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New angle of approach
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A protractor that eliminates math is more than a grade-schooler's dream
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By Hendrik Varju
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Starrett 5-in-1 Combination protractor
Manage a variety of cuts
Price: $100
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The L.S. Starrett Company recently introduced a new American-made 5-in-1 Combination protractor that, I believe, will save you from angle miscalculations and wasted material.
Because a mitre saw's scale reads zero when set for a 90˚ cut, this leads to a lot of errors and confusion when cutting angles on this machine. The beauty of the 5-in-1 protractor is that it allows you to fit the two arms to any corner and directly read the required mitre-saw angle setting. It gives two different readings: one with the correct setting when cutting a single piece of wood to fit the corner, as in a butt joint, and the second with the correct setting when joining two pieces of wood in a mitre joint. The scales are laser-engraved and very easy to read.
The tool also has a compound-cut conversion table, which shows you how to set your mitre saw's fence and bevel angles to cut crown moulding and other trim. This chart alone will save you many costly mistakes. There is also a roof-pitch reference, expressed in inches of rise per lineal foot. For me, one of most useful functions is a new protractor reading on the back, which didn't exist on the old version. This feature allows me to use the tool as an angle gauge to set up cuts on my tablesaw.
The 5-in-1 rotates easily and has heavy aluminum arms that aren't going to rust. This is a solid and useful tool to have in any toolbox.
For more information, call 800-541-8887 or visit www.starrett.com.
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