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
