7 COOL Tips You Will Actually Use || Woodworking Tricks

To take a closer look at the HONGDUI Table saw Mitre gauge and fence please use the link below
HONGDUI Fence and Gauge Combination - www.banggood.c...
Learning woodworking is picking up a series of skills but also a huge number of tips and tricks as you learn.
Here are some of the best tips and tricks that I have learnt recently. I hope that they are helpful.
If you would like to support the channel further:
🔴For a comprehensive list of all my tools - www.start-maki...
🔴For Blogs and more - www.start-maki...
🔴Links to the tools seen in the video.
TIP 1 - Chisels.
Narex Richter chisel set - UK LINK - amzn.to/47kQ9fp
US LINK - amzn.to/4gd8Y8u
TIP 2 Iron flattening
9 Inch (230mm) JAPANESE SHINTO RASP - UK LINK - amzn.to/4bhQX6z
US LINK - amzn.to/3SvZ9sl
Diamond Stones (Faithful) - UK LINK - amzn.to/3Oma9pE
US LINK - amzn.to/490GvOJ
Counter sink Deburring bits - UK LINK - amzn.to/3ZhYG0H
US LINK - amzn.to/47f3K7U
TIP 4 Table Saw Accessories
HONGDUI Table Saw Mitre Gauge - www.banggood.c...
HONGDUI Table Saw Mitre Fence - www.banggood.c...
HONGDUI Fence and Gauge Combination - www.banggood.c...
Axminster Tools Mitre Gauge - www.tagserve.c...
TIP 6 Router trick
Makita Router Bundle - UK LINK - amzn.to/3HCZXWi
Makita Router Bare - UK link - amzn.to/3SBv8Y0
US link - amzn.to/3u9KJ7R
Blue Painter's Tape - UK LINK - amzn.to/3Og48eo
US LINK - amzn.to/3vT5Zzi
Large Tape Dispenser - UK LINK - amzn.to/41lElXr
US LINK - amzn.to/3GLTWWK
TIP 7 Circular saw Trick
Swanson large and small speed square set - UK LINK - amzn.to/3WQHfTY
US LINK - amzn.to/4bGtH1X
Makita Circular Saw - UK LINK - amzn.to/3HD6UX6
US LINK - amzn.to/3vOYhWN
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. It is a small income to the channel at no extra cost to the buyer.
All UK links are for products that I have used. US links are the closest I can find. They are recommendations made from my experience, yours may differ.
#Woodworking #woodworker #diy #howto #tipsandtricks

[@startmaking1]

What's You favourite tip to give fellow woodworkers?

[@christophermoore1774]

My tip would be...stop buying blue tape. Good old fashion general purpose beige/tan masking tape works just fine for quick woodworking jobs, and costs HALF the price :) More expensive Blue tape is intended for painters and their specific needs, so why spend the extra money if your not using it for painting. Just wish this video was there 3 weeks ago when I bought my first spoke shave...yeah I had some sore fingers, lol.

[@michaelwillson6847]

@@startmaking1 CA glue and activator can be your best friend and polyurethane glue can also be a god send 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@christophermahon1851]

Be careful.

[@jonathanrand7767]

That there's good stuff on KZbin!

[@loucipher67]

never rely on a ruler rely on the rule

[@Birkguitars]

Great video as ever. I stumbled upon the idea of measuring from 10 on my tape measure when an early cheap version got bent and the end piece was about 2mm off. Now I do it routinely as a more accurate way. There is also a bonus tip buried here. The sandpaper stuck to a stick is worth a mention by itself. My first big project was making built in bookcases and I created a variety of sanding sticks to work on the various places that needed sanding. I started with off cuts of plywood but over the years have made a weird assortment of shapes with angled surfaces and canted handles. I also discovered that sticking on off cuts of sanding belts works wonders. They last for ages, can be cleared off with a soft wire brush, will stick down with a bit of superglue and hardly cost more than a few sheets of sandpaper which they outlast about 50 times over. They have been a go to option for years.

[@Mike-sy6oy]

I was taught (in the US) to "burn an inch" when needing to make precise measurements similar to the one in the video

[@startmaking1]

THats is truly great advice. I love a sanding stick.

[@Sebastopolmark]

I like your chisel rack AND the blue tape tricks. ALL GOOD STUFF! !! !!!

[@startmaking1]

Thank you very much.

[@diytoptricks]

That homemade jig for spoke shaves is brilliant! I’ve always found it tricky to flatten those smaller blades, but adding magnets to hold them steady is such a clever solution. Also, the warning about prying the iron off is a great safety reminder!

[@startmaking1]

That's really kind. Thank you bud

[@christophermahon1851]

That speed-square tip is excellent.

[@startmaking1]

Thank you Chris. A handy bodge

[@salimufari]

A small round profile stair gauge can work great for this too. I prefer round as opposed to the hex shaped common ones since you gain some accuracy with the round reference face I think.

[@vulgarwoodworks]

07:12 INCH!?!?! Mark, Mark, Mark....I didn't peg you for a convert to the Evil Imperial side 😂😂😂

[@startmaking1]

Argh. I am so confused from watching different channels. I know what I will do. I will start my own system. Thats what woodworking needs. Maybe measure in widths of spaghetti, uncooked of course. Hope you are doing well bud. I imagine you're back at work now. Hope the lovely front of the house is done.

[@vulgarwoodworks]

@startmaking1 heights of a hair....that way it's totally arbitrary due to our lack of follicle prowess 🤣🤣🤣. Great stuff as always. And that spoke shave jig is going to come in handy pretty soon on my end

[@AdamFahn]

Sensible money savers. Great tips.

[@startmaking1]

Hey Adam. Thank you bud. Really appreciated.

[@andrewgraves4026]

That last tip was great! Use what you have well instead of buying a new tool :)

[@startmaking1]

Thank you

[@alanswoodthings]

Love your style. One day, I'll be able to edit like you, nice video 👍

[@startmaking1]

Probably better if I am honest. It is one of my biggest weaknesses. But I did learn that the editing is only as good as the filming. And that did really help.

[@lionandbear]

Great tips as always Mark. Thanks for sharing.

[@startmaking1]

Thanks bud. Much appreciated

[@joculator9820]

fantastic video as usual - speedsquare miter tip is killer.

[@startmaking1]

Thank you so much.

[@MrDazthaman]

As always... Solid content pal. Appreciated

[@startmaking1]

Thank you. Much appreciated.

[@themeat5053]

It's great to see you've already got 628 thumbs up before I can even get to your video and I've started looking for Start Making on Saturdays now vs. the olden days when I got to it on Sunday. You understand how far your excellent channel has come? Brilliant. Also, I love the generational differences twixt us; in my day a hack was an amateur (a real ham and egger), now it means a go around. Who knew? Another outstanding production. Thanks for sharing your hard found wood working knowledge with the rest of us and have a great week.

[@startmaking1]

Hi Meat. You sir are as always a gent. And a promotion for me, thank you. But in truth, if there are better ones to watch, I understand. I have a watch order I use too. We are all creatures of habit huh? Very true about hacks too. Personally I dont like the word in a positive sense as it has the cutting meaning too. And saying it's a hack often feels like I am taking a short cut which isnt always good. Interesting. And thank you. Have a great week bud.

[@themeat5053]

@@startmaking1 Always a pleasure. You have really jumped out of the hobbyist woodworker to being quite adept at this craft. I am enjoying every moment of your journey. It is funny how some words could have two meanings contrary to one another. Along with wood working, correct usage of one's language is one of my interests. Any way, stay calm and keep wood working.

[@Damon_Barber]

These are some awesome tips, Mark! Thank you for sharing them with us! The speed square tip is so simple, yet genius! I also appreciate the idea for flattening hand plane blades. I have a plane that was my dad’s that I need to make functional before I use it and I will be making one of these jigs. I have the knobs that thread onto bolts, so mine will likely have toggle bolts going from the bottom with the knobs at the top. And thanks for the heads up about watching for knob placement. That’s what made me think about having them on top.

[@startmaking1]

Thank you Damon. Mine actually started out with bolts and they worked fine. I just wanted to leave the top flat. In truth it makes no difference. Having them on top though is definitely the way to go. Only bit of advice is go steady with it. When I go too fast the edge of the iron, the side, wants to dig in and flip the jig. Steady and firm seems the trick and a very slight angle rather than perpendicular. Anyway, I'm sure you will easily sort that iron out. Good luck,

[@Damon_Barber]

@@startmaking1 Thank you for the additional tips!!

[@David.M.]

Using the blue tape is brilliant. Thanks

[@startmaking1]

Thank you very much.

[@MartinGraeff]

Just brilliant! 🤗

[@startmaking1]

Thank you Martin.

[@marcbarash6045]

Great Tips

[@startmaking1]

Thank you very much.

[@kluzz]

I usually stick the blue tape to the guide/fence when I need to add a fraction of a millimeter to the routed groove. Uses a bit more tape, but there's less chance the tape will move on me during the cut.

[@startmaking1]

Great idea. Whatever gets the job done. Nothing that works is wrong.

[@MG-vo7is]

These were great tips. Thank you.

[@startmaking1]

Thank you very much.

[@peterjohneggleton2011]

My god the channel is growing FAST, 17,000 views in one day. Congrats mate. Oh and this was a fun one, the speed square one is brill. Keep em coming. Have a good un.

[@startmaking1]

Hi Peter. It's hard to keep up sometimes. I am still replying to so many comments. But I am so grateful. Appreciate everyone who, like you, has been part of the ride.

[@paulmaryon9088]

Top work Mark, as always, thank you

[@startmaking1]

Thank you very much Paul.

[@shaun30-3-mg9zs]

Hi Mark, Full of wonderful ideas and tips, I like the the idea with the speed square to set and keep your angle. Good sharpening jig for your plane blades and scrapers. As always a great video catch you soon Take care

[@startmaking1]

Hi Shaun. Thank you bud, Hopefully they will help a few people. You never know. lol. Take it easy bud.

[@projectrebuild908]

Great video.

[@startmaking1]

Thank you kindly.

[@ST-0311]

One can also use the blue tape on a flimsy miter gauge until it's upgraded. Just add tape to the miter bar to snug up the fit in the track.

[@startmaking1]

Brilliant advice.

[@C.C.Woodwork]

Great tips! I've learned a lot here!

[@startmaking1]

Thank you very much.

[@TeeVee-h9v]

For flattening thr iron, i just use a strong magnet to grip it and it works just as well.

[@startmaking1]

I like that idea. So simple. Really short video though . lol.

[@salimufari]

5:00 there are tools to help magnetize or demagnetize tools like irons or screwdrivers. 9:45 The fact that the knob sits on the table could also be an aid to getting the bevel edge. A bit of clever design & you can replace that front knob with a small roller so once you flip the iron you can put that angle of bevel onto the stone at the bench height. 15:25 We call this " burn an inch " where you start you measurement one inch in from the end. Pick any number if your first inch is damaged on your tape but at that pt you should to replace that one.

[@startmaking1]

Thank you so much for all the advice. Really appreciate it.

[@ImOnAJourney]

For that busted insert, you could use a plug cutter to cut the insert out and then use a plug and some glue to fill the hole. I’ve never seen one of those snap before. You must have taken a double dose of your vitamins that morning! 💪 😂 For the box, you can also use that machinist’s square on the outside corners as well to check for squareness. But the tape measure trick is a good one. The blue tape can also be applied to the guide piece of scrap - far easier than sticking it to the router. In my opinion, anyway. Thanks for the video - great stuff, as always!

[@startmaking1]

Now that is a smart fix. I was genuinely going to fill it with putty and forget it was there lol. These were seriously cheap inserts. Not furniture grade at all. And thank you for the advice. All good.

[@davidbuckley9743]

Ok so I’m a beginner woodworker-ish and I have a dumb question about one of your tips. When checking for square on the boxes why are you using the inside of the box? Why not go for the outside? That way you can use the hook end of your tape measure, or the zero start of your ruler. In my mind it makes more sense to be worried about the outside squareness rather than the inside. Also wanted to say absolutely loving your vids! Keep up the amazing work!

[@zapa1pnt]

I was just preparing to say the same thing, about squaring the box and here you are.

[@zapa1pnt]

@@davidbuckley9743: Yeah, I think we got that. P.S.: You can edit your comments by clicking on the three dots, to the right of your comment. 😁✌🖖

[@davidbuckley9743]

@@zapa1pnt done! Thanks for that. Couldn’t find it earlier.

[@startmaking1]

Not a dumb question at all as it got me thinking for a fair bit. Here is what I think and it could be wrong. I measure the inside so that the thickness of the box itself, ie the thickness of the wood doesnt skew your findings. On most of the boxes I make if the outside is not square by a tiny amount due to an irregularity in the wood, it wont affect anything. But if the inside is not square then there is a good chance it will have a knock on effect on something else. For instance if I then put another set of wood around the inside to protrude out of the top for the lid to sit over and therefore hold it in place, if the inside is not square then the lid will only fit one way. That all said, if I was measuring large cabinets I would measure from the outside, and the same for drawer boxes etc. But then they are often made of pky which is pretty regular and they are larger so a mm wont make too much difference. Basically this comes down to whatever works for you I guess. Hope some of that rambling made sense.

[@davidbuckley9743]

@@startmaking1 absolutely makes sense! I hadn’t thought about wooden inserts to hold the lid in place. Thanks so much for replying!

[@jonathanrand7767]

My initial reaction to the trick with the blue tape on the router base is to wonder if it wouldn't have been easier to rout a dovetail groove and use dovetail clamps? The price of dovetail grooves compares very favorably with t-tracks. That said, I'm sure I'll use the tip at some point. Keep up the good work!

[@startmaking1]

This is very true. In this case it was for fitting a support bracket so clamps were not permanent enough. But overall you are spot on. Way better priced.

[@robtoothill]

The aftermarket mitre gauge is great IF your table saw has a 3/4" mitre slot... most budget table saws (at least in the UK) have narrower slots that only fit the gauge it comes with, and there aren't any aftermarket ones that fit the narrower slots

[@startmaking1]

Thats a really good point. I guess I got lucky here as I didnt even check. Thank you for bringing that up.

[@pianokid103]

Great video, really good tips - especially liked the sharpening and speed square ones - and highly accessible to woodworkers of pretty much any kind or any budget. The video looks very polished, too. Hoping the channel keeps growing! Love your work.

[@startmaking1]

Thank you very much. I really appreciate the extra line about the video quality as I do spend a lot of time trying to get that right.

[@pianokid103]

@@startmaking1 It shows!

[@DimBeam1]

If this guy was in my family i'd be round every weekend learning all I could. If you have a guy/gal in your family like this dont pass up on that opportunity.

[@startmaking1]

I have read every comment ever posted on my videos and there have been a lot. Most of them are lovely. But this one is unique and after a while that is hard to find. So thank you. Really appreciated.,

[@ianpearse4480]

Nice share Mark. I use the speed square and preset wedges on my shooting board for small trim jobs as I am too cheap to buy a mitre shooting board.

[@startmaking1]

Now that is a good, no great addition to this tip. Brilliant.

[@davidseccombe9809]

I'm a landscaper and I made a rectangle out of 5mm thick plastic ( but could be made from any number of materials) and the two measurements, width and length, are the two offsets from the blade edge on my circular saw to the left and right edges of the base of the saw. It's great for setting up straight edges to cut plywood or any long cuts

[@kenerickson4923]

You can measure the outside of the box instead of the inside to check for square then the tape measure works. Especially true when the box is big

[@startmaking1]

You can but then wood thickness plays a part. Maybe not an issue in most cases. But could be a problem in others .

[@T1DSUX]

Very interesting

[@startmaking1]

Thank you very much.

[@loosebootwoodworking]

Great video, thanks for all the tips. I've been watching you since the first shed shop, when you first got the trim router, and were scared to death to use it. Now look at you, routing out for T-track like a pro. Excited to see your channel grow! Keep up the good work.

[@startmaking1]

I miss that shed. I also appreciate that you have stuck around this long. I remember getting the router out of the box and being so nervous. Pretty much the same as when I got the table saw early this year. It's quite a journey and I love it. And once again thank you for being part of it.

[@startmaking1]

PS I am your 200th sub

[@loosebootwoodworking]

@@startmaking1 Thanks so much! I struggle getting videos out regularly, but I'm getting better (I think). Give me your honest opinion on anything I could add or change to increase traffic and views.

[@cos6907]

I don’t want to be critical but why would you want to flatten all that area on a plane iron, just use the ruler trick as explained by “Rob Cosman “ which will take you a fraction of the time and give you a sharp edge with less effort

[@startmaking1]

I guess it depends on if you use that method or not. Personally I do but for an older iron in need of a good working over I would still flatten further back. Especially as you will get there anyway with enough sharpening over tine, A newer plane I would just do the ruler technique. It's a good point though.

[@jimbryant2157]

I do have a job site table saw (due to space limitations in my small shop area) and also found the miter gauge lacking. My very first accessory purchase was an Incra V27 ($80 US) and couldn't be happier. Great tool at a reasonable price. On the holder for the spoke shave blades.... My issue is sharpening rather than flattening. Veritas has a short blade holder ($67 US), but I have tried to create my own jig to hold the blade at the correct angle while also keeping a good hold on the blade. Maybe a future jig idea & video????? :)

[@startmaking1]

Incra make some brilliant tools. Not sure it is such good value over here sadly. Sharpening spoke shave is a real art in my opinion. certainly not one I have perfected. But the jig sounds really smart. I am now going to obsess on it until I make it. Thank you.

[@Bluuuz]

You got me on the blue tape-router trick. That was genius. I’m also now suffering from mitre gauge envy. Your new one looks like a beast! Great video, Mark. I don’t know where you get time to research, try and edit, let alone live the rest of your life (don’t forget about that bit). Btw, my workbench construction is in progress but I’ve been side-tracked with a commission from the Boss and need to make a shoe rack “a-La-Dainsey” style, so the WB has been pushed back a little. Still, it’s all good and your vids always nudge me on from my procrastination to actually do something instead of polish my cleats. 😂

[@startmaking1]

Thank you Roger. It comes in surprisingly handy. Especially when you are as fly by night as I am. The mitre gauge is a big bit of kit. I was sceptical when I was sent it . But honestly I will only ever use maybe 20% of its features and it is still good. As for time. Well, now the ski sales have kicked back in I will have to lose the social side of life until April. Cant do it all sadly. Funny you mention cleats. I rearranged the main area for the 100th time this week. I get what you mean. Dont worry about the bench. It will get done when the time is right. Just think of the brownie points for the shoe rack. As always, take it easy bud.

[@smitcher]

@@Bluuuz 🫣when your mitre gauge costs 3 times my table saw!

[@markbernier8434]

You could do a bit on making and using pinch sticks. I don't think much of your speed square tip. Taping on fiddly bits of wood is asking for trouble. . Just make a custom speed square. Any scrap of wood, mark and cut the angle. Label the angle both sides, in your example 85/5 degrees, and tack or screw on a guide piece. Save it for the next project. After a bit you will have a half dozen in sizes you actually use.

[@startmaking1]

That is true. And great advice . Thank you

[@smitcher]

Those tips were all great and while I already knew some of them, some of them were new. The speed square one though is something i've been doing for a while, but make a block with a bolt thru it and a washer and wingnut and put it through the narrow slot on the T-square and you have an easily adjustable angle gauge that can be locked and moved... But the thing that wasn't even mentioned in this video but is the best take away is that chisel holder. That's genius man, i'm making one of them for a few other things. Do you have a video on making that?

[@startmaking1]

Now that idea is absolute simple genius bud. Thank you. There is a video for the chisel holder. It is about 10 videos ago. One of my all time favourite builds. Nothing too complicated either. Thank you for noticing.

[@smitcher]

@@startmaking1 cool, I’m checking that chisel holder video out now, I must’ve missed that!

[@Stillworks]

I wish I would have thought of that speed square and block trick when making my last project as I had the exact same layout lines to draw. Also I’m going to have to apologize in advance about spoke shaves for this next Fridays video (you’ll see). I feel like we have quite a bit of parallel thinking going on, it’s weird. Great video buddy.

[@startmaking1]

I cant wait and no need to apologise. Im just seeing the parallel thinking as a compliment. You are way beyond where I am at in woodworking so at least I know I am heading in the right direction.

[@Stillworks]

@@startmaking1 oh I don’t know about that. We all tend to find the sub-discipline of woodworking that we are good at, but are shit at another. I Always look forward to your videos buddy, keep up the good work.

[@startmaking1]

@Stillworks this much is true. Likewise bud.

[@spitNsawdust]

I found ‘stair gauges’ are great for repeat angles when attached to speed squares and roofing squares.

[@startmaking1]

It's funny, I saw a short of a guy using one maybe 2 weeks after I had finished filming this. I was planning on including it in my end of year video.

[@spitNsawdust]

@@startmaking1 Typical eh! The only thing with them, is they have sides, like a nut, maybe I’ll round them off for better accuracy, but they do work well. Best of luck and thanks for your tips. 👍

[@SomeDudeOnline]

Starting at not zero was one of the first things I ever learned. The second thing was to NOT forget to account for that extra arbitrary number you start at.

[@startmaking1]

Very sound advice.

[@anthonygriffin3147]

Good video rkid well done carnt go wrong ha ha

[@startmaking1]

Appreciate that bud. Thank you.

[@brucewelty7684]

@6.23 you got a serious DING in that blade

[@startmaking1]

I know Bruce. Came like that and I spent tine flattening the back before I noticed quite how bad it was.

[@michaelwillson6847]

Cracking video again mate some really good tips in there. Those mitre gauges look the business even the cheaper not hongdui one. Need upgrade mine some point. Will share this. Catch up soon mate 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿👍

[@startmaking1]

Hey Michael. Thank you mate. Apologies for the radio silence. Just slammed at the moment.

[@michaelwillson6847]

@@startmaking1 no worries mate a no your busy juggling whole load stuff catch up soon though 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@alanclarke4646]

Just one thing: the correct term for the cutter in a plane is "iron", not "blade".

[@startmaking1]

Thank you

[@jamesmcc5147]

Great video, Mark. I too purchased an upgrade mitre guage. The problem is that my table saw has the same infeed depth as yours and it really needs the added depth or else the weight is too much on the left side. I use the small DeWalt guage with insulating tape to make it snug. The heavier guage does work great on the router table but I need to make an Indeed table.

[@paulfarrar8846]

If you need to divide a wide board into several equal parts along the length that is not a round number wide like 17.7cm and you need 4 strips from it don't try complicated maths. Lay a rule across the board at an angle until it reads a number greater than the width of the board that is easy to divide by 4 - say 20cm, then mark the 5cm the 10cm and 15cm points with the ruler still at an angle, move the ruler down a bit and repeat then join the two marks the rule along the length and you have 4 even width strips

[@startmaking1]

Now this is a great tip. Thank you.

[@christianbookter1016]

50 pounds of what Englishman ? Actually a very good and worthwhile video. Kudos to ya.

[@startmaking1]

lol. Thank you. Much appreciated.

[@chriscollins9717]

Great video. For the ill fitting mitre gauge, layers of blue tape down the side can help (did this on my temu one I got recently). Also, a pack of cards is also useful to have in the workshop to help with incremental changes. Especially useful for packing out drawer faces I understand

[@startmaking1]

Brilliant advice Chris. And the cards are invaluable. Especially if you are like me and just cant get things quite right. They shim a lot of things in my workshop.

[@kenerickson4923]

Maybe put the tape on the guide instead of the router. Easier than aligning on router but uses more tape.

[@startmaking1]

Good suggestion. Thank you

[@grepora]

Instead of using threaded inserts and putting knobs on the bottom (on top of the plane blade), insert carriage bolts through the plane blade and screw the knobs onto the carriage bolts.

[@startmaking1]

This would work great. And in fact it was my initial plan but I changed it only because I had some threaded inserts and wanted the top to be smooth to hold. Silly really.

[@alext8828]

Wait! Why chisel out the block when you can just stick the iron on with double-stick tape?

[@startmaking1]

You could but I have found that water and heat can ruin the double sided adhesion. But if it works for you then that is great.

[@ATG19534]

Fractions of a millimeter seems to defeat the whole point of millimeters.

[@startmaking1]

Fair enough

[@SomeDudeOnline]

#2 why not just use double sided tape and that same block without the recess?

[@startmaking1]

I found that heat makes double sided tape fail, and sometimes water can too. But I didnt try it on this one so it could well work well.

[@SomeDudeOnline]

@@startmaking1Fair points. The double sided tape I use can withstand a significant amount of heat before failing. Not sure about water though.

[@anelson1914]

Why not just put the tape on the guide instead of the router?? That way you don’t have to worry about tape on the bottom of the router

[@startmaking1]

It would work. I just feel like that is more tape but if it works it's not wrong.

[@liquidrockaquatics3900]

There are probably 500 things that people have done with speed squares and I’m pretty sure that if you made a tips video of nothing but speed square tips you can get a pretty good video out of it. I tried reading the manual that comes with a Swanson speed square once, and it’s wild what you can do with one

[@startmaking1]

That is so true and there are 2 reasons I have not done a video on it. 1 is that there are already a few from people far more knowledgeable than me and 2. and this is the important one. I have no clue what that book even says lol. It's mind blowing.

[@liquidrockaquatics3900]

@@startmaking1 just think, there were guys that were the most high-speed that you’ve ever seen climbing up on top of a roof with a tool belt a speed square and a circular saw dragging extension cord and building some stuff on the spot. Some people didn’t have the benefit of having an entire crew on the ground manufacturing pieces for them and passing them up.

[@ST-0311]

@@liquidrockaquatics3900 Um...here "were?" A lot of us still do that, so it's more of there "are." Granted, cordless tools have eliminated the extension cord for some, but the rest of the process remains unchanged.

[@liquidrockaquatics3900]

@@ST-0311 not many people do it alone though. It’s far more common to have someone on the ground cutting while the person in the rafters is measuring and fastening. If they don’t just order the entire truss package and have it delivered. That’s what I see 90% of the time (probably 99% for houses, not barns though)

[@ST-0311]

@@liquidrockaquatics3900 Please quantify "Not many" for me, because I count millions that do. What you are describing is how a full framing crew operates, and it nothing new. That's how it was done when I did framing and general construction 40 years ago. However, back then - and still today - millions of small contractors, handymen, remodelers, and DIY'ers don't have the luxury nor need for a designated cutman on the ground. Barns, yes. Also there are sheds, workshops, carports, gazebos, decks, porches, dormers, skylights, and all sorts of modifications or add-ons don't require a full crew. There are also still small residential construction outfits that frame entire houses with a small (2 to 4) crew and no designated cutman. In fact, Shannon of @HouseImprovements is currently building a large cabin mostly by himself, if you care to see how it's done. All of these people still carry their own saws and speed squares, and they often build in place. As for trusses: They are fast and simple for a gable ended roof. However, hips and valleys mostly need to be stick built. Hip and valley rafters often need to be modified in place. Therefore, one will still find speed squares and saws up in the roof framing regardless of having someone on the ground.

[@tchevrier]

I see you have one of those foldable ladders from hell. lol How do you like it? I think I swear at mine every time I have try and use it.

[@startmaking1]

It's like the Rubik's cube of ladders. And I cant do a Rubik's cube lol.

[@tchevrier]

@@startmaking1 lmfao. cheers

[@gamedesign1]

Are you at all related to the guy from ProAV? There's certain similarities. Sorry for random question haha

[@startmaking1]

lol, no. I just googled him. I see what you mean.

[@startmaking1]

ITs in the hands. Man, do I move mine around that much too.

[@gamedesign1]

@@startmaking1 haha no, its the rhythm of your voice mostly. You’re gonna be really conscious of it now haha sorry

[@javashak]

Great tips but just out of interest, for checking square on the box, the numbers are irrelevant, just as long as they are the same numbers on both diagonals.

[@startmaking1]

YEs thats right. If the diagonals are the same length then the box is square along that plane. Worth checking the sides are all plumb too. If that is the right work for perpendicular to your base.