The old framer in Tulsa who showed me a pencil trick I still use daily
Back in 2009 I was green as can be, working my first real framing crew outside Tulsa. This older guy, must have been 65, named Ray, watched me fight with a stuck measuring tape for like 5 minutes. He just walked over, grabbed a stubby pencil, and made a quick mark on the stud. Then he said, "You draw the line, not the tape. Saves your knuckles and your patience." I thought it was nothing at the time, but now I do that every single cut and I've taught it to two apprentices. It's crazy how one tiny habit from a stranger sticks with you for 15 years. Anyone else got a trick from a veteran that just became second nature?