Engineers Squares

An engineers square, also known as a machinist square, is a handheld precision tool used to check and mark right angles across metalworking, woodworking, and general fabrication tasks. Made from a stock and a blade that meet at exactly 90 degrees, it verifies whether two surfaces are square to each other and lets the user mark accurate reference lines for cutting, drilling, or joining. It is a workshop staple wherever accuracy at the corner decides whether a piece fits or gets rejected.

RS stocks an extensive range of engineers squares in New Zealand, spanning try squares and set squares in blade lengths from 2in to 12in, in steel and hardened tool steel finishes. Sourced from leading brands like RS PRO, Starrett, Facom, and more. Every engineers square set ships nationwide with fast delivery across NZ.

Types of Engineer Squares

The RS NZ range covers the variants most workshops actually reach for, so procurement teams can match blade length, style, and material grade to the job from a single supplier. Style usually gets picked first, then blade length, with material grade as the final call:

• Engineer Try Squares: The workhorse single-blade square used for checking and marking 90-degree angles on wood, metal, and fabricated pieces. Available in blade lengths from 2in and 3in for detail and marking-out work, through 4in, 6in and 9in for general bench use, up to 12in for larger stock and sheet material.
• Engineers Square Sets: A machinist square set groups multiple squares of graduated blade lengths in one purchase, useful when a bench needs coverage across small marking-out jobs and larger workpieces without swapping tools. Typical sets in NZ carry a matched 2in / 4in / 6in / 9in spread and often include a centre finder head.
• Machinist Squares: A precision variant machined to tighter DIN 875 tolerances, favoured for tool-room and inspection work where the reading has to hold under repeated use. Both blade and stock are typically hardened for wear resistance.
• Materials: Most engineering square blades and stocks are steel or hardened tool steel. Stainless steel and special carbon steel options are stocked where corrosion resistance or ferrous-material sensitivity is a factor.

Applications of Engineers Squares

An engineer square earns its place on the bench because having one reliable 90-degree reference saves rework across a wide span of tasks. RS supplies squares into workshops and trade sectors across NZ where a squared reference is the difference between a clean fit and a return. Common applications and use-cases of engineer squares include:

• Sheet Metal Fabrication: Marking cut lines square to a datum edge before shearing, and checking that folded corners have held their 90 through the press brake, particularly on inspection benches where hardened stock resists knock damage.
• Blacksmithing and Forge Work: Setting hot stock square against an anvil face for straightening, and checking finished tang, socket and haft angles once the piece has cooled.
• Carpentry and Joinery: Marking shoulder lines for tenons and housings, squaring stiles to rails during dry assembly, and checking cabinet carcasses for wind and diagonal creep before glue-up.
• Roofing and Framing: Squaring rafter ends and top plates on New Zealand timber-frame builds, and marking birdsmouth cuts on site where a compact square rides in the toolbelt.
• General DIY and Workshop Setup: Any bench running a mix of measuring work benefits from a squared reference sitting next to calipers and digital moisture meters, so pieces get checked before they are committed to a cut. Compact 2in and 4in squares slip into a toolbelt for site checks, while a 12in blade lives on the shop wall for full-length work.

Shop Engineers Squares at RS New Zealand

RS is a supplier and distributor of engineers squares in New Zealand with a large inventory, so procurement teams can match blade length, tolerance class, and material grade from a single supplier. The RS catalogue includes try squares, machinist squares and engineers square sets sourced directly from leading brands like RS PRO, Starrett, Facom, and more. Every part ships as genuine stock under full manufacturer warranty. Orders can be placed online or by phone, with bulk and project orders available at special volume pricing quoted on request.

RS also supplies complementary tools that round out a full workshop bench setup, so a marking-out, checking and cutting kit can be sourced from RS in a single order.

RS delivers engineers squares across all of New Zealand. Business account holders receive free delivery on online orders over $40 (excluding GST), with next working day delivery of locally stocked items for orders placed before 5pm NZT. For full delivery terms, visit the RS NZ delivery page for all options, exclusions and fees.