iGaging 4” and 7” Bench Square Set Review

Bottom line: The iGaging bench square set is a solid two-piece setup and a solid pick that goes toe to toe with the best woodworking squares. Importantly, these bench squares offer versatility and woodworking-specific features that standard speed squares can’t match.

Alternative to consider

If you want a square with many of the same features but made in the USA: The Woodpeckers Delve Square comes in 3.5-inch and 6-inch versions. Both are premium-priced versions of the iGaging models, but they are made in the USA.

Features overview

You’ll want to settle in for a while as we run through the numerous features of the iGaging 4-Inch and 7-Inch Bench Square Set.

First off, the triangle part of the square is made of stainless steel, and the blue, anodized base is CNC-milled aluminum. The materials make these squares built to last.

Beyond the materials these bench squares are constructed from, they have a wide array of measuring and marking capabilities. Here’s a list of the most useful and unique features:

• The bench squares come packaged in a styrofoam-lined carrying case along with a mechanical pencil and replacement 5mm lead.
• The squares can mark 90-degree and 45-degree lines.
• The triangle edge acts as a compass to measure any angle from zero to 90 degrees.
• The 90-degree triangle edge of the triangle has a scale with 1/32” graduations. This scale is helpful to mark measurements with a pencil and for machine height setup.
• The 90-degree triangle edge also has pencil slots at 1/8” intervals for marking accurate lines.
• The base has a lip that steps up to ½” for fast and accurate tool setup.
• The base also has a 1/4” offset on one side and a 3/4” offset on the other, which helps to lay out mortise and tenon joinery lines.
• The triangle’s cut out near the base can be used to quickly mark ½” and 1” lines without the need for measuring.

Build quality

When you hold the iGaging 4-Inch and 7-Inch Bench Square Set, you can feel its heft, especially when compared to other bench and speed squares. This provides a high level of confidence in the square’s capabilities right out of the box.

Beyond weight, the edges of the triangle and base lay completely flat against your workpiece for a high level of accuracy when marking lines with a pencil.

One downside of these bench squares is that the markings are laser-etched, not engraved. While the iGaging 4-Inch and 7-Inch Bench Square Set should endure heavy use without wearing out, engraved markings are more durable in the long run.

Online user reviews are also mixed regarding the accuracy of these squares, potentially due to a batch of bench squares with defects. The most common negative user reviews centered on the machining of the base and the potential to inaccurately mark square lines.

We were initially concerned about these reviews, but our in-house testing demonstrated that both bench squares in our tested set had highly accurate rules and were square out of the box. iGaging also claims that the measurement scales have an accuracy of 0.0015” and a squareness accuracy of 0.005”

Value

Woodworkers wanting to improve the quality of their hand tool collection will find this bench square set to be a valuable addition to their workshop. The iGaging 4-Inch and 7-Inch Bench Squares come in at a lower price than the competing Woodpeckers options, with many of the same features. 

But with the iGaging set, you get very similar performance regarding squareness. iGaging has a squareness tolerance of 0.005”, while Woodpeckers’ tolerances are 0.004” for the same square, but the Woodpeckers will come in at more than double the price. Both tolerances are within the range needed for even the finest woodworking project.

But the price point means they’re not a good starter set for beginning woodworkers, even if they are feature-packed and have the potential to do the job of several hand tools.

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