the rule and off you go. Another terrific function is the ability o get into confined spaces. Small drawers, scaled work, box making, model making, and joint work are but just a sampling of the applications for this new and exciting square.

The AS-14 is a fantastic size square and allows full access of the 12" blade on the inside rule and reads to 14" on the outside rule. This size square will allow layout and measurement on lumber up to 12" in width. Most important, the accuracy is plus or minus .001" over the length of the blade, making this the most accurate square we have ever produduced. In essence, this is a 12" hook rule.

The outside rule is also accurately registered with the back of the handle. Set your square on any flat surface and you now have a rule that reads vertical distances with accuracy that is hard to beat. This is now a 14" height gage. Or, use this to check inside dimensions of assembled cabinets, or... again the applications are endless.

The AS-14 Adjustable Try Square has a built in slide-stop. Simply slide the lever out and your new square stays perfectly aligned on your material, freeing up both of your hands for other tasks! It even locks in place by tightening the brass knob. This added feature makes the tool an extraordinary asset to your tool collection.

The transfer bevel can accommodate any angle setting from 20° to 180°.

Certain applications have been screaming for this tool. My favorite is transferring an angle from a drawing to a board or machine setup. Sometimes I will fuss around perfecting an angle on my table saw and desire to transfer this angle, for future reference, to a sheet of paper without the bother of figuring out what the angle is. Now I can!

The BS-5 transfer bevel is handy for small scale work and fits easily in an apron pocket. It measures 5-1/4" on the outside and 4-1/2" on the inside reference edge.

The transfer bevel can accommodate any angle setting from 20° to 180°.

Certain applications have been screaming for this tool. My favorite is transferring an angle from a drawing to a board or machine setup. Sometimes I will fuss around perfecting an angle on my table saw and desire to transfer this angle, for future reference, to a sheet of paper without the bother of figuring out what the angle is. Now I can!

The BS-10 transfer bevel measures 10" on the outside and 9" on the inside reference edge. It will fit the bill for most large jobs.

This is a fully flexible, one meter rule with metric graduations on one side and English on the other. This is the rule we use in our PT-1 Precision Trammel Bar and have become fond of as a long measuring tool in the shop. Whether you use this rule to make your own trammel bar or as a stand alone full flex rule, it is a winner.

The TS-3 Double Square is a tool designed to check the edges of cut stock. It fits your apron pocket and is very handy for use at machine locations. When checking a michined edge for squareness from the power saws or the jointer, most of the blade on traditional try squares in unused. The balanced feel of the TS-3 makes it ideal for laying out lines on the end of stock.

In addition, the TS-3 is a favorite square to get into those tight places which are impossible or impractical with any other square -- like checking the shoulders of a mortise and tenon. Once you have used this square, you will wonder how you previously got along without it.

About the Design

We start with a solid chunk of 360 half-hard brass and precision mill it into an I-beam (one of the strongest configurations devised) to form the foundation of our Squevelevel handle. Two flawless wood cheeks fill the handle and handy finger grips grace each side. The handle has a solid brass bevel blade inset into its back and a cutaway near the locking knob, providing increased access to the bevel blade. Locking the bevel to the handle is one of our impeccably turned, wood-infilled brass knobs. The bevel blade length is 4-1/2".

At the head of the handle is a rigid, satin-chromed, hardened steel blade. This blade is photochemically etched and black filled, producing one thirty-second of an inch graduations. This blade is attached to the handle with our proprietary triangulation fastening system. As with our Adjustable Try Squares, this feature allows to accurately register the graduations of the blade with both edges of the handle, ensuring accuracy to within 0.001" over the length of the 9" blade.

One of the best features of this unique system is that it's field adjustable! If, for whatever reason, you determine that the accuracy of your tool is suspect, you can adjust it yourself in a matter of minutes. This is the first truly unique mechanical improvement to try square designs in over a century, and a Bridge City exclusive!

Finally, residing quietly and securely in the brass handle body is a spring loaded carriage that holds one of our precision level vials. There are two small screws accessible from the handle face that allow us (and you) to accurately register this vial with the outside edge of the handle. Accuracy is within 5 seconds of a degree per graduation.

The Bevel

Sliding "T" Bevels are a mainstay in any shop. Always having one at your fingertips is incredibly useful. This bevel will pivot so you may use it as a rest stop for the try square handle, enabling one-handed layout work. This feature is very similar to the slide stop built into the AS-14 Adjustable Try Square.

The Level

The level can be used either as bench level or a plumb level. To use as a plumb level, simply hold the steel blade to your vertical surface and adjust your work until the vial reads true.

The Square

|This is one of the finest try squares ever produced. The outside measurement (heel to toe) is a full nine inches. The blade is indexed to the back of the handle, so you can set the square down with the blade aiming straight up and use these graduations for height measurements. Equally useful are the inside graduations which are indexed to the inside face of the handle. This allows you to accurately measure by using the handle of the square as an end stop, or a large hook rule, so to speak.

This tool was produced in 1994.

This tool will accurately scribe or draw lines, circles and arcs to the center of a 48" wide panel. The ability to do this accurately depends upon a tool that maintains a very rigid and square relationship between the beam and the head. We have achieved this in the PG-24 Precision Panel Gage by relying on one of geometry's basic tenets, the trapezoid, and the phenomenal strength and dimensional stability of Juara™ wood.

When the locking knob of the PG-24 Precision Panel Gage applies pressure to the beam, the trapezoid cross-sectional shape of the beam is forced downward into a slightly oversized, but identically shaped trapezoidal passage. This "wedges" the beam into the head, providing very strong resistance to movement, both longitudinally and radially.

This sharp knife, hardened to Rc 60, remains "pinched" in the head and does not rotate during use. After significant use, simply loosen the socket head machine screw and rotate the knife approximately 1/16". You will get a razor sharp mark each and every time you use the PG-24 Precision Panel Gage either with or across the grain.

Because the scribing knife is beveled, you never have to worry about it "tracking" in parallel, open grained woods. . The bevel creates a constant force between the cutter and the fence (or head). This ensures your tool will always maintain an incised straight line, absolutely parallel to your reference edge. For those occasions where a scribed line is undesirable, use the precision brass collet to hold a pencil.

Patiently waiting in the threaded brass sole of your PG-24 Precision Panel Gage is a steel pivot point. With a small screwdriver, remove the point and reverse it. You now have a delightfully functional beam compass, capable of scribing arcs up to 46" in diameter! You can scribe arcs with the precision knife, or you can use the beautiful brass collet to clamp in a pencil. With either application, the PG-24 Precision Panel Gage is a versatile shop compass that will provide you with accurate circles and arcs for decades to come. A large marking gage and a compass in one tool--a combination tough to beat! Circles and arcs from 4"-46" in diameter are easily and accurately achieved with the PG-24 Precision Panel Gage.

The trammel head without the cursor is always the pivot point (the point you use as a center for your arc), this is the pivot trammel. The trammel with the cursor is always the scribing point, called the scribing trammel. Loosen both trammel points. Lock the scribing trammel head at exactly four inches on the trammel bar rule. Place the scribing trammel point at the FIVE INCH mark on your six inch pocket rule. Now slide the pivot trammel point to exactly the ONE INCH mark on your 6" rule and lock in place. You have just calibrated the PT-1 Precision Trammel Set to exactly four inches. (This technique avoids using the end of the rule, which is bad practice.) As long as you do not change the pivot trammel setting, all future settings of the scribing trammel are accurate. Anytime you sharpen the points, use a pencil, or change the pivot point setting, you will need to recalibrate the scribing point if you wish to use the trammel rule. For those of you using the metric side, repeat the above process using a 10cm spread of the points.

For extremely accurate work, you will need to minutely adjust the scribing trammel. Because the tool is calibrated to the trammel bar rule, simply adjust the scribing point using the rule as a guide. It is very easy to adjust this head in 1/64" increments. Loosen the scribing trammel slightly and nudge the trammel head forward with your thumb until the scribing point is exactly where you want it. Unless you are working on the Hubble Space Telescope, you will never need this kind of accuracy in wood. We had a design for an adjustable point, but rejected it because this design is simpler and easier to use. Plus, you always have the satisfaction of knowing the exact radius of your arc or circle.

Tables, chairs, wheels, graphics, geometry development, including pentagons, hexagons, and octagons, are all vastly easier with a trammel set. Add a second scribing trammel to layout precise parallel lines (arched window frames, for example). You can also use a trammel to check the accuracy of a glued-up carcase. Remember, measurements across diagonal corners in any square or rectangular shape will be the same only if the corners are square. The PT-1 Precision Trammel Set can be a very effective way to accurately determine case squareness during assembly. Other uses include accurate step measurements where you need an index mark repeated evenly along a straight line.

Matching a square to the job is an important aspect of craftsmanship. It is particularly appreciated by those who do box work or make case goods and drawers.

Whether you're checking a drawer for squareness or the accuracy of your table saw blade, the TS-1 Jointmaker's Try Square is the perfect small square for the job. It measures 5" from heel to toe and fits in your apron pocket! It is a perfect companion square to the TS-2. The TS-1 Jointmaker's Try Square is always a favorite gift for that special woodworker or friend.

Made from black anodized aluminum and precision milled on computer milling equipment, the SD-6 Spider Divider is an exciting addition to any shop. The effective capacity of the SD-6 Spider Divider is 4" thru 27". The measuring capacity of the SD-6 Spider Divider as an outside caliper is 32".

First and foremost, the CT-3 Inclinometer is a very accurate bench level. The sole is 8" in length and will accommodate all of your precision leveling needs. Rotate the vial ring until the indicator reads 90°, lock in place, and you now have a very accurate plumb level. Simply readjust for any angle in between level and plumb. You will not need another leveling device for shop works with the CT-3 Inclinometer at your command. It will even work perfectly upside down! This is particularly handy for molding work, ceiling work and numerous other tasks.

This tool was produced in 1995.