M3 Square Combination Marking Tool

tri square - marking gauge - bevel gauge

Love your try-square? Ever think about a simple "tweak" for it, or kicking it up a notch or two? Have you ever really wondered what would happen if you gave steroids to a try-square? We sure have, and wait until you see this bad boy! Meet the M3 Square woodworking tool - the world's first 3-dimensional try-square, and we're betting it will be your next one! It's taken three years to perfect what we consider to be a revolution for the woodworking professional and enthusiast alike, and it was worth every minute.

Just how many notches can a try-square be kicked up? We're still trying to find out, and we've already reached notches previously unknown to mankind! The M3 Square consists of a 9" (230mm) Sheffield spring steel main blade, (in a stark, durable, chemically etched black for high visibility of both your workpiece and the markings on the blade), a winged aluminium body coated in tough low-friction powder-coated finish, a hide-away bevel gauge and the M3 Scribe precision marking gauge. And it's way more than tough and good-looking, this sucker rocks in shop and field alike! Check this out:

Multifunction Three-Dimensional Marking Tool

Two-dimensional try-squares have been around for ages because they do a few things well, but when you look closely at what they really do, they're terribly limited because they can only mark in a single plane on a workpiece that is always three-dimensional. (Well yes, smart-aleck, there is a functionally two-dimensional piece of wood, but it's called "paper," and working it is called "origami," not "carpentry," "woodworking" or "woodcrafting," right? Besides, you'd look pretty silly running a piece of newsprint across your table saw, wouldn't you?)

How many times have you tried to transfer a line from one side of a workpiece to the remaining three sides, such as when marking out a tenon, to find out that the end doesn't mate with the beginning? If you haven't yet, you probably will, and it may not be because your square isn't square. Irregularities in the workpiece, whether accidental (dings, warps, cups, etc.) or intentional (molding, shaping, sculpting, etc.) can throw your markings off, because the reference surface on the traditional try-square is relatively small and hence can be very prone to introducing error into your marking. The M3 Square very accurately performs the two-dimensional roles of the try-square, marking gauge and bevel gauge while adding the stability of the third dimension, and hence, the ability to mark two faces of a workpiece simultaneously - and all four faces of a typical workpiece with a single relocation of the tool! -- using the M3 Square's unique precision-engineered winged stock. Greater reference area on the square coupled with the M3's precise casting and machining gives you outstanding marking accuracy in many circumstances where it is just simply not possible with the traditional two-dimensional try-square, and it's faster too! What more could you ask for?

Mark Around Moulded Edges

Think you can do this well with a traditional try-square? If you're like us, you'd rather use the M3. Let's face facts here: in all too many cases, the traditional try-square can only be used to 'guesstimate' a line to the face edge using the woodworker's own judgment. The try-square blade is reversed to point towards the moulded edge and the mark is then 'eyeballed' in using the overhanging blade. If you're still young and silly and have good vision, as well as lots of time and money to spend on replacing ruined materials, recutting, resanding, etc., then stick with your try-square, but if your eyes are getting a little tired-looking (and tired-acting!) like ours are, depending on the M3 for the accuracy you want is a far better choice.

"Why?" you ask? We'll be happy to explain! (Yeah, you saw that one coming too, right?) With the M3 Square's 2" wings, you can bridge across both edges of moulded corners and mark the face and edge as if they were on the same plane, eliminating the guesswork out ensuring your cut will be precise. How about components with pre-moulded edges such as kitchen worktops and skirting boards? The M3 is a lifesaver here as well for the likes of kitchen fitters and site carpenters, just like furniture builders, where time and accuracy is money, satisfaction, and fun.

Try-square Accuracy

You'll be hard-pressed to find a more accurate precision woodworking tool, especially at this price. Every square is thoroughly checked and tested to within a tolerance of 1/100th of 1 degree before leaving our workshops. This level of accuracy exceeds that laid down by the British Standard BS393 Grade B for Engineer's Squares. For those of you unfamiliar with British standards, it's square, REAL square, and it's going to stay that way unless and until it's abused pretty badly.

We're serious about it remaining accurate, too. Hence, unlike traditional squares, the M3 Square has no inherent long-term loss of accuracy. During its manufacture, the M3's castings are individually match-paired for all their machining processes to ensure every square is beautifully finished but above all accurate.

Right-Angle Reset Function

Yes, we said it's tough, and it is, but we drop tools just like you do, and eventually, even our square can be knocked out of square (read "abused pretty badly"), and yes, rosewood stocks and handles with lovely brass rivets are quite beautiful and long-lasting, but eventually they shrink or swell and once they do, your square is probably ruined, or at least relegated to a paperweight or wall ornament. While the permanently riveted construction of traditional squares cannot be re-aligned to 90-degrees, the M3's blade position is held in the stock by a mortise and tenon arrangement and two clamping screws for an amazingly true hold that can be easily realigned numerous times by following the simple re-set instructions provided, if and when it should ever become necessary. This means that if you own an M3 and occasionally check your tools for accuracy as you should, your square will always be truly square.

M3 Scribe Marking Gauge

If you use a marking gauge as much as we do, you'll love this. The M3 Square is supplied with the M3 Scribe, based on our Tri-Scribe system. Once you clamp it to the M3's main blade with the Tri-Scribes integral pinch bolt, you'll find it is a highly accurate and effective marking gauge that is superior in its key functions over the more traditional designs and with a much deeper range than normal gauges to boot! The M3 Scribe holds either a pencil, cutting blade (Tri-Blade), or scribe point (Tri-Scribe) at the optimum angle for precision marking,

While using the M3 Scribe on the M3 Square, you'll quickly notice its increased stability and accuracy over traditional marking gauges. The M3 Square's stock face has a larger edge-contact surface area than a traditional gauge, and lies flat, with a base plate in contact with the workpiece providing stability. These features greatly reduce and even eliminate the wobble and snagging associated with traditional marking gauges.

Some of us have found that we prefer a blade to a scribe point for many applications, because it's smooth cut often is as easy to see as a pencil or scribe line but helps to eliminate tear-out on cross-cuts of particularly splintery material, like red oak and many plywoods. If you share this preference, you'll find the Tri-Blade cutting gauge accessory a fast and lifelong friend. When fitted to the M3 Square, you can use it to make very fine, close-tolerance marking lines, precisely cut veneers and trim cards.

Cutting Plasterboard (Drywall)

You'll also find the M3 with M3 Scribe and a Tri-Blade is very handy at accurately cutting down plasterboard (drywall). Simply set the cutting depth range of the trim, cut along one side, turn over, cut the same depth range on the other side, and PRESTO! The plasterboard will now cleanly snap off along the cutting line with a precise edge. It's so easy you can do it one-handed. No need for a T-square, knife, baton or saw and time-consuming marking and cutting. Nice? Sweet? Outrageously cool? You bet!

Bevel Gauge

Are you a minimalist that would like to do everything with one tool and a pencil (to chew on while you think)? Here's another one of those "Why the heck didn't somebody do this long ago" features. We've put an integral bevel gauge into the stock, which flips out and locks in place when you need to strike or duplicate an angle and locks into the stock when not in use. Also, when you need that "third hand," you can use the bevel gauge's blade to stabilize the M3 Square hands-free against a workpiece edge while you do something else without losing your marking position or dropping the square.

Lifetime Guarantee

The M3 Square is guaranteed for life. Period. That's how much we believe in its accuracy and build. With its unique 3-dimensional marking role, its re-set function and the fact that is replaces three existing tools the M3 Square is a clear 'no-brainer' purchasing decision. 'Nuff said.

Woodworking Precision, Production, Satisfaction, and FUN!

So what do you really get in the M3? A tool that empowers (M-Power, get it???) you to mark two face edges simultaneously, mark around moulded edges, mark and replicate angles and perform deep-range marking with precision and accuracy. This tool will not only lighten your tool box, but also take much of the practical hassle out of day-to-day woodworking operations. We think the M3 Square is one of the most innovative tools created in years. It's also (and most importantly!) highly accurate, practical and precise, and once you've used it, we're quite sure you'll love it as much as we - as carpenters and woodworkers - do, so why wait? Get yours now!