Loading…
5
Used to think a 2x4 was straight if it looked okay from three feet away
Built a shed in my backyard last spring and the door frame was off by a full inch because I eyeballed everything. My wife said it looked like a funhouse and I had to take the whole thing apart. How do you guys check for square on big projects without going crazy?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
rowan5936mo ago
Honestly, I just use the 3-4-5 rule for anything bigger than a picture frame. Measure three feet on one side, four feet on the other, and the diagonal should be five feet. If it's not, you kick the frame until it is. For a whole shed floor, I'll check it in a few spots. It beats taking a whole door apart later.
1
grant.luna6mo ago
Totally stealing that kick method next time. I built a workbench last year and must have checked that diagonal ten times with the 3-4-5 trick. Still ended up a hair off and now my vise sits funny (drives me nuts). That rule is a lifesaver for anything with corners.
4
craig.grant4mo ago
Dude, the 3-4-5 thing is gold but I swear it's one of those deals where you gotta walk away and come back to it. I did the same thing with a shed foundation last spring. Checked every corner three or four times with the tape, thought I was dead on, then slapped down the first sheet of plywood and could see daylight under one edge. Ended up shimming the whole thing and cursing myself for an afternoon. Your vise thing would drive me up a wall too, I'd probably end up rebuilding the whole bench just to fix it.
1