Cutting roof truss rafter feet. (rafter tails)

In this video I show how I mark and cut the rafter feet to make a nice straight line to fix the fascia to.

[@johnmackay7789]

A new subscriber. Been fitting kitchens for 25 years so I'm a frustrated joiner now and even more so watching videos from yourself and Robin Clevitt etc. Keep them coming 👍

[@thetallcarpenter]

Hi John. Great to have you on board bud, thank you. Robin Clevett is a carpentry video making machine.🤩 He has inspired me to start videoing my work, and has been very supportive. He's a top bloke and is really good for UK carpentry.👍. Cheers

[@Chris-iz4ss]

I bet so many young lads wish they done their apprenticeship with you, being this clear cut and precise with everything you show.

[@thetallcarpenter]

Hi Chris. I had never thought of myself as a teacher, and ironically, have had a couple of lads I've tried to bring on, but they were more interested in their phones and scoring drugs.🤨 Thanks for you great comment.

[@honesty777]

Yeah no doubt.phx customs,no help.

[@johncurrie2802]

Another brilliant straight forward easy follow video . Keep it simple always works for me. Thankyou again and please keep them coming.

[@thetallcarpenter]

Hi John. These type of videos are slightly easier and quicker to film, and take only slightly longer to edit together.😀 Its cool that you're enjoying them.👍 Cheers

[@shepherdgirl9397]

Thank you so much ! I am an American grandma who is building a covered patio - all by myself ! I had the rafter ends marked to cut ALL WRONG! Bless you for this video ! ❤

[@thetallcarpenter]

Hi there🖐It's an absolute pleasure that my video has helped you🤩and during my time in the States I though American Grandma's were the best👌(until the grandchildren were naughty and she shouted, 'someone get me a switch'😲) All the best with your roof👍Cheers Del

[@markwillmer6382]

Another clear and concise video, thanks. Nice to see a sliding bevel being used. Smart move setting the string line above the trusses and gives plenty of adjustment and eliminates the deviation in the timbers.

[@thetallcarpenter]

Hi Mark. Its pretty straight forward stuff, and many guys actually set the line below the rafters.😀 Its tempting for people to ping a chalk line along the top of the rafters, but this wont give a straight line in the right plane.😬 I find sliding bevels quick to set up and easy to use.😎 Appreciate your comment and for watching.👍Cheers

[@mikeswift5405]

makes me want to get back into carpentry, but have worked on some poor sites with people who just want to run you into the ground don't understand them, great clear video, nice one.

[@thetallcarpenter]

Hi Mike. Your comment does resonate with me a little. I had started to become disillusioned with my work after working for ungrateful customers, people who just look down on you all the time, and builders who just want you to turn out more and more and don't give a stuff about quality or having pride in your work.😬 And we wonder why no one wants to go into the building industry. Thanks for your great comment.👍

[@andrewwhitehead7252]

Another cracking video I’ll keep watching Del keep em coming please 👍🏻😁🤩🤩

[@thetallcarpenter]

Hi Andrew🖐Thanks for watching bud, and your great comment 😎Cheers Del

[@jamesdutton2091]

Great video and channel.Its good to see a few uk carpenters making videos now.its easier to cut the rafter feet off with a small cordless saw rather than the 9inch saw we used for everything years ago.keep up the good work mate

[@thetallcarpenter]

Hi James. I have been a bit slow in becoming cordless, but, as you say, these small saws are super powerful, light and manoeuvrable, and are a MASSIVE step up from the big old corded beasts we used to drag around site.🤩 Its great to have loads of carpenters watching and commenting on my videos, and I appreciate you joining in.😎 Cheers.

[@charranjitsingh6742]

Very informative and detailed, keep up the good work

[@thetallcarpenter]

Hi Charranjit🤩 Thanks for watching mate 👍

[@alanrahlf9603]

Nice job. I like the idea of using the string line above rather than just chalking a line.

[@thetallcarpenter]

Hi Alan🖐 I find I can get the string tighter than a chalk line👊Thanks for watching 😎 Cheers Del

[@alanrahlf9603]

Used your method today to straighten out the tails on a shed I'm building and it worked great!

[@thetallcarpenter]

@@alanrahlf9603 That's awesome Alan👊Nice one🤩

[@garethheathcote4988]

Another fellow carpenter and recent subscriber here bud,I enjoyed the video thanks! Exactly the same as hour I do mine,I bought a blade left saw on Monday Jack haven't had a chance to use it yet but I'm looking forward to doing so! Keep the vids up mate. 👍😃

[@thetallcarpenter]

Hi MYOB. I appreciate you subscribing and your watching my videos and adding to the comments sections of them.👍 I've always been blade right, but have had the Makita blade left for a year or so now, and its definitely got its place in my tool kit.😎 Cheers.

[@torvaldalexander4906]

Thanks for your efforts to help reassure others and guidance.

[@thetallcarpenter]

Hi torvald. You're welcome.😎Cheers

[@georgewilson5279]

Thats the proper way to do it some guys use chalk line not as accurate 👍

[@thetallcarpenter]

Thanks George.🤩 You gotta keep that line off the rafters.👍

[@percywilliams135]

Thanks for posting! This helped me out tremendously

[@thetallcarpenter]

Hi Percy. It's cool that you found the video helpful🤩 Thanks for watching and your comment 😎 Cheers Del

[@mohammedimran4439]

That's fantastic - thanks for sharing

[@thetallcarpenter]

Hi Mohammed🖐I'm glad you found it interesting🤩Cheers Del

[@Ultimate-roofing-square.]

Good stuff Del. The big chippy debate, don’t worry how the pyramids were built, line above or below the rafter foot.. 🙈. Definitely right hand saw, for everything.. 👊🏻😉

[@thetallcarpenter]

Hi Dan. Never even considered line under mate. Probably just the way I was shown as an ol boy.🤪 I think the blade right/left debate is again down to personal preference and habit.😀 Thanks for watching mate.👍 Cheers.

[@Ultimate-roofing-square.]

@@thetallcarpenter as long as you get the right result it doesn’t matter 😉. I can’t use a left handed saw so easy. 🤪 👊🏻

[@lawboss9962]

Nice method bro...but if the building was out of square wouldn't it be good to use a big square with the line to square off the roof?🤷🏽‍♂️ Just saying

[@thetallcarpenter]

@@lawboss9962 Hi there. Its not so much the building being out of square, but more discrepancies in the brickwork, basically leading to wall make up that could be wider one end than the other. So if we set the soffit width, (or overhang), from the internal wall, (which the roof is relative to), and the external brick skin is not exactly parallel to it, this will show in the overhang. I hope I've answered your question, and appreciate you watching and your comment.👍 Cheers

[@Ultimate-roofing-square.]

@@carpentryandwoodwork2018 Blimey they were good brickies if you could go off their brick work like that. 😉

[@ukcarpenteroutdoors7081]

Great video of mate , the way you work is much like how I work aswell . ATB mate

[@thetallcarpenter]

Hi there. Its cool to know there is guys like us doing this every day, up and down the country.😎 Thanks for your comment.👍Cheers

[@barrysmith5564]

Thanks for this excellent guide

[@thetallcarpenter]

You're welcome Barry.🤩 Thanks for watching.

[@bartbug1]

Thanks for the video mate, like the old Stabila and it's modification....what happened to it? Keep the vids coming

[@thetallcarpenter]

Hi bartbug. It's modified to help me set my sub fascia board level from the top of the brickwork. The tab on the end is 9mm, (the same thickness as plastic soffit), so I just hook it on the brickwork level, and fix my sub fascia to it. Makes it much easier when you're on your own.🤩 Great comment.😎

[@tonyalways7174]

Nice job and a bit old school too with the sliding bevel 👍🏻. Left blade right blade? Hmmmm there’s a discussion........After watching your video on the DHS660 v 680 I got myself a 680 to see what’s what. My jury is still out on that. I see the advantages with blade visibility as a right-hander but having always used a right blade before and preferring to have the cut off timber on the right (so most of the saw sits on the bit I’m keeping to the left of the cut) I’ll be honest and say that it still feels awkward. I’ll battle on because it’s a good saw but it’ll take a bit of getting used to I think. Maybe I’m being a bit crack-handed so I’d be interested in other thoughts. Cheers

[@thetallcarpenter]

Hi Tony. I think I'm pretty much on the same boat as you mate. Thirty plus years of using blade right kinda gets you set in your ways.😝 Try not to look at the blade left as a replacement to the blade right, but more a useful addition to your tool kit. I found the blade left really good for small runs of studwork where I didn't want to set the chop saw up, and its definitely useful when cutting jack rafters. Use the blade left for square cuts and the blade right can stay set at whatever angle you need for the compound cut.😎 Keep pluggin away.👍 Cheers.

[@tonyalways7174]

@@thetallcarpenter that makes a lot of sense and a good way of working. I’ll do that I think. Cheers for the tip 🍻

[@thetallcarpenter]

@@carpentryandwoodwork2018 Hi there. Sounds great, and its so cool when all the trades on a job are at the top of thier game.🤩 Makes it so much easier for each following trade.😎 Thanks for your comment and for watching.👍 Cheers.

[@TheTraditionalGolfer]

Well done mate 👏

[@thetallcarpenter]

Hi there. Its a fairly mundane roofing task so appreciate you watching and your comment.👍 Cheers.

[@rockandmeatroll]

Great vid, keep em coming.

[@thetallcarpenter]

Hi Sean O. Got a good few videos coming up.👍 Its tricky knowing what people might find interesting.🤪 Thanks for your comment and for watching.😎 Cheers.

[@rockandmeatroll]

Real world on the job are great to watch and learn from. Thanks! And tips and tricks seem to have a wide following.

[@peterridding4874]

Great video thanks . What sets the dim off the brickwork for the cut ? Soffit size ?

[@thetallcarpenter]

Hi Peter. There's nothing set in stone for these type of roofs, but I generally set my overhangs around 200mm. (8" old money). I think that, historically, most soffits were set around this distance.😎 Thanks for your comment.👍

[@peterridding4874]

Thanks . I appreciate you bothering to post instructional videos like this . Sharing your knowledge is a generous thing . I have a cottage to totally renovate from top to bottom and having a fair grasp of techniques is one thing but watching skilled tradesmen really helps . 👍

[@thetallcarpenter]

@@peterridding4874 Hi Peter. Appreciate your kind words and wish you all the best in renovating your cottage. It will be hard work but very rewarding once its complete.🤩 Cheers.

[@khansk36]

Excellent tips tnx 4 sharing

[@thetallcarpenter]

Hi Sadaqat 🖐 Hope all is well bud, and thanks for watching😎Cheers Del

[@adriandotsmall]

Nice one Del. Particularly like the time it would have taken you to add the text in the edit 🖥 as you couldn’t do it verbally as you were doing it.

[@thetallcarpenter]

Cheers Adrian👍and it was a case of do the video with text over it, or not do it at all, and I think it worked out OK👊Cheers

[@Castrillo05]

That’s a great video

[@thetallcarpenter]

Thanks for watching Cesar😎Cheers Del

[@honesty777]

Cool video.

[@thetallcarpenter]

Hi there. 👋 Thanks for watching 😎

[@stevehallam6495]

When we stand trusses we always stand them to a line along the rafter feet on the front of the house that way if you are happy with the soffit overhang you don't need to trim the front of the house at all. The back will always need straightening up with this method as even prefab trusses aren't made exact enough to get a straight fascia front and back.

[@thetallcarpenter]

Hi Steve. Great way to put trusses on straight mate👍 I do a similar thing, but instead of setting up a line on the front, I just measure from the rafter foot back to the brickwork and keep them all the same. I obviously, still have to cut them, but its rare that the trusses come with the right overhang on them anyway so have to be cut to suit.😎 As you say mate, no trusses are good enough to just stand on and fix the fascia straight to.🤯 Thanks for watching and your comment.👍

[@marioalvarado8072]

Tell your worker “shut up “ I’m recording 😁👍

[@thetallcarpenter]

They never listen to me bud😬Cheers Del

[@mra2957]

Thanks mate!

[@thetallcarpenter]

👍😎

[@Brandon-no3vc]

Why use right blade saw if cutting down why not left blade? More of the table would be on the sturdy rafter plus see the blade and line easier

[@thetallcarpenter]

Hi Brandon🖐You make a very logical point for a blade left saw for this job, but for me, I find using the blade right more natural, plus, if you are only having a narrow soffit, the motor body and base sit further outside the cut line so as not to hit the brickwork👊Cheers Del

[@jeffyoung321]

You should have chosen some music from Men at Work 😂

[@thetallcarpenter]

Hi Jeff. Would've been cool but the video probably would get taken down due to copyright infringement!!!🤪 Cheers.

[@dustinbrinson6801]

Cut the first one to length hold string and end of cut pop a line use a square to transfer from chalk line from top of raftor to side make cut trim the fly to length

[@thetallcarpenter]

Hi Dustin🖐Snapping a chalk line will only be straight at the pitch angle, and any high or low rafter tails will not be straight in the plumb or vertical plane that fascia is in. Snapping a chalkline is fast, but not as accurate👍Cheers Del

[@thomaswayneward]

LOL, I see what I have been doing wrong all these years, need to raise the line up, instead of resting on rafter tails.

[@thetallcarpenter]

Hi Randy. It only takes one high rafter, (more common on trusses than hand cut), to push the line off.😬 Thanks for your comment.👍

[@stevehallam6495]

do not let anything touch the line......ever, ever, aaaaaaaaaargh!

[@mortennielsen3626]

chalkline?

[@thetallcarpenter]

Hi Morten. You could use a chalk-line, but only for the string. Putting a chalk-line would give you a straight line at 90 degrees to the pitch of the roof, but the fascia wants to be in a straight line vertically.👍 Cheers.

[@garvielloken3929]

👍

[@thetallcarpenter]

Thanks for watching my videos Garviel.😎 Cheers

[@marioalvarado8072]

That one is left hand circular saw

[@thetallcarpenter]

Hi there🖐Fortunately I've got one for each hand👍Thanks for watching and your comment 😎 Cheers Del

[@shizzleinthenizzle]

4 downvotes, what the heck ?

[@thetallcarpenter]

Hi Shiz. I think it was Thomas a little further down the comments. 🤩 I could do a video giving away £10 to every person who left a thumbs up, and there'd still be some thumbs down 👎 Thanks for watching. 😎

[@emmanuelegyir9986]

I am looking for job I am a carpenter

[@thetallcarpenter]

Hi there🖐I can't help you with work unfortunately as I work alone👍

[@dustinbrinson6801]

I could do this with a speed square and a chalk line way faster

[@thetallcarpenter]

That's great Dustin👊You should enter rafter cutting competitions as you'd probably win a priz🥳