Learned this one from an old timer in the early eighties. used it hundreds of times since. He would say " make sure that line is as tight as a guitar string"
Any method that you do not need to measure each stud individually is going make way way less mistakes and yield a better outcome! Nice trick to adapt to lots of things! Thank you for sharing
Been doing wall framing for years. This is a new one. Only problem. You need to waste more lumber. Most framing is with precut studs. Shim sill plate or top plate as required for uneven substrate. Good idea though.
I really like this idea, the only thing for me is if when you stand the stud up to the line and its not perfectly plumb then that will change the height when you do install it plumb.
@ClegFromCullman agreed, it's pretty forgiving. Usually you have something in the background you can use as a reference to keep the studs plumb, but even if you're out two degrees on a 9' stud, its only 1/16th. We originally did them with a spirit level but quickly found it unnecessary. Plus if you rub them a little bit on the line, the shortest point will always be plumb. It's a good method.
I completely agree with you. I think the better method would be to only do a few studs every whatever feet, install the top plate and eye it up to fill in the rest or possible shim/trim the first temporary studs. With that being said not all framing has to be absolutely perfect and this technique is way better then people just throwing the studs up.
I do thos same thing but with a laser. Set the laser, get instrument height, figure out how much board should be above that. Do your whole first floor without reseting string lines. The chaulk line idea is neat, the laser is just quicker in the long run. Doing this makes going up on the rest of the house much easier.
I had an old italian boss when i was a kid. He showed me this trick while framing a walkout basement. He also showed me how to cut jack studs as an L, as opposed to a square cut. Inspectors dont like it and you apparently have to pack them w/ insulation due to dead space.. but they install perfectly/easily, and your header will stay plum as a young bum
Holding a board up to a line and eyeing it doesn’t ensure that it’s plumb. Apparently you haven’t done any framing ,but then again most framers are hacks because they can’t be precise enough to get a masters in a real trade. Any kid out of junior high can be a framer.
Yeah, I wasn't sure how plumb it would need to be, so I did the math and on a 104 inch stud. You could be off plumb by about 1/2 inch at the top and still cut it to within 1/8 inch. At 1-1/2 inch (about 1 degree) off plumb you have about 1/4 inch. Which is probably acceptable, but I'd rather be closer to 1/8. A taller stud-say 10 foot-is harder to hold plumb but is more forgiving - you could be about 2 inches off plumb before you hit 1/4 inch That being said if your bottoms are cut square and you plant it on the plate, I think you'd be within tolerance.
This is how I learned to frame out basements. Get your green plate on the top and then nail together three blocks of 2x4 to represent your bottom and double top plate. Put the stack on the basement floor and the stand the stud on top and twist against chock line. If your line is nice and tight it will be perfect. Now I’m the basement I always take off at least a blade to a 8th extra to keep you from having your floor joists becoming a teeter totter. It’s a crap show when you have to start notching out every topplate to get them sitting down right.
Some older Canadian taught us that 25 years ago. Definitely idiot proof. Especially when the string is set with a lazer. We had this lovely task on countless occasions doing temporary walls, form stringers for brick and stone work.
Exactly!! I installed the tile floor in my dudes house that he was building. Heated floor with 1×2 tiles. Slab. Crete was poured and finished to perfection by the concrete finishers! No need to level any part afterwards! Level, square, and plumb isnt that hard to achieve!
this. i can see this trick being more useful on renovations where the concrete has settled in places. new construction the concrete should be flat enough. i do concrete and i shoot for 1/8th difference at most
As a 3rd generation framer i can verify this works like a charm. Just make sure to hold the stud straight and on layout. My dad taught me this when i was younger.....best framer i ever saw. Rest high on that mountain pop! We love and miss you every day!!
Fine for 3 little walls like this. But when the whole foundation has 1 1/2 variance over 26' we put double mud sills and shim them up. Check level with the transit and start dropping joists.
We’ll do that on interior walls on cement but the foundation shoulda been put in with a laser so we normally call that good enough and run all the same length studs on the foundation
We do the same thing with lasers. My lumber takeoffs only use precut studs when building walls over framed floors. I like the string for my home projects tho!
@@beelzebobtheinnocent1659 I could see how a laser set to the correct height could be quicker than setting a string if you had a guy on a scaffold. One guy on the ground standing up studs and pushing the scaffold, one guy on the scaffold marking and squaring off (also cutting them to make it even faster). Obviously this method is better for working alone, but with a helper or two I could see the laser being faster. Idk, I’ve never personally done either method, just my 2¢!
Its better/faster to set a nail in each corner of the bottom foundation green plate and string it super tight. Then loosen your foundation bolts and shim the low spots and retighten the foundation bolts. Can even do this before you sheer the wall.
Yep, that was how I was taught how to stick frame walls. Another guy I worked for would have us nail studs up there then snap the line then do square and cut from a ladder, I was like this is dumb let me do it my way…
I’ve been in it for 30+, cool to say Ive never seen this, and sad to say I never thought of it. I could see this saving time, energy, and ladder mishaps.
the key is; how taught can you get the string or chalk line? From my experience one can only pull a string line taught to a certain degree. The string would sag over longer distances/walls. The wall in the video is not very long. So this concept cannot cover all aspects of framing walls
Did it like this myself. The trick is getting the ends at the right elevation. You still need to set the endpoints with a level (optical in my day) based on a reference point.
This mailman really knows his stuff
😂😂😂😂
@@AwesomeFramers hahah the fact that you liked and laughed made this even funnier, I love UA-cam, great framing trick by the way
Yeap. That's what I thought
😂😂😂
I was not expecting this comment, but I'm so glad it was said 😂. Good hearty laugh. Much appreciated
Carpentry is such a weird trade.
Despite how long you've been in the trade, there's always something new to learn
That's all trades
Everyones brains are different, so that’s why so many people think and work differently lmao
That's life in general. Somebody always has a different perspective on the matter
Totally learned something today, why not use it for a few years, but learned it
Been doing it for half my life now, 18 years in a week. I have never seen this trick
Learned this one from an old timer in the early eighties. used it hundreds of times since. He would say " make sure that line is as tight as a guitar string"
Tight as a ducks arse works for me, and that’s water tight😂
Tighter than a fat girls sock
Tiger tight
tighter than a wh0res dream
I was always told fiddle string tight
This is a method i've never seen but will definitely incorporate, cheers 👍
Great for fence boards too
thank you for this comment!!!!! i dont do much framing but ive built a few fences
Any method that you do not need to measure each stud individually is going make way way less mistakes and yield a better outcome! Nice trick to adapt to lots of things! Thank you for sharing
Love this tip. The GC I work for does a lot of renovation and I see this being quite helpful in that application.
LO freaking L! Been there, done that. Especially true on buildings older than 100 years, moreso for a building from the 17th century.
I learned something new today. Thank you.
Been doing it this way since 1977
I’m upset you haven’t shown me in the last 30 years Mr.!
For shame…
I’ll bet you’re hogging up all kinds of cool tips and techniques, aren’t you…
'Cos before that they could make concrete level?
Been doing wall framing for years. This is a new one.
Only problem. You need to waste more lumber. Most framing is with precut studs. Shim sill plate or top plate as required for uneven substrate. Good idea though.
It seems like a decent idea for pony walls that aren't at a standard stud height.
The longer I do this the more I realize I don’t know!
That my friend is called the dunning Kruger effect
It's pretty accurate, I like doing it this way on steped foundation walls.
Its so much better when your foundation is plumb, and square, and the surfaces flat and level, you just build, stand, brace, tie in and sheathe.
We spot checked elevations on the foundations as per spec sheet. None of the lumber went up until the results were calculated.
And if my Aunt had balls she'd be my Uncle!!!😂😂
Square, plumb, and level foundation huh? That'll be a first for sure
Awesome! Great tip
I really like this idea, the only thing for me is if when you stand the stud up to the line and its not perfectly plumb then that will change the height when you do install it plumb.
With experience you’re eyes will get you close enough to plumb to use this method
@ClegFromCullman agreed, it's pretty forgiving. Usually you have something in the background you can use as a reference to keep the studs plumb, but even if you're out two degrees on a 9' stud, its only 1/16th. We originally did them with a spirit level but quickly found it unnecessary. Plus if you rub them a little bit on the line, the shortest point will always be plumb. It's a good method.
I completely agree with you. I think the better method would be to only do a few studs every whatever feet, install the top plate and eye it up to fill in the rest or possible shim/trim the first temporary studs. With that being said not all framing has to be absolutely perfect and this technique is way better then people just throwing the studs up.
@@petermoore143no it's not I have used this method on every house I have ever built and my floors never have a dip or hump.
Whoa ok carpenter master sorry guess I don't know what I'm talking about
Cool beans! I’m going to use this. I’ll most likely use a plum bubble on the stud
Thanks gentlemen
Always something else to learn!!!
I do thos same thing but with a laser. Set the laser, get instrument height, figure out how much board should be above that. Do your whole first floor without reseting string lines. The chaulk line idea is neat, the laser is just quicker in the long run. Doing this makes going up on the rest of the house much easier.
In order to get the chalk line tight enough to be perfectly straight without any say it would break.
The string will sag more the longer the span.
Exactly
Doesn't matter if it sags its just gotta be straight
@@dustinpomeroy8817 it can sag up to an inch depending on the span . Of course it matters
@@dustinpomeroy8817 you’ll have a dip in the floor lol.
Thanks for sharing. I was wondering how to for a job coming up. I'm definitely going to use this.
I had an old italian boss when i was a kid. He showed me this trick while framing a walkout basement. He also showed me how to cut jack studs as an L, as opposed to a square cut. Inspectors dont like it and you apparently have to pack them w/ insulation due to dead space.. but they install perfectly/easily, and your header will stay plum as a young bum
Why would your concrete be bad?
Awesome tip! Thanks for sharing! 💯💯💯
clever. ty. i would suggest also making sure the bottom corner of the timber is on the bottom plate before chalking ie not up in the air a little bit
As long as you make sure the board is plumb before you mark it.
Huh? He said he was crowning the board. You must have never framed before.
Holding a board up to a line and eyeing it doesn’t ensure that it’s plumb. Apparently you haven’t done any framing ,but then again most framers are hacks because they can’t be precise enough to get a masters in a real trade. Any kid out of junior high can be a framer.
Both you guys need your heads clinked together like like Larry and Curly😅
Negligible
Yeah, I wasn't sure how plumb it would need to be, so I did the math and on a 104 inch stud. You could be off plumb by about 1/2 inch at the top and still cut it to within 1/8 inch. At 1-1/2 inch (about 1 degree) off plumb you have about 1/4 inch. Which is probably acceptable, but I'd rather be closer to 1/8.
A taller stud-say 10 foot-is harder to hold plumb but is more forgiving - you could be about 2 inches off plumb before you hit 1/4 inch
That being said if your bottoms are cut square and you plant it on the plate, I think you'd be within tolerance.
That is pretty cool and efficient
Now there’s a great trick! Thank you for that 🙏👏
been doing this for 42 years....only way to go , never fails..
How do you level the string?
"perfectly flat" - freehands the crosscuts
I love learning new stuff and this is a great thing to learn
This is how I learned to frame out basements. Get your green plate on the top and then nail together three blocks of 2x4 to represent your bottom and double top plate. Put the stack on the basement floor and the stand the stud on top and twist against chock line. If your line is nice and tight it will be perfect. Now I’m the basement I always take off at least a blade to a 8th extra to keep you from having your floor joists becoming a teeter totter. It’s a crap show when you have to start notching out every topplate to get them sitting down right.
Есть нюанс, стойку надо максимально вертикально выставлять, иначе малейшее отклонение тут же прибавит несколько миллиметров к реальному размеру.
Actually really good idea!
Pretty good tbh. Most of these tricks are silly. This one is actually a good one
Thanks. Solid tip!
Some older Canadian taught us that 25 years ago. Definitely idiot proof. Especially when the string is set with a lazer. We had this lovely task on countless occasions doing temporary walls, form stringers for brick and stone work.
Pro method. And I bet everyone remembers who they learned it from.
“Of course crown them” does this mean make sure all timbers are curved the same way?
Not a term I’m familiar with in England
Pretty slick I love all the little tricks to every trade and they all work
Love this. Genius. Would work on fencing etc. you could use laser and a boy in a ladder with a pencil if it was something heavier too
Imagine we also used to use plumb bobs. Back in the 1900’s
I also learned this in the eighties .
I have seen many fails .
A builders level and a sharp pencil is the best way ...
Larry Huan kinda approves your method.
Nice trick man. Thanks for all the videos!
That chalk line sags so you're not getting a perfect flat top😂😂😂😂
Balloon framing typically used in basement payouts
Good for short distances - the '90s weren't using lasers so best get with the program
It's very common before lasers. Also, crossing slabs like basements floors.
Make sure to finish your foundation top flat and move on with life.
That's a different trade buddy ol pal
Exactly!! I installed the tile floor in my dudes house that he was building. Heated floor with 1×2 tiles. Slab. Crete was poured and finished to perfection by the concrete finishers! No need to level any part afterwards! Level, square, and plumb isnt that hard to achieve!
Some foundation guys can get it dead on and sometimes you need to shoot the concrete with a transit and get out the steel shims
It works well until the superintendent tries to help and sets them all one stud off...
this. i can see this trick being more useful on renovations where the concrete has settled in places. new construction the concrete should be flat enough. i do concrete and i shoot for 1/8th difference at most
As a 3rd generation framer i can verify this works like a charm. Just make sure to hold the stud straight and on layout. My dad taught me this when i was younger.....best framer i ever saw. Rest high on that mountain pop! We love and miss you every day!!
I had to watch this 3 times, I didn’t see the line and was so confused lol
There's a lot easier way. You put wedges in the middle of the two top late wherever it's low. And this will also make the facia straight.
Fine for 3 little walls like this.
But when the whole foundation has 1 1/2 variance over 26' we put double mud sills and shim them up.
Check level with the transit and start dropping joists.
We’ll do that on interior walls on cement but the foundation shoulda been put in with a laser so we normally call that good enough and run all the same length studs on the foundation
Nice tip i will be using that one!
Good if your holding it fairly plumb
We do the same thing with lasers. My lumber takeoffs only use precut studs when building walls over framed floors. I like the string for my home projects tho!
Yeah ,ur laser marks the stud ?
@@beelzebobtheinnocent1659 If it's strong enough maybe it leaves a little burn mark. :D
@@beelzebobtheinnocent1659 I could see how a laser set to the correct height could be quicker than setting a string if you had a guy on a scaffold. One guy on the ground standing up studs and pushing the scaffold, one guy on the scaffold marking and squaring off (also cutting them to make it even faster).
Obviously this method is better for working alone, but with a helper or two I could see the laser being faster. Idk, I’ve never personally done either method, just my 2¢!
The best part is that lasers don't sag towards the middle of the line, or bounce around with a slight breeze.
Love how older carpenters lived by the k.i.s.s method!! super handy trick for major remodels thanks man!👍
Almost 30 years exp. Never seen that trick.👍🇺🇸
I love this man’s humble sense of humor.
I always use a speed square on my skill saw to make sure im cutting exactly straight
Same. I want to be able to “see 90°” but I’m not there yet.
Its better/faster to set a nail in each corner of the bottom foundation green plate and string it super tight. Then loosen your foundation bolts and shim the low spots and retighten the foundation bolts. Can even do this before you sheer the wall.
That’s brilliant. I’ve built houses for years, and for some reason never thought of this.
l shoot all non concrete corners first with laser transit to insure level corners before pulling string lines.
Wow great tip thank you. I will definitely use this 100%. Keep up the great work
Nice work, an old tried and true method! Is that the 36 Voly Metabo HPT saw? Nice! Keep up the good work!
Fantastic tip!!
Yep, that was how I was taught how to stick frame walls. Another guy I worked for would have us nail studs up there then snap the line then do square and cut from a ladder, I was like this is dumb let me do it my way…
“ThE wAlL fOlLoWs ThE cOnCrEtE”
Every time a framer tells me this I’m like “And??!”
Great tip, better then building a wall, setting it up, and working all day with shims trying to get all four the right height.
I knew he was good as soon as I saw the Metabo!!
Thats actually genius
Great idea… assuming the foundation is at 0’-0” all the way across or whatever elevation you are working with.
Neat! I used a laser level at the base to mark a true line recently.
Wow, this tip is actually good! lol
Framed alot of houses. This is new to me. Thanks
Cordless wormdrive, sweet!
I do that as well! Well done!
Gentleman's been doing exterior walls for a while. Inside walls are pretty self-explanatory outside walls you have to get right.
My dad taught me to do this in the '80s
We ditched the string for a laser
I never thought to do that!
Or use a transit… I swear I would fire someone for that
Please explain how a transit is faster? That requires 2 people. Shooting both ends with a laser and running a chalk line is idiot proof.
Worm saws are nice!
That string would need to be super tight. Generally strings are for straight not so much flat.
Outstanding
I’ve been in it for 30+, cool to say Ive never seen this, and sad to say I never thought of it. I could see this saving time, energy, and ladder mishaps.
the key is; how taught can you get the string or chalk line? From my experience one can only pull a string line taught to a certain degree. The string would sag over longer distances/walls. The wall in the video is not very long. So this concept cannot cover all aspects of framing walls
So go to the middle, touch the string but at 1/8" before you cut it, install it and voila no sag
That’s an awesome tip my man. But the nuckle heads I have working for me have a hard time cutting studs straight while there on a set of saw horses!
Or as they say in Boston, “sah hahsses.”
How do you know it's idiot proof?
Thats rather neat.
Thanks for mentioning me 👍
Works well.. but definitely need super tight string and lots of chalk
It's sort of hurts my feelings when I realize I'm the old guy giving out the tips.
Did it like this myself.
The trick is getting the ends at the right elevation. You still need to set the endpoints with a level (optical in my day) based on a reference point.
Not shown in his idiot proof narrative.
We do it differently, but that's neat
Nice!😮
I miss the 90's..
Nice but this only works if there's no ceiling yet
Learned this one about 10 years ago. Still use it today sometimes