Marking 16" OC stupid question time

[remagenman]

I'm building a she-shed and have built another shed in the past but why do most stud layout videos emphasize making sure you mark your layout 3/4 inches back from 16" on the tape measure.

It complicates an easy process to just mark on the 16" and every 16" afterwards and making that mark the center of your stud.

Am I missing something?

 

[1500hd]

Just the first stud is held back 3/4”. Hook the plates and mark 16” o.c. The remaining studs should be centered on the 16” mark.

 

[PugetDude]

I always mark both sides of the stud-15-1/4 and 16-3/4 for example.
Saves screw ups on which side of the line to position the stud when you're working with someone else- especially if you are both working toward the center from both ends of the wall.

 

[firebirdparts]

Just the first stud is held back 3/4”. Hook the plates and mark 16” o.c. The remaining studs should be centered on the 16” mark.

This is correct. This is will make your sheet goods break on the outside of the building.

 

[Jking24]

Just the first stud is held back 3/4”. Hook the plates and mark 16” o.c. The remaining studs should be centered on the 16” mark.

Yes this if you don't offset the first stud your sheathing will land at the edge of a stud not in the middle. If it's held flush with the end of the wall

 

[remagenman]

Yes this if you don't offset the first stud your sheathing will land at the edge of a stud not in the middle. If it's held flush with the end of the wall

So just to be clear, if I'm going to lay rafters 24 OC, I would start from the edge of top plate (1st rafter will be flush with edge) and just mark every rafter location center at the 24 inch mark? (24,48, 72, etc.)

Thanks.

 

[Innovate1]

So just to be clear, if I'm going to lay rafters 24 OC, I would start from the edge of top plate (1st rafter will be flush with edge) and just mark every rafter location center at the 24 inch mark? (24,48, 72, etc.)

Thanks.

Yep. That puts the rafters (studs, whatever...) centered at 4' and 8' which is where the joints in the panels are. The last one will be set in 3/4" so the far edge is even with the edge of the panel (assumes 4 or 8 ft multiple for total length).

 

[Samh]

Yes this if you don't offset the first stud your sheathing will land at the edge of a stud not in the middle. If it's held flush with the end of the wall

Larry Hahn would say you just offset the plywood at the edge 3/4". From a production framing standpoint, it is faster. That being said, I wouldn't do it, because that gap at the corner would bug me, even though you'd never know it with the siding up.

A loggers tape has the 16"O.C markings on them

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=915983&stc=1&d=1592934868

 

[Innovate1]

Larry Hahn would say you just offset the plywood at the edge 3/4". From a production framing standpoint, it is faster. That being said, I wouldn't do it, because that gap at the corner would bug me, even though you'd never know it with the siding up.

A loggers tape has the 16"O.C markings on them

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=915983&stc=1&d=1592934868

Might work on the walls but not on the roof.

Not sure why a logger would need 16" markings unless they were doing something other than logging.
Lots of common tape measures have 16" markings though.

 

[The Cobbler]

I always add 3/4". so 16-3/4. 32-3/4 etc. draw a line with an X to the left of it designates the stud

 

[readhead]

On the roof you need to take into account gable overhangs.

 

[Samh]

Not sure why a logger would need 16" markings unless they were doing something other than logging.
Lots of common tape measures have 16" markings though.

Me either, but that thing is extremely handy. This one has the area noted for the whole stud, so it is extremely easy to see. The other nice thing about it, is you can get it in a 100' length. Good for larger structures. Not that the OP needs it for the she shed though.

 

[bdbecker]

...Not sure why a logger would need 16" markings unless they were doing something other than logging...

A lot of framers use logger's tapes for big layouts. Faster/easier than using a wind up tape. I'm guessing the logger tape manufacturers saw an opportunity to sell to a new crowd and added the 16" notation.

 

[Joemctag]

I learned about the x from framing carpenters and still do that. You can have the x mean that’s what side of the line the piece, in this case, the stud, goes. I also use the x to show what side of a line to cut on ( where the kerf needs to be).

 

[NUTTSGT]

So just to be clear, if I'm going to lay rafters 24 OC, I would start from the edge of top plate (1st rafter will be flush with edge) and just mark every rafter location center at the 24 inch mark? (24,48, 72, etc.)

Thanks.

Technically, if you lay out the wall studs 16" OC and fhe rafters/trusses 24" OC, you should have a double top plate. This helps distribute the weight.

 

[scottydosnntkno]

Assuming your using a typical new style tape that had the 16 OC in red letters, I persomallt find it easier to layout as +3/4 and X or / to the left of the mark to note which side the stud goes on. Even though there’s the red marks, it’s just easier to be thinking in the mindset of plus. 16.75, 32.75, 48.75 etc then 15.25, 31.25, 47.25 etc.

Also layout your top and bottom plates at the same time, stacked on edge vertically that way your marks all like up.

 

[nadogail]

That is why the red diamonds are on my tape.

 

[brownbagg]

i just mark every 16 and drive the nail on the right side of the mark

 

[The Cobbler]

i just mark every 16 and drive the nail on the right side of the mark

I don't understand your system.
please explain

 

[remagenman]

Kinda the reason I brought this topic up because it seems like we know the studs are 16 or 24 OC but theres about 3 ways to do it differently!

 

[Samh]

So now I have a potentially dumb question - Is the .75" offset for the first stud done so you are marking the edge of the studs and not the center?

It's more accurate to line up the physical edge to a physical mark than to "eyeball" the center of the stud to a mark.

Yes. the O.C. part means On Center. So unless you wanted to actually mark the center of each stud, you'd offset. After the first offset, you could just pull your tape off that one and mark at the 16" marks

 

[remagenman]

Yes. the O.C. part means On Center. So unless you wanted to actually mark the center of each stud, you'd offset. After the first offset, you could just pull your tape off that one and mark at the 16" marks

I found out too late what a saddle square is because this would of made my life a whole lot easier, put the square in the middle of the mark and scribe two lines on either side!

Veritas sells one for $19! a little high for a very simple marking jig I think.

 

[brownbagg]

yall are making this hard, mark 16 that where the nail goes, you want 48 to split the 2x, so 48going be middle of stud, 16, 32,48. first stud doesnt matter

 

[BB Sig]

Not sure why a logger would need 16" markings unless they were doing something other than logging.

16" is standard firewood size for fireplaces.

Barry
North Florida

 

[The Cobbler]

i just mark every 16 and drive the nail on the right side of the mark

yall are making this hard, mark 16 that where the nail goes, you want 48 to split the 2x, so 48going be middle of stud, 16, 32,48. first stud doesnt matter

which is it? first you say on nail the the right of the line, then you say drive the nail on the line?

maybe watch some framers sometime and see how they do it.

 

[North Dakota]

yall are making this hard, mark 16 that where the nail goes, you want 48 to split the 2x, so 48going be middle of stud, 16, 32,48. first stud doesnt matter

Do not take advice from this guy

 

[Hooked]

I always use a framing square and mark both sides of the stud/rafter location. Offset minus 3/4" (from corner) on first stud then 16" from first mark for all subsequent studs/rafters.
I lay the bottom and top plates flat and mark both at the same time.
For those of us who do better with pictures --- https://www.buildaddict.com/16-on-center-tutorial/

 

[egdede]

I mark both sides now too with an x in the middle. But these days I've been framing in my basement. Before that I framed my shed. I guess you'd say these days 'I frame for me, I frame for free.' I never marked both sides on the job, that's for sure.

 

[rslaback]

When I used to teach this I would always have my students mark out the first common and then drive a couple of nails on either side of the mark and use those to hold the tape end. Then they could use the actual 16" increments.

They most all could understand the first stud at 15 1/4" from the end. It got a bit muddier for some when we started talking about the other wall in a corner that you can save time marking at 11 1/4" for the edge of the first common (or 9 1/4" if using 2x6). Doing this allows for you to apply a full 48" sheet of plywood on each side of the corner without having to rip one.

 

[ZRX61]

Me either, but that thing is extremely handy. This one has the area noted for the whole stud, so it is extremely easy to see. The other nice thing about it, is you can get it in a 100' length. Good for larger structures. Not that the OP needs it for the she shed though.

I have a Stanley fatmax 100ft tape that's marked every 16"