God bless you brother. You know how many times my dad tried to show me that!!? Now he's with Jesus and I'm brainstorming trying to remember everything he taught me.
For anyone who doesn't know. Just throwing this out there. If you are using a framing square make sure you are using the outside of both sides of the square or both insides of the square.
I will show you another trick.. Use a rater book by AJ Richers . this gives the length of the common and hip and valley rafters by the span of the building...This gives the length of the rafter by looking up the span of the building. Say you have a L shapped building one side is 24 ' the other 18' the 18 is hipped with a valley and the 24 is a gable... you deduct the with of the ridge say ' so you would look up 23' 10 1/2 inches from the common page that would give you the length from the ridge to the birdsmouth Start by cutting a plumb cut at the top or the part of the rafter that nails to the ridge. Measure the length of the rafter from the long point of the plumb cut down the top of the rafter to the birds mouth say 14' 7'' then draw another plumb mark from that point to get 3 1/2 ;; bearing slide a 2/4 scap down that plumb and when it first touches the bottom edge draw the birds mouth..Now go the the hip and valley you would look up the length of the common on the 18span after deducting the with of the ridge. and get the length of the common.. now the hip and valley are the same length. you take 18' minus the with of the common ridge and look up that length under hip and valley that is the length of the hip and valley no shorting is needed. Now to cut the hip use 17 and 6 on the square. Notice the seat cut of the hip cannot slide all the way to the plate so you need to cut something out of the seat cut of the hip the plumb cut stays the same if you want to know more respond
Great explanation. This is the first video about bird mouth cuts that shows how to use the speed square (with the diamond) to mark the heel cut line. Thanks!
1st off great video well done. 2nd if anyone is new to this or any kind of diy endeavors, the first 5 things you need every day on your person is a hammer a tape a speed Square a knife and a pencil or handful of pencils. If you do not have all of these then just do your best to provide support to the real men who already know this.
i worked 20 years framing houses and guys that knew the Technique would do anything to keep you from Learning that part!! anyway now i know the Technique THANKS tO YOU !!! thanks for Sharing!!!
Thany you my man!!! Very well explained and very clear, and I was able to retain this information. Other videos I watched....not so much. Thank you for you channel
PSA, this will only work if your framing your roof on 2x4 walls without sheathing. I know that there's a dozen ways to skin a cat, but if you sheath your walls prior to framing the roof, you'll need to adjust your seat cut to the depth of the wall including the sheathing. So if you used zip systems r-6 panels for example, your seat cut needs to be 5in(3.5 +1.5 sheathing)
Well not so fast there buddy, depends on if you’ll cut to deep on your rafter to meet code, as there’s usually a max birds mouth depth depending on timber size.
The 3 1/2" accommodates the thickness of 2x4 framing . If you were using 2x6's it would need to be 5 1/2". Also, if your sheathing is already up you'll need to account for that as well.
New at this. Probably a stupid question, sorry. Does the heel cut end up being the same as the end of the rafter? For example, if the end of a rafter is 27 deg , will the heel also be 27? Thanks.
How do you work out the pitch even before building? Or how do you find it after you finish the walls if you have no preferences and just need it to fit
I'm gonna attempt to build a 24x32 patio. Im using 4x6 for top plates. What is sufficient for putting 3 of the 4x6 together using a lap joint? I'm trying to make one long 4x6. Thanks brotha!
If I were going to lap joint 4x6s I'd probably connect them with some 8" structural screws that connect to the post underneath. You could also attach some Simpson ornamental T-straps to enhance the look a little bit. Something like what's in the following link: www.fastenersplus.com/products/simpson-apt6-ornamental-6x-t-strap-black-powder-coat-over-zmax?+Shopping+-+Simpson+Connectors+-+Outdoor+Accents&hsa_acc=3477180114&hsa_cam=751806861&hsa_grp=38338888014&hsa_ad=177252125236&hsa_src=g&hsa_tgt=pla-283282326138&hsa_kw=&hsa_mt=&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwhtWvBhD9ARIsAOP0Goj4i9o8CTCFQgmQ2j6DFS8XKAk6jJ9a0XBewUNV0IOFQ8vdvKzp9e4aAq7MEALw_wcB
Your Heel an seat cut have to be/are 90° to each other, Your Heel cut in degrees, is also your plumb cut. I dont cut out more than 1an 1/4inches deep, the heel cut .. The flatter the pitch youll adjust your heel cut accordingly probably 1anc1/2inches full.
I have a question. The cut you made is for sitting on top plate ( 3 1/2" ) section or whatever size top plate is. Can a birdsmouth be done if it's not sitting on a top plate? For example I'm building a lean to carport and have 2×6's on the run and are sitting with 1 1/2" section sitting upright.
For the common dummy like me, I'd tack the 2x4 (or 6) 2 1/2 inches higher than the ridge beam on the outside edge. Then tack the rafter to the side of the shed about 2 1/2 inches higher than the top of the sill plate. Now go make that straight down mark on the top edge and use a carpenter's square set so you can trace the bird's mouth. I have to put a roof on my shop so I'm gonna try my method first. Never said I was a pro and I was non existent at math and degrees
How do you find out what your pitch is? I am trying to create a lean to off my house and have no clue when it comes to all of this. I can build walls but never built a roof before haha.
If you need to find the pitch of your existing roof, check out this Short that I made:ruclips.net/user/shortseweoeGDg59A?feature=share If you're trying to determine the pitch of the roof you're building for your lean-to, then thats up for you to decide. You can make it any pitch you want.
I know this comment will be buried but maybe it helps someone. Most tutorials skip this, it can be obvious for most but it is worth mentioning. The reason why we're lining up to 3 1/2" is only because we are assuming the rafter will sit on a 2x4 top plate. The actual width of a 2x4 is 3 1/2", that's where that value is coming from. So, if if you are trying to lay the rafter on anything else, for whatever reason, this method will fail. You have to measure for the width of the framing your rafter will sit on. A simple method that can account for all situations is to make a perpendicular reference line across the rafter at one end of birdsmouth, measure and mark a second line that is the exact width of the plate. Then, using the speed square, you can put the pivot on the second marked line and strike the final heel angle using common pitch. Finally, you put your speed square in between that last line and the first one and mark your seat cut, exactly like the tutorial.
Because that's the width of a common 2x4 top plate. The diamond mark on the speed square is at 3 1/2" and I was showing that the same thing can be achieved with a framing square.
Based on what I think you're asking... The "pivot point" is built into the speed square. It's the corner you hold against the board to find an angle and is labeled as pivot point.
@@aloseman yes sir I understand that. It’s hard to articulate what I’m trying to ask. I mean, you could use any point of reference to place that pivot point on.. you could go an inch out with a lesser angle, or three inches out with a greater angle. I don’t understand where the point of reference comes from with this method
Most exterior walls that will seat a rafter, these days, is a 2x6 wall.. full seat is 5 1/2.. I think they do it different everywhere.. In fact, I have worked on some commercial sites where different groups of guys will do it different within the same job.. Chaos!
The 3.5" cutout accounts for the width of a 2x4 top plate. If you're framing walls with 2x4 material this method will work regardless of the pitch of your roof.
Same scenario, just use 4 common on speed square or 4 & 12 on carpenter square. Carpenter squares are awesome as they print all the data like per foot run for pitches, valley, hip, octagon, jack diff etc on the square. And always let your rafters run long, then snap a line across all the rafters on underside for your soffit overhang, then transfer line up on each rafter end and then cut. If you cut them before install it'll be wavy as something is almost always out of plumb in rough framing so cutting those last helps eliminate poor quality cupped, warped, over-crowned framing materials they way, way overcharge us for 😏😊 Seriously, $8+ for a "premium" crappy 2*6*12?
If you're starting from scratch you can make the pitch whatever you want it to be. If you need to find the pitch of existing roof rafters amd match them, check out this Short I did on how to find roof pitch with a speed square and a level : ruclips.net/user/shortseweoeGDg59A?si=BFu2wNPQgL2gvUfc
![How To Make Common Rafters [Measure, Mark & Cut]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kVM7gPJN3UU/mqdefault.jpg)
God bless you brother. You know how many times my dad tried to show me that!!? Now he's with Jesus and I'm brainstorming trying to remember everything he taught me.
God bless you to! I'm glad I was able to help you recall something your dad taught you. I'm sorry for your loss.
@@ThouShaltDIYso if you are working with a 2x6 framing I’m assuming you would use 5.5 instead?
@@williammason8566 That is correct.
Should've been paying attention.
God bless you bro
Nice and simple explanation. Some people are trying to make rocket science out of the same thing you explained in a few minutes. Thank you.
You're very welcome my friend. I'm glad you found it helpful!
For anyone who doesn't know. Just throwing this out there. If you are using a framing square make sure you are using the outside of both sides of the square or both insides of the square.
Use square stops like a real man
Yeah that should be a logical thing
@@OffendingTheOffendable You would be surprised.
Brooooo! I wish i would of seen this video first. I've watched a bunch of videos and this is by far the best one. Thank you!
Thanks man! I'm glad you found it helpful.
I bet I have watched 20 other videos on this. Yours is the first one that has explained it so clearly that even I understand it. Great job
Thank you! I'm glad it was helpful.
Thank You Sir! You gave me the best explanation I have ever heard!
Your welcome! I'm glad you found it helpful.
Thank you so much for posting this. It’s very informative.
You're very welcome!
Very useful & math-free tip. Thanks for sharing.
Absolutely. I'm glad you found it helpful!
🙋♀️You made it easier for me to understand then other channels
Thanks. Watching from Alberta Canada
Glad to hear you found the video helpful and thanks for watching!
The best explanation out of all these videos simple and straightforward
Thanks! I appreciate that.
@@ThouShaltDIY God bless you brother
Great video thanks for sharing your experience and knowledge. God bless you and your family 🎉
Good stuff brother saved my headaches. I just got into carpentry and you're making me show 30 students a trick of the trade tomorrow
That's awesome man! I'm glad you found this helpful and that you're able to pass what you learned along to your students. Thanks for warching!
I will show you another trick.. Use a rater book by AJ Richers . this gives the length of the common and hip and valley rafters by the span of the building...This gives the length of the rafter by looking up the span of the building. Say you have a L shapped building one side is 24 ' the other 18' the 18 is hipped with a valley and the 24 is a gable... you deduct the with of the ridge say ' so you would look up 23' 10 1/2 inches from the common page that would give you the length from the ridge to the birdsmouth Start by cutting a plumb cut at the top or the part of the rafter that nails to the ridge. Measure the length of the rafter from the long point of the plumb cut down the top of the rafter to the birds mouth say 14' 7'' then draw another plumb mark from that point to get 3 1/2 ;; bearing slide a 2/4 scap down that plumb and when it first touches the bottom edge draw the birds mouth..Now go the the hip and valley you would look up the length of the common on the 18span after deducting the with of the ridge. and get the length of the common.. now the hip and valley are the same length. you take 18' minus the with of the common ridge and look up that length
under hip and valley that is the length of the hip and valley no shorting is needed. Now to cut the hip use 17 and 6 on the square. Notice the seat cut of the hip cannot slide all the way to the plate so you need to cut something out of the seat cut of the hip the plumb cut stays the same if you want to know more respond
Great explanation. This is the first video about bird mouth cuts that shows how to use the speed square (with the diamond) to mark the heel cut line. Thanks!
Sure thing. Glad you found it helpful!
Excellent video, short and to the point, without a bunch of unnecessary filler! I definitely appreciate that time is a premium, thank you!
Very clear and concise instructions and demo. Thank you!
Thank you very much you really helped me a lot to build my dog house 🙏🙏🙏
Brother, thank you so much! Sister wants a coop, and this made me feel so much more comfortable tackling that roof! Thabks a million!
Sure thing my friend. Glad it was helpful to you.
1st off great video well done. 2nd if anyone is new to this or any kind of diy endeavors, the first 5 things you need every day on your person is a hammer a tape a speed Square a knife and a pencil or handful of pencils. If you do not have all of these then just do your best to provide support to the real men who already know this.
Amen, thank you for your material. God bless!! ❤🙏🏾🤲🏾
Excellent video! You demonstrated this process so clearly and simply. Pace of demonstration and length was spot on!
A great instruction!
Thank you very much!
*FINALLY* a SIMPLE explanation with various ways how to do the seat cut. Thank you! 👍
Thanks bro....this is the easiest method Ive seen so far....may God be with you .
You're welcome. May God be with you as well my friend!
Yes, this was very helpful. Short and concise. Thanks for taking the time to share this. God bless you, Miles.
Thanks for the best explanation & method on cutting a bird's mouth.
You are the best teacher easy and simple!🎉
Perfect! I love simple explanations like these!
i worked 20 years framing houses and guys that knew the Technique would do anything to keep you from Learning that part!! anyway now i know the Technique THANKS tO YOU !!! thanks for Sharing!!!
Clear concise, simple explanation. Thank you
Simplicity at its finest thank you
You're welcome my friend. Glad you found it helpful!
You just saved me hundreds of dollars; thank you, Patrick.P
Sure thing!
Thank you for a great explanation. Help me understand it finally
You're very welcome. I'm glad you found it helpful!
Excellent tips especially for a DIY'ER such as myself,thanks for sharing!
You're welcome! Glad it was helpful.
Good deal you made that look very simple awesome job
Thank you for educating good information lm still learning everyday thank you and god bless
Excellent. Thanks very much. 3 and a 1/2 inches. Ok. Looks like a 2 by 8 which is what I am using for my rafters.
Thany you my man!!! Very well explained and very clear, and I was able to retain this information. Other videos I watched....not so much. Thank you for you channel
Your welcome my friend. Glad you found the video useful!
Watch this video upside down if you’re still confused. Helped me for some reason
Great video
Quick and to the point
That was simple and easiest way i have seen yet tks
You're very welcome my friend. Glad you found it helpful!
Very helpful, hope you could do a gable roof. You are a good teacher.
That was great and GOD Bless you too.
PSA, this will only work if your framing your roof on 2x4 walls without sheathing. I know that there's a dozen ways to skin a cat, but if you sheath your walls prior to framing the roof, you'll need to adjust your seat cut to the depth of the wall including the sheathing. So if you used zip systems r-6 panels for example, your seat cut needs to be 5in(3.5 +1.5 sheathing)
Well not so fast there buddy, depends on if you’ll cut to deep on your rafter to meet code, as there’s usually a max birds mouth depth depending on timber size.
very helpful, thank you.
Sorry if my question is naive, but Why selecting the '3 1/2" mark on the speed squaire or the frame square...Thank you for your help...
The 3 1/2" accommodates the thickness of 2x4 framing . If you were using 2x6's it would need to be 5 1/2". Also, if your sheathing is already up you'll need to account for that as well.
Thanks easy to understand.
Very well explained. 👍
Stay well, Joe Z
Great, easy to understand video ty
That was a great informative video - thanks for making it!
Glad it was helpful!
Great video thanks for those tips!
Well done thank you
You're very welcome. Glad you found it helpful.
Thank you brother very helpful
You're welcome!
God bless you sir
Great video, thank you
Very well explained 👊🙏
Glad you think so!
I totally get it, but you actually marked a 7/12 pitch with the speed square. watch it and see.
Noticed that, threw me off
Awesome Thank you
You're welcome!
thanks bro! God Bless
How far out do you cut after the heel cut ? And what angle do you cut the opposite side to line up ? I assume the same angle ?
Cool man.. can the same approach be used to cut frames for stairs?
Good job😊
Great video. Thx
New at this. Probably a stupid question, sorry. Does the heel cut end up being the same as the end of the rafter? For example, if the end of a rafter is 27 deg , will the heel also be 27? Thanks.
If I’m using ceiling joist can I reduce my seat to 2” and use rafter tie screws in the ceiling joist instead of rafters?
Is that 3.5 in seat cut the same on a 2x4 rafter ?
Cool! God bless!
How do you work out the pitch even before building? Or how do you find it after you finish the walls if you have no preferences and just need it to fit
search- scribe a birdsmouth. no measurement needed, just a speed square for 3 lines
Thank you!
thank you
You're welcome
I'm gonna attempt to build a 24x32 patio. Im using 4x6 for top plates. What is sufficient for putting 3 of the 4x6 together using a lap joint? I'm trying to make one long 4x6. Thanks brotha!
If I were going to lap joint 4x6s I'd probably connect them with some 8" structural screws that connect to the post underneath. You could also attach some Simpson ornamental T-straps to enhance the look a little bit. Something like what's in the following link:
www.fastenersplus.com/products/simpson-apt6-ornamental-6x-t-strap-black-powder-coat-over-zmax?+Shopping+-+Simpson+Connectors+-+Outdoor+Accents&hsa_acc=3477180114&hsa_cam=751806861&hsa_grp=38338888014&hsa_ad=177252125236&hsa_src=g&hsa_tgt=pla-283282326138&hsa_kw=&hsa_mt=&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwhtWvBhD9ARIsAOP0Goj4i9o8CTCFQgmQ2j6DFS8XKAk6jJ9a0XBewUNV0IOFQ8vdvKzp9e4aAq7MEALw_wcB
Thanks!
Sure thing!
simple explanation
Your Heel an seat cut have to be/are 90° to each other,
Your Heel cut in degrees, is also your plumb cut.
I dont cut out more than 1an 1/4inches deep, the heel cut ..
The flatter the pitch youll adjust your heel cut accordingly probably 1anc1/2inches full.
I have a question. The cut you made is for sitting on top plate ( 3 1/2" ) section or whatever size top plate is. Can a birdsmouth be done if it's not sitting on a top plate? For example I'm building a lean to carport and have 2×6's on the run and are sitting with 1 1/2" section sitting upright.
Thanks so much
For the common dummy like me, I'd tack the 2x4 (or 6) 2 1/2 inches higher than the ridge beam on the outside edge. Then tack the rafter to the side of the shed about 2 1/2 inches higher than the top of the sill plate. Now go make that straight down mark on the top edge and use a carpenter's square set so you can trace the bird's mouth. I have to put a roof on my shop so I'm gonna try my method first. Never said I was a pro and I was non existent at math and degrees
What if we want a bigger birds mouth? Should i just it deeper? Would it affect the top?
Nice, thanks.....
I like this good video
Thank you!
I use a alpha winkel. With a scala of deegree. Easier.plumb line and easy scale
How do you find out what your pitch is? I am trying to create a lean to off my house and have no clue when it comes to all of this. I can build walls but never built a roof before haha.
If you need to find the pitch of your existing roof, check out this Short that I made:ruclips.net/user/shortseweoeGDg59A?feature=share
If you're trying to determine the pitch of the roof you're building for your lean-to, then thats up for you to decide. You can make it any pitch you want.
thanks
Sure thing!
I'm making a shed and my top plate is 59 inches wide from corner to corner. How do I know or figure what pitch my roof or rafters are going to be???
Why don’t you allow for the 1/2” sheathing?
Almost all habitable structures have 2x6 studs, so the 3 1/2 diamond is hardly used anymore. Just slide the square down to 5 1/2.
I know this comment will be buried but maybe it helps someone. Most tutorials skip this, it can be obvious for most but it is worth mentioning.
The reason why we're lining up to 3 1/2" is only because we are assuming the rafter will sit on a 2x4 top plate. The actual width of a 2x4 is 3 1/2", that's where that value is coming from. So, if if you are trying to lay the rafter on anything else, for whatever reason, this method will fail. You have to measure for the width of the framing your rafter will sit on.
A simple method that can account for all situations is to make a perpendicular reference line across the rafter at one end of birdsmouth, measure and mark a second line that is the exact width of the plate. Then, using the speed square, you can put the pivot on the second marked line and strike the final heel angle using common pitch. Finally, you put your speed square in between that last line and the first one and mark your seat cut, exactly like the tutorial.
Why did you do 3 1/2 inches with the framing Square?
Because that's the width of a common 2x4 top plate. The diamond mark on the speed square is at 3 1/2" and I was showing that the same thing can be achieved with a framing square.
I don’t understand where you get the pivot point from when flipping the square to line up the seat cut with the diamond
Based on what I think you're asking... The "pivot point" is built into the speed square. It's the corner you hold against the board to find an angle and is labeled as pivot point.
@@aloseman yes sir I understand that. It’s hard to articulate what I’m trying to ask. I mean, you could use any point of reference to place that pivot point on.. you could go an inch out with a lesser angle, or three inches out with a greater angle. I don’t understand where the point of reference comes from with this method
My man!
If the seat cut must be longer for the plate, a 2 by 6, do you repeat the procedure but adjust from 3 1/2 half to 5 1/2?
Yes, that is correct. I should've mentioned that in the video.
@@ThouShaltDIY thanks
@@danstark462 no you do not. Your seat cut is wholly dependent on numerous factors. Over cutting your rafter will get you recutting the whole roof
"thank you"!!👍👍👍👍
Welcome!
I need help in the calculation. My span is 19’ 7 3/4” and the roof pitch is 7 3/4. What is the length?
cool bro keep going
What if it's a 2x6?
How do you know where to start your bitdsmouth cut?
Most exterior walls that will seat a rafter, these days, is a 2x6 wall.. full seat is 5 1/2.. I think they do it different everywhere.. In fact, I have worked on some commercial sites where different groups of guys will do it different within the same job.. Chaos!
What if you don’t know the pitch? Thanks in advance!
Why the 3.5" mark on the framing square? If the pitch is different from a 6/12 how would I know what mark to use for the second line?
The 3.5" cutout accounts for the width of a 2x4 top plate. If you're framing walls with 2x4 material this method will work regardless of the pitch of your roof.
@@ThouShaltDIY Thank you. I understand now.
@@EliseandDanchannel You're welcome!
@@ThouShaltDIY So, if I'm using 2x6's for framing, my second mark would be 5.5"? Thanks!
@@da324 That is correct! 👍
Muy bueno
What about a 4:12 with 16in overhang
Same scenario, just use 4 common on speed square or 4 & 12 on carpenter square. Carpenter squares are awesome as they print all the data like per foot run for pitches, valley, hip, octagon, jack diff etc on the square. And always let your rafters run long, then snap a line across all the rafters on underside for your soffit overhang, then transfer line up on each rafter end and then cut. If you cut them before install it'll be wavy as something is almost always out of plumb in rough framing so cutting those last helps eliminate poor quality cupped, warped, over-crowned framing materials they way, way overcharge us for 😏😊 Seriously, $8+ for a "premium" crappy 2*6*12?
How do i determine the pitch of the rafters
If you're starting from scratch you can make the pitch whatever you want it to be. If you need to find the pitch of existing roof rafters amd match them, check out this Short I did on how to find roof pitch with a speed square and a level : ruclips.net/user/shortseweoeGDg59A?si=BFu2wNPQgL2gvUfc