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Builders’ Tip: Accurately Cut I-Joists With a Cutoff Fixture
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Click for larger image. | Because my crew and I frame our floors exclusively with I-joists, we needed to find a quick and efficient way to cut them to accurate lengths.
Using a regular framing square to mark them isn’t as accurate as I like, and using a speed square requires several steps to accurately mark a line across the recessed web of an I-joist.
Since neither square was quick or accurate enough for the job, we made our own cutoff fixture to mark and cut the I-joists to length.
- As shown in the accompanying drawing, we made a cutoff fixture with two layers of 1/2-inch plywood. I’ve used versions of this cutoff for years.
- Since we typically use I-joists that are 11-7/8 inches deep, the top piece is ripped to that width so that it spans both the top and bottom chords of the I-joist.
- The lower piece, or tongue, is 8-5/8 inches wide. It is screwed and glued to the underside of the top piece and rides between the top and bottom chords of the I-joist.
- The tongue projects 1-1/2 inches past the top piece. This length is the distance between the left edge of my circular saw’s table and its blade.
- I cut out the center of the fixture for a handhold and use a router with a roundover bit to smooth the cutout’s edges to make it easier and more comfortable to hold. Finally, I spray the fixture with lacquer so it will last in the weather.
To cut an I-joist to length, I align the cut mark on the joist with the tongue of the fixture. The saw table rides atop the tongue, with the edge of the table placed hard against the top piece I’m working on.
Over the years, I have scribed a ruler — that reads right to left ― across the bottom edge of the fixture to help when cutting blocks.
With the fixture, I cut blocks to the right length by simply lining up the left end of the joist with the measurement of the block and run the saw across the joist.
— Jim Anderson, Littleton, Colo.
Tips & Techniques provided by Fine Homebuilding.
©2008 The Taunton Press
To contact Fine Homebuilding, e-mail Christina Glennon.
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