A client in Milwaukee called me out on my framing square habits

I was marking studs for a garage build and kept using the same side of my framing square for everything. The homeowner, an older guy who used to build boats, watched me for a bit and finally said, 'You know the short leg is for 16 on center and the long leg is for 24, right? You're making extra work.' I'd been in the trade for eight years and never actually paid attention to that. I switched it up the next day and saved myself a ton of re-measuring. It's a small thing, but it shaved about an hour off that wall. Anyone else have a basic tool tip they missed for way too long?

2 comments

2 Comments

noahchen9d ago

Isn't that rule more about the square's own layout marks? I always just use the long side for everything and hook my tape on the stud. That method seems faster to me than switching tools.

lisa_jones219d ago

But what if you're not just marking studs? Sometimes you need the short leg for laying out rafters or stairs, so wouldn't it be better to get used to the right tool for each job now? I get that your tape method works for simple walls, but that square is marked that way for a reason across a whole build. Why ignore a tool's full design and make your own system that could trip you up later? Seems like learning the proper use saves more time in the long run, even if it feels slower at first.

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