I used to think marking a line with a speed square was good enough for everything

For years, I'd just slap my speed square down and mark a line for cuts, thinking it was fast and fine. Then I had to frame a tricky roof on a shed addition last month, and my cuts were just a hair off, maybe 1/16th, but it added up and threw the whole ridge line. My buddy, who's been doing this for 30 years, came by and showed me his trick: he uses a sharp pencil and a small, 6-inch combo square for marking critical cuts, especially on rafters. He said the thin blade on the combo square gives you a way more exact line than the thick edge of a speed square. I tried it on the next set of rafters, and the fit was perfect, no more gaps. It takes like two extra seconds but saves so much fussing later. Anyone else have a simple marking trick that made a big difference?

3 comments

3 Comments

irisg572mo ago

Ever try a marking knife? Way more precise than any pencil line.

the_jordan1mo ago

Damn, for real? A marking knife over a pencil? That's wild to me. I've been using carpenter pencils my whole life and never even thought about switching. I guess a knife would give you a real crisp line for like dovetails or fine joinery stuff. Feels like it'd take some getting used to though, especially if you're used to just sharpening a pencil.

troy_scott2mo ago

Yeah irisg57, that's like how a fresh blade just feels better than a dull one.