The basics on a Speed square
How to use this tool like a boss.
For the other 90% of the world using metric check out my new video on the metric speed square. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LiUseizdQ8
How to use this tool like a boss.
For the other 90% of the world using metric check out my new video on the metric speed square. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LiUseizdQ8
Man this was helpful. I just wish I’d watched it 20 years ago! You’re a saint, thank you so much.
Thank you for sharing!! I learned a ton. Really appreciate that. Now I have to incorporate what I have learned into my next build
Thank you for making this. Many people don’t know how to use many tools.. they just use them.. the lip smacking is a bit much.
Ethan- Excellent video!! I’ve always wondered how to use a speed square fully and you did a great job explaining it! Thank you!!
How is the fascia end of the rafter supposed to be cut? Same common but on the other edge?
Thank you for sharing .
I’m about to build a big tool room in my back yard .
Of course this will be so helpful for me to know on building the roof
VERY helpful. Thanks so much Dude & God Bless you!!
If the wood is square how about if not >?
lots of wood is not square .
I was listening to pipe organ music on this YouTube and studying about some organ composers, and behold this video was in the scroll. I watched it out of curiosity. I now have a greater respect for the construction people. Good and informative, I will pass it on. Be blessed. JRB
This is speed square porn……
Just rolling watching this video! Excellent job explaining the use of the speed square!
Why am I rolling? My Dad was a housing contractor in the ‘70’s and built around 6-700 houses locally. many were custom homes by plans of clients.
My Papa… his head carpenter and a Master Cabinetmaker tore out nearly $1500 dollars of 5/8 lumber core Ash plywood while building a custom set of cabinets… tore them out the old fashioned way with the grid head of a hammer and made a fire out of them in the cold outside. Daddy rode up and was in shock to see two days worth of cabinet making and all that lumber core ash keeping Papa warm. After some REALLL choice words he finally asked Papa why. All Papa said was if dad ever hired a framing crew to frame another house that couldn’t find square… he could find another Cabinet Maker! Spent four days moving walls before he started building cabinets again. Dad quit hiring cheap framers… cabinet makers like Papa was nearly impossible to find.
Question: Do they even make lumber core Ash plywood any more? Not trying to take away from the video but I have asked at two different lumber stores and they looked at me like I fell out of the ignorant tree. Figured Classic Work might know….
i,’m a brit and i have a swanson speed square…proper imperial inches not crappy old centimeters.
Got yo nigga ass square
just an fyi…don’t cut your birdsmouths as shown here. they have been ‘overcut’ with a circular saw. finish those cuts with a handsaw or you’ll be weakening those rafters. was taught to cut rafters using a framing square in my apprenticeship, but nothing wrong with a speed square at all!
Very useful…. very easily understood, good direction. God bless you! Thank you for taking the time and sharing the knowledge!
One thing i really love about a speed square is you can run your circular saw plate up against it and make a very swift and square cross cut on studs, joists etc.
Ok. But how many spleens are there in 45 degrees?
I’ve used the speed square for years and didn’t know any of this. Great explanations and information. Love this Video!!!! No more guessing.
That is the WORST and most COMPLICATED way to use a Swanson to find a simple roof pitch. I know this is not a rafter cutting tutorial but is that not what a beginner is going to basically use the Speed Square for? Do you think a beginner is capable of remembering all that you explained and not miss cutting a butt load of rafters? How ever will one be able to dangle a plumb bob thru the Swanson when there is roof decking on the roof you are repairing? Can’t be done. Best to break out the pendulum square or be prepared to mock up a raised facsimile of said rafter just so your method can work. Simpler yet, place a piece of rafter board on roof, use your short bubble level holding it vertically along side said board, adjust level until bubble is spot on, scribe the board. If in doubt simply cut 2 of these test boards, go to top of roof (ridge) stick em both together and see what you end up with. Now u can use the Swanson to read and determine the roof pitch and find the Common Rafter Pitch. if you are even inters ted in knowing at this point. Use the test piece you dialed in to build your Rafter Cutting Jig by nailing to the top side of the jig a piece of 2×4 so the jig can slide easily along the length of material you are cutting said rafter from. At the bottom of jig (opposite end from ridge or plumb cut at top end) you can now determine the bird mouth (seat cut) and rafter Over Hang.
There’s simple and there’s hard ways to do things. Now that you can cut a Common Rafter it’s time to learn the MUCH harder cuts involved in the valley and hip rafter cuts, Best to simply contact a ROOF FRAMER aka: Cut Man and learn the SIMPLE METHODS from a professional, these rafters and the various lengths of these rafters takes a lot of practice guidance to learn to cut rapidly and correctly! Nothing is worse than a SLOW cut man holding up two men on a roof frame while he fumbles around not really knowing what he is doing.
35 year experienced journeyman builder 😉
Great video for the most part, but…
Your seat cut should only be 3 1/2". With the long seat cut extending into the building the way you’ve done with your "standard" 1 1/2" method, if you sheet rocked it without an attic space it would leave a void at the rocks most vulnerable spot where you couldn’t screw it properly. Basically, it would be a complete mess and someone would have to come along with wedges to put back the missing material to make it work.. But even with a level ceiling, either way you have quite substantially weakened the rafter tail far more than is needed.
all framers guess at the lines being square. and the problem is hand saw are not accurate
This is better than porn!
Great video
Wow… I had a square and didn’t know how to use it… Thanks
https://bit.ly/2qytFUG?-minddd-powerrr-seductionnnn 3062
That speed square could do serious damage to a rampant roof eating squirrel.
Every time I use one of these I neglect the fact that someone had to invent this thing!
The man was a genius!
Thanks
I watched this again. Instead of a plumb bob to find a pitch, use a level. Mark existing rafter with a level, than read the the pitch off the line from the square. It’s essentially the same idea but much faster. A carpenter always has a level with him, but not always a plum bob handy.
As for plum bobs,, started using a laser level. The beauty of a laser level is you just set it down and your hands are free. Dam i should make some videos and share all my knowledge that i now take for granted. Another good tool is a calculator called construction master, once you master that you can cut any roof, stairs, arches.. its endless.
I don’t see why people talking smack, these vids are actually awesome!
Love my speed square. I also use it as a circular saw guide to make straight cuts on lumber.
try to learn something new every day. thanks
Omg. Thank you so much. I bought one, knowing how to use some of it, this knowledge opens up so much opportunity to build more for me.
Thank you for this very informative video. As I am NOT a carpenter, I knew very little about this tool(other than 90* and 45* lines-lol), but now I feel much better about cutting replacement rafter sections 🙂
so many years. And I’ve only used this to line up a 90. Lol. I’ve been learning woodworking and had no idea how useful this tool. Is.
Thanks.
I was a carpenter for 30 years,, the 3 best things about this tool, its strong, find angles fast, and fits in carpenter bags easy. Never used the 1/4 rip guide because rarely do you rip something at increments of 1/4. As for using the common and hip marks, you must understand how to find the lengths first. I very rarely see anyone cutting roofs anymore, everyone uses trusses now. I was very lucky because i did all aspects of carpentry, most people get stuck doing one thing.. When i was about 22 i started my own construction company and subcontracted the work out to others. One company that i hired as framers and foundation offered me a job, one guy was and expert framer, the other was and expert concrete guy. I took a big pay cut, but i could see immediately this was a once in a lifetime opportunity to learn two skills from the best. I worked my ass off did whatever they said and learned quick because they were smart and good guys..They became friends and we built many building from the ground up. That lasted about three years but damn did i learn a lot.. That opened up doors the rest of my life. I found out that i much rather work hard, than hire others.. From the day we all went our separate ways i was always put in charge of all jobs because those guys had taught me so much so fast. I loved being a carpenter in charge. Nothing worse than working for people that think they know what they are doing but don,t.
The best job is foreman. Being a superintendent is easy once you have been a foreman, but its a thankless job. You a gloried babysitter that can not burn off the energy that you can as a forema. If your thinking about being a carpenter, find a small company that does all there own work no matter what the pay is.. The knowledge you can learn from the experts when you are young will pay off for a lifetime. Damn i miss working that hard.. it becomes very easy once your body adjusts, the fun is getting better and better and better, Speed comes from knowledge , not from working fast.. Work smart not fast,, fast comes from smart.
You can also use a small level on the top side of the speed square. Once the level shows level, then you can locate the number to determine the pitch of the roof.
Thank you for the video… Just wanted to comment on all the negative that dickheads feel they need to post. If you don’t like the video give it a thumbs down. No need to act like a bag of dicks.
Most people , even carpenters don’t know that the speed square has a designated mark for marking the seat cut. On the swanson the mark starts at the 5 inch mark and ends around 80 degrees. On the craftsman it goes from the 3 3/8 to 70 degrees. I’d rather just use a framing square
Clicking, snapping, and sucking of your mouth as you talk made me turn this off in about 1 min 30 sec.
Can you draw a 180 degree line with these?
Thank you for not hoarding your knowledge God bless you
Thanks, good stuff!
critique: is the main purpose to lay out lines very quickly and efficiently, or is it one of the main purposes. why main purpose, and not secondary or inactive purposes. thank you.
Good information, i appreciated. To be honest, I only use the speed square for drawing 90 degrees lines. For angles I bought a digital angle finder form Home Depot that gives me any angle very fast. However, it’s good to know how to use a speed square for those times I can find my digital angle finder or the batteries are gone. Thank you.
Great video!! Thank you so much, I knew the bare basics of the speed square, now I feel way more comfortable using it!!! Thank you so much
Cool. I never use the rafter functions of the square so while I’ve learned it I forget it after a while.
Like many people I used it for 90s, 45s , a saw guide and to square up things like my table saw fence etc.
Handy tool and cheap as well.
You are my hero.
Very helpful video/
Enjoyed your video.You made it easy to understand how to use the Speed Square for people like me who are not carpenters.