Rafter Layout With a 12-Inch Square
Laying out a common rafter's plumb, seat, and tail cuts with an oversized square — the pitch scale for plumb, the slot for level.
Repeat the Same Cut All Day From One Scribed Line at the Saw
One of 2 takes on Repeat Cuts Without Re-Measuring
The Problem
A pile of blocking cut to one length means the same measurement made thirty times — and thirty chances for the tape to read a sixteenth off. The measurement isn't the work; it's the setup.
The Technique
- Measure once from the blade and mark the length — 11-1/4" in the video — on the saw station.
- Scribe a pencil line at the mark.
- For every cut after: push the stock over until its end sits on the line, and cut. Same length every time, no tape.
Pro tip: A clamped stop block does
the same job with positive registration — the stock butts instead of
aligning by eye — and a pencil line does it with zero setup. The line
wins for a quick batch; the block wins when a blind-flush length matters
or the batch runs to dozens (see
the end-hook template for the
portable version of the same idea).
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