Old timer told me to stop using my speed square for layout and I thought he was nuts

This guy Bob, been framing for 40 years, saw me marking rafters with my speed square on a job site over in Denver. He said 'put that thing down and grab a framing square, you're gonna mess up your birdsmouths.' I brushed him off at first. But after 3 houses with some funky roof lines, I finally tried his way. Turns out he was totally right. The framing square gives way better control on steep pitches. Has anyone else had an old school trick that actually worked better than the modern way?

2 comments

2 Comments

quinn_king165d ago

Honestly Bob's advice reminds me how sometimes the older tools force you to slow down and think more carefully about what you're doing. It's like how I still prefer a physical map over GPS on road trips, the extra effort makes you actually understand the layout instead of just following dots.

morgan9155d ago

The "slowing down" thing sounds like a nice idea, but I've never bought it. A speed square is faster and more consistent once you know your marks. The old guy's advice worked for his specific situation with steep pitches, not because the tool itself is better. If Bob was building cookie-cutter roofs with a 4/12 pitch, his speed square would be fine. It's about picking the right tool for the job, not about which one makes you think harder.