A Simple Framing Jig To Help You Frame Your Basement Walls

Introducing the jig that will change the way you frame forever! After just one use, you’ll wonder how you ever worked without it.

If you’re a DIY enthusiast, you probably spend a lot of time working solo. Not anymore! This jig is designed to make framing a breeze by keeping your studs perfectly aligned at 16” centers and holding each stud securely in place for easy and safe nailing. No need to lay out every stud individually—just cut them to size and start building.

When you’re framing a basement, obstacles like pipes and ducts often prevent you from assembling walls on the floor and raising them. That’s where this jig truly shines. It’s the ideal tool for stick-building walls, making your basement remodel—or any home renovation—easier and more efficient, even when you’re working alone.

Got questions? Feel free to ask—I’m here to help!

#diy #howto #basementremodel #framing #carpentry #homerenovation

[ChildofYah-oyqs]

I cannot thank you enough for sharing your knowledge and experience. Blessings and more blessings to you and your family in Yahusha's name amen 🙏 😊

[chippydog]

Hey I gotta thank you for your jig! It’s working fantastic with framing my log house loft floor!

[HescottDesignCo]

Now I need to work out to hold all my jigs…thanks for shaming me! Strong work Mark!

[Aboston]

As a framer I gotta say this is actually sick

[FullCircleTravis]

I've been working in the trades for 25 years. This is a construction no-no. Doing this leads to compound mistakes. Construction grade lumber doesn't have a consistent thickness, it's nominal and rough planed. A knot might add 1/16", or maybe every board is 1/16" thin on one end, and not the other due to milling inconsistencies. Every time that board isn't exactly 1.5" thick, it's either adding to or subtracting from the distance. More studs you have, the greater the compound mistake. Even on a 12' wall you could end up 3/4" out, which is enough that you have nothing to screw your drywall to. It could also be out of plumb as well.

You always measure from one end of the sill plate, which is called your datum point. Then you just put a mark at 16", which is easy because every decent measuring tape has highlighted 16" measurements, so you don't even have to do math. Then you measure from the second datum which is the other end, as the second last board will also be at 16". The first and last studs are flush, and for the rest you just line up the board so that the mark on the sill is centred on the board.

When you're working on a basement you have to use either pressure treated or use a barrier. So you lay out your wall locations and nail or screw the bottom plate to the concrete. Then you build your walls 1.5" shorter to allow for the extra bottom plate, and 1/4" less than exact to make installing it less tight. Then you stand the wall up, and lift it vertically onto the other plates you installed. Then nail the non-treated plate to the treated plate underneath. Once the two bottom plates are nailed together, you shim the top plate and joist connection and nail it once the wall is plumb. You can build the wall loose and shim up to 1/2" gap because the ceiling drywall goes on first and the thickness will cover that gap. It also gives you more to screw into when installing the wall drywall. If you're installing suspended ceiling, it will hand down 3-4" and cover the gap. It only costs about $6 more to build the wall with a double bottom plate, and it will save you a lot of time and headache being able to build the walls on the floor without needing to toe-nail.

There is a reason why there is no commercially available 16" jig for setting studs, and it's because it's a terrible practice to compound measuring mistakes.

[zoso]

I just lay out with a tape measure works every time

[bobbg]

Simple fast, pretty acutely placing 2x4 yes your going to see real Framers use it. Come on off a 32nd over 6' I'm lucky if i can find a stud in my walls every 16" and they used tape measures. The guy just couldn't read it.

This jig is better then measuring.

On most jobs if you can make spaces fast and equal it speeds the job up, railing is installed this way, so are decks, fences and pickets even stair hand rails.

This tool is slick,
The less times you need to do math
Or measure the less mistakes you make. Clever jig.

[elzurdo]

What distance do you center the 13 5/8" board to?

[carguy]

Genius. People are buying the metal version with only the 16” center for $60.

[MountainEagle]

You better have perfect store-bought wood. This will only work with dimensional lumber, not rough sawn lumber.

[psywiped]

Because your framing a basement and it's just supporting the wall finish you can go 24in oc. An improved layout might be to make the story stick 46.5in and the other side your stud spacing as your filling in the wall anyway. That would reduce your compounding error some. Check the icc site for the insulation requirements for your climate zone as you may need r5 of continuous insulation because your not going to be able to get r19 in a 2x4 wall. Gonna regret not having a vapor barrier.

[kplatt]

You forgot insulated foam board behind the studs. You want ICB because you want to make sure the dew point transition doesn't occur in fiberglass bats as they don't like moisture. Taped ICB will also provide a moisture barrier.

[jasonritzman]

Oh boy here we go
Try a tape measure.

[SanctuaryGardenLiving]

Never shot a 16 penny nail into my hand, though I did shoot a brad through my fingernail (and finger).
Won't do that again because I won't ever trust a nail, brad or staple to go straight.

[joeoathkeepernuno]

YEAH! THAT'S WHAT IM TALKING ABOUT! 🫡

[fanli]

how you placed the second piece at 13 5/8 makes punch of difference😅. have no idea this first one part...😂

[hoosierLowe]

In the trades this is called a "story the same story each time

[approachingpassive]

Great point at 3:00 “you wouldn’t frame your house with this.”

Story boards, jigs, and anything that helps complete a building task is helpful but doesn’t replace the fundamental tools.

[jimklemens]

You could have easily nailed those studs in from the top rather then toe nailing.

[larrth]

Wish you could have held it still for 30 seconds so we could assemble it correctly instead of waving it like a flag through the whole video