Rant: The way people treat a speed square like it's just for marking 90s...

I was helping a buddy frame a shed roof in Tacoma last month, and he kept reaching for a framing square to lay out his rafters... I asked why he didn't just use the speed square he had on his belt. He said he only uses it for marking lines on boards. I showed him the pivot point and the degree markings, and his mind was blown... It's a rafter square, people. It's meant for laying out common and hip cuts without all the extra math and tool switching. I see it all the time, even with guys who've been at it a while. They own this super handy tool but only use 10% of what it does. It matters because you waste time and introduce more chances for error when you use a bigger, clunkier tool for a simple job. How many of you actually use your speed square for its full set of jobs?

3 comments

3 Comments

casey_barnes2mo ago

Ever see someone use it as a level? @jade_hernandez has the right idea with the saw guide, but checking for plumb on a quick post install is my weird trick.

jade_hernandez2mo ago

Ever try using it as a saw guide too?

lee_grant971mo ago

Funny you mention the saw guide trick @jade_hernandez, that's a good one I see a lot of guys sleeping on too. The whole thing with the speed square just shows how we all get stuck in a rut with our tools. We learn one way to do something, like using a framing square for rafters, and never bother to see if there's a simpler way even when it's sitting right on our belt. It's like people who use a big sledgehammer to set a fence post when a regular hammer would do the job faster and more controlled. That mindset carries over to everything, from picking the wrong screw to using a circular saw when a handsaw is more precise for a tiny trim piece. Learning the full range of a simple tool like a speed square is the same kind of small improvement that adds up over a whole job, saving time and keeping your work cleaner.