Toolbox: Adjustable Framing Braces

How do you define a good tool? It must save time, improve accuracy, be reasonably priced, and nearly indestructible. When does a good tool become a great tool? When you can’t wait to use the damn thing. That’s how I’ve come to feel about the Proctor wall braces I bought a couple years ago. There’s not much glamour here, just an 11-foot piece of square steel tubing with a threaded insert in one end and a revolving nailing flange at the other. But when you’re framing walls, this no-nonsense tool turns the tedious task of line bracing into a no-brainer. Time saver. I use these braces on every house and addition I build to quickly plumb and line