Appreciation post for the simple framing square after I spent 45 minutes fighting a compound miter cut on a staircase job in Portland

I was on a stair remodel off Burnside last Tuesday and tried to eyeball the rake angle for a skirt board, ended up hacking through three pieces of oak before I grabbed my square and actually laid out the cut proper, saved me from a fourth trip to the lumberyard has anyone else had a basic tool bail them out after overcomplicating something?

3 comments

3 Comments

jamie_white27d ago

Ever notice how we always overthink things until the simple solution humbles us?

seth68327d ago

Got no clue why the simple fix always feels like it was hiding in plain sight. I once spent almost an hour trying to pry open a paint can with a screwdriver before my wife just tapped the lid with a hammer and popped it right off. Felt like a real genius that day, let me tell you. Your brain just likes to take the long way around I guess, especially when you're tired or in a hurry. Keeps you humble though, that's for sure.

caleb26215d ago

Did you catch that article in Fine Homebuilding about using a speed square for compound cuts? Saved my hide more than once.