My uncle's 50-year-old framing square taught me something

He told me he never uses a speed square, said the old steel square is all he needs for rafters and stairs... I spent 2 hours last night trying to follow his method and it clicked why I've been overcomplicating layouts. Anybody else ditch the modern tools for something ancient?

2 comments

2 Comments

davis.ruby24d ago

I read somewhere that old framing squares have those little brass tabs for a reason, helps lock the square right onto the wood without slipping. My dad picked up a beat up one at a garage sale and swears the patina makes it grip better than any new version. Might just be nostalgia talking but there's something solid about using a tool that's already been proven for decades.

oscar74324d ago

Huh, I gotta respectfully disagree on the patina thing. Rust is just rust, not some magic grip compound. Those brass tabs are there to keep the square from sliding when you're marking a cut, sure, but an old, beat up square with a bunch of gunk and corrosion on it is more likely to give you a crooked line than a clean one. I've used my grandfather's old square, the thing was so worn the markings were practically gone, and it definitely didn't make my cuts any straighter. A new square with a clean, flat edge and sharp markings is just better for getting the job done right, no nostalgia needed.