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Carpentry Guides
Layout and marking fundamentals, written for people who cut lumber for a living. No fluff, just technique.
How to Use a Rafter Square: A Carpenter's Guide
What a rafter square does, the four jobs it handles every day, and a step-by-step walkthrough of marking a clean square cut on a 2x4.
Read the guideHow to Mark Perfectly Square Cuts on Lumber
Why square cuts matter, why lines drift when you flip a single-sided square, and the technique that keeps every face in agreement.
Read the guideRafter Square vs. Speed Square
The two names get used interchangeably, but the tools are not identical. What each one does best and which belongs in your apron.
Read the guideHow to Mark Boards with Wane or Rough Edges
Wane, bark edges, and rough-sawn stock throw off a square that registers on one edge. Here is how to get a true line anyway.
Read the guideNew to the tool itself? Start with how the Rapid Rafter works →