Book 3, Question 142
Why Do Carpenters Use Squares?
A square is a frozen right angle. It checks that two edges meet at 90 degrees. So walls stand straight, and frames don't lean over into slanted shapes!
From the book
Page from A Million Whys Book 3
More fun facts
- A try square has a thick part called the beam and a thin steel blade.
- To test a square, draw a line along its blade, flip it over and line it up again. If the lines match, the square is true.
- When checking an edge, hold the square between your eye and the light, so even the slightest gap shows.
- To mark a line, hold the beam against the board's edge with your thumb and press the blade down with a finger or two.
- A big framing square is most important for building roofs and frames.
- On a framing square, the long arm is called the blade and the short arm is called the tongue.
- An old carpenter's square in the Bennington Museum in Vermont is stamped HAWES PATENT WARRANTED.
Sources: chestofbooks.com.stason.org, bennington.pastperfectonline.com
Questions kids ask
How can you tell if a square is accurate?
Draw a line along its blade, then flip it over. If the blade lines up with the same line, the square is true.