Gang-Cut Identical Studs With an End-Hook Saw Template

The Problem

A hundred studs to cut, one length. Measuring and marking each one is slow, and it's also where the errors creep in — a hundred chances to read the tape wrong or cut the wrong side of the line. Repeat cuts want a reference, not a hundred measurements.

The Technique

1. Measure and mark the first stud, and cut it with your circular saw — this piece is now your master length.
2. Build the template off that cut: square across from the cut line and fix a timber fence at that position, so you end up with a template that hooks over the stock — the fence registers flush against the end of the timber, and its guide edge sits exactly one stud-length away.
3. To cut a stud: drop the template onto the stock, slide it flush to the end, and run the circular saw against the guide. No tape, no pencil.
4. Repeat. Every piece comes off identical to the first — offer them up end to end and the cuts line up exactly.