How to Frame King Studs & Roof Trusses

Draw a line with a straight 2-by-4 for a straight edge and a piece of chalk as long as your truss's lower horizontal beam, or lower cord, will be from end to end on your garage floor or driveway. Use a tape measure and chalk to locate and mark the center of the line. Use a large drywall square to draw perpendicular line from this point up as high as the peak of your truss will be.

Use the straight edge and chalk to draw diagonal lines from the top of this vertical line to the outside corners of the first horizontal line you drew to form a triangle. Use the 2-by-4 straight edge to draw a second triangle 3.5 inches inside the first, by placing it against the inside of each line and drawing down the inside edge of the 2-by-4 with the chalk. Overlap the lines at the corners.

Measure the angle of the roof's pitch by positioning an angle finder at the peak, with one leg against the center vertical line and the other leg aligned with one diagonal face of the triangle. Read the angle from the indicator in the center of the finder. Set your miter saw to this angle.

Cut both ends of two 2-by-4s at this angle to form a long parallelogram as long as the outside line of the diagonal from the peak to its intersection with the inner triangle. Lay them out in the chalk outline, with their ends meeting at the peak. Cut a 2-by-4 at the same angle on either end, so that it fits the bottom line of the outside triangle, forming a long trapezoid. This is your lower cord. Position it with its angled ends in line with the diagonals, against the bottom ends of the upper cords.

Measure from the center of the lower cord to the inside bottom of the peak. Cut a piece of 2-by-4 to fit. Find and mark the center of this cut end. Cut the corners of this 2-by-4 at the same angle as the upper and lower cords so that the cut ends at the center mark, coming from each side, to form a point. Position this king stud with its flat bottom against the top of the lower cord and its point fitted into the inside of the peak.

Trace the outline of each joint between the upper cords and king stud at the peak, the upper and lower cords at the outside corners and the bottom of the king stud and the lower cord onto one-half inch plywood. Cut these joint outlines pout with a jigsaw to form truss gussets or framing panels. Make two for each joint. Glue and staple them to the faces of the truss with wood glue and 2-inch staples and a pneumatic staple gun.