Debate: Do you fix a bad cut on site or start fresh with a new board?

I was framing a wall on a house last Thursday up in Salem and messed up a rafter cut by about 3/8 of an inch. I stood there for a solid minute debating whether to patch it with a scab and some glue or just grab a fresh 2x6. I ended up trying the patch because I was already behind schedule, but it looked rough and I spent an extra 20 minutes sanding and filling gaps. My buddy on the crew said I should always toss the mistake and start over for strength, but the foreman said time is money and patches hold fine with nails and glue. What do you guys do when you goof a cut on a visible structural piece? Has anyone had a patch fail down the road?

2 comments

2 Comments

martin.paige5d ago

And a patch will never hold as tight as a clean cut, especially when that roof is bearing weight.

bens815d ago

Catch myself doing the same thing with so much stuff around the house, @martin.paige. Always trying to patch things together when really I should just do it right the first time.