Square vs speed square, I had it backwards for 8 years

I always used the wide flange against the board when marking 45s. Then a contractor I was subbing for in Phoenix looked over and asked why I was fighting the tool. He flipped it so the lip sat on the edge, and my cuts stopped drifting by 2 or 3 degrees. I had to redo a whole set of stair stringers that morning because of it. Has anyone else realized they were using a basic layout tool wrong for years? What tipped you off?

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harper198d ago

Huh, that seems like a pretty big deal to have to redo whole stringers over it. But honestly, I gotta wonder if the tool was the real problem or if you just got used to a bad habit that day. I've seen guys mark with speed squares every which way and still hit within a degree or two if they're being careful. Redoing a whole set of stringers sounds more like a trust issue than a math issue. Maybe the air in Phoenix was just messing with your head, you know? Either way, glad you figured out what works for you, but I wouldn't beat yourself up over eight years of the other way. It's not like you were using it as a hammer this whole time.

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