Now, you might not use a framing square very often in your workshop, but you might use it a lot more after you learn this awesome, time-saving hack! Framing squares are used most often by carpenters in the field when they are laying studs and framing walls.

In the video below, we get an awesome explanation of a few different methods for finding stud center and laying studs. It’s pretty obvious which one is faster, and I bet you can think of a few other ways to use this trick around the shop!

First, the basics. Studs are 16 inches apart, from stud center. You can mark this spot on your base, but when it comes times to lay the stud, you’ll find that you’re covering up the mark. An easy solution is to mark three quarters of an inch on either side of the mark. That way, your 2 x 4 (or your 1.5 x 3.5, as we know) will sit sqarely between your two marks.

The theory behind all of that is well and good, but you can see how this would be time consuming to do for every stud, and if you’re a carpenter out in the field, it’s all about production! So go ahead and watch the video below to see how Leah, from See Jane Drill, uses the framing square to accomplish the same task in a fraction of the time!