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Tommy, I'm pulling all the guys about their favorite tool, and I am shocked that yours is the humble little speed square. I figured with all the tools you have, this is your favorite. It's a tool that I carry with me all the time. It's a speed square, also known as a rafter square. It's not just for cutting rafters, but I think it's a tool that everyone should have.
Well, now hang on a second. I don't know who you're hanging out with, but there's not a lot of homeowners cutting rafters or building roofs. You think people should have this?
Absolutely. It's a very handy tool. Like I say, it's not just for cutting rafters, but it has a 90° angle right here and a 45-degree angle right here. If you look at the bottom of the square, there's this lip right here. So you push that lip tightly to the edge, whichever edge you want, and you now have a square line with this edge. Or if I flip it like that, I can go from this point right here, and I now have a 45° angle like that.
But it's not just for marking. I can use it as a guide if I want to cut a straight line with my saw. I can draw the line, then take my saw, put my saw blade on my line, bring the speed square over, and hold it tightly against the edge. Now I have a nice square, straight cut. It's an instant fence for your saw anywhere in the field. Nice to have.
Right. Now, it's not just for cutting 90° or 45° cuts. It's actually a protractor too, and right here is a pivot point. If I hold my square tight to the edge and I swing it, these measurements right here are degrees. So if I swing it like this, I've got 50. And if I stop right there, for example, there, 22 and a half. I mark that right there. That angle will be 22 1/2 degrees off of that.
That is terrific. All right, okay. Now, I use it a lot for framing. Let's say I want to frame a wall and I want the studs to be 16 inches on center. So I just go along and I mark my stud, and I put an X where I want the stud to go. But I also want to make sure that I have a square line across the stud, so I hold my square on there and I mark it like that. I've seen you guys just go straight down the line when you're framing up a wall. You're flying.
Oh yeah, speed is the issue here.
All right. So now let's say I want to put another stud beside this one. Let's say I want to do a double stud, or a jack stud, on this edge of the speed square. There are other marking increments. This is 1 inch from the edge, this is an inch and a half from the edge, this is 2 inches from the edge. Well, I know that a stud is an inch and a half thick, so I slide this over and put it on my inch-and-a-half mark. Now that's my jack stud, and it's going to go right there, an inch and a half from this edge.
Okay, so you've shown us a bunch of these measurements. We've got basically a ruler here, and you told us there's another ruler on this side. But there are notches here. I see a diamond, lots of markings on this. Well, this diamond right here is at 3 and a half inches. That's the width of a 2x4. If I put my pencil in there and I drag it, keeping the square tight to the edge over here, I have a nice straight line that's three and a half inches from this edge, as if you laid a 2x4 on the flat right there.
Now, let's say I wanted to scribe a line down the edge, and I wanted it to be an inch, or an inch and a half, or two inches from this edge. I put my pencil in this notch right here and I drag the square down the edge, and I have a straight line that's 2 inches from this edge that I could rip off a piece. I can put something on that line, so that actually replaces that little trick you do with your thumb right there. Right. And it saves on splinters.
All right. So a great device to have when you're framing. Would you consider it appropriate to use it to find out if a 2x4 is actually put square to the plate below, like that one?
It's a quick reference. It tells you that that one was square and that one isn't.
No, it isn't. Maybe that's the one I did.
All right. So let's talk about holding this thing on your apron, because I see you've got a little funny contraption there. Some guys opt for a hook, and some of them have even opted for a fancy little holster.
Sure, and whatever works. Not your choice, though. What is this thing that you've got?
I've had this one for years, and you cannot believe the people that write me that want it, but I don't think the company's in business anymore.
No kidding. What is this contraption?
Well, it's like plastic. It has a slot in it with a metal stop that the speed square goes into, and I can put it in either way. It has a spring-loaded clip here to clip it on my belt. Very handy tool.
Wait, so if they're not in business anymore, where are you going to get another one? Now that you've given this to me as a gift?
Well, I haven't given it to you, but I have figured out a way that you can actually make one. This is a square ballast, a PVC piece of ballast that you get at the home center. So I've taken that ballast and I cut it to length. I put a piece of 3/4-inch plywood in there to stiffen it up, put a little slot in it with a screw on the bottom to stop it when you drop it in place, reinforce it on this side with a screw, and screw the belt clip on the other side. And you have yourself a speed square holder.
I'm going to take that as a gift offer from you, Tom. Thank you very much for this and for all the great information.
Oh, you're welcome.