Cutting hip rafters with speed square

How to cut hip rafters with speed square.

[@cahoonm]

I always appreciate it when folks take time out from their lives to pass along their knowledge. You did a good job on this video. Thank you

[@standpicking3759]

Ethan Thank you for taking the time to do this it really is a great help your videos are so clear. Looking forward to part 2

[@TimTools99]

Best video I have found! I'm about to build my first hip roof. Thanks.

[@Sawdust1942]

Ethan, Thanks for the video. Great explanation of how to use the speed square for hip rafter cuts. I'd been having trouble understanding the process, even though it had been explained to me several times by others. Your mock-up and explanation finally made it clear. Excellent!!

[@JohnODonovan1]

Thank you , you have given me needed confidence to get over my fear of doing this. We'll done!

[@harrisonembrey]

Ethan it's alway's nice to see the principle in practice and I thank you for your patience in showing the technique, I also have found it easier to understand even when given the measurements from a construction calculation tool, good job!

[@Liquid_Bread_Fabrewcation]

Thank you your skills are very valuable to a person who has never done a hip roof before this uncovers a lot of mystery. Subscribed

[@Jay-tk7ib]

I use common rafters at the ends of my ridge boards, down to the center of the end walls, and then shorten the hip rafter by 1/2 the 45 degree thickness of the board. Whichever method you use, the hip rafter needs to be dropped a small amount, so that the sheathing will plane in evenly. Also, measure the height above plate on your common rafters, then match that on your hip rafter. This will give you the proper cut on your birds mouth.

[@joerogan8723]

Keep the videos coming man! I like the way you explain everything... No BS just the facts and you are humble

[@johnkeating4221]

Thank you for your time and effort in producing these videos they are very helpful.

[@bowmantwins]

Thanks for the video. I am building a 10x10 gazebo with a hip roof and this was very helpful.

[@pebblesthecat3625]

I'm probably going to have to watch again to understand totally, but this has helped me immensely. I bought a book on roofing as I will have to replace and re-align a sloped side roof. I learned more from watching your video than from reading the book ! Thanks.

[@allenuk5512]

thank you Ethan I have learnt a lot watching your videos, i will put into practice what i have learnt from you

[@romanmartinez4363]

Thanks! I got it done last week, this video help me out with the cutting. Was a 18' x 16' Pitch 6/12

[@standpicking3759]

Thanks Ethan Really appreciate it Looking forward to your next video

[@Alatinu]

Thank you VM and congratulaciones for teach us !. Greering from Córdoba, Argentina!

[@scrfirefighter]

Very well done! We enjoy your videos, and before we attempt a task we always check in with you, and of course This Old House too.

[@avoiceinthewilderness7577]

I broke out the blue book the other day, and with your help through this video, it doesn’t seem as daunting. Thanks!

[@ralphborja8569]

I just wanted to thank you so much for this video,,, you are the MAN

[@Nailgunskater]

I appreciate your video. Many times the hip will be on a steeper pitch than the main roof. This presents some issues but I take the same procedures along with a little trial and error and work it out! Sometimes the hip ridge will not land exactly on the corner, it has to offset a little to accomodate the different pitches. After I do one, then I know how I should have done it! HA. Thanks again for your helpful instruction.

[@captjacksparrow4587]

Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge with us. You are easy to follow and spot on. Your tutorial has given me the confidence to take on a long desired gazebo project with my son. In doing so, I will have the opportunity to build a few more good memories before he is grown and gone!! Like they say, children never remember the greatest time they ever had watching t.v.

[@EEJester1586]

+Capt Jack Sparrow Thanks for watching. You are very right. Good luck man let me know how it goes.

[@jtreedog409]

you took some the mystery out of it i always learn something when i watch your video's thanks

[@abajhalghamdi9219]

thank you very much for sharing you knowledge, you are a very great person.

[@639Beaver]

Keep putting out videos. Very informative.

[@nate4739]

Thanks so much for this. I've watched a few videos and was still left pretty clueless. Your explanation of the x:12 vs x:17 ratio helped clarify some stuff (though I still want to understand where 17 comes from). Mostly your going through each detail is what sorted me out. Thanks tons! I can surely do this. Also subscribed, cause I dig your style man. Cheers!

[@EEJester1586]

Glad I could help. The 17 is a different ratio than the 12 because the hip or Val is set on a 45 degree angle than the 90 degree angle of a common rafters. I hope that makes sense. You can use triangle math to figure out how it works out. Thanks for watching.

[@Caitanyadasa108]

Where does the 17 come from? The standard unit of run used for common rafters (which run perpendicular to the wall and ridge) is 12". The hip or valley runs at 45 degrees to the wall/ridge. We know that the diagonal of a square is longer than one of its sides, right? So if you take a square foot and bisect it from corner to corner the diagonal comes out to 17 inches. The math is actually straightforward Pythagorean theorem: A squared + B squared = C squared. So 12 x 12 + 12 x 12 =288, the square root of which is 16.97, which is rounded up to 17 for use in actual framing. So, for any diagonal member (running at 45 deg.) the unit of run is 17 inches rather than 12 inches. Make sense?

[@christopherking2999]

I so need the basics. Thank you.

[@maikay1403]

I am still confuse. I guess I need to keep watching it again and again. I am news to wood working and this speed square is so news to me. Thank you very much for you taken time showing us how it is being done. Have a great day.

[@ts89540]

Thanks so much. Building a pyramid hip roof with a cupola cutout, and this is saving me tons of aggravation.

[@gerryward6842]

What a great way to use a Swansons Speed Square marking out roof rafters thanks for a great video on Hip rafters and I will do a mock hip roof just to get the practice in, I love working with timber. Yours in Sport Chopper Ward ( Pigeon Fancier ) Dublins Fair City Ireland

[@gavandarragh1480]

good stuff mate. enjoy watching your video's

[@georgehernandez9838]

GREAT VIDEO. Nice and slow. Many videos on Hip rafters leave me more confused, than help me. Thanks.

[@luismendoza363]

Best of the kind video tnx Question: im building 10×10 detouch square gazebo planning on doing a metal crown on the center of roof 4 hips and 4 common rafters so do respective angles on hips and commons right? I will apreciate any sugestion because ive never done any of this Thanks again

[@danaharris503]

Nice tip on adjusting the top plate to get a better fit on birds mouth cut on the hip rafter.

[@robertrichardson7380]

Thanks for the video and education. I am about to add on a patio cover with a hip roof. I need all of the training i can get, so thanks again.

[@luismendoza363]

Very well explained thank you!!!

[@tmcunlimited]

Thanks . good endorsement for the roof table book for obtaining lengths . nice description of lines on hip plumb cut . gonna cut a hip roof tomorrow and feel up for it big time . top clip !

[@EEJester1586]

Thanks for watching.

[@nate4739]

Yeah wow that table looks to save a TON of measuring. As long as one chooses the correct row...

[@shawnvandenabeele2657]

im a carpenter im 38 yrs old i subbed an love the videos i like how people think its all easy an when inspectors get called out there mad lol good imformative video on rafter tables and cheek cuts most people have no clue as to how much goes in to building now i wish you would explain the 45% cut on the plate

[@EEJester1586]

+Shawn Vandenabeele Aye how true that is. The 45 cut on plate was a mistake I've seen it cut on open rafters buildings (Like gazebos, and arbors) just to make it more of a trim look. Thought I would try it in the video, and I wish I wouldn't have because I think it might have messed some people up.

[@justjoe7618]

Great refresher course, thank you.

[@carvelebanks9478]

I like the way you do the hips roof one up to you

[@gtzmwt]

I second that Migo! Thanks for the video, somehow the way you explained it, made quite a lot of sense. If theres something I can recommend to everyone is keep watching videos from different makers and one will, if not all, will make sense.

[@cyrusthevirus8]

Hey man, great tutorial. I'm in the middle of building a pavilion in my backyard with a hip roof and I'm using an online calculator to get my dimensions (nifty site!). When I cut my hips to the spec, I notice I have about a 3/4 gap on the heel to the corner of the wall plate. My guess is that the top length of my hip rafter, in my case 10' 4~13/32, should be from the point of the cheek cut to the other point of the cheek cut at the tail. In your video, you got the total length of the hip rafter from your Swanson book at 3ft. I'm assuming the middle line you made (center) is the start of your run for calculating rafter length. In my case, I'm also using 1.5" lumber (2x8) so I assume I would also do the same 3/4" and 1.5" setback from my first plumb line at the edge of the board. Just looking for a confirm here and that I'm not crazy! My dimensions are here, goo.gl/5JJlaj, and I know you're already going above and beyond by just responding and bonus points if you can look at my hip rafter dimension in the link above and tell me what you think I'm doing wrong. Need your expertise sir!

[@TigerNgtMare]

You're a bad ass carpenter. Thank you for your help.

[@artperez1213]

You never showed how to drop your hip to be in the same plain with the common rafter or did I miss that part.????

[@carpentrymadeeasy8161]

Thanks buddy. Nice shop

[@destrian]

Bro, thanks... this and the common cut with the speed square are awesome. best on the net man!

[@EEJester1586]

Thank you. Always glad to hear my work is well liked.

[@TheJondon3]

The run is half of 4ft minus half the thickness of the ridge board usually 3/4 so the run is 23 1/4

[@timwyld573]

Very straight forward lesson thank you

[@CaptainsOrders]

great video, i really enjoy your channel bro, keep up the great work.

[@matthewphelps5136]

thanks bro..keep up the good work

[@luismendoza363]

Thanks a lot ,Great info do you have more videos?

[@razrhd1]

prefer my framing square Speed square ok for a guide or marking 2x4's TY for the lesson

[@anthonyknight9610]

slightly different then how its done in ireland. be4 you did ur hips we would first put up our crown rafter (exact same as a common rafter only its on d hip end) meetin the ridge board. then cut our hips with d cheek cuts up top. that been said on yours ud have to cut cheeks on ur crown rafter 2 finish tight between the top of the hips. we also cut d corners off the wall plates 4 our hips aswell. i noticed u never mentioned backing angle on ur hip. we dont do it much either as its too time consumine, cause a shower of rain is on its way. nice video by the way keep it up

[@TempoDrift1480]

Anthony Knight Very likely if the building was more than 4 feet wide.

[@Jay-tk7ib]

The crown rafter is a common rafter. They should be used, just as you said, and the hip rafter should be dropped.

[@omarbs89]

thanks for the info, well helped

[@emeraldcollargreenseas1937]

best video i have seen on this topic very easy to understand

[@juniorpink1021]

i like the way you take your time and explain things

[@brownjoshua9323]

How to measure for Jack rafters?

[@craigx1433]

outstanding...and thank's for using inches...from Canada.

[@herbertherbomoore415]

When you cut a bevel cut say 51° do you use the 0 cut line or the 45?

[@sarfraz6931]

hi great video would u have time to do a video on how to add to a hip roof. The existing building has a hip roof if you add a side extension how would u extend the hip to incorporate the new building. many thanks

[@EEJester1586]

+Sarfraz Munir I'm not trying to be lazy, but Mr. Larry can show you better than I can. He was a true master carpenter. kzbin.info/www/bejne/i4qTeH18bq6ne7c

[@romanmartinez4363]

Great video men! just have one question. Wen measuring the overhang for the hip rafter, is it the same size as the common rafters and jacks?

[@EEJester1586]

No it is a bit longer. Not much, but that 45 degree angle makes the run longer.

[@scottk0623]

Thanks for a great job, I have just one question? When determining the length of the common ridge you said use 1/2 of the buildings span. This determines the last common rafter placement. Is this the same formula regardless of the roof pitch? Thanks

[@EEJester1586]

Scott Kneeland yes that is right. No matter the pitch (2/12 or 30/12) the length will fallow the pitch as long as it is 45 degrees to the building. You can use trig Calculator to see how the length will move. Thanks that is a good question.

[@scottk0623]

Thanks for taking the time to answer. Scott

[@YoshevElazarMikael]

Thank you very much, God bless you...

[@angelsolomon2904]

What about the hip drop on it

[@paulsahs5593]

Great Video..Thanks!!

[@garethcole8295]

great stuff dude ;) top man

[@redsresearch]

What size saw do you need for the hips and valleys?

[@derrickkwan8023]

how did you get 8 inches for the tail?

[@ljones396]

Thanks for the informative video! Would you on any occasion double up on the last straight rafters (the ones that are set 2ft in in your example) before the hip rafters? I've seen that being done on some roofs, and wondered when you'd need to do so... Thanks

[@EEJester1586]

Thanks man. It depends on the length of the roof; if it is longer than 14ft it would most likely need that.

[@rpruneau68]

You typically build-up (double, triple) the rafters when they are required to transfer the load to compensate for missing members in roof openings such as in dormer, skylight or chimney openings. Doubling a rafter along the last common rafter adjacent a valley or hip is not a typical requirement.

[@murrynation]

Thanks for this mate. I am building a model for a japanese mika style (dutxh gable end) and I knew a had to cut the corner but took off at 45 degrees and left only half the sqaure of rhe corner...should I start over? I have got the commons and the shorts but struggling with the hips 😂. I would share a photo, but don't know how here.

[@BigmoRivera]

Great Job Nicely Done 👍 Keep In Mind All The Corners Have 1/2” Plywood Some People May Or May Not Cut The Corners... There Are Also Kings Studs And Jacks The Tong Of The Framing Square The Hole Is To Splits The Difference To Make A Cheek Cut... Keep The Videos Coming

[@BurtBowers]

My question is I am trying to cut a corner rafter tail to replace termite damaged one but even though the V cut is a 45 degree what would be the angle cut to where my facial boards would both meet at the corner would that be a 45 degree as well or less of that?

[@EEJester1586]

It would be 45 as well. You may have to cope the facial boards if the fit doesn't look right.

[@xo_dre0728]

Regarding that last cut to fit the hip on the plate, the carpenters here in Jamaica gives the vertical cut of the bird's mouth a V cut which eliminates that gap (instead of cutting off that square edge of the wall plate). Might be something u can try if u like

[@samwooltortonwooltorton8166]

Great video bro. But why did you cut your rafter tail off square? Should that not have been the same angle as the plumb cut. Thanks

[@torreyintahoe]

yes

[@navsedesetroc5171]

nice job man, thanks.

[@ramonhernandez9292]

Yes thanks for responding back thought of the slant roof but my roof is only 8ft from the floor so want to keep it the 8ft height and just add the 16 by 30 but want it to look unified to the roof I have now just want to know what would be the best way to tie in to my roof

[@EEJester1586]

You can still do a slant roof you'll just have to tie it in further back in the roof. It would take a good bit of time, but it would look clean.

[@browndustinthewind]

why you holding the framing squere upside down

[@zeke112964]

What about the height above the plate?

[@standpicking3759]

Hi Ethan On the tail do you cut two 45 like on the ridge for your fascia Thanks again for the time you put in to the videos

[@EEJester1586]

Yes you'll cut the 6/17" ( or whatever your pitch is ) with two 45 degree cuts.

[@lukes8846]

Hey man, Do you know how yo cut hip jacks and valley jacks? Could you do a video on those?

[@johneric3886]

Nice work!!!

[@geraldhiwauli9594]

Thanks for the great video

[@chaimavet9893]

Thank you for doing these vlogs! Very helpfull! So you must have to change your birds mouth to match the corner you cut off the building at the end of the video. Is there a formula for that?

[@EEJester1586]

+chai mavet The birds mouth is the same, but the rafter is shorter. There is a note in the video saying what I did because there really is no formula for it. They are all different. Just remember that cutting the corner off is not up to code in a lot of places.

[@tavashiostubbs8539]

Hey bro watching ya video I cut my first hip rafter thank you so much

[@ronmroczenski3562]

You didn't show about dropping the hip, and I think should've added the common rafter on end before adding the hip.

[@chadlayman2660]

nice job...you should explain about ridge reduction as well as hip dropping though

[@EEJester1586]

+Chad Layman I think I understand what your talking about. The ridge reduction is how far to set back your commons. (Tell me if we are not on the same page) If you have a building that is 25ft wide, and your going to put a hip on the end you will need to stop your commons 12'-6" from the end on the wall plate, and start your hip rafter, and jack rafters. To get that 12'-6" that I got you take 25' and divide it by 2 so 25/2=12.5 = 12'-6" Remember that a hip or val is on a 45 degree line from any wall. I hope that helps let me know if I told you the wrong thing lol.

[@stevenina1111]

i like this, very helpful...i like also how you get right to it without alot of unnecessary (distracting) jabbering...also your manner is respectful and professional...sounds like a carolina accent? cool

[@EEJester1586]

+slavano Thank you. Close I'm from Mississippi.

[@stevenina1111]

right on mississippi

[@molinaarturo4567]

so nice.....like the explanation. Tku!

[@michaelepperly7820]

your video helped me a ton. I have no framing experience and was able to build a a nice hip roof over my tiki bar. I'm still working on it. I'm having a problem finding the formula for the hip rafter over hang. I'm doing a 4 foot over hang but the first one I cut didn't line up. The over hang is much longer in the corner to meet at a 90. how do I figure the extra length?

[@EEJester1586]

+Michael Epperly 4 foot is a lot of over hang. The best thing I can tell you to do is to not use a formula, and go by reference not by measurement. Leave your hip rafter long on the tail, and pull a string down (horizontal) the over hang of your common rafters (This is to get a straight line with the roof of the building) Next use the string to make a mark on your hip rafter (This is where the hip will plane into the facia with the common's) That mark will be where you cut. Draw a 90 degree line to that mark, and draw a plumb line to both lines. (Cheek cut) Let me know if that helps.

[@michaelepperly7820]

That's what I had done in one corner already. I'm just a seeker of knowledge so I was looking for the mathematical route. This will get me there though. Thanks again and keep up the great videos.

[@idnelal000]

Pretty good explanation. I can see you did this some years ago. However, if you do the 45 on the side first, you don't have to measure the ¾ and 1½ marks. The 1½ will be on the bottom of the X and the ¾ will be the center of the X. How do you add additional rafters in the middle of the 2 corner hip rafters?

[@EEJester1586]

Aye I need to redo this videos. There was a lot I missed, but they do help. Those are jack rafters I was going to do a video showing how to cut them, but I shutdown the wood working shop. If I ever have to do a build or repair on a hip I'll show how to cut them.

[@deounb]

Thanks for sharing.

[@kazchapman]

Hiya, i am starting a conversion from a flat roof to a hip end pitch porch roof, the front is 4 metres long and the sides id 2 metres, but the customer wants a ridge line the same size as next doors (which is roughly 30" long) l how do i get this as going by the speed square readings this will give me a very small ridge line?

[@thelionandchampion2644]

Just found out that all the rafters on my house were cut short by about two inches. They put in a splice every other rafter about thirteen inches long and at the back of the splice they used just one nail. In some places they put a nail on each side of the splice at the back. Is this structurally sound? They are cut short on the facia end. Reply

[@EEJester1586]

The Lion and Champion well I will say that it is not up to code, but if it works then it works. If you have not had any problems with it then leave it alone sometimes messing with a mess it not worth the can of worms you will find. If you are having problems then look into repairing all of them with a alligator splice. It is a easy fix, and depending on how much much rafter tail you have left you won't have to tear up your roof.

[@Fistfullofdlrs]

great job

[@NigelMK]

What type of wood are you using for this. I'm used to seeing pine, so anything else is a bit of a shock (Canadian)

[@EEJester1586]

+Maurice Nigel MacKinnon Some of it may be spruce, but most is pine. It is yellow pine so might look a little different.

[@nazarethsander1328]

Thanks for sharing the practical wisdom of carpentry. An art and trades that not appreciated as they must be learned and preserved for the common guilds at home.

[@stevebushnall]

very informative thanks

[@Spencerbuildsit]

While I appreciate your efforts, I see several mistakes. King rafter before any hip. What is 12 over 12? slope is rise over run. We speak of the run being 12" and the rise of the slope being referred to as the pitch. The length is measured from the sharp corner of the cheek to the top of the rafter. Now project down to locate the birdsmouth. Was far from clear. Now extend the depth of the seat cut to drop the rafter so it stays in the plane of the roof. don't do this and it's too high, giving a bulge in the roof. Where did the calc for the tail come from? How deep is the birdsmouth? Needs to match the material above the birdsmouth on the common rafters. the Nubes are going to be lost. Finally, i was appauled at how you cleaned up that corner. Yes it looks neater, but the hip was calculated using 1/2 the width of the building as a run. By lopping off the corner you shortened the run by an inch, changing the geometry of the whole piece. Length , angles, everything. Fine for a shed, smack it till it fits.. Sorry to be a rag, but this is an instructional video.

[@Jay-tk7ib]

@Sharon61Sunshine What was rude about that? He was simply giving instructions.

[@carlcapobianco897]

Nice job... Thank you...

[@tomgazebobob1503]

Great stuff.

[@rambo77x7]

Hi are all hips measured 17 instead of 12 due to the longer run ? Thanx

[@Jay-tk7ib]

Yes. That's because the hip rafter has to travel farther than the common rafter.

[@lengthmuldoon]

Rank amateur here mate who's only done a gable roof on a shed!! But I've always wondered if it matters whether you fix the hip rafter to the end of the ridge timber or into the abutting common rafter it's just it looks a tight squeeze getting your nails or screws into the ridge. Be interested if you think it makes any difference either way. Terrific vid btw, thanks for posting.

[@EEJester1586]

I've never seen a hip put on the common, but I could see how that would work. One thing I didn't put in was the center jack rafter that goes in the middle of the two hips. That really helps tie the ridge to the wall plates.

[@lengthmuldoon]

Classic Work thanks mate