Used to cut stair stringers by measuring every rise and run. Now I just use a framing square and a pair of stair gauges.

Wasted so much time with tape measures and math. Saw an old timer at a job site in Austin do a whole flight in 15 minutes. Bought the gauges that same day. Changed everything for me. Anybody else have a tool that made you feel dumb for not using it sooner?

2 comments

2 Comments

uma8961d ago

You're right that stringers can save time with gauges, but I've seen too many guys get sloppy with them and end up with uneven stairs. Ran into a job in San Antonio where the carpenter used gauges and didn't check his actual rise after cutting. Ended up with a top step that was a full inch off from the rest... real hazard for anyone walking up. My old tape measure method takes longer but I catch mistakes before they're cut into wood. Gauges are fine for rough work but I'll stick with measuring each step individually for finished stairs that have to be perfect.

cole_mitchell571d ago

Gotta disagree with you there @uma896. Gauges don't cause sloppy work, people do. That San Antonio guy probably would have messed up his math the old way too if he was rushing. A framing square with gauges locks in your pattern so every cut is identical, which is actually better for consistency than measuring each run separate where you might transpose a number. Checked my top riser on a flight last week off a level floor and it was dead nuts perfect, saved me a couple hours easy.