#Decorative rafter tails 4x6 how to#

Lots of notches and detail can add a sense of ornate elegance to a rafter tail design, while simpler geometric patterns give them a more basic, streamlined appearance. The only down side is a jigsaw cuts much more slowly.Īfter cleaning up the cut edges of the tails with a sander, use your completed rafter as a pattern template to trace a matching profile on all the other rafters of your project. The thin blade of a jigsaw can follow the curved path of your swoop, and its straight-cutting action can finish the incomplete cuts that the round blade of a circ saw leaves behind. A Speed Square makes a handy guide to keep cut marks square.Ĭlement suggests you save time cutting by using a handheld circ saw on all straight cuts. screws partially driven into the lumber on each side of the metal strip to hold its arched position as you mark the cutline.Īccentuate the swoop design with notches and angles. Use treated lumber for outdoor projects or a wood species such as redwood that has natural preservatives.Ī neat trick for making a decorative swoop on a rafter tail is to use a straight strip of sheet metal as a cutting guide. The broader the face of the board, the more material you have to incorporate the swoops and notches that comprise the rafter-tail pattern. For both a sense of visual balance and structural strength, these framing members are generally made from large boards measuring 2×8 or wider.

Rafter tails generally dress up large outdoor structures.

With a few basic carpentry tools and an eye for creativity, you can create a design that puts a personal stamp on your next outdoor building project.

With a limitless array of patterns, these stylistic enhancements to the ends of a beam or rafter can give a unique look to a pergola, a rose arbor, a trellis or covered patio.

#Decorative rafter tails 4x6 how to#

Alternative Heating & Fireplace Insertsĭress up your rafters with a decorative tail patternĪt the recent Remodeling Show/ Deck Expo in Baltimore, Maryland, the EHT staff caught up with our friend Mark Clement, who was giving a demonstration on how to cut decorative rafter tails.