Okay, so the other day I was trying to build a little shed in my backyard, you know, just a place to stash the gardening tools and stuff. I’m no carpenter, far from it, but I figured, how hard could it be? Turns out, getting those corners square is pretty darn important!
I started out just eyeballing it, using a regular tape measure, and let me tell you, it was a disaster. The walls were leaning, nothing was lining up, and it looked like something a five-year-old slapped together. I knew there had to be a better way.
That’s when I remembered seeing my neighbor, who’s a real handyman type, using this thing called a “speed square.” I think, maybe I should get one and try.
Getting My Hands on a Speed Square
So, I headed down to the local hardware store. They had a bunch of different squares, but I grabbed a simple metal one – the “tactical speed square,” apparently, because it had all these extra markings and angles. I have no idea to use it at first, but it looks cool, doesn’t it?
Back in the yard, I started experimenting. The basic idea is that you can use the speed square to quickly mark 90-degree angles. It’s got a lip on one side that you butt up against the edge of your wood, and then you can just draw a line along the other side. So easy!
Learning the Ropes (and Angles)
- Marking 90-degree angles: This is the bread and butter. Place the lip against the edge, draw your line, and boom – perfect right angle.
- Finding other angles: The speed square has markings for other common angles, like 45 degrees. I fiddled around with these, and it made cutting the angled pieces for the roof so much easier. It has so many degree numbers on it, which is much easier than protractor.
- Scribing Lines: It also have small hole on the side, I can put my pencil in to draw a line.
Putting It All Together
With my newfound speed square skills, I took apart what I had already built (which wasn’t much, thankfully) and started over. This time, things went much smoother. Marking those 90-degree angles was a breeze, and the walls went up straight and true.
I even managed to use the speed square to figure out the angles for the roof rafters. It took a little bit of head-scratching, but I got there in the end. And when I see some YouTube videos, I knew how to do it.
The End Result (and Lessons Learned)
The shed isn’t perfect, of course. It’s still a bit wonky in places, but it’s a heck of a lot better than it would have been without the speed square. I actually use a lot of time than my imagination. And it’s definitely sturdy enough to hold my shovels and rakes.
The main lesson I learned? Having the right tools makes a huge difference. And the speed square? That thing is a lifesaver for anyone tackling a DIY project that involves angles. Definitely recommend it!
