I finally switched from a combo square to a framing square for wall layouts

I spent years using my 6 inch combo square for marking studs and wall plates. Last week I grabbed a 2 foot framing square on a whim and tried it on a 12 foot wall. The difference in accuracy was huge. No more double checking my marks 3 times or fighting with a short square over long distances. That one swap saved me about 20 minutes per wall section. Has anyone else made a tool switch that felt this obvious but you just never got around to it?

3 comments

3 Comments

amy97429d ago

The framing square is a total game changer for long walls, sure beats squinting at combo square marks. Did you switch to a 2 foot or grab a 4 foot one for even bigger layouts? How long did it take you to adjust the angle markings to your workflow?

olivia39829d ago

Huh, I gotta disagree a bit here. I’ve been using a decent combo square for years on long walls and never felt like I was squinting, maybe my eyes are just good still. Framing squares are okay for rough stuff like marking rafters, but for me they’re too clunky for layout on a long wall. I find they tip or slide around if I’m not super careful, especially on something like a 2x4 that’s not perfectly flat. Then you gotta stop and zero it out for angled cuts (which I mess up half the time anyway), so that’s a whole extra step. I’ll stick with my speed square and a chalk line honestly, it’s simpler and I don’t have to remember which side of the tongue is which.

theagibson29d ago

Amy's askin me how long it took to adjust to the angle markings, and the honest answer is I'm still figuring it out and probably will be until I retire.