"The Daring Dufas" wrote in message
...
On 5/19/2014 11:01 AM, Dave wrote:

wrote in message
...
On Sun, 18 May 2014 11:21:51 -0500, "Dave"
wrote:

Been a long time since I was from around here, following several
system crashes and having to rebuild my hard drive from scratch,
but I am again in need of experience I don't have. Am building
the Gambrel Shed/Garage out of the Black & Decker Complete Guide
to Sheds (second edition) and have hit a speed-bump. P. 161 of
that volume shows the template for the rafters, both upper and
lower, for that project, and I just don't understand the "lingo"
if you will, or the diagram by which the information for cutting
these rafters is given.

Somehow, I thought that I would be able to set my adjustable
triangle to one angle and be able to cut all the angles for said
rafters. I realize I am ignorant in this matter, but without
actual notations as to what the different angles are, and with
the appearance that they are quite similar, that just seemed
natural. There is what appears to be a 30/60/90 triangle for
each of the upper and lower rafters, with different numbers on
the opposite and adjacent sides of each triangle, describing the
roof slope for each set of rafters. For the lower rafters, the
triangle shows 24 inches for the opposite side (I *think* I have
this right) and 12 inches for the adjacent side, indicating a
steep slope. The reverse is true for the upper rafters. It
*looks* like I would set my triagle for something like 30 degrees
and mark the seat and plumb cuts to make the upper angle, the
Bird's Mouth and the lower angle. 30 degrees won't give me the
numbers shown in the diagram for the length and depth of the
Bird's Mouth, or the lowest angle, however. 28 degrees will work
for the Bird's Mouth, and 20 degrees will work for the lower
angle, but no one number will do both. Is this normal, and the
way things are done in this type of work? If someone will tell
me where to post the jpeg so I can list the link to it here, I
will gladly do this. I have't kept up very well with how things
are done on the Internet, and I have no idea as to where I could
post the jpeg so those reading this message may observe it.

Sorry to be so verbose, but I really need some help with this and
am trying to provide information on the problem as I see it. If
there is a simple answer to all of this, I do hope someone will
take the time to enlighten me.

Thanks for reading this long post. Take it easy...

Dave

Get a rafter square and learn how to use it. This will become very
easy then.




Okay, the instrumet I am using to draw the angles for cutting
apparently *is* a rafter square, it just doesn't have those words
printed on it like the one I bought from Home Depot (which came with
an instruction manual.) So I will use the instruction manual and try
to figure all this out. The one question I still have bothers me
though. Is it normal to have to use three different angles to get the
rafter in question to fit where you want it? Maybe so, I don't know.
I just don't see any other way (yet.) And how am I supposed to know
what angle to cut the top of the upper rafters at? I guess I should
be able to calculate that, I just have to think about it for a
minute.

Either way, thanks for the reply. It kept me moving and that's how I
found the square with the instruction manual. I really would like to
talk about some of this with someone, but maybe my questions are too
stupid to warrant a real response. If that is the case I apologize.
I am just igorant on the matter, and am trying to change that.


Take it easy...

Dave


Dave, never think that any of your questions are stupid. Ignorance and
stupidity are not the same thing. Ignorance means that you don't know but
you can learn, stupid means no way. ^_^

TDD

Thank you, Dufas (LOVE that handle.) Made me grin, which is a nice way to
start the day.

Take it easy...