Rafter Step Off Method - Made Simple

James shows us how to calculate your rafter length with a neat trick.
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◾ Out of respect to our channel sponsors and the wide variety of people who watch our videos, we'll remove comments that do not follow common standards of politeness and decency.

[@dereklyall4774]

This subject is just about the only thing I’ve never been involved with hands on over the past 49 years of being an all round builder/roofer. The way it’s worked out amazes me especially hipped roofs. I must get one under my belt while I still have time! The best explanation I’ve seen so far on KZbin. Too many people go over this so quickly you miss vital pointers. Looking forward to the next roofing video.

[@SkillBuilder]

Thanks Derek. We have a lot more to come.

[@skaterguy52]

I don’t know why every second comment is where is robin, James did a great explanation of setting out a roof and he may not be robin but a genius in his own right. The guy can do pretty much every part of the building trade to a high standard and we still get to watch robin on his own channel.

[@SkillBuilder]

It is a natural but regrettable trait of human beings that they love to stir up conflict and make something such as a simple carpentry video into some kind of competition. The roofing square was around before any of us were born so nobody owns this information. The important thing is to pass it on. Thank you for your support.

[@popwall4297]

This is one of the few videos I have watched that I thoroughly understood it is so simple and easy to do if you've got somebody teaching that knows what's going on very simple to understand no calculator or a lot of math to try and understand just do it thank you

[@Oli_Hudson]

James is becoming the new Robin! Cheers guys

[@baseddept.]

Good

[@RJR10101]

Better than Robin

[@SkillBuilder]

It is just about getting information over as clearly as possible.

[@manow4011]

Where is Robin?

[@SkillBuilder]

@@manow4011 He went off to do his own channel and make some money

[@mickm8105]

James, Roger, Robin, Dan, you lads are a godsend, thankyou for all your efforts, they've helped me immensely, keep up the fantastic work

[@jimichip]

Thanks Mick.

[@denty32]

Great video Roger/James only complaint is there was no “where’s James” 👍

[@SkillBuilder]

Different James, surely you spotted that

[@I_luv_my_fans]

This is the clearest explanation of rafter layout on KZbin! Can you make one for hips and jack rafters too?

[@SkillBuilder]

We have that video coming soon

[@I_luv_my_fans]

Thank you. Much appreciated mate

[@dancliffo7111]

Spot on ,some people make it look hard ,I don’t know why maybe they have a product to sell

[@wrongfullyaccused7139]

I see now why Robin uses that handy clamp device he made to use on the farming square. Really speeds things up, especially with that rounded edge you pointed out. Good video, thank you.

[@SkillBuilder]

That fence is used by lots of old school carpenters, it is in the City and Guilds manual.

[@lazylad2336]

He's not just another builder. He's a great teacher as well👍👍. Does he need an apprentice 😉. I'm not cheap.

[@gjvdspam]

Expensive and a lazy lad. Should be a dream 🤪 Well said

[@lazylad2336]

@@gjvdspam it's just a nick name. Bit of banter you remember what that is.

[@joshdaviesbespoketimberstr2028]

Awesome. I've been wandering for ages how the stepping off method works. Thanks.

[@christaylor5291]

This is a version of stepping off along the hypotenuse or rafter length. Stepping off as far as I know always works across the run which is half the span. Your either a split the span and x by per metre of run.... Or step off which is across the run/ at right angles to the building using a metric square. The good thing about stepping off is you can set collar heights/pre determined purlins heck even steel work before the roof has been pitched. Great content as always. I suppose there is always more ways to skin a cat or a ferret whatever floats your boat! Stay safe all.

[@DrFellPM]

This is the only instruction on how to do this that is worth anything! Great job.

[@Ultimate-roofing-square.]

Quality chaps, well explained. Think the last time I was shown that I was at college in the late 80’s. 😬. Tried and tested method.. 👊🏻

[@SkillBuilder]

You don't need it when you have your free ap.

[@Ultimate-roofing-square.]

@@SkillBuilder oh yes. 👊🏻

[@georgelfc1]

@@Ultimate-roofing-square. when will the app be ready for Android ? thanks

[@michaelmansfield-corbett96]

I could watch that all day. Fascinating

[@matthalfmatthew1]

Brilliant video. Imagine how many more kids at school would “get” Pythagoras if it was explained and brought to life like this?? Really enjoying the content with James.

[@SkillBuilder]

Thank you we have great faith in this approach.

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

Great tutorial chaps 🧐🧱👍🏽

[@jimichip]

You’ll be pitching roofs in no time.

[@andrewplatt]

Brilliant James 👍 simplified the stepping off method in 10 minutes thanks 😁😁

[@SkillBuilder]

Great to hear!

[@andrewplatt]

@@SkillBuilder it just made so much sense the way you explained it👍

[@leehotspur9679]

Skill builder You are the tops as far as I am concerned Your subject kept simple in explanatory terms One should not have to use a calculator All of Britains old building were erected without one By Boys serving a trade ,A string line a square and dividers

[@frankjones5948]

Excellent video. This is the most informative one I've watched on rafter layout. Well done

[@shaunglendinning]

You guys are geniuses ! Or rather James is!! 😁 What a great bit of advice. Cheers till next time.

[@jimichip]

Thanks Shaun. I’m no genius, I’m just relaying information.

[@SkillBuilder]

Yes but you are extremely good at explaining complex things in a way that people can understand. That might not qualify you as a genius but it makes you a bloody good teacher.

[@iantarncarpentry4285]

Quality video!

[@donb8447]

I love that pencil for the fine markings, I believe Robin sports one as well

[@SkillBuilder]

They are common among carpenters, plumbers can't afford them

[@samualbeeley1662]

It has to be said I love this channel!! I would come and work with you chaps for free just to learn more 😊

[@stringerbell4711]

Love your explanations, don't fully understand, and probably will never need to ruin 5x timbers! But enjoy your tutorials. Love the pencil, but am far too tight to be shelling out for one of those..

[@jamesballard4390]

Excellent, very simple method and no calculator in sight.👍

[@4fingerfrankie]

Nicely explained, I’ve just realised why old robins has that timber across his roofing square 🧐

[@SkillBuilder]

They teach you that trick with the fence when you first go to College and it works a treat, some carpenters use stair guages but they are easy to lose. James chose the tape because it left the numbers visible, the fence obscures the detail when you are demonstrating. These videos aren't just thrown together.

[@jimwulstan8592]

The square on the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares on the other two sides (Pythagoras). Forget all about that and all the calcs and just use the roofing square as shown, it will give you everything, Use a thin piece of timber instead of the masking tape so that it just slides from one postion to another with ease, all the cuts and the birdsmouth can also be taken from the same setting. If you include the ridge you will know where to cut it later. Great video5 stars

[@davidhill431]

Brilliant explanation James, really good with your little house sketch, maybe borrow Rogers white board next time 😅 thanks guys

[@gjvdspam]

Finally an explanation which I can follow. Very nice.

[@SkillBuilder]

Glad it was helpful!

[@brianwood5220]

Not just a pretty face James. Thanks for sharing. #StaySafe

[@theplumber4934]

Nice to hear Robin singing in background !

[@Steve-XTC67]

I've been looking all over KZbin for a simplistic example, thank you so much. I would like to see the Ridge board and rafters completed just to get an overall picture, unsure if this has been done already? Thanks again.

[@MrTomomahony]

fantastic !!

[@vitaliyg3516]

Thanks

[@gregwitkamp5583]

I use stair gauge to maintain my marks , I use the dimensions from the rafter square and multiply by the run and mark the rafter and then step it off marking each step with my board knife for accuracy , it allow ways works out , if not there is a mistake.

[@Crushwokery]

Outstanding stuff as usual. Thanx for sharing the priceless stuff‼️👍👏

[@samposton9101]

Everything is simple when you know how 👍🏻 great explanation James

[@SkillBuilder]

Not sure that applies to quantum physics or the string theory but we will give it a go

[@timmargereson332]

@@SkillBuilder That depends on if your name is Sheldon 🤣

[@thetallcarpenter]

Really good to see plenty of carpentry based videos on this great channel. Roofing is one of the more complex areas of the trade, and any videos that try to help explain and simplify it are awesome.👊🤩 Cheers fellas.👍

[@SkillBuilder]

Thanks! 👍Nice comment

[@davidwills6640]

Great demonstration. These videos are very helpful. Cheers

[@daves4026]

Love it. Defo a save for future use video 👍

[@garyhollywell2112]

I thought that was brilliant and really well presented James I like your work I only wish you operated in Gloucestershire!

[@peterbell4154]

There is so much to the roofing square that measurement of 13 being the length of rafter per ft run take that on the body and twelve on the tongue and you have the side cut for a jack rafter and the top cut and bottom cut for the valley lay board. I would like to show you James if you didn't know that very interesting video thankyou

[@BillyMustang101]

Yep, run of common rafter & true length common rafter = Jack edge bevel and lay board cuts. All on the Gibson square

[@peterbell4154]

@@BillyMustang101 thanks Martin

[@SkillBuilder]

Peter We are going to come up and visit you so you can show our audience.

[@peterbell4154]

@@SkillBuilder Thank you Roger I will look forward to it I am in the throws of making a Kitchen at the moment. Many thanks

[@Mike-rr6zc]

I'm weak at math epically how the formula requires Trigonometry, this is a great method.

[@bloggs692413]

top explanation even I could understand that

[@DW-ph2xg]

Well done, you reached me 👍🏻. Now, I’m on to it. Thank you!

[@roysammons2445]

Simply explained so it's easy to understand 😁👍🏻

[@carlandrews5810]

someone buy this man some framing square buttons!

[@michaelplays2449]

Great video guys !!!! thanks !!!

[@lesliesweeney368]

Very Good! I learnd something today!

[@nagalingamsivabalan9319]

Crystal clear. Thanks mr James

[@bensimmons3692]

Roger / James that is the easiest and best explanation I’ve ever seen. Makes total sense now .. any chance of doing a metric version of this video ??!!😂

[@jimichip]

I’m sure we could knock one up.

[@SkillBuilder]

we will do it for sure

[@bobyoung4699]

thank you, as I would love to show this to my UK students

[@Morning_Rays]

Thank you 😊. One question for you please. If the seat cut can’t go above 1/3 of the timber, replacing 4x2 rafter with 6x2 for loft conversion would increase the finished roof height by 2 inches? Is that right? Thank you 😊

[@ChickenDinnerz]

People power! The video we've been asking for

[@stephenwatson1873]

See the Mark Swanick video

[@Goorney]

Using CAD software is a good way of finding the correct dimensions for the rafters.

[@killingbeck2010]

Thank you!

[@daihedral9269]

That's a great explanation of stepping off to mark the length of a rafter, and it's important to keep craft skills alive, but now we all have calculators on our phones isn't it easier, quicker, and less prone to error, to use trigonometry to find the rafter length? Run divided by cos of the pitch or rise divided by sin of the pitch.

[@SkillBuilder]

Hi Dai You are right and James did say you can get a free app but a lot of people have asked us to have another bash at explaining this so we thought we would let James have a go and see if he could make a few lightbulbs go on. It is, in many ways redundant but it helps to understand what is going on and not just become a slave to the machine.

[@imanyounessi2925]

very good video ...bravo!

[@martinroberts5577]

No "where's James" I blame the editing. This was a great explanation of the roofing square.

[@SkillBuilder]

Hi Martin We are targetting a different audience for this series so the Where's James would be out of context.

[@martinroberts5577]

@@SkillBuilder Hi guys thanks very much for taking time to reply to me. Hope I didn't offend, was only pulling your leg. Looking forward to the series.

[@SkillBuilder]

@@martinroberts5577 No offence at all but I just wanted you to know we are on the case.

[@pasti67]

Nice one James! 👍

[@karlkjj]

Instead of the tape just use some stair gauges 👍

[@SkillBuilder]

We could have used stair guages but everyone can lay their hands on some tape and it kept the numbers visible to the camera.

[@RobNorman08]

Nice little demonstration, one point though is the depth of the birdsmouth should be worked out as a third of the depth of plumb cut (the backing line) not measured square across the depth of the timber.

[@jimichip]

Very true but my brain was hurting and I didn’t want to explain anymore stuff😂

[@RobNorman08]

@@jimichip I guessed it was just a slip up that a man of your caliber wouldn't normally make! keep up the great work!

[@SkillBuilder]

Hi Rob You see it both ways and, though the text books talk of a third of the plumb cut a lot of carpenters measure it on a right angle.

[@RobNorman08]

@@SkillBuilder Been a chippy for 25 years, was taught to measure the backing line and divide by 3, then measure down 2/3 for the seat cut, never heard of nor seen a chippy measuring square across.

[@Ultimate-roofing-square.]

@@SkillBuilder it’s the same if you measure on the plumb cut or across the square. I was taught the birdsmouth is a third, or less. Keep up the great videos. 👊🏻

[@adamwilliams9653]

Great job this is the best video I've seen on the step off method well explained easy to understand cause I always wanted to understand step off method with inches added continue the good work stay safe 🙏

[@tomfarrar7632]

That was so easy to follow thank you

[@8rettb]

Simply Genius!

[@markdonoghue1013]

Cheers for that great information

[@stephenwatson1873]

Hi James, we call it the step off method, you stepped off 4 times plus the 3” so 5 in total. Great video tutorial and teaching,

[@PhilipHollowaychannel]

Nice and clear, thanks

[@russellglancy2277]

I love the tips and tricks, but I believe James could do with Robin Clevetts Iroko guide clamped on his square, I’ve adopted this and it speeds the whole process up 👍🏽

[@SkillBuilder]

Lots of carpenters use fence made of hardwood or aluminium angle and it is shown in the City and Guilds carpentry books as a good method, you can also use stair guages to do the same thing but this is a video to explain how stepping off works and having a fence across the numbers obscures the very thing we are trying to show. We tried it.

[@russellglancy2277]

It’s excellent I love all the tips and tricks, I’ve been in the industry for 16 years and been watching your channel for a long time.

[@patrickpeterman8736]

VERY INFORMATIVE HELPED A LOT-HOWEVER IT,S "5" IN 12" NOT OVER"; DON,T MEAN TO BE PICKY THANK YOU

[@SkillBuilder]

Hi Patrick It is called rise over run so it is 5 over 12. You can say 5 in 12 but Americans need it to be rise over run and not in it.

[@222vaux3]

Thank you👏🏻

[@billsingh75]

Great personality

[@moomastico]

I can see how robins roofing square with the fence would make this a breeze

[@denty32]

Get the essential roofing square by Dan Cox it comes with a paper copy of the formulas also the free app that James mentions in the video, I never thought I would ditch the speed square until I started using it.

[@Ultimate-roofing-square.]

@@denty32 thanks Mark. 😉

[@moomastico]

@@denty32 that looks like an ace bit of kit for sure. It looks to me like robins square will be a bit more adaptable and better for general use but I've yet to see a complete demo of it. I'm sure nobody would be disappointed with either tool.

[@stephenwatson1873]

@@moomastico just use what are called stair gauges, little brass fittings that slide n the roofing square

[@kadirresuloglu1100]

You are telling perfectly well thank you very much, l’d like to buy framing square you’re using ,so please write me brand yours sincerely .

[@kevinwarr7188]

Very well explained thanks

[@concreteart1111]

Brilliant explanation mate.. excuse my ignorance but how would the layout /measurements differ for the birds mouth for the wall plate on the inner skin please, if at all? Many thanks

[@SkillBuilder]

That is a very good point. We should have made clear that we are talking about the outside of the wall plate which is on the inner skin. Thanks for pointing this out. The rafter past that point is the eaves overhang and is not part of the calculation.

[@concreteart1111]

Many thanks for clearing that up.. top blokes!

[@Musicalbluewolf666]

how brilliant, thanks thats clear

[@eldoradocraftsman3733]

Excellent. “Pythagoras is a genius!”

[@jonathanrose456]

Do a Delboy... get the calculator out & use trig 😂

[@thornwarbler]

Superb. Thanks for that.

[@SkillBuilder]

Glad you liked it!

[@Blue60]

Great information, does that work for all rise

[@SkillBuilder]

Yes, we picked 5 over 12 but you can do it in metric or degrees. It is the same deal, once you know that third measurement you are good to go.

[@summittaedae2323]

The imperial hurts my brain. But I do love watching roofs getting built. I’m a bricklayer as my main trade but I’m a decent hammer hand to a joiner.

[@rossmcleod7983]

Good job, even I could follow, but please keep it metric.

[@stewartpollard855]

Great video James and roger last time I checked 12 inches in a foot 🙄?

[@jimichip]

Thanks. There still is 12” in a foot. The 13” is 13” of rafter length per foot (12”) of horizontal run, If it was a steeper pitch then the rafter length would be more, for example a 12/12 roof would be 17” of rafter length per foot (12”) of horizontal run. I hope that makes sense.

[@peterwooldridge7285]

Great

[@jimmustill222]

what are these wonderful pencils I keep seeing in these videos ????? where can I buy one ??

[@jimichip]

It’s a pica dry marker, available on Amazon or Tracer see the links in the description.

[@johnchampion7819]

Assuming you have a ridge board, should you not allow half the thickness of the board when marking out your cut rafter length?

[@ianprater5030]

so if the building was planned out in metric, you would just remeasure it in imperial to get the 4 over 12, yes?

[@georgedavall9449]

Spot on Mate! Great video and tutorial! Foo foo on the 10 bozos giving this thumbs down 👍👍👍👍👍😁✌🏻🇬🇧🇺🇸

[@hollowayscarpentry]

Get stair gauges as well as tape

[@SkillBuilder]

We really didn't want to complicate this with add ons. You could also do it with a fence which was the way they taught it in the City and Guilds

[@express375]

My prefrence is for watching the sawing, banging and screwing. When the maths comes out.......oooh tiktok! :)

[@stevewilliams2413]

When is James releasing his roofing square?😂

[@jamesboden5597]

Cheers James, bloody good name you have sir haha

[@SkillBuilder]

You mean King?

[@irishpotato3177]

Great video I just can't understand why James uses the inside of the square instead of the out side.

[@SkillBuilder]

He explained that it helps the square sit on the timber and that you can use either but just make sure they are on the same side.

[@kadirresuloglu1100]

Hello, please write the brand of the framing square you are using and I would like to get it from the same thank you.

[@briancharmley2931]

How do you work out what the 5 is

[@ianprater5030]

so how do you work that method with a metric square ?

[@robertparsons8849]

James why do you use imperial if the square has metric?

[@rossbj138]

I get it, I actually fucking get it, thank you for doing what my teachers at school failed to do, from an apprentice chippy

[@davidbreen7046]

Does 7/12 work the same tanks