Cutting Birdsmouths for rafters on shed roof

Started by That_One_Guy, May 23, 2006, 04:26:52 AM

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That_One_Guy

Not ever having made any birdsmouth cuts I've got a question about the procedure.  Is the cut made similiar to cuts for doing stair stringers where a skilsaw is used to make the intial cut and then finished with a handsaw to prevent overcutting the mark?

Jimmy_Cason

#1
That is how I did mine. Its a little slow. I made a template out of foam board then marked the rafters.
This also helped me to see what side of the board was crowned.





peg_688

I use a jig saw to finish the cut , but yes Jimmy's got it right.

I use a straight rafter as my pattern , screw on two  1/2 "x 2 1/2"x 6" plywood gauges on the top edge of the rafter one on each end, so they don't stick down more than 1"( use screws so as you mark and cut the gauges do not loosen )

 I stack in , generally, 3 piles on the horses the "crowned " (all one way ) rafters as many as the horses will carry weight wise , spacing the piles so the pattern and guides can be ingauged on the top of each rafter pile.

 Generally one guy on each end mark the top 3 , cut the top 3 , each person starts on a different pile pulling the one they are cutting to them . If you have help have the same person cut the same end they match what they do / did better each time so things are more consistant that way.  

 Nice job Jimmy :) Bet it was a PITB climbing over / around those rafters walls etc to cut those rafters . A good set of horses would have made it easier , IMO.

 Not a bad project to start a DIY build /  project , angles , heigths , widths etc all practiced will build skills at least 3 ways .  

 Good luck , PEG

Jimmy_Cason

#3
QuoteBet it was a PITB climbing over / around those rafters walls etc to cut those rafters . A good set of horses would have made it easier , IMO.

 

PITB...Pain in the butt?  .. Yes it was!

I pulled all of the rafters up through the window you see in the background and laid them on a 2x6 attached to the side wall and the hallway wall.

First, I leaned out the window to trim the ridge cut.

Then, I slipped between the studs in the hallway wall every time to finish the cut at the other end.

After it was all done I thought, Why the heck didn't I cut those rafters on the ground?

One thing I noticed... I am just a few cheeseburgers away from not fitting between 16" centers!

jraabe

What a group! One question from a member and in a few hours you check back and have two detailed replies with step by step photos.

Huzzah!  ::)


peg_688

#5
Quote[

PITB...Pain in the butt?  .. Yes it was!


One thing I noticed... I am just a few cheeseburgers away from not fitting between 16" centers!


 You got it Pain in the butt ;D

 Glad you took this OK I was worried I might have said a bit to much/ said it sort of wrong :-[

Just think if you did that climbing , etc every day that cheese burger wouldn't effect ya as much ;D You'd burn it off  ;D

Bouncer

On my shed roof cabin we just had a guy put the board on the outside of the cabin were we wanted it.Tacked it up trace the outline of the walls then take it down and cut it out. No measuring or figuring
and you know its right. Use that one as a pattern for the rest.
(scaffolding helps here)
Kevin

glenn-k

Good idea, Kevin - that is one that can be used in a lot of places

Amanda_931

#8
Seems like SOP is sometimes simpler:

Clamp together the rafters, with the to be cut edge up with the clearly marked pattern at one end,  Mark the top and bottom cutting lines, then fix the angle the saw blade so as to cut across one of the edges of the birdsmouth, cut that, then the other.  Is this what PEG said?

Two long saw cuts do a whole bunch of rafters.  And if you screw up you've screwed up really big time!

Or you could use one or another of the Simpson jobs. and forget about cutting them at all.  Hurricane ties.

But yes, making sawhorses will teach you to make rafters.