How to use a speed square | Why it might be the most important tool you own 

You may not realize how mind-bogglingly informative this was. For those who know, great. But for me, I was stunned by the tons of genius built into this tool!

Thank you for your kind words about this product. ru-vid.comUgkxgmlSSlIRNE_C2UjNrRD8KfUXsZIM7WNF I'm pleased to hear that you have found the plans to be informative and helpful. This product aims to provide you with a variety of shed designs and styles, each with a clear picture and a detailed diagram. You can easily visualize and build your own shed, or get inspired by the different options available. I hope you enjoy your shed building experience with this product. blush

As a 70 year young carpenter. The speed square wasn't around when I started. Everybody carried a Tri-square. Thank you for your well made short straight to the point very helpful videos. I wish You Tube was around when I started.

Hey this is a very very good vid. Im prior service Army Combat Engineer. In Advanced training they never touch on using a speed square, yet in our varing missions we were often tasked with temp building build outs when tents would not sufice. This was back in the 1980s and early 1990s when I served. Prefabed buildings were not a thing then like they are now. And I was lucky enough to have had a sergeant when I was a lower ranker enlisted that had serious construction knowledge. One of the many things he vehamitly insisted that we knewing was to 100% know how to incorporate the use of a speed square. The other was knowing by heart the various basic demolition calculations for various applications. Seeing this video was great and This retired Army Vet 100% approves this informative video. This young man kbows very eell what he isxtalking about 👍

My uncle once told my cousin to go get me that square , cousin said you ain’t tricking me that’s a triangle 😂

I spray painted mine with orange paint and immediately wiped it off. Left a nice orange paint fill in the numbers and made them easier to read.

I watch these vids even tho Iv been a carpenter for 25yrs, you always can pic up new tricks or be reminded of forgotten ones👍🏻

Damm man, I’m 46 years old and you taught me more in 7 min than all my years of hacking up my rentals!😂😂😂💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼

“I’m not worthy !” Been using one for years , didn’t know even a quarter of the shit you can do with it ! You are a star !!!!!

“This is my spare in case something happens to this one”. *Instantly throws good square like a ninja star into ground*

I just recently got into woodworking/ carpentry. I knew the speed square was important and bought a good one..... only to find out in this video how much I was missing. Thanks

This guy rocks. He’s the Cliff Notes of the instruction manual! I’m a metal fabrication guy. Custom bumpers, heavy farming equipment, one off tools because you can’t buy them, etc... The speed square applies as well to my craft. I honestly keep three to four laying on the fab table at any given time. Thanks for doing our homework for us buddy!

As a drywaller, I can confirm that this video is necessary. All framers should watch this lol.

I was a handyman for twenty years and NEVER thought to use the speed square as guide for my circular saw!! What can I say? I taught myself all i knew and did pretty good. Never had a single problem with the work i did. All happy customers. But using that speed square as a circular saw guise would have helped me a lot! Great video! Thank you!🙏

Being new to woodworking I have learned so much from this video and it has been really helping a lot in the shop. Thank you for doing this.

I'm self building a recreational cabin for when my seasonal work is over. This video has helped immensely figure out the angle usage of the square. Thank you.

Thanks for just busting through the basics and not spending time talking about garbage

You forgot scraping ice and snow off your lumber in the winter

I used mine to help move, clear and level dirt under an outdoor step I was replacing at my father in laws. It worked beautifully!

That was a heck of a demo. You sold me, I'm buying one asap and I don't even need it right away. That was an excellent lesson, well-shot and edited.

I got lost out in the woods one time but thankfully I just happened to have my speed square with me and navigated my way out. Life saver believe me.

I’m building a Patio cover and bought a speed square because of this awesome video. Thank you!

Thank yoooouuuu!! I bought a speed square over a week ago as im waiting on my drill and saw before I start trying out all these beginnner projects. I didn't know that it could do so many things. Thank you so much for this. I'm saving this video and I'm very sure it will come in handy!

I like the speed square so much I got the larger one. I've been a carpenter for 42 years and have used the speed square to do cut roofs, including hip roofs, for my entire career. I started in production framing and had no time to make a second line during layout. Everybody understood the stud goes on the X side of the line. At openings, S is for stud and C is for cripple.

I remember trying to make sense of the instructions when I purchased my speed square whereby it became a straight edge. Now at least I have a clue as to what all those numbers stamped on the thing are for. Now we will see if I am smart enough to put some of this info to use. Thanks for the great vid.

He actually drew a 50 degree angle in relation to the edge of the board. It was 40 degrees from a line drawn perpendicular to the length of the board. Still a great video. Learned a lot even though I use one almost every day.

Good knowledge. My dad when teaching carpentry work always said the old framing square is usually smarter than the person using it. Seen it proved true many times.

Who are the people giving this a thumbs down? Totally helpful video, simply explained, and steady camera when filming. Trolls giving it thumbs down need to get a life. Thanks for the video. Exactly what I was looking for to figure out how to do the pitch and bird cuts for the roof of a garden shed I was adding to the outside of my shed. Well done!

I also have used my speed square as a straight edge for small concrete projects like sealing holes in concrete walls Great vid!

This video was very informative and simply very very helpful to me. Thank you for sharing it with us all.

That has to be the best video on explaining/showing/Teaching someone how to use Carpenter tools really nice work and amazingly done incredible work thanks for taking time showing us how to use a Speed Square

I can honestly say with complete truth that I’m going to remember and more importantly use what I just learnt in your video - thanks heaps mate

This is great, I've had one for years and never knew most of what you just explained.

Thanks for sharing I always wanted some one to show me how to use the tool. Everybody says I don’t know!! I got 2 of them and I got to go to work on my roof!!

Great video!! I've been doing construction since 1974 and still going. I always have 2 or 3 speed squares available. Really good advice. Bravo

The 3/16” thickness of the speed square is also a good way to space the next top board when building decks

This was really great. I own one and didn't know why. Loved the humor as well!

Great video. They're also handy for ensuring your sawblades are squared to the tool.

Thank you for the video. I'm an average DIY guy with several of these and only knew a few tricks. My dad and I struggled for hours on how to do a birds mouth. Wish we saw this video 6 years ago! LOL

I own one of the original Speed Square prototypes, handed down to my husband from his grandfather (via his dad), who knew and worked alongside Al Swanson on the south side of Chi-town. Thanks for your upload!

Thanks so much, man. I learned so much from this video, given that I didn't even know the most common uses for a speed square. Or even that it was called a speed square. I always just called it the triangley-looking thingy.

This is hands down the best speed square vid on RU-vid!

Thank you so much, this video was extremely informative. I am a carpenter apprentice and still learning. This video helped to make me more quicker and accurate with my cuts on the job

Thanks I learned a lot. I didn't realize how little I knew about these..

This video is a jem!! Thank you kind sir, i wish we were neighbors, you are good stuff!!

Best explanation on use of square that I have very seen! Great job!

Great video, immediately bought a speed square because of you. It’s an absolute necessary tool

WHOAH! MIND BLOWN!!! Thank you for the excellent video... I am so much smarter now :)

Good video. I have a tip for you that you may already know. Peel the label off your tape measure and sand the plastic with some fine sandpaper. Write your measurements on your tape and erase them with your sweaty thumb. The fine sandpaper is the key - it holds the pencil markings until you actually try to rub them off, but if you go too coarse the marks are difficult to remove.

Loved this. Clear, precise, informative information. Nice video.

Ok this was awesome! I want to follow you around for a day or three and learn more tricks. Thank you so much!

I learned how to use one in my high school woodshop class, we used it everyday. Then a year later at university, one of my friends hot me a standard swanson speed square which was one of my FIRST tools I ever owned and I now have a full shop of almost every tool I will ever need and I STILL use the same square every time im working in my shop 👍

Great video and fun too. I find mine really useful for small length measuring, easier than a tape. Also, make sure the base is 1/8 of an inch, makes it easier to adjust your measurement when the square is standing on the base.

I've been building a upcycled room 2m by 2m I don't have any experience building everything I've learned has been from RU-vid by far your video has helped me the most

One of the coolest vids I've seen all year.

The best video I’ve seen on said tool man. Some reason nobody else can use a pencil n strike lines with that thorough n complete of explanations. Well done 👍

I loved this and learned without having to ask my "merciless" sons! :-)

Thanks for sharing this! It will help so many people, shared knowledge helps everyone. Much appreciated brother.

I never knew that tool had so many uses. Very impressed with this video.

Great speed square advice! One practice that I found to keep your fingers farther out of the way when you’re using a Skillsaw, is put the edge of the speed square on the bottom instead of the top like you had it. Keeps your fingers where you can see them easier:)

This is a great video! Like how you put pictures with the video to explain what your cutting. I'm a new union apprentice in Hawaii

Thanks man ! I’m getting ready to build my backyard shed and you just made it a WHOLE LOT EASIER! Cheers CMF

Great video! Quick, to the point, and some humor mixed in. I learned quite a bit from this video

It's amazing what an old fella like me can learn from a young whipper snapper!...dang it man! yea there were a few things I never thought of on this....right on!

Great videos! probably the best reference building my deck at!

I like your tutorials, I lived and worked three years in construction in the USA and it is a job that I like very much, Regards

I love tools like this that are overloaded with functionality, thanks for sharing this.

3/16" thickness... THANKS! Been doing craftsman style finish work lately with 3/16" reveals for doors and windows and using a combination square to mark (or 3/16" block cut from drop until it gets lost in the depths of my pouch). Realizing I can just use my speed square should produce some pretty noticeable increases in efficiency.

Awesome vid man.. i just learned a ton of good stuff there

Most useful video I've seen on RU-vid in quite some time! Thank you!

Awesome, 4yo qnd still showed me more than other recent ones. You the man.

Saved this video to reference back to later down the road. Very informative and plus I learned some terminology. Just sub’d!

I know nothing about carpentry, but the youtube algorithm brought me here. This was great. I’m thinking why do they not teach this in school.

Thank you so much! I'm a 1st year Carpenter and now I know how to use my speed sqaure!

Been several years since I last watched this. Just as exciting and fun to watch as first time as you do such excellent work. I actually learn and no better way than to watch a guy who is like myself and who appreciates well made, very handsome very practical tools. Excellent video, friend. Victor from Gresham, Oregon USA 🤩🙌

Good info. I just now realized I knew almost nothing about speed squares.

Lots of good information, with a bit of humor, good job, Just found your channel, I will be watching.

Great video. I’m gonna have to watch it again to absorb the mass of amount of content In it. Lots to know about the speed square.

Awesome video. Will definitely review before my next home project. Thanks!

Doing a career switch next year, always wanted to do carpentry. This was an amazing video, only really knew a few of these uses prior. Thanks a ton my guy!

Adding to the stud layout tip, the base of the square also has marks in 1/4" increments (small triangle inside) and 90 side to opening for inner triangle is 1". Hold the square at mark and mark 2 over = 1 1/2" tick, scribe and scoot.

Pretty sure I just learned more useful/practical information in less than 8 minutes than I did my whole first year of shop class. Thanks for sharing.

I am just getting into woodworking...cutting, measuring, nailing, screwing, etc. Your video was great for beginners, even though I prob will never use a speed square for roofing, it was the first tool batch that I bought along with my hammer, tape measurer, and knife. Thank you so much. I look forward to watching more of your vids.

Thanks for the great real use video. I’m a basement remodeling guy and love learning new things with tools I’ve owned for many years:) Dave

These guys are the best around by far..Fantastic work always!!

Shalum The only thing you missed is the use of the degrees side of the square... For example if you are making a back cut(this is were an angled board is setting on another angled board... ie facia on a common rafter). Now your square becomes a calculator... Every angle derives from a 90° right angle so if the rafter pitch is on a 10 common which is equivalent to a 40° angle you would subtract 40° from 90°=50° on a back cut. Great video thanks

I just want you to know how much your video helped me. I was able to build perfect rafters on my addition. Im an amateur caprenter, but im one major step ahead because i can properly read a speed square, as opposed to using as nothing more than a straight edge to get a line.

Thanks for making this video. Loved learning.

This video answered my question about this tool. Now I can sleep until the next question wakes me up in the next hour or so.

Awesome Tips. _I can see why you have the second square._

I learned a ton from your video. It's great seeing the pros at work.

Right on buddy! Great tips for everyone, even rookies.

I have no idea why this video was recommended to me (i'm the furthest thing from carpenter) but god damn was it fascinating anyways

worked construction like, one summer in my life ever. anyway, subscribed.

Bought one of these a year back. Had no clue about all its uses. Just bought it because I've heard it mentioned before on HGTV or something. Now I know what to do with it. Thanks!

I kind of used some basic techniques in my home decking/gazebo project at home, this is a new level of learning, thank you :+1

The skill saw straight edge was cool. Never thought of that.

My diy roof repair job is slightly less shittier now thanks to this video.

Awesome, easy to understand video!! Kudos guys!

🙏🏾 learn something new everyday...excellent illustration..