The carpentry trade goes back seven
generations in my family. In my grandfather's
day, you had to know the framing
square to get anywhere. Today, sad
to say, the "secrets" of the square that
he passed on to me really are secrets —
too many carpenters have no idea why
a framing square has numbers on it.
But it's well worth learning about
the framing square. Once you get
comfortable with it, the square is your
fastest and most reliable tool for figuring
roofs. Knowing how to use it can
save your day if your calculator batteries
die, or if you lose your little blue
rafter book. If nothing else, learn to
use the square to