Replies

1. 
   sschefer | Apr 12, 2002 08:20am | #1

   Normally it comes with a little blue book.... I don't mean to be sarcastic but did you get the book and did you read it. The bigger one tells you how to figure out rafters, etc., and the smaller square comes with one that tells you how to figure out stairs, etc... If you didnt get the books and it is a swanson, go to their website and download them.

   Steve - in Northern California

1. 
   Danford_C_ | Apr 12, 2002 08:37am | #2

   Steve,

   Did they change?  I still have the "little blue" book that came with my 6" Swanson, has the whole schmeer; rise, pitch, run, hip, valley, jack, common, plumb cut, birsdsmouth, stairs, etc. etc....

   Good advice; RTFM.....you're my kind of guy. ;-)

   Dano"Form and Function are One" - Frank L. Wright

1. 
   sschefer | Apr 12, 2002 09:11am | #3

   Dano, they must have, mine are about a year old and both books are different. I read them both. I finaly figure out how to do stairs... Dang that confused the heck out of me.

   Steve - in Northern California

1. 
   Danford_C_ | Apr 12, 2002 10:03am | #4

   Steve,

   Interesting, what's the world coming to when Swanson has to go "cheep"?  Personally, I never used a speed square for stair layout, not near as accurate as a rafter square.  In my home building days, speed squares were rarely used for actual framing layout, mainly used as tool to make something fit right by the guys up on the deck or in the rafters.

   Actually, a speed square is kind of a misnomer, because you have to calculate the lengths, a rafter square has all the information right on it.....'bout the only figgerin' one had to do was to subtract half the ridge board's thickness from the rafter length  to make the plumb cut....

   Dano"Form and Function are One" - Frank L. Wright

2. 
   Radish54 | Apr 12, 2002 04:25pm | #5

   Steve-

   I got the "cheap " Home Depot version of the speed square which came with no instructions. Not made by Swanson but by Johnson Level and Tool (I only fiqured out that the actual name of the object was "Swanson Speed Square" by doing an internet search). Thanks for the tip on the downloadable manual. I will give it a read.

   Douglas Bordner

1. 
   Radish54 | Apr 13, 2002 09:52am | #6

   Swanson has no link to download a manual...Guess I'll buy the Johnson manual so I can RTFM. :-(

   Thanks a heap.

1. 
   Danford_C_ | Apr 13, 2002 07:30pm | #7

   First off let me say that my "RTFM" was said with tongue in cheek and not directed at you as a smart ass comment....

   Secondly, if you are looking for a "short course" on a tool that is essentially used by framing carpenters, then you should've posted your question over at BT. 

   Now then, I'm not familiar with Johnson's speed square and their markings but, I and a few others here are familiar with the Swanson and their markings.  Steve was trying to help and provided the links, I saw those links and just assumed that they would work, I didn't feel it neccessary to provide a "primer" on it's use, your sarcastic "thanks a heap" comment makes me even less inclined to take the time to do so.

   Dano"Form and Function are One" - Frank L. Wright

1. 
   sschefer | Apr 13, 2002 08:15pm | #8

   http://www.swansontoolco.com/

   Here's a good link. The little blue books are 60 cents each but there isn't any visable way to order them. You might have to buy a real one to get the book.

   Here's a link to a video. I haven't seen it so I cant comment on it.

   http://www.senecastudios.com/Swanson%20Speed%20Square%20Video.htm

   Hope this helps.

   Steve - in Northern California

2. 
   Radish54 | Apr 14, 2002 03:35am | #9

   Truly, Thank You Steve. I appreciate your time and effort in helping a newby to this forum.

3. 
   alias | Apr 14, 2002 04:10pm | #10

   rad - as said before in this thread speed square and accuracy should NOT be used in the same sentence. if you took 3 from swanson, johnson, HD, they all give you diffrent readings. they used for primarilly(whew SP sunday morn's) ROUGH framing and have important place in that genre. bottom line learn your framing square , aluminum -stanley with the book when looked at it's a very well thought out , versatile, accurate (baring it getting slam dunked, and on a productive framing crew it takes mmmm 3- 5 months) before it makes it's way up on the deck or in a helpers tool box. learn the framing square you cant go wrong.

   cheers to all the bear