I am building a 10×8 addition to my house. I need a good reference on how to cut rafters. Has there been a recent article? Good book?
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one is the rafter tabel refrence book or a framming square book
A couple of great books I have and read all the time.
A Roof Cutter's Secrets------Will Holladay
Roof Framers Bible---------Barry Mussell
With rafters and joists I lay them all out first and go through them marking the crown edge. I also inspect for knots or other problems that might comprimize their load carrying ability. You want the crown edge to be up when installing.
I install rafters with the tail (overhang?) a few inches longer than necessary. Later I make a jig to mark the cut line a constant distance from the wall and at the angle to be cut. If the wall is straight, then all the cut lines will line up. I find that easier than using a chalk line.
PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy (maker of fine sawdust!)
PlaneWood
If you don't cut the tails until after install how far out of wack can you be? Seems like you should be able to cut them on the ground if you measure from ridge to wall in several places and are not off by much. Seems like it would be easier to cur them on the ground, but I understand if you find you self out of line by a 1/2 inch or more. . .
If you were to build with open rafter tails woudl you ever notice a 1/4 or so.
DoRight,
That's an old guy trick. I've seen a few guys, including my dad on a few occasions, make the level cut of the tail and then leave it long. Then a line is snapped from end to end after all the rafters are set and a jig is used to mark the plumb cuts.
It was probably a lot more popular in a time when most framers set up scaffolding and set all the windows and did the fascia work off of it.
years ago I watched my dad frame tons of bilevels, set up pump jacks, cut the tails, run the fascia, set windows and then put on siding.
Framing Roofs/ Tuanton press. There is a section by John Carroll on how to use a site made jig and how to make short work of cutting the rafters and setting the ridge. I have made and used these typse of jigs quite few times and let me tell ya, I'll never use the framing square and those little clamps you put on them to make rafters or stairs again.
When all is said and done. the only two major things you'll need (outside of the usual tools of course ) is a construction calculator and that jig.
Ray.