…with One Router Sled

I live in an old stone barn that was converted to a house in the 1950s. The master bathroom needed a makeover, so I gutted it in preparation for a complete overhaul. I wanted to build a new closet and separated toilet area, both of which needed doors. I decided to build louvered doors out of Mahogany, which would normally cost approximately $600 from an online supplier. My total cost for materials was less than $200 for all three doors.

I found several jigs and videos on the web and in woodworking magazines that could have helped me make the slots. The one thing they all had in common was that you needed two jigs, one for each side of the door. Some of the jigs cost hundreds of dollars, or required extensive fiddling to get good results. There had to be a better way that didn’t include a $40,000 CNC machine! The following is a description of the jig I came up with; it took longer to write about it than it did to build!

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This jig will cut slots in both stiles, costs about $13 to make, and takes only a few hours to construct. It worked so well that I decided to send my SketchUp drawing to Gary to see if he was interested in publishing it in TiC. He replied that I should document building the doors with the jig (maybe he didn’t believe it would work!), which was more than I bargained for, but I agreed to give it a try. I’m going to include lots of tips and details in case you want to try this in your own shop.

Key features of the jig include:

• One jig cuts slots in both stiles
• Jig self-centers on the stile
• Slot width can be adjusted easily
• Offset slots can be created by off-centering the stops
• Consistent slot spacing, length, and angles on both stiles
• Any angle slot can be made by changing the distance between the pivot points
• Accurate and consistent results
• Contains most of the dust during cutting
• Easy and fast to use with a plunge router (about 10 seconds/slot)

(Note: Click any image to enlarge)

The jig has four basic parts, which I will describe in detail along with some construction tips. Accuracy and the dimension of each component are both important. If you download SketchUp 8 (the free version), you can view my model in 3-D and orbit around it so that you can see it from any angle. I’ve also included comments on the drawing, which you can turn on or off by clicking on the scene tabs at the top of the drawing window.

Click here to download the SketchUp drawing to your computer!

Materials you will need to build the jig:

• 1 – 1/2″ x 2′ x 2′ Baltic Birch plywood or something smooth, – $8 (enough material for two jigs)
• 1 – 8′ 2 x 4 that is straight – $3
• 2 – 1/4 x 1 1/2 roll pins – $2
• 1 – 1/4 x 2″ clevis pin or any 1/4″ straight rod

The Jig Base

I started by cutting the bottom of the jig base from the 1/2-in. plywood. I made mine 10 1/2 in. x 11 7/8 in. so that I could make two jigs from the 2 x 2 sheet of plywood. The size is not critical as long as you are close and the corners are square. Next, I cut the router guide rails and stops. These pieces orient the router in the jig and limit its travel during cutting. For my router set up, I cut the router guides 1 1/4 in. x 11 7/8 in., and the router stops 2 5/16 in. x 8 in. I would glue these to the base, but not yet.

Tip: Cut the stops and the router base at the same time on the table saw so that they are the exact same size in the 8 in. dimension.

Tip: If you use stock that is more than 1/2 in. thick to build the jig, your router bit may not be long enough. 

The Router Base

You may not need to make a base for your router if it has a square base, or if the round base is perfectly centered. My router is an old Porter Cable 690 plunge router, so I needed to make a base. I cut my router base from the 1/2-in. plywood and made it 6 in. x 8 in. so it would slide between the guides of my jig base. If you choose not to make a base for your router, you will have to adjust the sizes of the router guides and stops on your jig base.

Next, I drilled a 1/4-in. hole in the center of the router base. I put a long 1/4-in. drill bit in my router and then slipped the bit through the hole I just cut. The drill bit kept the base centered while I marked for the mounting screws and attached the base. I counter sunk the screws that mount the base to my router so that the bottom was flush and the router bit was centered. Centering the bit is important! After the base was mounted, I removed the drill bit and inserted a 1/4-in. spiral up-cut bit.

Tip: Make the screw holes oversized so that you have some play when you secure the router base. Check the distance from the bit to each side and remount if necessary.

Tip: Lightly sand the inside edge of both router guides and the 6-in. sides of the router base before assembly so that they slide more easily when you are using the jig.

Assembling the Jig

I clamped the router stops to the jig base after centering them on the base. They would help me position the router guides for gluing.

I glued the router guides to the base, making sure that they were tight against the ends of the router stops. I always go easy on the glue!

I clamped the router guides and removed the router stops and the router base so that they wouldn’t get stuck from the glue squeeze-out. I then cleaned up any glue that wasn’t between the two pieces of wood.

The Stile Guides

While the glue was drying, I cut the stile guides that attach to the bottom of the jig. I cut 18 1/2 in. off of the straight 2 x 4 stock, and I milled two 1 1/4 in. x 1 1/4 in. x 18 in. pieces out of it (the length is not a critical dimension). Next, I drilled two 1/4-in. diameter holes along the center line of each stile guide—one hole needed to be located 6 in. in from an end, and the other 1 in. in from the opposite end. I did this on both pieces. I used a drill press (but you could use some other gadget) to ensure that the holes were perpendicular to the surface. It was critical that the holes were centered, but the distance from the ends was not critical. After drilling the holes, I pressed a 1/4-in. x 1 1/2-in. roll pin into the hole that was 6 in. from the end on both pieces until it was protruding a little less than 1/2 in.

Indexing Rail

The indexing rail should be long enough to cut all of the slats on one stile without moving the rail. My slats were 1 in. apart, but you can choose different spacing. I milled the leftover 2 x 4 stock so it was 1 1/4 in. thick and 1 1/4 in. wide. On the drill press, I clamped a scrap piece of 3/4-in. plywood to the table (to act as a backer), with a straight piece of wood attached on top of it to act as a fence when drilling the holes in the indexing rail. I adjusted this fixture on the drill press so the bit would be centered on the 1 1/4-in. rail width (5/8 in. in from the fence). I drilled a 1/4-in. hole in the plywood backer. It’s important that the holes in the rail are centered, so be sure you test your set-up on some scrap. Then I slid the plywood fixture exactly 1 in. to the right and re-clamped (the bit should still be centered 5/8 in. from the fence). I could now drill all of my holes exactly the same distance apart, without having to measure by indexing each hole from the previous one that I drilled. I stuck the chuck-end of a 1/4-in. drill bit through the previously drilled hole in the rail and inserted it into the plywood hole. I drilled holes from one end to the other. The number of holes should be greater than or equal to the number of slats in the stiles.

Back to the Jig Base

Now that the glue had set, I could attach the stops and drill holes for the pivot pins. I started by drawing a fine line across the base, parallel to the guide strips and perfectly centered between them. Then, I located the exact center of the base by drawing a perpendicular line centered on the 11 7/8-in. dimension of the base.

I now had a cross on the base that I could use to reference the pivot holes and the router stops. The stops determine the length of the slot which should equal the slat width. I recommend not gluing the stops. I just put a screw in each stop so that I could adjust them if necessary. I located both of my stops 3 5/8 in. away from the center line (for a 1 1/2 in. slat width). You’d move them closer together for a narrower slot and further apart for a wider slot. They should always be placed the same distance from the center line unless you wanted the slots to be off-center in the stiles.

Tip: Position the router stops 1/32 in. closer to the center line and make a test slot. Test fit a finished slat in the slot and either adjust the slat width or the slot length for a loose fit.

Locating the holes for the pivot pins was the next step, and it can be the most challenging part of building this jig! The location of these holes sets the angle of the slat mortises. While the angle of the louvered slats is not critical, a little trigonometry (or a full-scale drawing) will allow you to set them at any predetermined angle you’d like.

This jig is based on a simple right triangle. I knew the desired angle and the length of the opposite leg (the thickness of the stile and one stile guide). I just needed to find the triangle’s hypotenuse.

The formula for determining the spacing between the pivot points is: Stile Thickness (ST) + Thickness of one Stile Guide (SG), divided by the sin of the Slot Angle (SA). (ST+SG) ÷ sin SA = pivot point spacing. (Don’t let this formula scare you!) I would use half of this length to determine the pivot hole spacing from the center line between the sled stops.

Example 1:

Stile Thickness = 1.375 in.
Stile Guide Thickness = 1.25 in.
Slot Angle = 30°

(1.375 in. + 1.25 in.) ÷ sin 30° = 5.25 in.

Example 2:

Stile Thickness = 1.5 in.
Stile Guide Thickness = 1.25 in.
Slot Angle = 25°

(1.5 in. + 1.25 in.) ÷ sin 25° = 6.507 in.

Another approach would be to use a construction calculator’s “roof” function—there would be a few less keystrokes, and you could keep all your measurements as fractions. In which case, your math would be as follows:

Stile Thickness = 1 3/8 in.
Stile Guide Thickness = 1 1/4 in.
Slot Angle = 30°

1 3/8 in. + 1 1/4 in. = [RISE]
30 [PITCH]
[DIAG] … 5 1/4 in.

Note: Keep in mind that changing the thickness of the material used for the stiles or the stile guides will change the slot angle.

Now that I had determined the spacing, I drilled two 1/4-in. holes on the line that was parallel to the stile guides. I spaced mine 5 1/4 in. apart, placing them 2 5/8 in. from each side of the center line intersection.

It is important that these holes be positioned correctly to achieve the desired slot angle. If I moved the holes closer to the center mark, the angle of the slots would be reduced, and moving them further away would increase the slot angle.

Now that I had my pivot holes drilled, I attached the stile guides to the bottom of the jig base by inserting the roll pins that were sticking out of the stile guides into the pivot holes. The stile guides should attach securely and still be able to pivot.

I gave the jig a try on a piece of scrap that was the same thickness as my stiles—1 3/8 in.—and I adjusted the router so that my slots would cut 1/4-in. deep into the stiles. This test cut the slot in the base and test scrap.

Tip: Mark one side of the router base and one side of the router jig so that you always position the router the same way in the jig. Any error in mounting the router to the base will be doubled, and the slot will be enlarged and/or lengthened, making it difficult to align the jig for the first slot.

Here’s the really cool part about the jig: The stile guides pivot in parallel and get closer together or further apart while keeping the stile centered. This allows you to clamp them tight to the stile when routing. When you finish routing all of the slots on one stile, pull one of the stile guides off of the jig, rotate the other guide 60 degrees, and reattach the guide that you just removed. You are now ready to cut the other stile!

Building the Louvered Door

I started by preparing all of my stock (joint, plane) for the rails and stiles.

If you are making multiple doors or shutters and they are different sizes, make the larger ones first so that you can use any mistakes to make the smaller ones! You don’t need to rip the stiles to width or cut them to length at this time; this way, you haven’t ruined as much wood if you make a mistake. Of course, you can always use your mistakes to make the necessary 60-plus slats for each door.

I suggest leaving the stiles a couple of inches long and the top and bottom rails 1/4 in. too wide. The door will be trimmed to final size after final assembly. I drew lines on the stiles to mark the approximate locations of the rails, and then adjusted their positions so the slats would fall evenly between them. I used blue tape to mark the rail positions along both stiles. It would be very difficult to patch a misplaced slot!

Next, I made a mark across the stile to indicate where my first slat would begin. After attaching the jig to the stile, I looked through the slot hole in the bottom of the jig for the mark that I made across the edge of the stile. I aligned the end of the slot with that mark, and clamped the stile guides to the stile. At this point, I still had to clamp the indexing rail to the stile, so I waited to turn on the router. I used a 1/4-in. clevis pin to index the jig to the rail, but anything that is 1/4 in. x 2 in. or more will work. With the jig firmly clamped in the correct position for the first slot, I placed the pin through the end hole in the stile guide and into the end hole in the indexing rail. I then firmly clamped the indexing rail to the stile with two clamps. Do not move the indexing rail until all the slots have been routed. If you need to move the clamps, move one at a time.

Tip: If you make the rail width in 1/2-in. increments, they will fall between the slots!

Tip: If you leave the stiles at least 5/16 too wide, you can cut off the edge with the miss-cut slots and start over. I wish that I had thought of this before I cut my first stile!

Tip: Do not cut the mortises or rails to width until all of the slots are cut, just in case…!

After I cut all of the slots in the first stile, I removed the jig and set it up to cut the opposite stile. I turned the jig over and pulled off one of the stile guides and then rotated the other stile guide so that it would be on the other side of the slot in the jig base. After I re-attached the stile guide that I had just removed, I was ready to cut the slots in the opposing stile. I double-checked my angle on the stile that I had just routed—the slot in the jig base should be 60 degrees to the slots I just cut.

Once all of the slots were cut, I positioned the rails and marked them for the mortises.

A TiC article wouldn’t be complete without mentioning that I used a Domino XL700 to cut the mortises.

Milling the Slats

The slats were ripped to 5/16 in. thick on the bandsaw from my “mistakes.” I ran my stock across the jointer before ripping so that I could have a smooth surface on one side. If I had tried to plane both sides with the planer, I wouldn’t have had a good surface—the saw marks would telegraph through thin stock. I used a 1/8-in. radius, half-round cutter on the shaper to round over the edges of the slats before cutting them to length.

Tip: Run the slats through the planer with their ends butted so that you have one continuous stream of wood going through the planer. This will reduce snipe on the ends. The slats should be about 1/32 in. less in length than the distance between the bottoms of the slots in the stiles.

I wasn’t looking forward to sanding more than 60 slats on both sides—I made three doors; that’s 195 slats! I clamped some long scrap, which was less than the thickness of the slats, to a table in a square U-shape to hold the slats while I sanded them with a belt sander. 220-grit gave me a nice finish on the mahogany. I was able to sand 195 slats in an hour!

I sanded the louver slots by hand, with a block, and the edges of the rails that faced the slats as well (the top of the bottom rail, both edges of the middle rail, and the bottom of the top rail). I made sure not to round over the edges of the stiles until the rails were attached.

Tip: Dry fit the door frame with a few slats inserted. You don’t want to find out that your slats or tenons are a hair too long when you are gluing the frame together.

I rounded all four long edges on the rails with a Radi-Plane. I made sure not to get carried away with rounding over the edges on the stiles before assembling the frame, so that I wouldn’t end up with an unsightly groove where the rails and stiles met. I created two mortises on the ends of each rail, and in the corresponding locations on the stiles.

Tip: If you make your own dominos, or buy the long ones that you have to cut to length, don’t forget to chamfer the ends so that they are easier to insert.

After dry fitting the frame together, I had to take it apart so that I could glue the tenons and insert the slats. During the dry fit I kept asking myself this question: “How am I going to glue up the frame and insert all of those slats before the glue grabs?” The answer: Don’t use water-based wood glue! I used epoxy because it gave me the most working time.

Tip: Reverse your clamps (if they have this feature) to spread the stiles apart, or use a block of wood, so that you can make sure that the slots you cut are protected when you begin to coax it apart with a hammer.

I knew to finish the slats and slots before I inserted the slats into the frame. I put them in a 5-gallon drum of Penofin Marine Oil Finish to soak, and then I wiped them dry after 30 minutes of soaking. A film finish would have been difficult to repair when the time comes to freshen up the finish, but oil is very easy to apply and wipe off. If you do decide to use a film forming finish, apply the primer to the slats and slots before you assemble the door. If you are using polyurethane, apply a coat to the slots and slats before assembly. You may also want to undersize the slats a little to make room for the paint. When I paint louvered doors, I spray them with Alkyd paint, which leaves a perfect finish.

Assembly

It was then time to assemble the door. I applied epoxy, sparingly, into the mortises on the stiles and slid the door together until the stile just touched the slats that I had already inserted into the opposing stile. Since the slots were 1/4-in. deep, I was able to pull them out of the slot enough to get them started in the other stile before they fell out. You will not be able to angle the stile unless you cut all of your mortises oversize, which I didn’t.

I learned to just take my time, and I made sure that I positioned each slat so that it was in both slots before I closed that last 1/4-in. gap between the rail and stile.

Tip: Get a helper or two to help with slat insertion.

I gave my door a light sanding and applied the finish. Then I stood back, and admired the work.

Tip: Always be sure to remember that last step!

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AUTHOR BIO

Gene acquired his passion for construction out of necessity after buying a house that needed a lot of work. His interest in construction and woodworking continued to grow as he rebuilt his “fixer upper.” Eight years later, when the house remodel was completed, lightning struck the house and caused severe fire damage. The second remodel only took two years!

His day job in Information Systems didn’t leave a lot of time for home repair projects. Each new project created a need for more tools and more “how to” books—Gene has read his stacks of Fine WoodWorking, Fine HomeBuilding and JLC magazines all cover-to-cover; he somehow even found the time to read Gary Katz’s book on trim carpentry.

Gene retired in 2011 and now works full-time on a converted stone bank barn that was built in the 1800s. He loves to innovate and find new ways to solve problems that combine knowledge from multiple disciplines.

On the rare occasions when he takes a break, he also enjoys skiing and photography.

As carpenters, we rely on our miter saws to help us do fast, accurate work. Our cut stations are the heart of our jobsite setups. It comes as no surprise that we expect a lot out of these tools—we are continually on the lookout for a saw that is precisely calibrated, feels natural, operates strong and smooth, offers large cutting capacity, and doesn’t weigh a ton. No single saw satisfies these criteria perfectly, and the new DWS780 is no exception. I had high hopes for this saw, some of which it met and some of which it didn’t.

(Note: Click any image to enlarge)

I never used to be much of a DeWalt fan, but their stuff seems to be getting better and better. A good number of my new and replacement tool purchases over the last year have been DeWalt. I had recently started a new position as a lead carpenter for a trim subcontractor when I first noticed this new DeWalt 12″ sliding saw, and I was intrigued to see how it performed against the competition.

First, the light: DeWalt’s XPS Crosscut Positioning System utilizes bright LEDs that are projected on both sides of the blade. This illuminates the work-piece while simultaneously creating a shadow line you can cut to. It’s brilliant. Every saw should have one.

The kerf ends up slightly wider than the shadow line, but it really helps you index to your mark quickly, especially when making bevel cuts where it is more difficult to visualize where the blade will enter the work-piece.

The saw is impressively lightweight (56 pounds) and a well-placed handle makes it easier to carry. It offers very good cutting capacity: 60-degree miters to the right, 50-degree miters to the left, and 13 7/8-in. (advertised) square cuts.

The miter scale is chrome with crisp, etched black angle markings. There is no vernier or micro-adjust knob, but the angle gradations are a full 1/8 in. apart so it is pretty easy to set the saw to cut at 1/2 a degree.

The detents feel reassuringly solid, and the detent override located to the side of the miter lock knob allows you an unhindered angle adjustment when you need it.

If you depress the button behind the miter lock knob with your thumb while swinging the saw from side to side, you can glide over the detents, preventing them from wearing out prematurely.

The saw was square out of the box, so no adjustment was necessary. I removed the miter scale anyway to see how difficult it would be to calibrate again. If your saw isn’t cutting square, the recalibration process would begin with loosening the four star screws while holding the miter scale in place, using the onboard star driver/wrench. You don’t need to take them all the way out, but if you do, note that the two near the front are shorter. From the factory, these screws are pretty tight; it helps to stick a nut driver in the onboard wrench to give you some extra leverage. After you get the miter scale loosened so it rotates freely, lock the saw into the 0* detent and nudge it back and forth until it is square, checking both fences as insurance. I like to use a digital bevel square for this. Once you’re satisfied, tighten the screws back up and re-check to make sure the position didn’t change. Overall I think this design makes adjustment easier and more accurate than the Makita, where you have to move the fence to correct for square.

The bevel scale is yellow with etched black angle markings. It measures over 5 inches across, but due to the design of the pointer it is difficult to set it finer than 1 degree. The bevel calibration screw is located in front and to the left of the bevel scale. Turning it adjusts the default position of the saw at 0 degrees (90 degrees to the saw table).

The saw required some minor adjustment out of the box, and I have adjusted it several times since, which does make me suspicious about the long-term reliability of the bevel calibration. (Read David Collins’ “Miter Saw Tune-Up” article for more information on miter saw adjustments.)

Changing the bevel-cutting angle requires reaching around the back of the saw to the three-pronged 4-in. cast knob. It’s not the most comfortable arrangement, but I tend to prefer it to the single plastic lever on my Makita.

After I received the saw I immediately changed the blade out for a Freud 80T since I prefer to use Freud blades instead of stock blades. Changing the blade is simple: unplug the saw, loosen a bolt (using the onboard star driver/wrench) in order to slide back the blade cover and fix the guard in the raised position. Next, engage the spindle lock and unscrew the arbor nut, again using the onboard wrench. Reverse the process after installing the new blade. (A rule of thumb I like to remember for blade changes: loosen with the blade rotation, tighten against the blade rotation.)

Out of the box, I noticed the slide action was quite rough. I added some lubricating oil and tinkered with the slide adjustment screw, but my tinkering was to no avail. This is a bummer, especially on bevel cuts where there is added torque on the slide rails while cutting. I suppose the smaller-than-normal rails could have something to do with it, but it just feels like sloppy machining between the rails and the guides.

The other major detriment to this saw is the huge amount of flex in the saw head at full extension—almost a full 1/8 in. in either direction from center. You can’t cut trim accurately when the saw head is flexing all over the place, especially when you’re shaving 1/32 in. off the end of a work-piece. The blade gets “pushed” right off the edge of the board, and makes this common and simple task frustratingly difficult.

I put the saw through its paces cutting poplar trim, AZEK, 2x pine, ash tongue and groove, and oak paneling. Cutting cupped 1×8 oak baseboard on a bevel, the saw visibly struggled, mostly due to the issues mentioned before—rough slide operation and excessive flex in the saw head. As a result, I tried to avoid using this saw for wide, demanding cuts. The 10-inch Makitas and Hitachis that I use track much more reliably.

Dust collection is a challenge on any miter saw, but hooking up a vacuum to this saw does make a worthwhile difference, which is more than can be said for some other saws. I wondered if the light would trigger the auto-start on our Festool vacuums, but it didn’t—the vacuum only came on when the saw motor was switched on.

The base of the saw has a low profile—it sits close to the table when mounted, which aids in keeping the cut station clean by preventing chips and sawdust from building up underneath.

This saw does come with a built-in dust shroud, which can also be helpful.

Overall, here’s where I’ve landed: This saw excels if you need to be highly mobile and handle a wide variety of small- and medium-sized jobs. That said, it wouldn’t be my first choice to set up on a technical and demanding trim-out—it’s just not precise enough throughout the slide range, which is really unfortunate, as there are a lot of other things about the DWS780 that are really compelling.

Pros: Great light; easy-to-read miter and bevel scales; not terribly loud; good capacity/weight ratio.  

Cons: Rough slide action; excessive flex in saw head; no soft start; feels slightly underpowered.  

Price: $530-$675, depending on retailer.

About six years ago, I remodeled an Avis car rental office. Prior to the remodel, the office had a showroom of cars on display, complete with showroom-style glass so that the cars could be seen from the road. Avis wanted to give the office a softer, more residential look, so the glass was removed, a wall was framed, and double-hung windows and vinyl cedar shake siding were installed. At the time, I figured my only option was to install a metal residential door—a typical one you’d find in a home, made of galvanized light-gauge steel—and a wood frame. I didn’t know I could get a raised panel commercial steel door with glass back then!

This decision to use a residential door in a commercial setting was a mistake from day one. The overall construction of a residential door is incapable of standing up to the demands of a commercial setting, and it affected the door’s usability and overall integrity. And because the door was relatively light, and there was a closer attached to it by code, the door would slam shut when it was left to close automatically. It shook the entire office, and caused a major disruption to the workday.

Of course, more recently, I received a phone call from the Avis office, asking me to return to look at the residential door I installed years ago.

This is what the job looked like when I returned to it. The door had obviously seen better days.

(Note: Click any image to enlarge)

I knew this time we’d need to install a commercial steel door and frame. After all, there is a reason why steel doors and frames are used in commercial settings—they’re strong, durable, fire resistant, and heavy enough that when you attach a closer to them, you can gear them down so they don’t slam shut all the time.

Why Steel Doors and Steel Jambs

This was my eighth steel-door installation. I could’ve used a TiC article before I did my first one! Unlike wood, there is no forgiveness when working with steel. This can make it a daunting task for those of us who are primarily familiar with wood. My hope is that this article will help a residential contractor become more familiar with the proper steps of installing a commercial steel door, and installing a continuous hinge for a steel door.

Continues hinges aren’t very common because they’re expensive. But they’re something that I often recommend to my customers because they are such a good product (I used Steelcraft-brand for the doors, and Select Hinges for the continues hinge on this project.) Steel doors are very rugged, and heavy! Their weight can often lead to failure at the three hinge points, depending on how roughly the door is handled. That’s why I like the continuous hinge—it’s more like a piano-hinge, which gives you full contact up the side of the door and jamb, making it nearly impossible for it to come off its pivot point and cause problems. In fact, two of the replacement doors I have done actually had continuous hinges. In both cases, I just ordered new doors and reused the hinges! More often than not, you’ll replace the door because of rust and overall wear before you’ll replace the hinge.

Before Heading to the Jobsite

Most of the time, if a project requires painting, I’ll do it myself. For this job, the first step was to paint the door and jamb for finish installation. I knew that, unlike wooden doors, there weren’t going to be any adjustments or areas I would be able to plane down for a perfect fit. Also, being an active business, there would be no way to paint the door in-place after installation.

I used my trusty door horses (a tip from Fine Homebuilding!), which allowed the door to pivot so I could easily access both sides at the same time and lay it flat to dry. I sprayed an oil-based paint with my HVLP sprayer, giving it a perfectly smooth finish.

I then installed the crash bar, lockset, and kick plate before bringing it to the site. This would make for one less thing to do onsite. Also, because of the way the strike plate was fastened, there would be no need to install it in-place.

I used a grinder to cut out about half an inch off the bottom of each jamb before painting them. This would allow me to slide the threshold underneath. You’d think that they would automatically come this way, but I guess that wouldn’t work well for interior installations between rooms where there are no thresholds.

On the Job: Preparing the Opening

When I got to the jobsite, I began by removing the old door and preparing the opening for the new installation. I started by removing the exterior and interior moldings, taking care to not damage the interior wall.

One obstacle was the A-frame awning, which had been installed a few years earlier. Unfortunately it was built on the ground and fastened to the wall right over the siding and upper door molding. I decided to work around this problem, since it was more important to get the door back in the opening before the end of the day.

After removing the remaining screws in the jamb, I made a cut with my circular saw at the bottom of one side, which made removing the old jamb much easier.

Then, with a flat bar, I removed all the old glue from the sill that had been used to help fasten the old sill plate in place.

At this point, it was important to make sure I had enough clearance on either side for the jamb to slip over both the interior and exterior sheathings. You want to have plenty of clearance. When it’s time to put the jamb in place, you’ll fight it the whole way if it’s too tight. When I placed the door order, I specified that the wall was 6 ½ in. thick (½ in. exterior sheathing, 2×6 stud, and ½ in. sheet rock).

After I drove in screws to refasten both the interior and exterior sheathings, I had between 1/4-1/8 in. clearance…

…which was perfect—I’d rather fasten the exterior side tight to the wall for weatherproofing purposes, and shim out the interior, than have the whole jamb be too tight.

Plus it allowed room for the Vycor waterproofing I installed around the rough opening.

As always, a dry fit is needed to find any obstructions.

The jamb wouldn’t sit flat in the door opening because of the tile and grout, so I scribed and cut the floor edging and grout back with a grinder, allowing the jamb to sit on the floor.

Next I applied the waterproofing sill membrane. Luckily the sill was already pitched toward the outside for drainage.

Most waterproofing membranes are applied with a pressure-activated self-adhesive. I find that when the temperature outside is cooler, it doesn’t adhere as well as it would on a hot summer day. To aid the process, I like to use spray glue, which ensures a good bond between surfaces. I also like to use it in places that don’t see a lot of sun. On this project, I used the regular 3M spray glue found at the local hardware store.

I typically use spray foam insulation around all doors and windows. But due to the way steel jambs are installed, I find the best way to add insulation on jambs like these is to use pieces of fiberglass batt insulation, cut from the roll. I set the jamb on top of the fiberglass and used it as a cutting guide to ensure a snug fit. I then applied spray contact adhesive to the inside of the jamb and set the fiberglass pieces in place.

Using the adhesive keeps the fiberglass in place while you’re handling them (otherwise they’ll just fall out). I cut the fiberglass approximately six inches from the floor, and I used spray foam at the bottom to give it a much better seal for moisture and insects.

Using my track-saw, I trimmed the threshold down to the appropriate length—something you have to do every time.

(By the way, is there something the manufacturers know that I don’t? I can never figure this out: there is only one possible length that will work for a 3-0 door, and yet it’s manufactured about a half inch longer. For what purpose?! But I digress.)

Finally, I installed the jamb. The head jamb for these frames had little ears that slip into each side, bringing the whole frame together.

It’s best to install one jamb leg first, nearly straight, then slip the top jamb over the header and slide it down to engage the tabs in the jamb leg.

Then I installed the opposite jamb leg, engaging the tabs, and raised the head jamb as I slid it over the wall. Overall, as long as you have enough clearance, the process is relatively easy.

If it’s tight…you’re going to have problems.

The jamb had an adjustment screw that pushes against the jack stud to drive the whole unit together securely. This secured the header to each side. But it’s important to know that the setscrew is threaded counter-clockwise.

I then put a screw in every other hole in the jamb—a couple on the exterior, but mainly on the interior. I wanted to leave some holes empty, since I was going to trim it with PVC. The empty holes would allow me to drive screws through the PVC and the jamb at the same time, and I wouldn’t have to drill new holes through the steel just to attach the PVC.

Installing the Hinge on the Jamb

Next, I installed the hinge on the jamb. After removing the cover that hides the exterior fasteners, it was time to attach the hinge to the frame.

I used a shim to hold the hinge up about 1/8 in. from the threshold, allowing me to mark all the centers of the pilot holes with a fine point nail set.

The manufacturers provide self-tapping screws, but you still need a good 1/8 in. pilot hole. There are many holes that need to be drilled, but at this point you can just install a few screws at the top, one in the middle, and a few at the bottom.

Installing the Door on the Hinge

It was then time to install the door. The hinge came with two center punches and two types of screws for mounting it to the door.

I should also note that, when I paint doors offsite, I wrap them in cellophane for transport—I’ve learned the hard way that it’s worth the extra time to protect your work.

Using the small center punch provided with the hinge, I marked locations for the small self-tapping pan-head screws and drilled pilot holes. I used a minimal number of those screws to temporarily secure the door so that it would hang properly with an appropriate reveal.

Next, I removed the small screws and placed the door on a set of sawhorses. After removing the hinge from the jamb, I placed the hinge on the door so that I could locate the through-holes that had to be drilled for each sex bolt. The sex bolts are what really secure the hinge to the door.

I marked locations for the sex bolts using the larger center punch.

I then drilled pilot holes for the sex bolts, guiding my 1/8-in. bit with a speed square to be sure the holes were perpendicular to the door.

I finished the holes using a step bit.

A step bit is extremely handy when you’re installing steel doors. It doesn’t dull quickly, like other bits. Most steel doors are made from a thin sheet of metal, so using this bit works extremely well for boring large holes.

Now this is important: If there is going to be a kick plate on the inside of the door, you want to refrain from drilling the last through bolt. Otherwise you’re going to drill right through your kick plate, and it won’t look very good. Instead, you can simply use a self-tapping screw, which the manufacturers provide.

When drilling the holes, you’ll naturally create metal shards just as you make dust with wood. By force of habit, I would either wipe or blow them away. But both of these methods aren’t good when working with metal.

The metal is a little too heavy for blowing, and wiping only leaves little white scratches in the paint, especially on a black door. The best solution is a paintbrush.

After setting the hinge, the glass was next. You need to apply some window glazing to the exterior side of the flange. Window glazing wasn’t provided with the door or the glass, and I couldn’t get it from my supplier, so I got some from my local glass company. I then positioned the glass and snapped on the interior flange.

Because the door was so heavy, I installed the hinge back on the jamb using the flat-head self-tapping screws. I fastened the door to the hinge using the small pan head screws. And finally, I installed all the sex bolts that would permanently secure the door to the hinge.

Then it was time to set the strike plate. The instructions say to drill and tap for a 12-24 bolt.

I was able to find another cool tool by Greenlee, with bits that allow you to drill and tap the hole in one motion. It’s perfect for this gauge of steel, and it’s very much worth the cost. I used the 12-24 bit to simultaneously drill and tap the holes for the strike plate.

Then I tapped the threshold into place and screwed it down. Instead of using the screws they provided, I got some stainless steel screws at the store and used those, just to avoid rust.

One typical challenge when using the continuous hinge comes when attaching the sweep seal. Typically, the seal would go from one end of the door to the other, and you’d just screw it in place.

However, this hinge goes all the way down to the bottom of the door, forcing you to stop the seal at the hinge. I suppose you could cut the hinge, but that’s not something I’m comfortable doing, and it would risk weakening the hinge and its function-ability. Instead, I measured from the hinge to the end of the door and cut only the aluminum, leaving the rubber at full length.

After screwing the sweep seal in place, I cut back the rubber just enough so a little of it could go behind the hinge. This way, there wouldn’t be an open gap or little, unsecure flap of rubber that would eventually rip off over time. I then removed a few of the lower screws on the hinge and pried the hinge up a bit to tuck the rubber underneath.

Finishing the Interior

Because most walls vary somewhat in thickness, I always order the metal frames wide enough to cover the widest part of the wall.

Before securing the jamb to the interior wall, any gap between the jamb and the wall must be shimmed or the jamb will deflect. To do this, I measured the gap, scribed it on the board, and cut it freehand on the tablesaw.

And then I slipped the shims behind the jamb. Only then could I drive the screws home and ensure a nice, tight fit.

The last step was installing the door closer and applying the jamb weather-stripping. I used the Greenlee drill bit set again for securing the door closer, which required holes tapped for machine bolts. The closer had two adjustments: one for speed and one for back-check. I adjusted both until the door swung clean and clear to the jamb, and until it slowed slightly and latched securely without slamming.

Lastly, I installed the jamb weather-stripping with self-tapping pan head screws.

A couple days after the installation, I checked in to see how it was working out; the employees confirmed that it was much quieter and less disruptive. Most importantly, I’m confident that it will hold up to commercial use.

• • •

AUTHOR BIO

Dylan Chagnon lives and works in southern New Hampshire. He started his company, Chagnon Construction, 6 1/2 years ago, shortly after graduating college.

During college summer vacations, Dylan worked in the construction industry, learning framing, roofing, and a little finish work. He grew up very involved with his father’s commercial floor-cleaning company, which planted the seeds of pride in work, business ownership, task management, and quality expectations. Dylan’s persistence and willingness to take on jobs he’s never done before has allowed him to develop and maintain a good client base, while continuing to broaden the services he can provide.

When he is able to find some free time, he enjoys playing guitar, going to concerts, and when the weather is nice, cruising around in his 1959 Chevy Bel-Air.

Acknowledgements

Dylan thanks his father for teaching him the importance of managerial and problem-solving skills, which would otherwise have taken years to develop, probably an entire career.

Dylan also wishes to acknowledge Darrin Wason, for giving him the opportunity and start in the trade, and Ray Blake as well. The skills and overall method of building that Dylan learned through the years of working with them (although framing) were, without a doubt, fundamental cornerstones of Dylan’s methodical approach to any project.

A long time ago, I lived in Prescott, Arizona and built new homes from the ground up. Being from California, the ground in Arizona was new to me. Through footings, framing, and finish, I struggled to bring those houses out of the rocks and trees without damaging the landscape—and still make a profit.

But it wasn’t just the trees and rocks that made the ground in Arizona different. Around Prescott, there was nothing in the ground—no bugs, no slugs, no mealy worms, no worms at all—nothing! Just dry dirt and rocks. The ground was so dry I once built a temporary shed at my home, on untreated 4×4 posts, and five years later still used it. In fact, that shed may still be there. Wood just doesn’t rot in Arizona, because it dries out quickly every time it gets wet.

And that’s the secret to rainscreen walls, too.

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(Note: Click any image to enlarge)

I first learned of the term “rainscreen” from an article in Fine Homebuilding written by Mark Averill Snyder, published in issue #137.

The idea wasn’t new to me—I’d worked on homes with cedar shake siding, and we always installed battens or strapping on top of the feltpaper housewrap. But I’d never heard the word or the concept explained, and it made a lot of sense because by then I’d moved back to California, where wood rots fast when it’s near the ground because it doesn’t dry out. And I’d grown frustrated with exterior trim failure caused by moisture problems—especially ‘sandwiched’ trim, layered trim like you install on columns, corners, and paneling.

While the old-growth trim on this historic home in Pittsburgh, PA may have lasted a few hundred years…

…today’s fresh-growth, face-grain trim won’t last a year if it’s sandwiched in this ‘traditional’ manner.

In an attempt to keep the moisture out of built-up trim work, I tried every form of caulking and sealant known to man. Nothing worked. Paint began to fail within a year or two, miters opened up, water got in, and those sandwiches turned into peanut butter and jelly.

And it wasn’t just me that was having problems with exterior trim…

…one carpenter sent me these two photos, taken just months apart.

That’s why Mark Snyder’s article meant so much to me. I immediately started using rainscreen techniques for installing all exterior trim. And I was happy with the results. In fact, a few years later, Mark Snyder wrote a follow-up letter to Fine Homebuilding, which tells the whole story better than I ever could:

From “Cross Section,” FHB #168

Rain-screen walls are a better way to install siding

Magazine editors love a provocative headline; builders love enduring craftsmanship. When I wrote about siding in issue #137, the headline read “Rain-Screen Walls: A Better Way to Install Siding” (visit www.finehomebuilding.com to read the article). I expected some opposition to the better claim, but readers were surprisingly quiet.

I wrote the article about a house that I had worked on. Recently, I had a chance to see the house again, eight years after I had installed and painted the siding, and it turns out that rain-screen walls truly are a better way to install siding.

…The story began when I went to bid on repainting the eight-year-old exterior. When I arrived, sheets of paint were peeling off the siding. I suspected that the problem ran deeper than the paint. I was right. Removing a few clapboards revealed degrading housewrap and rotting sheathing. After consulting with building scientist Joseph Lstiburek, I decided to re-side the house using a system that Lstiburek called rain-screen walls.

His theory is that water is going to get underneath the siding, so why not build a wall that allows the water to drain? Rain-screen walls create an airspace between the siding and tar paper (housewrap) that allows water to drain. Of course, the flashing details were important, and every clapboard was sealed on all six sides and topcoated four times with premium latex paint. But the paint is how I know the rain-screen walls are a better way to install siding. Eight years later, my paint job still looks like new, and there are no signs of rot. (Courtesy of Fine Homebuilding)

• • •

Joe Lstiburek has played a critical role in my understanding of rainscreen walls, too. His most recent article, “Mind The Gap,” should be required reading for every contractor, architect, and building department in the country. Especially with the new materials we use for cladding homes today.

As Lstiburek puts it:

We learned through trial and error (mostly error) that if you use OSB and really good cavity insulation and a housewrap make sure you have an air-gap between the cladding and housewrap/OSB interface. These types of assemblies with gaps work almost as well as those uninsulated assemblies sheathed with plywood we used to build decades ago. Except now we have insulation. Lots of insulation. This is a good thing.

Of course, a few paragraphs later, in his inimitable style, Joe gets back to the insulation:

Things get very risky if you use a high-density spray foam on the inside of OSB sheathing…. There is no way that any appreciable moisture in the OSB can dry inwards. The only drying possible is outwards. We need the gap.

My New Shop

Last year I moved to Oregon. Ironically, this state leads the country in code requirements for Water Resistant Barriers (WRB). As explained in a recent white paper by housewrap and rainscreen manufacturer Benjamin Obdyke:

The Oregon code mandates that ‘…the [building] envelope shall consist of an exterior veneer, a water-resistive barrier (housewrap, building paper, etc.) and a minimum 1/8″ (3mm) space between the WRB and the exterior veneer. The required space should be formed by the use of any non-corrodible furring strip, drainage mat, or drainage board.’ An exception to this is that ‘a space is not required where the exterior veneer is installed over a water-resistive barrier complying with section R703.2 which is manufactured in a manner to enhance drainage and meets the 75% drainage efficiency requirement of ASTM E2273 or other recognized standards.‘

So WHY a Rainscreen?

All of these issues, together with the cladding choice I made, explain why I installed Benjamin Obdyke’s Home Slicker on top of the Zip R-Sheathing around my new shop. I’m slowly doing the same around my home.

Huber Engineered Woods’ Zip R-Sheathing, has a 1/2-in. layer of foam applied on the inner surface, and provides a good thermal break, which reduces heat loss and heat gain. R-Sheathing is first a water resistant barrier—the waterproof ‘skin’ or membrane is thermally applied to the OSB core, and all seams are taped with a highly-effective acrylic flashing. R-Sheathing is also an excellent air barrier.

Once the seams are taped, the sheathing won’t leak, even after a few thousand nails are fired through the trim and siding. Additionally, R-Sheathing has a drain rate that far exceeds the Oregon code—90% in a recent test.

So really, I didn’t need a rainscreen product on top of the sheathing. But I did, for two other reasons. First, I used closed cell foam in the 2×4 walls of both structures, to insulate the walls and eliminate air leaks, and we just read what Joe said about that!

And second, I’m installing pine siding.

Traditional Techniques vs. New Materials

I’ll be the first to admit it: I’ve been using fast-growth, face-grain pine for years—WindsorONE, for both siding and trim. And though I’ve heard horror stories from some carpenters (and later learned that they didn’t prime end cuts, didn’t maintain required clearances from roofs, hardscape, or landscape, and didn’t flash horizontal surfaces), I’ve never had an issue. It’s probably because I’ve taken care to incorporate all those ‘new techniques,’ plus more, when I install trim and siding.

Given rainscreen walls and the new WRB products we have today, together with paints and sealants, I sometimes wonder if you can install almost anything, maybe even cardboard, for exterior cladding—if you allow it to dry out, just like those untreated wooden posts in Arizona. Just think of an old barn: it’s never the cladding that rots on a barn—it’s always the roof that fails first, then the foundation and the frame start to rot, but the old weathered siding boards are still in good shape.

And the siding I’m using is like an old barn, too, except it’s newly milled and pre-finished to look like weathered barn wood by a company in Wyoming: Teton West. I love the look of the material, but I also love the origin: most of the wood comes form Rocky Mountain beetle-kill pine trees.

Sadly, there are millions and millions of these trees standing dead that we can’t use because, due to regulations and contraction in the lumber industry, we no longer have the milling capacity to take advantage of the resource.

Still, like recycling plastic grocery bags, we have to start somewhere.

Up until a few years ago, nearly all the exterior entry doors I installed were made of wood. Every time I finished an install I packed up my tools and left the job knowing the door wouldn’t last long—especially if it was on the south side of a home. I always do everything I can to protect the doors—I seal the tops and bottoms with three coats before hanging them. But no matter how well the painters finish the door afterwards, the homeowners rarely maintain the finish; within a year, the bottom rail begins to separate from the stiles, and…well, that’s all she wrote.

When fiberglass doors first hit the market, I hated them. Paint wouldn’t stick to them, the skins developed a chalky glaze no matter how they were finished, and they moved around a lot when the temperature changed.

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But boy, fiberglass doors come a long way. Today the wood grain patterns available on fiberglass doors—from mahogany to fir to cherry—are every bit as attractive as a solid wood door. Fiberglass doors are insulated and provide a thermal break. The Plastpro door I used has all composite stiles and rails—no wood components—so it will never fail.

These days, I wouldn’t dream of installing a wood door, especially on a problematic opening.

Even on my own shop—where everything is wood—I opted for a fiberglass door for the south side rear entrance to the bathroom. I picked an entry door with a Douglas fir grain and distressed it some while applying the stain.

(Note: Click image to enlarge)

But first I had to cut it down 1 ½ in. so the height would match the windows and patio doors. Plastpro has a “Trimmable” line of doors that can be cut to fit custom openings (1 in. off the stiles; 1/2 in. off the top, and 1 1/2 in. off the bottom!). But the door I ordered was not in the Trimmable line.

Watch this video and learn why cutting down a fiberglass door is a lot different than cutting a wood door!

When the old timers changed their homes from fireplace and stove heating, they used gravity hot air, steam, or hot water. Gravity hot air required large return air ducts in the floor, so they put a metal bottom on a joist space to create a duct. Code guys today would have a heart attack to see that done. These large returns needed a cover in the floor, and usually those covers were made out of wood.

When I had to recently fill in a hole in the floor from an air conditioning duct, I decided to make an old fashioned wooden one, taking inspiration from the old timers. I studied the old ones and realized they used a woodworking technique called a cross lap joint. Most of you are probably already familiar with this technique. I found it to be visually appealing, and easy to replicate. I used a dado blade on my table saw. An adjustable one is ideal, but you can also pick a combination of dado blades about ¼” thick and then cut your strips that exact thickness.

(Note: Click any image to enlarge)

• • •

• • •

I cut my strips a little over-sized and then planed them to make them smooth. Sanding would do the same thing.

I cut several extra strips since the little nibs could break off in the process. I’d suggest not cutting them to length until after you’ve assembled them.

I screwed a piece of wood to the sliding miter gauge to act as a fence, and I sent the miter gauge and wood across the dado blade, cutting the first slot.

I then made an index pencil mark on the wood and miter gauge, and I moved the wood over the exact width of the planned spaces in the grate. I cut the second slot in the fence, moved the wood back to the index mark, and screwed it back on again.

If you’re trying a similar project, I recommend that the blade be half or more as high as the strips are wide.

I placed a little piece of one of the strips in the second slot to act as an indexing pin—I made mine long so I could cut five strips at once—and I waxed the saw top and sliding miter gauge so everything would move smoothly.

With my bundle of strips registered against the indexing pin (and clamped securely in place), I cut the first slot in the strips. Next, I moved the strips over and placed the previously cut slot onto the indexing pin before cutting another slot.

I repeated that process until the whole length of the strips were cut.

I used a soft hammer to work the strips together.

If they were tight, I wouldn’t need any glue. But too tight, and they’d be a pain to put together.

When I was finished assembling, I cut the ends of the strips off, and I used black paint to conceal the inside of the duct and any joists that might show.

Here is the new grate installed in the floor:

With a little floor repair and refinishing, the floor and grate will be as good as old.

•••

AUTHOR BIO

I started woodworking as a twelve-year-old, in the 60s—I made an automotive creeper as a 4-H project. I made the rails from oak, and when I cut them on my father’s table saw it filled the room with smoke and left burn marks on the wood. I thought it was because oak was so hard. It took me hours to sand off the burn marks. I have since learned the importance of sharp tools.

In 1975, my wife and I bought our first old house. Being teachers, we had more time than money so we became avid do-it-yourself’ers. I bought my first table saw at a garage sale and asked for power tools for birthday and Christmas presents, and in 1979 we bought an investment property. It needed a lot of wood repairs, which allowed me the opportunity to sharpen my skills and buy more equipment! In 1986, we bought our dream house: an 1875 Italianate-style home. The wraparound porch needed complete reconstruction. The porch was all milled from redwood, salvaged from an old water tower. It took me three summers to build.

I retired from teaching in 2005 and started an architectural woodworking business. I have done a terrific amount of old house woodworking as a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity and for our neighborhood organization’s house rehabs. My wife and I also bought a foreclosed 1870s home to rehab. I spent a winter and a summer making an appropriate porch for it. The challenge of putting back round-topped pocket doors was my first exposure to making curved moldings. It was very satisfying work.

I was fortunate that the first great carpenter I worked for was a master stair builder. He didn’t build stairs all the time, but when he did, he built them the old fashioned way with a lot of the old details.

We would rout the housed skirtboards, make all the wedges, tongue and groove the treads to the risers, install mitered returns for the stair tread nosings (mitered both ends, no CNC curved profiles or sanded ends), and even install little cove return pieces under each tread where the cove molding returns into the stringer on the open skirtboard.

I learned a lot from working with him. One specific detail I learned was how to fit and install a housed newel post. Just like a housed skirtboard is routed to accept the treads and risers, the housed newel is cut to fit around the treads and risers—you cut the profile of the tread nosings, risers, and skirts into the side of the newel post. The end result, when properly fit, is a post that is truly locked into the staircase. A few fasteners are still required, but not as many or as large as what you would otherwise need.

There are a couple things to note about this installation: First, it does work best with larger newels. The one in this stair measures 4″ square. It also works best with solid wood: I don’t think I would attempt it with any composite or MDF newel. But I make my own box newels, and they are always lock mitered out of solid 5/4 stock.

Layout the balusters

Let me say a few words about layout. Most carpentry projects, if not all carpentry projects, come down to good planning, good layout, and patience. It’s not always easy to do, and sometimes you don’t feel like you have the time to take an additional step—you just want to “get something done.” Sometimes you don’t have enough information from the architect or homeowner either. But when you’re building stairs, you cannot skip steps, especially this one. Let me say that again: you cannot skip this step. The patience and focus I’ve learned from disciplining myself to take the time to lay everything out carefully, especially when building stairs, has been invaluable in all the other work I do.

Careful layout always begins with the balusters. Once that’s established, and you have determined the spacing between balusters, you can layout the newel so that the distance between the newel and first baluster is equal to the baluster spacing—or as close as possible.

The next step is to find the centerline of the balusters. I usually line up the edge of the baluster with the glue line between the tread and the nosing return.

This will also line up the edge of the balusters with the outside edge of the skirtboard. This centerline will also be the centerline of the handrail and newel post.

A tight fit to the floor

With that information penciled on the treads, I draw the footprint of the newel post directly onto the main starting tread. Next, I align the newel post with that layout.

Then I plumb the post.

Once plumb, I mark where the newel intersects any other treads or nosings.

I use a combination square or straightedge to transfer and mark those lines.

At this point, there are two critical parts: One is that the post must be square to the line of the skirtboard/handrail; two is that the bottom of the newel must be fit tightly to the floor—any slope to the floor directly under the newel must be accounted for. For example, if the newel is sitting on a crooked floorboard, and you scribe the newel and then slide it into its final position, you might end up with a gap between your newel and flooring.

Once everything is laid out and marked on the stairs, and any issues with the fit to the floor are figured out…

…I transfer the top and bottom lines of all of the nosings to the newel.

This is the time to adjust for the floor. If the floor rises as the newel slides into position, adjust these lines down; if the floor falls, adjust the lines up. Always double check that the post is still plumb and square.

Cutting the newel

With the centerline marked on the newel…

…I measure and locate the outer edge of each nosing.

Then I measure and mark the skirtboards using my scribes.

Using a piece of the nosing, I trace the full profile on the newel to be sure that the Forstner bit is accurate, and to position the drill bit precisely. Some treads are milled with a slight thumbnail profile, which isn’t a problem, but I would rather fine-tune the cut on the bench at this time by following the exact pattern I traced with the piece of nosing.

I drill a 1/2″-deep hole where the nosing will eventually sit, using a 1 1/16″-diameter Forstner bit that matches the nosing profile and tread thickness. I never drill all the way through—depending on the location, a through-hole could weaken the newel post unnecessarily.

With the nosing profiles drilled out and everything marked, I start slicing and dicing.

I make the cuts for the tread quickly with a miter saw…

…and I finish with a jigsaw or handsaw.

I use a circular saw, tracksaw, or jigsaw to cut the skirtboard lines. I like to bevel the cuts a couple of degrees so that the leading edge hits. If I need to take a little more off, I can use a block plane to fine tune the fit instead of going back outside to the saw.

In this photograph, I’m using a jigsaw because the circular saw seemed a bit precarious and there was no place to lay the track for the tracksaw.

Before sliding the post into position, I trim off the stair nosings that will be hidden under the newel post.

Don’t cut to the original newel post lines or there won’t be any tread nosing left to catch the post. I make a second mark 3/8″ over, and cut that line. Remember: the hole I drilled into the post is only 1/2″ deep. The 1/8″ difference between what I left on the tread and the depth of the hole will allow enough room for error without sacrificing the strength of the attachment.

The stair nosings

One other thing to consider is the cove moldings under the tread. I usually leave them off and install them after the newel post is installed, because it’s easier and faster. Who knows why, but I forgot to do that this time! With the post in position, I can mark the coves and chop them out with a sharp chisel.

Sliding the post into position is the moment of truth! I know it’s a good fit when a couple whacks with a rubber mallet are all that’s needed to help the newel find its home sitting plumb and solid.

A few strategically placed screws are usually enough to pull everything together solidly. Be sure to continuously check the post with the level as the screws are driven so it doesn’t get pulled out of plumb.

Finishing up

The final step is installing the balusters, handrail, and newel cap. There are three parts to this step: the handrail, the subrail (or fillet), which fits into a shallow dado milled into the bottom of the handrail, and the balusters. First I attach the subrail to the handrail with a few small brads. This way I can cut them at the same time, to ensure an exact fit. Then, using a digital level placed along the plane of the stair nosings, I get an exact reading on the pitch of the stairs. This number is also the angle of the cut at the newel post, because the newel is always installed plumb and square. This number is close to, but not necessarily the exact angle of, the cut at the plaster, which is most likely lumpy, out of square, and out of plumb. Now it is just a matter of a few trips back and forth between the stair and miter saw to adjust the cut at the plaster until everything fits nicely.

With the rail fit to the wall and supported at the finished elevation, it is easy to mark and cut all of the balusters to length. Remember the angle from the digital level that provided the angle to cut the handrail? Well that’s the same cut for the tops of the balusters.

After all of the balusters are cut to length, I place them in position one at a time and mark their locations on the subrail.

Next, I remove the rail and install the balusters using dowel screws. If this were a paint-grade stair, I would just brad nail the balusters into the handrail and putty the holes. In this stain-grade stair, I want to hide as many fasteners as possible, which is why I made a separate subrail under the handrail.

The subrail, removed from the handrail, is fastened through the top into the balusters with 1 1/4″-screws.

I then install the handrail over the subrail and fasten it to the newel and wall with screws, and I bung the holes with grain-matched plugs taken from the handrail cutoffs. The subrail is now locked into the dado cut in the bottom of the handrail, and it only needs a few brad nails to hold it securely in place.

I then install the new cap and clean up. Done!

Not counting set up and breakdown of tools, this post installation took about two hours, including the time I spent photographing (I wish I had a helper that day!). Of course, the balusters, rail, cap, and clean up were an additional five hours of installation work. Although more challenging, in my experience it takes about the same amount of time for me to fit a post this way as it does to chop the nosings off completely. And like coping base and crown, this scribed joint provides a little more forgiveness. I also like this method because it gives me an opportunity to really practice the craft.

Sharpening tools properly must be one of the hardest lessons to learn in carpentry. And yet the path to success is simple. Unless you’re a tool junkie, or my friend Gary Katz, it doesn’t require fancy or expensive equipment.

Step One: Sharpness is nothing more than two flat surfaces, polished mirror smooth, meeting at an angle. Use a grinder to establish the angle. Thirty degrees is about right, but you’ll soon learn to get it right by eye. Pointier will cut more easily, shallower will be stronger. Grind the bevel side hollow. You will have ground enough when sparks start coming over the top.

Step Two: Check the chisel for square frequently and use a gentle touch. Dip the tool in water or oil often to cool it. (I use an inexpensive magnetic mist sprayer.) If it gets hot enough to discolor you will have ruined the temper.

Step Three: Hone the bevel on an oil-stone or water stone—I use a medium India—secured in a clamp or fixture. If you hold it in your hand you will probably be wearing a band-aid soon after. Rest the tool on the bevel and don’t tip it up or down as you sharpen. Use small circular motions and move over the entire surface of the stone so you don’t wear it hollow. All you are doing is removing the coarse scratches made by the grinder—it doesn’t take a lot of pressure, just a little patience.

Step Four: Hone the back of the tool. Hold the back absolutely flat on the stone. You are polishing out any scratches or pits on the back, making sure the back is flat, and removing the burr left by the earlier steps. This step may take a few minutes on a new tool, but only seconds to retouch a tool that has been properly sharpened before.

Step Five: Stropping is the step most carpenters skip, which is why most carpenters are working with dull tools. I use a piece of leather glued to a block of wood. Charge the strop with buffing compound. My favorite is Herb Dunkle’s Yellowstone.

Step Six: Strop the tool by pulling it backwards over the leather—back side first, then the bevel. Hold the tool flat on the leather so you don’t round the bevel over. In a moment you will be able to see your reflection in the edge of the tool.

Step Seven: When you can shave with your chisel or plane iron, then it’s sharp enough to cut wood—even curly hardwood or across redwood end grain.

(This article originally appeared on GaryMKatz.com)

Early last winter, after searching for more than two years, I finally found a new home in Oregon, outside of Medford, near the small town of Ruch. It took a long time to find this place because I couldn’t decide where I wanted to live and once I did, I had a hard time finding a place I could afford—a small, older home that hadn’t been remodeled. After the “big boom,” houses like that became pretty rare.

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The place I bought was built in the fifties and had no insulation in the walls or floor. The entire west side of the house, facing the Applegate River, had once been a porch. The interior was mostly old wood paneling—the cheap kind, with several layers in some rooms, where previous owners had redecorated, and cove molding in all the corners—including the ceilings! The electrical and plumbing…well, these pictures will show you what I mean.

The plumbing was a mixture of copper, old galvanized pipe, thin-wall PVC, and even garden hoses.

(Note: Click any image to enlarge)

The wiring had been spliced—inside the walls—with electrical tape.

Sunken foundation piers had to be replaced.

And on top of all that, I planned to build a new shop and guesthouse—a lot of work for a guy who’s on the road most of the year. I needed a GC!

Hire Slow and Fire Fast

I began to look for a good contractor/carpenter—someone who wore a tool belt and could work with me side-by-side or when I was thousands of miles away; someone who was eager to learn and to teach, too—as a finish carpenter, I haven’t been involved in general construction for more than thirty years, but I wanted to do all the finish work!

I started by asking JLC for a list of their subscribers in the Medford, OR area. I sent emails to those fifteen names, and I received seven or eight responses. I followed up with the ones that replied within a couple days, doing a brief email interview with each contractor. I eliminated several—those who weren’t licensed or didn’t work with tools themselves. I interviewed about five contractors on the phone, and then I sent plans for my new shop to three of them. All the time, I paid close attention to how quickly they responded to email, how organized they were, and how digitally savvy they were. As I mentioned before, I was looking for a contractor who I could work with closely, even when I was far away; he’d need to be familiar with a computer, email, etc.

In the end, after meeting each of them, visiting their jobs and speaking with their past customers, I chose the one who asked the most questions, the one who provided me with the most organized and thorough bid, and the one who was the most responsive: Scott Wells Construction. He was also the high bidder. Go figure.

Demo to Drywall

Scott started work in February, and by the time I arrived in the middle of May, he had gutted the old house, installed new wiring, repaired the plumbing, insulated the walls, and primed the drywall. He had the foundation formed for my new shop,…

…and he had also dug utility trenches all over the property. I arrived just in time: the dirty work was almost over.

A lot of folks have been asking about my new place, wanting to see pictures. In the months (and years!) ahead, I’ll be sharing some of the lessons I’m learning while working on my new home.

For better or worse, I’m learning quite a few lessons the hard way.

You can expect to see articles in TiC, JLC, and Fine Homebuilding, too, from building doors to setting windows; from installing the kitchen cabinets, to building out the new shop.

The next article on my new home will cover installing a French door and flanking sidelights, but it’s not your run-of-the-mill install. This one has a remodel twist—I had to install a deck ledger first.

• • •

AUTHOR BIO

Gary Katz still travels the country doing Katz Roadshows—carpentry clinics at locally owned lumberyards and tool stores. But he no longer lives in L.A. These days, well, a picture is worth a thousand words.

…and a Deck Ledger

The most important thing I’ve learned about installing doors and windows—and of course I learned it the hard way—is this: Look at the Whole Picture, then always start at the bottom and get the sill perfectly level. That lesson paid off big time while setting a French door and sidelights in my own home.

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The back third of my new home is a converted patio. The roof is supported by 4×4 posts on concrete piers set every 4-5 ft. (the span varies…a lot!). The floor is framed from 4x4s, too, hung parallel from the same posts, and set on more concrete piers.

(Note: Click any image to enlarge)

The span between joists is over 3 ft. I’m certain the original owner/builder used a string vial to level the entire foundation and floor system. Thankfully the floor sheathing is 2×6 T&G—that’s the only reason the floor doesn’t bounce!

So when I decided to install a French door and sidelights in my new bedroom, I ran into an interesting problem (which had nothing to do with the door or sidelight openings). There wasn’t anything to attach the deck ledger to, at least down where ledgers are normally mounted. And I’d need a deck outside that door—the finished floor was 16 in. off the ground.

I hadn’t really thought about the deck until that moment. Like most decks, I imagined I’d tackle that project later and build more or less a large landing outside the door. But planning the deck wasn’t something I could put off.

I knew I’d be installing a ledger somewhere on top of the Zip R-panel I installed…

…so I removed the foam from the back of the R-panel beneath the door and window openings, and I filled that void with sheathing. That way, the ledger bolts would have solid backing between the 4×4 rim joist and the sheathing. Because the floor joists and rim didn’t extend down far enough to provide backing for the ledger, and because I couldn’t attach the ledger to the foundation (since there is no continuous foundation), I had no choice but to hang the ledger from above.

But before I could to that, I had to level the sill—right…always start at the bottom and get the sill perfectly level…

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One of the most important aspects of window installation is weatherproofing. I’ve seen too many jobs with window flashing installed improperly, allowing moisture to penetrate the jamb, leading to air and water leaks, rot, mold—the whole mess.

From the critical components of housewrap integration, to flashing, sealants, and flanges, this detailed video will help you perfect your window installation process.

•••

AUTHOR BIO

Rick Arnold has over thirty years of experience in hands-on, residential and light commercial contracting in New England. His experience includes remodeling, framing, Energy Star construction, and concrete work. Rick is a contributing editor for Fine Homebuilding. He has also authored numerous articles and books on home construction and remodeling.

Rick travels around the country, presenting seminars and workshops at trade shows and events such as JLC Live, the International Builders Show, Affordable Comfort, The Remodeler’s Show, and the Katz Roadshow.

I’ve been helping my dad since I learned to walk (when I was nine months old, to be exact). I began work as his assistant when I was three months old: after daycare, I’d accompany him to look at jobs, sign contracts, and even pick up materials for the next day. As I got a little older (around age two), I started to actually help out on projects—I’d hold one end of the tape measure and carry his notepad on estimates.

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Whenever my dad was working on our house, I would be there helping him as much as I could. I’d help clean up, do minor demo, hold things for him, and even help measure for him (that’s right—my dad taught me how to read a tape measure; I still have trouble with the sixteenths and some of the eighths, but I’m getting better as I go.).

You could say that I already have a good amount of experience under my small tool belt. That’s why I asked my dad if I could start explaining how I do my jobs to others so they can learn, too.    

Demo

On this project, we decided to remove an old section of a fence in order to install new posts. The existing fence section was about 5 ft. in length with no entrance. We wanted to add an entrance to it, to have another way of getting in and out of the yard. To add an entrance, we would have to move one post inward about 12 in., which would give us a 30-in. opening.

(Note: Click any image to enlarge)

So we began by removing the existing fence section from the posts: we unbolted the nuts and installed a temporary fence section. I dug around the square 2 x 2 steel posts that ran into the ground about two or three feet deep and pulled them out. I unscrewed the temporary fence from the house and my dad disposed of it in the dumpster.

Digging

After locating where to dig, I got started.

I needed to be 24-in. deep for my footings. I told my dad this would be a lot easier than helping him dig for the front porch footings—those required 4-ft. deep holes, and he’d have to pull out large boulders!

I started by making a circular shape and continued digging down from there. The first foot went smoothly, and then I came across a couple of small rocks, and then some bigger ones. I dug around each rock and pulled them out.

At that point, I measured the depth of the hole and I couldn’t believe the tape measure only read 16 inches! I felt as if I had dug deeper. Then I heard my dad say, “I thought this was going to be easy!” After giving my dad a smirk, I continued digging, keeping the hole about a foot in diameter.

I started to get frustrated loosening and removing the dirt. My dad always tells me to walk away for a few minutes when you feel frustrated or mad. Then you can come back with a better attitude, which will help you get the job done.

I decided to toss all the rocks that were laying around the hole into a wheelbarrow and dump them at another location. This gave me something to do while I was frustrated, and ongoing cleanup is always a good idea.

By the time I was done dumping the rocks, I could go back to digging with a better mood.

When I returned to the hole, I laid my shovel flat across, taking the measurement from the bottom of the handle.

“24 inches!,” I yelled. Boy, was I glad to see that.

Mixing and Pouring Footing

Next, I had to mix concrete—one of my favorite things to do. I like to use a wheelbarrow to mix concrete. My dad dumped the bag of concrete into the wheelbarrow and I added the water.

I moved the concrete in both directions with a hoe, adding water when needed until it was ready to be poured.

I wanted to push the wheelbarrow, but my dad said it was too heavy for me, so he hauled it to the hole. I used a shovel to dump the concrete into the hole.

I put two full shovels of concrete in and then used my shovel to get the air pockets out.

My dad told me where to put the post in the fresh concrete, so I dropped in the post, using a level to make sure it was plumb. Once I had it in its location, I added a bunch of rocks to help it stiffen.

I then added dirt to fill the hole and used a tamper to pack it down tight.

First I used a 2×4 to tamp close to the post, and I held a level to keep the post plumb.

Then I used a steel hand tamper, which was heavy, but fun to use. By adding more dirt, and packing it down tight around the post, this post would be very solid.

When I was done, I gave my dad the thumbs up.

I said, “Let’s get the other one done. But this time, you dig it. I’ll set the post.” My dad said, “Sure, but you have to clean up the tools when we’re finished!”

I guess a helper’s job is never done.

Until the next job…

• • •

AUTHOR BIO

Carter Silva is eight years old and is in the third grade. He has two brothers (Zachary—16, and Corey—5) who he loves playing with. When he’s not helping his dad fix the house on the weekends, he is busy playing hockey, doing tricks on his bike, throwing footballs with his friends, and playing with construction trucks.

He was bitten by the carpentry bug when he started to walk, at about nine-months old. Carter is very ambitious. When his father noticed that Carter liked playing with hand tools (plastic toy tools), he began to teach Carter how they were used.

Carter started by going around his home with a small level, checking any molding detail he could reach to see if it was level or plumb. He even checked his dad’s work just to make sure it was right. Carter would also accompany his dad on estimates, after daycare, and he’d help pick up stock for the next day and do contract signings. He really enjoys the trade that his father has welcomed him into, and he’s appreciated the educational opportunities he’s attended with his father, like the JLC LIVE show and Katz Roadshows.

Carter is like an old soul that has been here before. He continues to amaze his mother and father in the passion he has for this trade.

Take the TiC Toolbox onto your jobsite!

The TiC Toolbox is a new, FREE mobile app—a pocket reference from THISisCarpentry.com, created especially for carpenters, contractors, and architects. Download the TiC Toolbox for instant, on-the-job problem-solving, for in-the-shop solutions, or use it as a desktop reference! This app will improve skills and increase productivity.

To download, simply view toolbox.THISisCarpentry.com on your mobile device; a pop-up will appear with instructions for convenient offline viewing.

TiC Toolbox content will include relevant full-length articles from THISisCarpentry.com, abbreviated for mobile viewing. We will also be publishing Toolbox-specific tips and techniques from time to time—articles that our authors are writing especially for jobsite or workshop reference!

Please note: some memory storage is required and the app is most easily accessible with a Wi-Fi connection (although 3G or similar connectivity will be sufficient). The TiC Toolbox is not available through iTunes.

In Part 1 of this article, we reviewed the details of casing joinery and how to measure for new casing around a door frame. We also reviewed the necessary cut list, so that you can cut your casing right the first time. In Part 2, we moved on to the details of baseboard. We covered the best methods for installing casing and the use of hand-driven nails in Part 3. We’ll finish Chapter 2 by exploring methods for pre-assembly.

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Chapter 2: Part 4

A serial publication of excerpts from Trim Made Simple by Gary Katz

Training techniques for apprentice carpenters and serious DIYers

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Pre-assemble casing

New adhesives, spring clamps, and fastening systems have made it easier than ever to pre-assemble casing. For casing wider than 3 in., pre-assembly and miter reinforcement—with biscuits, splines, or pocket screws—is the best way to ensure long-lasting miters. To improve craftsmanship—and make the job easier and more enjoyable, use some of the same techniques to guarantee tight-fitting miters around your doors.

(Note: Click any image to enlarge)

1. Clamp the head to each jig. Use A-clamps to secure an assembly jig to each end of the head casing. Make sure the casing is tight against the stops.

2. Glue the miters. Spread a thin layer of carpenter’s glue on each miter.

3. Clamp the legs to the jigs. Rest the head casing and assembly jigs on the edge of a sawhorse or on your miter saw stand. Tilt the head casing and each leg into position, squeezing the miters tightly closed. Use A-clamps to secure the legs.

4. Spring clamp the miters. Glue joints won’t be strong unless they dry under pressure, and putting glue under pressure helps it ‘set’ faster. Use the wrench to spread each spring clamp as wide as possible. Position the clamps on top of each miter (see below).

5. Carry the frame to the wall. Strong A-clamps make it possible to move the casing off your work area and store it temporarily against a wall while the glue ‘sets’. Wait ten or fifteen minutes before installing the frame.

Making pre-assembly jigs

On some jobs, I don’t have room—or enough time, to set up a full-size worktable. These simple homemade jigs make it easy to pre-assemble casing without a worktable, using only a miter saw stand or a sawhorse. You should have at least four of these jigs, so several sets of casing can be assembled at one time.

1. Square of 1/2-in. or 3/8-in. plywood. Cut the plywood to about 8 in. square.

2. 1/4-in. strips on two corners. If you don’t have a table saw, a length of 1/2 in. doorstop will provide all the strips you need. Glue the strips, clamp them to the jig, and then tack them in place with brads or pins.

3. Non-slip material. Cut pieces from a router mat (www.rockler.com: $8.79) and fasten them on the back of each jig. Use fast acting glue, like 2P-10 (we’ll cover this in a future article) or contact cement to secure the non-slip material to the jig.

•••

Stay tuned for the next chapter from Trim Made Simple: Casing Windows!

In Part 1 of this article, we reviewed the details of casing joinery and how to measure for new casing around a door frame. We also reviewed the necessary cut list, so that you can cut your casing right the first time. In Part 2, we moved on to the details of baseboard. Now, we’ll explore the best methods for installing casing, and the use of hand-driven nails—the preferred technique for working with soft wood.

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Chapter 2: Part 3

A serial publication of excerpts from Trim Made Simple by Gary Katz

Training techniques for apprentice carpenters and serious DIYers

——————-

Installing Mitered Casing

New adhesives, fasteners, and clamps have changed the way carpenters install casing. I frequently pre-assemble large casings so that I can reinforce the miters and improve the joinery strength. But the old method of installing casing—starting with the head piece and then following up with the two legs, is still sometimes best, especially for smaller moldings. I’ll demonstrate both techniques here, so that you’ll be able to work with either type of molding. No matter which technique you use, always prepare the jamb first.

1. Mark reveals with a Trim Gauge. Before installing any casing, draw reveal lines on the jamb 1/4 in. back from the inside edge. A pair of scribes will do the job, but a marking gauge speeds up the task. The adjustable Trim Gauge can also be used for a variety of reveal or back-set layouts.

(Note: Click any image to enlarge)

2. Align the miters with the reveal marks. Tack the head casing to the jamb. If you’re using a nail gun, shoot one 23 ga. or 18 ga. brad near the center of the head casing.

3. Apply glue to the miters. Spread a thin layer of glue on both miters before assembling the casing.

4. Tack the leg casing to the jamb. Position the miter so the molding profiles align. Place the first nail about 4 in. below the miter. Drive a second nail about 8 in. below the first nail.

5. Spring Clamps are a must. A glue joint will not be strong unless it dries under pressure. Before driving more fasteners, install spring clamps on both miters. Adjust the clamps and the miters so that the profiles are aligned and flush.

6. Nail off the casing. Finish fastening the casing by driving brads or pin nails every 8 to 12 in. through the casing into the jamb. Fasten the casing to the wall every 12 to 14 in. To reach through the casing and the drywall, and penetrate the studs at least 3/4 in., use longer, 2 in. 15 ga. nails.

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. . .

Hand-driven nails

If you’re installing molding on only one or two doors, don’t rush out and buy a nail gun. Driving nails by hand isn’t that difficult. To protect soft wood (and thumbs and fingers) from your hammer, use these techniques.

1. Prevent nails from splitting the casing. Nail gun fasteners have blunt tips, which prevent splitting even when nailing near the edge of casing. Hand-driven nails have sharp tips and will split casing if driven near the edge. Blunt the tips of hand-driven hails by tapping the tip with a hammer or by cutting the tip off with wire cutters.

2. Protect your fingers. Cut a narrow strip of cardboard. Poke your finish nail through the cardboard. While hammering, hold the cardboard and not the nail.

3. Plastic “Nail Grippers” are also available. They do an even better job of holding a nail firmly so it’s easier to position, start, and drive the nail. Plus, a Nail Gripper protects the casing from a missed hammer blow, or from driving the nail too far and striking the casing. (www.mcFeelys.com: $3.50)

4. For small pins and brads, use a Thumb Saver. (www.torcarr.com: $12.50/pair) This long-handled tool, with a strong magnet, secures any size nail and makes it easy to place hard-to-reach fasteners. It’s very handy for assembling picture frames, too.

5. Set all hand-driven nails. Drive each nail almost flush with the casing. Don’t hit the casing with a hammer. Instead, stop when each nail is 1/8 in. to 1/4 in. proud (above) the casing. Set each nail so the head is slightly beneath the surface of the casing. Use a nail set smaller than the size of the nail head.

•••

Click the following link for the final part of “Casing Doors,” which will cover pre-assembly: casing and jigs!

This article is a follow-up to “The Misused & Confused Chair Rail“, which I wrote for TiC a couple of years ago. It generated a lot of positive and negative feedback, and hopefully it challenged your ideas of how to use a chair rail. That article also led to many questions about other trim elements. One question that continues to come up concerns how to build mantels.

The secret to building mantels is actually the same one used for successfully designing other classical elements in a home, including door headers, crown molding, and columns.

The secret to beautiful built-ins and case work is hidden in the orders of classical architecture, captured in the magic of the entablature. If you can wrestle through the concepts and ideals of the entablature, the quality of your designs and your ability to build well-proportioned architectural elements will immediately improve.

Many people are surprised to learn that there are any rules for trimming out a house. In fact, I get a lot of arguments when I suggest carpenters should follow classical rules of building. Don’t mistake rules for dogma. Remember, classical rules are more like guidelines—they are markers along the road that steer us towards better design. They are not like mathematical formulas you follow to calculate the perfect molding. Today, the classical method of building contains clues for the size and placement of door casements and chair rails. These clues may once have been clear-cut rules, but over the last seventy years, those rules have been lost. That’s why, today they come to us as secrets—the lost tricks to building. Learn them and you will see an instant change in the quality and sophistication of your work.

The reason the classical methods work is simple—these are time-tested, centuries-old rules for the proper use of moldings and trim; like being in nature, they help people feel better in a room. I have literally had clients tell me how their friends and family love their living room where we installed the trim, but they can’t figure out why. We feel immediately comfortable in a classically designed space because the classical model is based on a human scale—the molding, cabinets, and doorways are all designed to “fit” with human form and size. By introducing human scale to your work through moldings and trim, you will bring new and lasting value to your projects.

The Terminology

It’ll help to study the following illustration and familiarize yourself with the terminology of classical architecture and how it relates to the moldings used in a home’s interior.

(Note: Click any image to enlarge)

The Big Picture

Let’s remember that all of the moldings we use on the interior of our buildings derive from the classical system. The chair rail is derived by the height of the pedestal; the base, crown, and picture mold all derive from the classical proportioning system. Although there are a number of elements in the classical system, we’re going to focus on the entablature in this article. The illustration below demonstrates the theoretical origin of the Doric order‘s entablature.

The Entablature

The entablature is essentially the horizontal build-up that is supported by the column. It is made up of three parts: the lowest is the architrave, next is the frieze, and it is topped by the cornice. Don’t be too intimidated by the terms. They have understandable origins and usually relate to the original timber structures before they were built later, in stone. If you study the illustration above, you’ll notice that triglyphs and guttae are thought to mimic the wood beams that were original timber elements of the earlier buildings. (Another great resource for origins and information on classical design is Calder Loth’s blog, Classicist.org. Much of the language I use comes from one of his posts.)

The Cornice

The cornice is the top part of the entablature. It consists of three sections: the bedmold on the bottom, the corona in the middle, and the cymatium at the top. A quick glance at the above illustration of the origins shows that the cymatium represents the gutter, the corona represents the fascia which covers and protects the rafter ends, and the bedmold represents the top of the wall structure supporting the roof.

The cymatium is your top-most piece and often has an S-shape, called a cyma recta. Common crown molding profiles, like an 8010 or 8012, include the cyma recta shape.

The corona is the flat space that separates the bedmold and cymatium. Again, this important flat spot helps us read the moldings and provides a crisp shadow line, defining and separating all the elements.

The bedmold (bed molding) is the bottom molding of the cornice and is one of the few moldings to still retain its classical shape. Bedmold is traditionally composed of two molding profiles, a quarter-round and a cove, separated by a fillet. When a dentil is used, it belongs between the quarter-round and cove. This is one of the rules of classicism that can demonstrate great sophistication, and it illustrates why classical rules are important. Like the proper use of a semicolon, don’t let the dentil end up in the architrave or the frieze—it belongs in the bedmold.

Note: Moulding profiles borrowed from Kuiken Brothers Classical Mouldings; visit www.kuikenbrothers.com for more information.

The Frieze

The frieze is the middle, flat area between the architrave and cornice. It is sometimes adorned, but more commonly left flat and plain. In the Doric order, the triglyphs show up in the frieze. During the Federal period, the frieze was often widened or enlarged to allow room for decoration with swags, urns, and other typical neo-classical details. The frieze can also be pulvinated, meaning it has a convex face. We will see examples of these elements later in this article.

The Architrave

The achitrave is the lowest section of the entablature and it represents the main beam, which supports the roof. Arch-, in its Greek root, means chief or ruler. Trave- comes from the Latin word for timber; thus chief-timber, or supporting beam. The architrave is usually broken into two or three faces, or steps. It is topped by the taenia, which is thought to represent a board that historically sat on top of the support beam.

Before 1880, “architrave” was the common name for door and window casings. Most pattern books used the term. But this was back before simple mitered casing heads became ubiquitous, back when most door and window openings were finished with a full entablature. But imagine if you placed an entablature on a door or window—it is only natural that the architrave spanning the opening would then wrap down the sides, becoming the casing legs we know today.

Interiors

Entablatures are commonly used in a home’s interior in three main areas: to frame an entire room, as a door header, and as a fireplace mantel. Its primary use is to bring order, designate hierarchy, and elevate the design of a room. A number of the examples below are pictures from my book, Traditional American Rooms. In writing this book, I studied approximately thirty-five historic rooms at the Winterthur Museum. I have picked out some key details to help us understand how these rooms are put together and how the moldings are organized.

The following image is a great starting point—it demonstrates the power of the entablature in its three most common uses.

In this case, we see the frieze is pulvinated in two ways: fully convex over the pilaster and S-shaped over the door and mantel. We also see the full entablature expressed over the pilaster, and only the cornice wraps the room. We’ll dig into each area in detail, but this picture captures the potential magic of the entablature.

The Entablature in a Room

In the Lancaster Room at Winterthur, we can see the full entablature as it runs around an entire room:

If we compare the Lancaster Room to the Entry Hall (below), we’ll see the expression of two different orders.

As you may remember from my article on chair rail, there are five classical orders, and each order is expressed differently. In the Lancaster Room, we see the Ionic order; in the Entry Hall, we see the Doric order. It’s not often that you have formal rooms such as these, where the entire room is wrapped with a full entablature. However, you need to see it expressed fully so that you know how to do it, and so that you understand the parts.

The Entablature in a Door Header

Door headers are easy to build if you realize they are just mini-entablatures. The proper time to use a door header is when you are trying to elevate an opening or create hierarchy in a space. A built-up door header does not belong over every door and window in a house. However, in important rooms, or this entry hall below, it makes sense—it elevates the importance of the opening and the importance of the room.

This is a “before” photo of an entry hall. When you compare this photo to the following, you’ll see the door header’s ability to change the look and feel of a room.

This is the “after” photo. You can see that we were able to transform the space simply by adding a chair rail and a door header. Though it appears the opening has been raised, it actually hasn’t. That’s the result of using properly sized and proportioned moldings.

Here is a very elaborate door header with a broken pediment from the Philadelphia Hall at Winterthur:

This level of decoration would have been appropriate in Philadelphia, since it was the wealthiest American city in 1760. Some of you might recognize the Chinese influence in this design—a popular style for a period when trade with Asia was first peaking American interest in Chinese culture. You can also see how the header breaks through the entablature that wraps the room.

Mantels

Mantels are also mini-entablatures. However, mantles often bend the design rules, and are sometimes difficult to interpret architecturally. Mantels either have an entablature like a door header—with an architrave running down the side (as seen in the photo, below)—or they have an entablature that is supported by columns or brackets on both sides. Mantels also tend to express a higher level of decorative art, often broken up with blocks or other added pieces, for more flair.

On this mantel, the architrave has been ornamented with an egg and dart taenia, and a small bead and reel in the quirk molding. The middle of the entablature has a reeded frieze panel, which causes the cornice to bump out around it. This adds interest and is more expressive.

This second mantel is a typical Federal mantel, with a frieze that is captured by corbels on each side:

The cornice is very ornate and the dentil fretwork in the bedmold is exaggerated and large. The frieze is also widened to allow for the panel mold design. There is no architrave in the wood. Instead, the marble face (not seen) acts as the architrave and finishes the composition.

Finally, on this Federal mantel, columns reach up to support the frieze:

Notice how the composition of the entablature still lays out correctly over the firebox, and the frieze pops forward over the columns. The cornice is reduced in scale (bending the rules), but is still very attractive.

The Tight Opening

When you are dealing with moldings for door headers or mantelpieces in tight spaces, sometimes the pulvinated frieze can help. In the photos below, you can see that the pulvinated frieze allowed us to put a door header over this formal opening in the dining room without crashing into the china cabinets on either side. The pulvinated shape and swoop add a lot of drama to the work as well.

Overview

Hopefully, you can begin to see the power and magic of the entablature with this short article. I’d like to finish with some quick tips for putting together entablatures, whether they’re over doors, on mantels, or in a room. Remember, these are just general guides and starting points! The goal of this article is not to establish a bunch of rules, but to provide a framework for designing and working with moldings. If you look at a lot of Colonial era millwork, you will see a great deal of inventiveness by the craftsmen. This “knowledgeable” inventiveness is what I would like to see us get back to today.   

For those readers interested in learning more about the Classical orders and their different proportions, I encourage you to pick up a copy of The American Vignolaby William R. Ware. It is an excellent resource with very detailed illustrations.

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• Don’t forget the frieze. The frieze is critical—it provides a proper stage for the architrave and cornice. Too often, I have seen carpenters leave out the frieze because it appears so unimportant. In truth, that plain, flat space allows the pause that helps develop the entire composition.
• A quick way to size an entablature for a room is to simply use 1/6th or 1/8th the room height. Here is where the rules become guidelines, and you should really mock it up or draw the details to hone in on the proper size. However, using the 1/6th or 1/8th rule, a 10-ft. room would have an entablature of approximately 15 in. to 20 in. tall.
• To break out a simple entablature, using the Tuscan order as a general guide, start by dividing the entablature height into seven equal parts, and use a 2-2-3 pattern for sizing. In other words, a 20 in. entablature breaks into seven 2 7/8 in. parts. This 2-2-3 pattern means that your architrave and frieze both contain two parts, which are each 5 11/16 in. in height, and the cornice is 8 9/16 in. in total height. Realize that each order is a little different. For instance, the Doric entablature is broken into eight parts and it has a 2-3-3 proportion.

• A simple break down of the cornice using the Tuscan order would consist of dividing the cornice height into eight equal parts, using a 2-3-3 order: the bedmold is two parts and the corona and crown are each three parts. Since this cornice example rounds to 8 ½ in., and is broken into eight parts, each part is 1 1/16 in. Using these guidelines, the bedmold is 2 ¼ in. in size, and the corona and crown should both be around 3 3/16 in. This proportion system is a fresh way to think through molding sizes. It also challenges the 8012 crown, which is just too big in many cases (especially in today’s typical homes, which have ceiling heights of 8 ft.).

• Use a picture mold as an inexpensive way to imply a frieze. A picture mold 6 in. below your crown implies a 6-in. frieze—the picture mold is acting as the taenia of the architrave. Based on the height of the room, you can adjust the spacing between crown and picture mold to inexpensively imply more of a built-up entablature. But to pull this off, be sure to paint the implied-frieze the same color as the rest of the cornice and picture mold.
• We can determine the size of a door header by simply using the same 2-2-3 entablature breakdown as a guide. In this case, the door casing is acting as the architrave, and it’s also the basis for the proportioning. Assuming our door casing is 4-in. wide and represents two parts, each part is 2 in. in size. Since your door casing is 4 in., your frieze will also be 4 in., and your cornice will be 6 in.

(SketchUp drawings by Wm. Todd Murdock)

The values on the calculator that we use for common roof framing are: Pitch, Rise, Run, and Diagonal. If you have any two of those values, the calculator will quickly figure out the rest of the right triangle—which means it will tell you everything else you need to know about a rafter.

Most of the time, the two values I have are the run of a building and a specified pitch, which is why I used these values for the example in this online tutorial:

As a young carpenter (or should I say, “helper”) I was always amazed at the skill of the roof framers. They made it seem effortless to cut and fit roof rafters with only the aid of a framing square. The whole process mystified me. In those early years, I tried several times to do it myself, but I never had success. In time, an older carpenter named Rich Murphy took me up on a roof and helped me lay out and cut a reverse gable using a framing square and his roofer’s pocket reference or “bible.” That experience sent me on the quest to master the art of roof cutting. I can’t say I ever mastered it, but I’ve come a long way since Rich graciously took the time to help me understand what was going on.

Of course, that was decades ago. Today, I use a calculator to find rafter lengths and angles. Without a doubt, a construction calculator is the quickest way to find your way around a roof.

Side-by-side: The Construction Master Pro (left) and the BuildCalc app on an iPhone (right) (Note: Click any image to enlarge)

Construction calculators are pre-programmed with Pythagorean formulas for finding the values of right triangles—and roofs are all about right triangles. These calculators eliminate some of the memorization, and all of the charts. They put all the information in a nice, clean, easy-to-understand interface.

There are also two laudable software versions available as smartphone apps: one from Calculated Industries, and one from BuildCalc. They essentially do the same thing as an actual construction calculator, but I prefer the real thing—if I’m going to drop a calculator in the mud, I’d rather it not be my pricey smartphone!

Using a Construction Calculator

The values on the calculator that we use for common roof framing are: Pitch, Rise, Run, and Diagonal. If you have any two of those values, the calculator will quickly figure out the rest of the right triangle—which means it will tell you everything else you need to know about a rafter.

Most of the time, the two values I have are the run of a building and a specified pitch, which is why I used these values for the example in this online tutorial:

Looking at our model roof, I need to find the two elements that will give me all the information needed to frame the roof.

The building width, in this example, is 6 ft. 3/4 in., including the sheathing.

Each rafter only spans half the width of the building, and they start at the face of the ridge beam. For simplicity, and to prevent error, the first thing I do is deduct the full width of the ridge beam from the building width: in this example 6 ft. 3/4 in.  –  1 ½ in.  = 5 ft. 11 1/4 in.

I write this down on my template rafter as the adjusted overall run. Then, I divide that by 2 to get the actual run of each rafter. The result on my Construction Master calculator is 2 ft. 11 5/8 in. Next, I press the Run key, instructing the calculator to use that dimension as the ‘run,’ which is the first element of the right triangle I am working with.

I need one more element, and in this case I know the pitch of the roof, which is 6/12. So I enter the number 6 into the calculator, followed by the Inch key, and then press the Pitch key. Note: It’s important to remember to press the Inch key when entering the roof pitch—without it, the calculator treats the number entered as ‘degrees of pitch’ instead of the rise/run ratio of the roof.

Now the calculator has all the details it needs, and it can provide me with every bit of information about that triangle. For instance, I’d also like to know the diagonal measurement, which will help me layout the seat cut. All I have to do is press the Diag key, and the calculator displays the measurement: 3 ft. 3 13/16 in. I write this measurement down on the template rafter, too.

Next, I press the Rise key, and write that number down: 1 ft. 5 13/16 in.

Be sure to go through all the calculations a few times, clearing the calculator in between. If all the results match, you can rule out any keystroke errors.

The Layout

The next step is to layout and cut the rafter. First, I attach a set of stair gauges to my framing square, so I can make precise, repetitive marks. In this case, I attach the gauges for a 6/12 pitch—6 in. on the tongue of the square and 12 in. on the body of the square. I carefully align those measurements along the edge of the rafter material, and then set the gauges.

Laying the square on the top of the rafter material, I start by scribing the plumb cut at the peak of the rafter. Keep in mind that, for most framing jobs, the tongue (the skinny side) is the vertical cut, and the body (the wider side) is the horizontal or seat cut.

I make this plumb cut at the peak with my saw before marking my seat cut (or “bird’s mouth,” in some vernacular). This way, I have something to hook my tape measure on, which is very handy for long rafters.

Measuring from the tip of the rafter, I mark off the diagonal measurement along the top edge of the rafter.

Then, using my framing square (some carpenters choose to use a speed square, but speed squares aren’t as precise, especially on fractional pitches), I draw the parallel plumb line across the rafter, marking along the tongue of the square. This line represents the plumb line on the rafter at the edge of the building.

The seat cut (or “bird’s mouth”) is referenced from this line. If you are framing from scratch, and not matching rafter heights (which will be explored in a future article), you will need to decide on what size the seat cut should be. Most codes require a minimum of 1 ½ in. of seat bearing on the top plate. I like to keep the seat cut the same width as the wall, including the sheathing.

In my model here, and on most of my jobs using 2×4 walls, the seat measures 4 in. with the sheathing. With wider plates, you cannot cut into the rafter more than a third of its overall width—this would weaken the structure too much. I generally go with 4 in., and it works well with most roofs.

To do a 4-in. seat cut, I rotate the square 180 degrees from the plumb cuts I’ve marked so far—this way the stair gauges will be referenced against the bottom edge of the rafter. I then slide the square along the bottom edge until the 8 in. mark on the body intersects the parallel plumb line I drew earlier; you’ll see that the line I trace will be exactly 4 in. long.

To me, that’s the quickest way to draw the seat cut.

Then, while I have the square there, it’s easy to slide the square over to mark for the rafter’s overhang (if I have an overhang less than 12 in.). In my case, that’s 6 in., and I draw another plumb line so I can start to cut the rafter.

Setting the Rafters

Before I set my rafters, I like to set the ridge in position first. That’s why I recorded the Rise measurement of our rafter.

I could calculate this on my construction calculator, but honestly, I find it easier to draw it out—it’s much safer, since drawing makes it easier to keep track of the numbers. By drawing it out on a story pole, I find the post elevation, and I can then cut the story pole to post the ridge.

To do that, I start with my calculated Rise of the rafter, and measure up that distance from the bottom of my post. I mark that on the post, and label it. In this case, that measurement is 1 ft. 5 13/16 in.

To get to the top of the ridge, I need to measure the rafters HAP, or “Height Above Plate.” Looking at the illustration (below), you can see the triangle that our construction calculator calculated. The calculator has no idea about the depth of the seat cut, or the size of the rafter material—it’s easiest to measure from the seat cut to the top edge of the rafter I’ve cut, and that is the HAP.

I add that measurement to the Rise and label it. The post height will now be at the top elevation of the ridge. In this example, my rafter has a 4-in. HAP.

Next, since I want to post the ridge, I measure the depth of the ridge beam (in my example, 5 ½ in.), and measure down from my HAP line mark. This line represents the height of the post. I now know if I cut that, it will fit.

Mathematically: (RISE + HAP) – Ridge Beam depth = Post Height

In real life (not mathematics), not everything is perfect. I usually deduct a 1/4 to 1/2 in. more, to allow me to shim the ridge into position perfectly. It’s a lot easier to shim a 1/2 in., than to have to cut a 1/2 in. off after the ridge is on the post.

The process is pretty straightforward—no complex charts or tables. And as Tom Brewer says, we all love it when a plan comes together and actually works!

(SketchUp drawings by Wm. Todd Murdock)

In the not-too-distant past, all boats were made out of wood. It was a highly refined art that required proper materials, extensive knowledge, and patience. Today, this skill survives among an elite group of craftsmen.

(Note: Click any image to enlarge)

Jim Crocket is one of the elite. He has spent a lifetime learning about and building classic wooden boats. His experience began when he was nine years old, at the Tahoe Boat Company, where he was responsible for varnishing, among other tasks. It was then that he discovered a passion for working with his hands. This passion later took him to the National Maritime Museum in San Francisco, where he studied lapstrake (i.e., clinker) boat building. Although he had never built lapstrake style before, the educational staff appreciated his work, and they eventually asked him to teach!

Later, he moved to Fresno, where he built boats in his carport, rolling all the tools out of the way when his wife got home. In 1994, he spent time as an Artist-in-Residence at the Fresno Art Museum, receiving a commission to build a small boat for use at a nearby lake. Jim decided to build the boat right inside the museum, in the children’s space, in order to demonstrate his craft for an audience.

Today, he lives in North Fork—the very center of California—along with his wife, Lloyd, and his two dogs, Pebbles and Foxy. His shop is an unassuming structure with a dusty dust collector, an Italian-made MiniMax track saw, and a pair of sliding doors that open to the boat bay.

Think With Your Hands

I recently spent some time visiting with Jim in his shop, and got to check out his latest project (more on that in a bit). I asked Jim what got him hooked on building boats, and his answer was simply: “They’re fun to build, and fun to row.”

He has a similar passion for free-flight model airplanes, which he has been building since he was six years old. These are the old-school variety, cut from scratch from balsa wood and covered with Japanese tissue paper. His extensive collection includes both rubber- and diesel-powered models. He even builds the engines himself!

Jim’s philosophy of life begins with his hands. “If you can do things with your hands, you’ll always be OK,” he says. He also asserts that innovation starts with your hands. By way of illustration, Jim told me about Burt Rutan, an Aerospace engineer who launched SpaceShipOne in 2004—the first privately funded, manned spacecraft to exceed an altitude of 100 km. Not unlike boat-building, this was a project that required some careful and creative engineering.

The design features a unique ‘feathering’ atmospheric reentry system where the rear half of the wing and the twin tail booms folded upward along a hinge running the length of the wing; this increased drag while remaining stable. [Source: Wikipedia]

According to Jim, Rutan didn’t get this idea from a textbook—he got it from building and flying model airplanes. When we familiarize ourselves with building, fixing, tinkering with, and tweaking things, our minds can become more inclined towards inventiveness and creativity. Thomas Edison said, “Great ideas originate in the muscles.” As our educational system focuses more and more on academic instruction rather than vocational, and as more and more building and manufacturing processes become mechanized, sometimes I fear we are forgetting how to think with our hands.

Jim Crocket is someone who has certainly not forgotten.

Boatbuilding: Design and Construction

The current boat in Jim’s shop is a recently completed Lincolnville Salmon Wherry—the Kokanee. It’s based on a design that dates back to 1750. These boats were originally built for fishing along the coasts of Maine and Nova Scotia. In the early days, they were towed out to sea behind the schooners. Later on, the thwarts were removed, the boats were nested and stacked on deck, and the iconic grand banks dory of Captains Courageous was born.

During our time together, Jim gave me an overview of the design and construction process of building a boat like the Kokanee. All of the details on these boats are purposeful. I’m going to review the salient points for the sake of this article, in order to illustrate a bit of Jim’s craft, its history, and his mastery. Unfortunately, I was too late to catch the actual construction process, so I’ll only be able to share photos of the finished product. Besides, Jim would need to write an article himself in order to provide a more thorough discussion of the art that is boatbuilding!

Jim explained that these boats were designed before docks were common. The transoms are angled outwards so that, when launched stern-first, the boats would rise easily over the breakers. There is a half-inch-thick piece of beechwood affixed to the bottom of the keel board, not because it is particularly hard, but because it “wears well,” and would protect the boat when it was dragged on shore. The keel itself was flat to prevent the boat from rolling to the side and crushing the bilges.

Construction begins with a straight strongback, running the length of the boat. With the keel board, transom, and prow in place, the planking begins. The boat remains upside-down beneath the strongback throughout this process.

The Kokanee is constructed lapstrake style—the style Jim studied in San Francisco—which means the planks are overlapped. Each successive plank is glued to the one below it with marine epoxy. Sometimes Jim also rivets the planks together. On this boat, he only riveted them to the carved oak stays.

The planks themselves are 1/4-in. 5-ply mahogany plywood with no voids. Jim says this plywood, first manufactured by a Dutch company called Bruynzeel, “revolutionized wooden boatbuilding” when it became available in the 1960s. The old cedar boats of Nova Scotia never shrank because they never left the ocean, and so they never dried out. Today, we haul boats down the highway on trailers. Jim told me stories of launching cedar boats into the water and then having to wait for the wood to swell. Modernized transportation methods require a modernized material. Bruynzeel plywood answered the challenge of contemporary boatbuilding—it’s a marine-grade plywood, with no voids, designed to be water and weather resistant so it won’t split. Almost overnight, building and maintaining a wooden boat became a lot easier; the craft (pun intended) started to attract more attention.

The “plans” for a boat like this consist chiefly of full-scale outlines of the molds, which are positioned along the length of the boat and determine the finished shape. When the planking is completed, the molds are removed and the stays are installed. Jim says you don’t really need stays for strength in a boat like this, but he added them anyway, so the boat would have the proper weight—250 pounds. If a boat is too light or too heavy it won’t sit on its waterline properly, and might be tippy or sluggish. When Jim weighed the Kokanee on a friend’s scale, it was dead on.

The Kokanee has a workboat finish, which means that it’s painted. If he’s not going to paint a boat, Jim’s finish of choice is Captain’s Varnish. He once had a conversation with the senior researcher at 3M who told him that they’d never been able to develop anything better.

Jim’s latest creation exemplifies his expertise. It was a privilege to see the Kokanee in person, and to spend time with such a passionate craftsman. Jim told me how, at one time, he wanted to sail around the world.

And then I raced large boats out to Catalina [Island] and beyond. I got into some big storms out there, and I said, ‘No. I don’t think so.’ It’s a lot of hard work, a big boat. I feel a lot safer here.

Before I left, Jim gave me a beautifully carved pelican. It sits on my desk today, constantly reminding me to do things slowly, and to do them well.

•••

AUTHOR BIO

Aaron Telian is a lead carpenter for Andrews Construction & Remodeling in Knoxville, TN. He and his wife, Jessica, have two children—Cedar (2) and Genoa (1).

When he’s not out on a job or organizing tools, Aaron enjoys reading, building simple furniture for his family, and endurance hiking (followed by a good beer, of course).

I was on a job recently where I had to completely rework the entry door install on a house. It was difficult to tell from a distance, but the original work had been poorly done (and that might be an understatement!). All of the errors made in that original installation became more and more apparent once I started disassembling the install in order to right the wrongs. Sometimes you have to peel back more than the skin to see how rotten the fruit is at the core. And then you need to take a strategic approach to help that core heal.

The original rotten door entry (Note: Click any image to enlarge)

Peeling the Layers

We started by removing the side casings. This is where we encountered our first issue.

Removing the casings revealed improper weather barrier installation—no flashing was applied (see photos below). On top of that, one of the sides was missing a section of housewrap, leading to rotten sheathing. There was also rot at the bottom corner of the opening.

Of course, if flashing had been incorporated with the housewrap, these problems could have been prevented.

When I removed the pediment, I found that there was another section of housewrap missing; fortunately the damage was superficial and minor.

One of my biggest issues at this point was that the door riser was sealed to the concrete landing. Whenever I see this (and I often do), I always expect to see some rot. I never know how much.

In this case, by sealing the bottom, water had become trapped behind the trim, causing damage to the sheathing and to the rim joist, which was badly rotted.

When I removed the casings I had noticed the bottom corners were bulging out about one inch. After removing the riser, along with the rubber flashing, I found that someone had attempted a repair, but they only made matters worse! They had applied a 1-in. thick insulation board to the structure, further trapping water at the corners.

I also discovered that when they removed the existing riser, they filled in the rotten sheathing with foam insulation, trapping even more water against the rim joist!

My next step was to remove the door unit. I had to pry off the rubber flashing from the top of the bottom opening.

After closely examining the bottom of the door opening, I found that they had added a piece of 3/4-in. plywood over the sub floor in order to raise the door. At this point, I just removed the rotten piece.

I poked at the rim joist when I removed the sheathing and found that it also had to be replaced.

I then removed some more sheathing on both sides in order to cut the rim joist at a solid section.

To remove the damaged section, I cut both ends and removed all the nails securing it. In order to remove the rim joist, which was pinned behind the stoop, I snapped off half of the board’s width. The other half was behind the stoop, so I ran a sawzall behind the board to cut all the nails.

The board then slid out very easily (boy, don’t you just love that!?).

I should mention that it’s always a good idea to clean up after every phase of the job. Cleaning as you work will help you get better results, and it’ll improve your mood, too—working with rotten wood isn’t exactly fun, but keeping the site clean and organized sure helps.

And Now for the Real Job

I began by taking three measurements for my width (middle and both ends), and I went with the smallest one just to be sure the joist would fit.

Then I measured for my length, and cut the joist about an eighth smaller. Doing this allowed me to slide in the rim joist very easily.

I ripped down and cut to length a piece of pressure-treated lumber. I always seal any fresh cuts with a good wood preservative before installing a rim joist.

After tapping in the rim joist, and securing it to the floor joists, I added metal plates to tie the repaired section to the existing rim joist. Since the stoop was placed up against the rim joist, I also added a piece of self-adhesive flashing to protect the structure. This important detail was previously missing, and it contributed to the water damage.

Installing self-adhesive flashing helps prevent any further rot to the rim joist. I was sure to leave a space of about 1/4 in. between the stoop and rim joist to allow for future drainage.

As a side note, I always make sure to keep my long projects weather-tight and secure, no matter what the forecast says! You don’t want to have any issues that could force you to pay for damages. Trust me.

I ran continuous beads of exterior-grade adhesive to the rim joist and studs.

I then installed new, 1/2-in. sheathing, which I cut to fit around the stoop. I left about 1/4 in. of a gap so that the sheathing wouldn’t rot, and to allow for proper drainage.

I also added 1/2-in. sheathing to the jambs to act as spacers.

I applied self-adhesive flashings in order to make the door opening watertight.

I started with the sill, and followed by adding corner flashings to each corner—these are called “bow ties” (see photo, right).

Then I installed both sides, repeating the same process at the top of the opening with more bow ties.

Instead of installing the unit into the opening and fussing with wood shims, I opted for a different approach. This different way made it easier, faster, and allowed me to work alone. I used deck screws as shims on each side to make my unit dead-plumb with no fussing.

First, I marked the location of the hinges onto the rough opening, and I marked the location of the top and bottom of the unit. Starting from the sill on the opening, I marked a center line in the middle, and then measured half the distance both ways to the outside dimension (O.D.) of the jamb—that’s where I’d start installing “shim screws”. I installed a pair of “shim screws” at each location, keeping them flat and spaced enough to catch the jamb’s width.

I began the shimming process from the bottom. I measured up 1 in. from the bottom location on the jamb, and I installed a pair of screws. To know how deep to set the screws, I set my speed square flat on the sill and held it on the mark I’d made for the O.D. of the jamb. I adjusted the screws until they touched the square. I prefer to use a screw gun rather than an impact—screw guns make it easier to set the screws. Once the bottom screws were set, I installed the next set of screws plumb to the bottom screws using a 2-ft. level. I continued in this manner up the jamb, using each previous set of screws as a starting point. Once I reached the top, I added a set of screws one inch below the top of the door unit.

When I completed the jamb side, I transferred all the screw locations to the other side and pre-set those screws. Then, I cut a board to the exact dimension of the door unit. Using this board as a guide, I set the screws across from each other to fit the board. The opening was then ready to receive the door unit.

Re-installing the Entry Door         

I always like to try to fit the door into the opening, just so I can be sure it fits before I lay beads of caulking on the sill and secure the unit.

In this case, the door fit perfectly. But at that point, I realized that I didn’t pre-drill holes into the jambs to secure the door! I made sure not to hit the shim screws. I then pre-set all the screws.

I ran two beads of sealant to the sill. This would help prevent water and drafts from entering. It would also help to stop any squeaks between the threshold and sill.

Installing a single door unit is a one-person job, but having one with sidelites requires an extra pair of hands. We dropped the unit into the opening, making sure the sill and fresh beads of caulking made a good seal. Then we tilted the unit into place.

Before securing the unit, we used a level to check for plumb, and we also made sure the unit was plumb off the house. This last part is very important so that the door doesn’t swing in either direction by itself.

Exterior Trim

I pre-assemble all my exterior trim, and I do it right on the jobsite. I use a small portable DeWalt table saw to rip the casing to width, so it will fit perfectly between the jamb and the siding.

I leave the casing legs long so I can use them as a story pole to lay out the entablature details—that includes the astragral molding, the frieze, and the crown.

On this job, I wanted to match the fluting to the original casing, so I laid out the flutes using a Trim Gauge. I like this tool a lot. It rides smoothly on the edge of a board, and it’s easy to adjust for different reveals.

I use a sled for cutting flutes—a technique I learned from Gary Katz (and which he learned from Jim Chestnut).

To stop all the flutes so the tops are perfectly straight, I attach a temporary stop to the casing leg. This is a pretty fool-proof system, and it’s fast.

With the sled set up and stops on both pieces of casing, I can run four flutes, one on each leg, for both the inside and the outside flutes, then adjust the sled to cut the inside flutes.

I pocket screw the legs to the frieze, and glue that joint, too.

Then I install the astragal moldings, which I also pre-assemble so that the miters are tight. The weather can be brutal where I live, deep freezing in the winter and high humidity in the summer, so I use PVC trim whenever possible—that way I never have to worry about coming back to a job for repairs. PVC isn’t affected by moisture content, only temperature. And with PVC cement, the miters are joined molecularly. I never have to caulk anything.

And another thing about PVC trim: I can sandwich endless pieces on top of each other without worrying about moisture getting trapped between the pieces and causing rot—after all, that’s why the people hired me in the first place, to fix the rot!

I build up the frieze from two boards, then wrap the crown molding around the top board so it terminates against the backboard, which makes it easy to butt into the existing siding. Just like the astragal molding, I start by cutting the miters and dry-fitting the pieces, then I pre-assemble the miters before attaching the crown.

Final Flashing

After securing the door unit into the opening, it was time to apply the outer layer of wall flashing.

We started from the bottom and worked our way up to the top, overlapping each piece by six inches. In order to prevent moisture from entering behind the siding, we needed to seal the wall flashing to the housewrap.

Since I pre-assembled my exterior trim as a unit, and made sure to measure correctly, installation was fast and accurate. Once we tilted the trim kit in place and checked the fit, it was ready to be fastened.

We secured the trim kit to the door and wall sheathing, making sure the head and side casings were plumb and level. I like to use screws rather than nails, because then I can be confident that the trim will stay secure, and that the joints will remain tight for years.

I installed a piece of flashing before adding the pre-assmbled plinth blocks. This flashing would help reduce any water from entering behind the stoop. I sealed the top edge of the flashing with housewrap tape, and left the bottom edge open for water to drain out.

Flashing the Head

I don’t own a brake, but sometimes I wish I did—especially for custom trim like the deep entablature above this door. I needed a piece of aluminum bent, and I wasn’t going to rent a brake for just one piece! So I decided to make a jig from a scrap piece of plywood, and I fastened that to my worktable.

I measured out two lines 90 degrees to each other for the lengths I needed. Each line’s measurement equaled the exact width of the piece of flashing. Using my jigsaw, and a very steady hand, I cut each line to its exact distance. If the cuts were off, I wouldn’t be able to make the piece I wanted. I had to be sure my cuts were perfect.

Once my cuts were done, I simply curled the piece of flashing, inserting one corner first, and slowly forming the piece into the jig until both outer edges of flashing—along with the inside edge—were in the jig about an inch. Then it was just a matter of pulling the piece of flashing through the jig, and forming the piece of flashing I needed.

I secured the flashing above the head using builder’s tape. I could have used another piece of Vycor, but I figured the housewrap would also cover the top leg of the flashing.

After the metal flashing was secured, I pulled the housewrap back down and trimmed it to fit. I then tied in the siding.

Before leaving, I caulked a few joints to be sure the door was complete and ready for the homeowner to paint (again).

A few years ago, I was riding on a plane to Columbus for JLC LIVE. I was working away on my laptop, oblivious to the fellow sitting beside me who was reading every word I wrote over my shoulder. When he asked if I was a carpenter, I may have exhaled audibly. I was sure that he’d start telling me about his most recent remodel, the molding he installed in his dining room, or the screen door he hung on the back porch. I couldn’t have been further off the mark.

Instead, he wanted to tell me about his friend in Columbus who had bought and restored an old home. Now that I found interesting! In fact, the fellow on the plane was so taken by my interest that he asked for my cell phone number. He said he’d call his friend and arrange a tour of the house while I was in town.

The day before the show, I was working on the convention hall floor when my cell phone rang. It was the homeowner inviting me over! He asked when I could come. Of course, I said, “Right now!” I grabbed Jed Dixon, and off we ran.

(Note: Click most images to enlarge)

Something told me that this was going to be one of those serendipitous moments, when you just happen upon a gem. Here’s what we found.

History and Architecture

The home is named after the original owner, Peter Sells. Peter Sells, along with his three brothers, owned the Sells Brothers’ Circus—one of the largest and most successful shows in the country. Reflecting their affluence and their place in Columbus society, Peter built this Richardson Romanesque mansion in 1895. It was a popular style in the gilded age. On the exterior, the house abounds with Gothic ornamentation, from broad 4-centered arches, to pointed 2-centered arches; from buttressed brickwork on the corners, to a fanciful chimney.

Notice how the brickwork corbels out in pointed breaks around the chimney?

You can see the same detail inside the home on the newel posts.

If you think about it, you’ll realize how easy it would be to replicate this molding detail. That white shape on top is a lamp shade. I cut it off in the frame of the photograph because it’s not the original shade. The newel post, like many in Victorian homes, also supported a built-in lamp. The current owners, David and Erica Brownstein, have been restoring the house since they purchased it in 1997. The Brownstein’s deserve our praise for doing such a good and thoughtful job. Ironically, on the last day of the Columbus JLC LIVE show, Jed met two of the carpenters who worked on the restoration—they were fortunate souls, to have worked on such a gem.

Standout Details

The main stair was probably the most intriguing work in the home.

The rail was hand-carved, and the balusters were, too—they were not turned. As you can see from the photos above, each of the balusters was carved in a plain, but stately design, with a slender, square-sided taper.

The balusters return to square at the base, and are locked in by fillets. The restoration carpenters replaced several missing balusters. Finding the replacements could not have been easy.

Jed got stuck at the stair, calling me over several times to shoot pictures he wanted, especially this one of the radius skirt board, and the drops following each spandrel. You can notice, in the background, how the backband captures the entire door casing, and the Federal-style applique on the frieze.

The spandrels were also designed in a simple, yet rich way, that is easy to replicate. The single wide cove is reminiscent of the rococo C-scrolls found on most Georgian and many Federal stairs.

The nosing on each step returns far enough to provide a perfect point of termination for the spandrel. The steps climbed to a wide mid-landing, allowing plenty of room to walk the turn before taking the next rise.

While Jed was studying the stair, I found this window detail, a perfect example of classical convention, as Brent Hull has pointed out to me.

In this detail, the cove molding on top of the apron is installed plumb with the outside of the casing, rather than the apron itself. The fact that the stool is chamfered, and not bullnosed, makes this detail a bit easier to achieve. It’s also a detail that is a bit easier for contemporary carpenters to accept, since we usually prefer to align our miters. (For more on this subject, see Stool & Apron and Stool & Apron Miters.)

Jed was still finding more stairs, like the ones that featured this newel post at the rear of the home. We included his hand in this shot so he’d have a good reference of scale. It’s a lot easier to replicate a detail from a photograph if you have something in the photograph from which you can accurately judge the size.

Meanwhile, I was still distracted by the trim details. The exaggerated plinth blocks at the bottom of the casing intrigued me. I started wondering, “Was that a hint of the Arts and Crafts movement?”

But it was the baseboard that provided me with the best clue. This home, built in the late 19th century, shows many signs of the Arts and Crafts style, just then becoming popular throughout the country.

The pitched baseboard detail (the base is slanted at about a 5 degree angle) reflects how the Gothic influence in a Victorian Romanesque home made its way into the bungalows of the Craftsman style.

The moment I saw that baseboard, I knew I wouldn’t forget it. And I didn’t! (See the 2005 JLC Craftsman-Style Mantelpiece)

(This article originally appeared on GaryMKatz.com)

This past summer, I had the opportunity to create a detail that is now rare in construction. The trade seems to have lost its flair for creative, interesting, and alluring details. All too often we have been transformed into simple assemblers. One of the reasons why I love remodeling is that no job is the same. While some parts of a job are unavoidably familiar, new challenges arise on every project. And some projects push us more than others.

In the winter of 2009, I took a course from Billy Dillon on eyebrow dormers. When I heard about the class, I thought, “Hey, this would be fun to do, and maybe I can learn something that has always intrigued me.” The West Coast seems to have a shortage of schools that teach high-end carpentry. Most of my studies have been on my own, gleaning what I can from books, construction forums, and the occasional carpenter who has graciously shared the true gift: knowledge. I am humbled that these men, who have spent many years honing a skill, would be willing to pass it on.

The class with Billy Dillon opened my eyes to an entirely different world of carpentry. I learned that drawing something can be very, very valuable—up until this point in my career, I had not really drawn things out (my poor chicken scratches don’t count). The second important thing I took from Billy’s class was the power of collaboration: Learning from others and sharing in a free exchange of ideas is unbeatable. The class also reinforced my belief that, over time, we have lost many carpentry methods that were commonplace only a few years ago. Lastly, Billy’s class showed me that we must be willing to teach one another if our craft is to continue to be something that we are truly proud of, and if we want to leave a legacy for future carpenters.

I felt overwhelmed by the end of Billy’s eyebrow class. I didn’t really know if I could actually build one myself, and I didn’t get an opportunity to find out until an unexpected project came my way.

Billy emailed me last year, when someone contacted him to have four eyebrows added to a Seattle home. Billy gave him my contact info, and before long I was in communication with a new client (sometimes jobs can come in the most unexpected ways!). Since Seattle is about four hours north of me (I’m in Portland), I wanted to build as much of the eyebrows as possible before transporting them for installation. I happened to go to Seattle for a tangential handrail course, so I decided to take advantage of that opportunity to meet my new client and see the house firsthand.

The Job

I teamed up with two other contractors to pull off the project: Clint Howes, with Revive Construction, and Lavrans Mathiesen from Mathiesen Woodworking. Once we settled on what size the dormers needed to be, it was time to head to the drawing board (or, in this case, some 1/4-in. plywood). We drew everything full-scale in order to check our work and cut back on errors in the actual pieces. We decided to build curved roof rafters that run perpendicular to the main roof rafters, with both inner and outer valley developments. The rafters would be letting light into a very rough, unfinished attic space that was going to be turned into a playroom.

(Note: Click any image to enlarge)

We used seven full-size drawings as guides in order to work out all of the required geometry.

Each of the drawings in the process is important. Information gathered from one drawing is used in the next drawing to then gather more information. Together, the drawings provide a systematic approach for developing the complex shapes required for this type of dormer. The following animation gives a basic overview of the process.

One of the things that made this project convenient was that we could fit one drawing on one sheet of plywood.

With seven sheets of full-size plywood-drawings, it helps to label them so you can keep them in order.

Once all the drawings were done, it was time to get in the shop and make some sawdust. It was an old house, which meant that the framing conditions were a little unknown. We decided to leave the inner valley drawing for after we set the eyebrows. We also decided to have insulated glass units made rather than ordering a custom window. This allowed us to meet our timeline, keep to the budget, and give a local glass shop some work.

Our goal was to send fully assembled units to Seattle. First, we needed to cut out the outer valleys.

We made templates from the drawings, and then cut our valleys out of 2×12 fir framing material.

We happened to have some leftover Mahogany from another job, and decided to re-purpose that for our window sashes.

We made the primary rafters from Ply-Lam. We cut the secondary rafters from standard framing materials.

In the photo above, you’ll notice that the primary rafters have the bevel of the roof ripped on them. Part of making the outer valley developments is that you need to put the bevels on the valleys to give you a smooth transition from the roof to the dormer. Getting these valleys right is a must.

This is where all the tools in the toolbox come out. A reciprocating saw was used to get the approximate depth of cut for the bevel, and then a grinding wheel was used to shape them fair to the lines.

Once the valleys were shaped, it was time to attach the rafters.

If everything has been done correctly, it should all lay out right (hard to believe we are still just rough framing).

Once the rafters were installed, it was time to put on the sheathing. Since this dormer was on a fairly tight radius, we went with bendy-plywood. We decided on two layers of 3/8, with a good layer of wood glue between, and lots of staples. Due to the size of our windows/dormers, we did not have a design that dictated anything specific in regards to the windows themselves, only the opening in the roof.

Here’s a peek at the process:

Working on cutting out the plywood for the sheathing.

Fitting the sheathing.

Trimming the sheathing to fit.

Sheeted and almost ready for transport.

Ready for the trip to Seattle.

The Install

This is the way the home looked before we installed the eyebrow dormers:

The contract was to put two on the front and two on the back. Our first priority was to strip off the 1×8 sheeting on the inside, and then check out the rafters that would need to be cut.

We had to be careful with the sheeting, since it was going back after the eyebrows were installed. As part of our design, we needed to double up rafters and put headers above the openings. Once that was done, we could peel back some of the roofing and get the eyebrows mounted.

The picture is a little dark, but you can see the new doubled-up side rafters in this photo (left). We added new headers above and below the opening, as well as support running on the bias to support the shrinking width of the eyebrows.

All of the connections were to be attached with various fastening products (I prefer Simpson Strong-Tie.).

I elected to sub the roofing out due to our limited time onsite. This allowed our crew to focus on the carpentry aspects. We primed the exterior sashes with an oil-based paint, but didn’t do any of the finish painting—the homeowner elected to handle that himself.

Once we got the framing done, and the openings created, we were able to set the eyebrows. We used LedgerLOKs to set them into the framing below, and we also used them in the framed nails through the sheeting on the perimeter.

The photo above shows the first one set. It was a little tricky, due to the chimney being so close, but it came out just fine, as did the other three. We had to balance squaring them with the outside look, as well as the inside look. It was one of those “look right” and not necessarily “be right” days. At the end of our first day onsite, we had all four set, the roofed tarped, and a clean job site.

On day two, after we got the roofers set up, it was time to work on the inner valley developments so we could finish the inside. For the roofing, we had the entire dormer covered in Grace Ice and Water Shield. We specifically requested no valley because there was no cut or woven valley on the dormer shingles.

We used some of the drawings that we had previously made, expanding upon them to get the inner valley layout.

These points from a previous drawing allowed us to plot the curve of the inner valleys.

After that, it was time to cut out the templates. We relied on these to guide us in tracing the bevel lines on the inner valley stock. We used a reciprocating saw to get the depth correct on the curve, and then we used a grinding wheel attachment to cut them fair to the lines.

Once the inner valleys were set, it was time to start finishing the interior. We needed something that would take the curve fairly well. We decided to use 1×4 fir flooring to somewhat match the finish that was in the house. We would usually bring in a plasterer to do the curves and blend everything in, but we weren’t in a finished space.

The roofers were wrapping up the outside while we were busy working on the inside.

Once the interior finish was put on, it was time to re-install the original 1×8 sheeting, and then blend it all together.

This is where having a small electric chainsaw would have been helpful. We made do with pull saws, recip saws, Multimasters, Bosch Finecuts, and grinding wheels.

We learned how easy it can be to cut more material than you want to! It’s better to take it slow. Adding material at this point was, shall we say…difficult.

Final Thoughts

Building these in a shop was a great way to go, and extremely efficient. It took us about four days to lay out and build them, and then another three days to install them onsite. If it had been a larger window, I would have probably used a window manufacturer to build the window instead of making it myself.

A few more tools to the arsenal would have also been helpful. As I said before, an electric chainsaw would have been handy when we tackled the re-installation and blending of the original sheeting—the long-cutting action blades of an electric chainsaw would have given us the opportunity to follow some of the roof contours better. Also, if we had used an electric chainsaw, we wouldn’t have had to worry about the fumes in the enclosed attic. Some of the guys mentioned it, but I thought, “A chainsaw? Yeah right!” I guess they get the last laugh.

My wish list for future projects also includes a compass plane, either hand or electric (which would have been useful for shaping some of the rafters), and a Porter Cable Oscillating Spindle Sander, which I actually borrowed to help us fair the curves.

And lastly, though I haven’t used it yet, Festool’s RAS would have probably been a good tool for working to blend the surfaces.

In the end, I’d say that the most important part of the whole project was the drawings. At one point, we laid out the inner valley wrong, and had to do some adjusting before we could finish it up. We went home and re-worked what we did to find the error. The beauty and simplicity of a project like this one is that if you follow the drawings through, it works.

Architectural features like this are missing from our modern buildings. I hope that eventually we can feel like older generations of carpenters did, and know that we’re creating art with our work. I think the tide is slowly shifting toward clients who don’t just want something cheap. I think, more and more, people are truly valuing craftsmanship, art, and beauty.

Acknowledgments

Special thanks to Lavrans Mathiesen from Lavrans Mathiesen Woodworking and Clint Howes from Revive Construction LLC.

Thanks to Billy Dillon for passing on the craft he loves so much.

And thank you to my family for putting up with me while I learn new skills in the art I love.

(SketchUp animation by Wm. Todd Murdock)

Editorial Note: If you have questions/comments for Billy Dillon, or if you’d like more information about Billy’s eyebrow dormer class, please submit your inquiry through our Contact Page.

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AUTHOR BIO

Joshua Farrand, of Eight Inch Nails Construction LLC, is based in Portland, OR. He is always in search of new approaches and techniques, and ways to improve the trade that he enjoys. Someday, he hopes to build furniture, and teach others the wonderful craft that is carpentry.

1. Does PVC trim require a primer?

A primer is only needed if you want the paint manufacturer’s warranty. Excellent adhesion can be achieved by properly cleaning the board before applying a topcoat of paint to PVC trim. (Refer to painting guidelines in the Versatex contractor handbook for more information on painting PVC trim.)

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2. What type of paint do you recommend for coating PVC trim?

Just about any 100% acrylic latex, or 100% acrylic latex with a urethane additive, can be used to achieve superior coating durability and flexibility. Lacquers are not recommended with PVC trim because lacquers are a more brittle coating, and will not flex with any movement in the PVC trim. Paints like Duration by Sherwin Williams, Manor Hall paints by PPG and Moorelife by Benjamin Moore adhere well to PVC trim.

Paint on PVC trim will last three to five times longer than paints on wood or wood composites due to the absence of moisture in the substrate. Sherwin Williams also offers a field-applied coating under their “Green Seal®” product designation. Kem Aqua® BP Enamel is a water-reduceable polyurethane, acrylic topcoat that offers fast dry times and no critical re-coat times. Due to its excellent adhesion properties, it is an ideal coating for Cellular PVC.

3. Can PVC trim be painted dark colors?

Only light-to-medium colored paints—with a light reflective value of 55 units or greater—should be applied to PVC trim. For example, using paint with an LRV below 55 units will void our product warranty. LRV is measured based on color and its ability to absorb heat. Thus, an LRV of zero (0) is black, and an LRV of one hundred (100) is white. Don’t assume the paint is a light color. We have had cases where contractors believed that the paint they used was a light beige, only to find out it had an LRV in the 20s or 30s. Consult the paint manufacturer for the LRV of your paint before applying it to cellular PVC trim.

4. How long does it take the paint to cure on PVC trim?

That depends on the weather conditions. Warm/dry weather, or warm/humid weather, will allow the paint to cure faster than cool weather. It can take up to 30 days for paint to fully cure on PVC trim, because PVC trim is impervious to moisture. For the paint to cure, the moisture must evaporate through the surface of the coating that has skimmed over from drying.

5. What is the best glue for joining two pieces of PVC trim? What is the best glue for bonding PVC trim to wood? How about metal?

We recommend PVC pipe glue with solvent for bonding the ends of PVC trim boards to themselves (Weld-On 705 by IPS, TrimTight by Trim Glue, Inc. or Christy’s Red Hot). Be sure the PVC pipe glue has sufficient working time to allow you to apply the glue and push the boards together before it cures.

If you are looking for more of a structural bond at shiplap or scarf joints, miter cuts (window surround), or for gluing sheets of PVC trim, we recommend PVC TrimWelder. For bonding to wood, we recommend Liquid Nails Sub-Floor Adhesive or Heavy Duty Construction Adhesive. For PVC trim to metal, PVC TrimWelder Adhesive works best.

There are three types of PVC TrimWelder Adhesives. Slow and Fast Cure for field joints and small glue-ups, and Laminating Grade for sheet glue-ups. Slow Cure should not be used at temperatures below 40°F. Remember to apply any adhesive to only one bonding surface, thus allowing the adhesive to penetrate into the cells on the other trim piece.

6. What is the best fastening system for PVC trim that also hides the fastener head?

The best overall system for securing PVC trim is the Cortex Concealed Fastening System. It combines the advantages of using screws (strong connection) with the PVC trim tapered plug that fits into the hole created by the screw, thus eliminating the need for fillers or sealants to fill the nail holes. When comparing the cost of this fastening system to nails, keep in mind that you won’t have to go back over the trim filling in the nail holes.

7. What are your recommendations for dealing with expansion and contraction?

Use 8d stainless steel annular shank nails, or screws that are designed for wood trim, and are long enough to penetrate the solid substrate a minimum of 1 1/2 in. Simpson Strong-Tie makes an 8d nail with a 7d head in a 12-gauge thickness, available loose or collated, allowing it to be gun-nailed. The nail is called the “Trifecta.” It is half annular (tip) and half ring-shanked, and made from 316 stainless.

Screws are better for limiting the thermal movement of the trim. Allow PVC trim to acclimate to outside temperatures before installing. Bond PVC trim joints to prevent separation. Be sure to allow adequate expansion and contraction space at the end of long runs. If possible, decrease the on-center spacing between fasteners to 12 in. or less, and bond boards to substrate when practical.

Where you have an expansion joint, leave a full 3/16-in. gap when installing on a day where temperatures range from 30°F to 40°F. Leave a gap just large enough to accept a bead of sealant, or no gap at all (adhesive bond), when installing on a day when temperatures range from 80°F to 100°F. Shiplap joints are superior to scarf cut joints, especially on long runs.

If practical, install long runs of trim when the outside temperature and the temperature of the PVC trim board is 55°F to 65°F, in order to minimize thermal movement in the trim.

8. What is the best way to secure PVC trim to masonry?

Trowel the masonry with a sealant or adhesive to provide a level surface to accept the PVC trimboard. Then secure the trim to the masonry with Tapcon masonry fasteners.

9. How do I seal the open cells if I cut the PVC trimboard? Also, how do I clean PVC trimboards?

Handle PVC trim as you would a piece of premium lumber. Be careful not to damage the visible surface of the board. To seal cut edges or clean a cut edge that has gotten dirty, sand them with 320 grit sand paper, and then wipe the edges with Acetone—this will help to re-seal the cells.

To remove dirt and grime from the visible surface or edges of PVC trimboard, use Soft Scrub with Bleach, one of a variety of Clorox products (Clorox Outdoors, etc.), Mr. Clean Magic Erasers® with a little water, or Corte Clean, a composite deck cleaner that has been found to clean cellular PVC trim. As with any new product, try the cleaner in an inconspicuous area before cleaning the trimboards on your project.

10. What are the recommended sealants I should use with PVC trim?

As with adhesives, look for products that contain some type of solvent. NPC Solar Seal #900 Sealant/Adhesive in Trimboard white #111 has been found to be one of the best sealants for sealing and bonding PVC trim to itself, as well as many other substrates. Other recommended sealants include Quad and EP-1000 Enhanced Polyurethane by OSI, and Geocel 2300, or other polyurethane sealants. Do not use silicone sealants, as they are not compatible with cellular PVC trim.

In Part 1 of this article, we reviewed the details of casing joinery and how to measure for new casing around a door frame. We also reviewed the necessary cut list, so that you can cut your casing right the first time. In Part 2, we’ll move on to the details of baseboard.

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Chapter 2: Part 2

A serial publication of excerpts from Trim Made Simple by Gary Katz

Training techniques for apprentice carpenters and serious DIYers

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Preparing the Jamb

Measuring, marking, and cutting molding takes patience. Proper jamb and wall preparation takes patience, too. In fact, the more care you take preparing the jamb and the wall for new casing, the easier, more rewarding, and better the job will be. To speed the process, always use the right tools in the proper sequence.

1. Cut caulk joint. Use a sharp utility knife, angled between the wall and the casing, to cut through old caulking and paint. That’s the first step in breaking the casing loose.

(Note: Click any image to enlarge)

2. Work 5-in-1 tool. A 5-in-1 tool is a hybrid scraper/prybar/can-opener and is a must for removing moldings. Rock the sharp, stiff blade back and forth, working it under the casing.

3. Wiggle in small prybar. Use the 5-in-1 tool to lift the molding away from the wall just enough to wiggle in the small prybar. Then work the tools in opposite directions—use one to pry against the molding; use the other to pry against the wall.

4. Finish with medium prybar. Once the molding gap is large enough, slide the short end of the medium prybar as far under the casing as possible. It’s best if the prybar prys against the wall under the casing, rather than alongside it, where marks might show! Work your way down the jamb with the medium pry bar, removing the casing.

5. Clean wall. Cut or remove all nails with wire cutters or pliers, then scrape clean any caulking or paint buildup using the 5-in-1 tool.

Baseboard Preparation

I frequently install new casing without changing the baseboard. When the new casing is wider than the old casing, the baseboard must be cut back farther from the jamb. That cut must be perfectly straight, at exactly the right distance from the jamb. If the baseboard isn’t very tall, I use a handsaw; if the baseboard is big and there are a lot of doors, I use a power tool.

1. Mark baseboard. Use a short piece of casing to trace a line on the baseboard at exactly the right location. Be sure to allow for a reveal on the jamb—hold the casing 1/4 in. back from the edge of the jamb.

2. Make cut. Using a dovetail saw or backsaw, guide the saw near the floor with one hand. Slide the saw gently up and down with your other hand. Don’t push on the blade or try to cut fast. Constant, even, and light pressure is the secret to a clean cut.

3. Use a power tool. If your project involves more than ten doors, the Fein Multimaster is the ideal tool for cutting back baseboard. This power tool is very easy to control and cuts with little noise, dust, or vibration. The tool and the blades are expensive, but the Multimaster is handy for a variety of difficult chores, such as scraping adhesive, chipping out tiles, cleaning grout, or cutting metal, concrete, and drywall.

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Keep an eye out for Part 3 of “Casing Doors,” coming soon from THISisCarpentry!

Biscuit joinery at its best!

Most woodworkers are familiar with biscuit joinery. But what they might not know is that there are really only two types of biscuit cutters: the Lamello, and all the rest. I know biscuits—I’ve been using them to assemble panels for over twenty years. And after putting Lamello’s new Top 21 machine to the test, I realized I could never go back to using another manufacturer’s. If you have an appreciation for stepping up your game in fine joinery, then read on. Keep in mind, however, that this tool comes with a hefty price tag. I’ll tell you why it’s worth it.

History

Lamello is the company that introduced biscuit joinery to the industry. Their machine is the standard by which every other cutter is measured. It’s the brainchild of Hermann Steiner, the founder of the company. In December of 1955, he had a vision, described here, in his own words:

…I saw how we could use a groove cutter to cut short opposing grooves into the panels and connect them using small biscuit elements. In contrast to continuous grooves, this procedure would not weaken the board. (source)

And with his vision, the “Lamello” machine was born, transforming the way we join panel products in modern woodworking.

The Test

As I’m sure you are aware, there are other options for joining panel and solid wood assemblies, such as Dominos, dowels, tongue and groove milling, etc. That’s why it’s important to recognize that each method has a strength and weakness.

So, why use biscuits?

The biscuit joint is fast, strong, and particularly suited for panel product assembly. Even though other biscuit machines can perform many of the same functions conducted in this test, only the Lamello was built to do it accurately and repetitively. The Top 21 has been engineered for small shop production with large shop accuracy.

Although various wood thickness can be used, biscuit joinery is designed primarily for 3/4-in. material.

Therefore, Lamello designed their “fixed position” fence…

(Note: Click any image to enlarge)

…to easily accommodate centering the slot on a 3/4-in. panel.

What is unique to the Top 21 machine is an adjustment dial that allows you to move the blade height up to 2mm in each direction.

The dial has positive stops every .1mm for placing that slot exactly where you want it.

Most standard biscuit cutter fences require you to index off the back or inside of a miter joint, which creates sloppy alignment if the wood varies in thickness.

Lamello’s smart fence system provides the ability to index off the face side of the miter,…

…which results in perfect alignment each time.

This is accomplished by an accessory fence with a 45 degree indexing notch.

The outside edge of the mitered wood piece tucks securely into place for accurate slotting.

Rather than using a slot cutter or dado blade for full-length grooves, you can press a biscuit cutter into service to do the same thing. The Top 21 has very smooth guide-ways in the body construction, making this technique extremely easy.

To illustrate a slot groove joint application, a stopped continuous groove is cut into the end of an apron panel.

Next, a couple biscuit slots are machined into the adjoining side panel.

To join the two elements, apply a little glue, and the precisely grooved apron is slid into place as it indexes off the two biscuits.

For specialty applications and for machining thicker wood, a separate fence is attached via CNC-machined dovetail slots. Adjustments are deliberate and smooth.

The loose fence is installed on the fixed fence for thick boards or offset joinery, or on the bottom of the machine for stable vertical machining.

With the help of a straightedge guide, face slots are quickly grooved for a multiple-shelf cabinet unit.

The Lamello also makes quick work of attaching solid wood frames.

Slots are machined into the face of the cabinet edge…

…and the back of the face frame.

This is where I discovered how accurate the Lamello Top 21 is compared with other biscuit cutters; perfect alignment was achieved on the first attempt every time.

The Lamello company also offers other joinery solutions, such as the E20, which are plastic self-clamping fasteners. These are great options for quick assemblies or difficult-to-clamp situations.

To assemble an edge miter, the mating pieces are machined together,…

…creating a half slot in each end.

Glue is added to the joint, and the E20-H is simply driven into place (see left photo, below). No clamps are needed, as the molded ribs on the biscuit pulls the joint snugly together (see right photo, below).

Similarly, the E20-L is used for face miters.

Again, the two pieces are machined simultaneously, only this time on the face of the board.

The opposing ribs on the fastener force the joint together as it gets pounded in.

For knockdown joinery, Lamello has developed the Clamex fastener. Unlike a standard 4mm biscuit slot, the Clamex requires an 8mm slot.

The company sells an optional 8mm cutter, but I used the included 4mm blade. By simply dialing down the fence the additional 4mm distance, a precisely machined 8mm slot was created.

Once the slots are cut, a small access hole is drilled on the face of one of the panels to access the clamping screw.

Because the Clamex pulls each piece together, the plastic halves need to be screwed into the slots.

To tighten and loosen, a driver is inserted into the set-screw via the access hole.

There are even Lamello-shaped hinges that can be quickly mortised for inset cabinet doors.

Because the hinges require a shallow cut, the Top 21 auxiliary fence is stepped down to accommodate the blade recess.

Once the two slots are cut, the hinge is quickly installed…

…with both door and frame perfectly aligned.

I like the concept of the Lamello hinge, but will have to reserve final judgment until after I use them on an actual job. The hinge is sturdy enough, but the loose pin and light-duty metal may be too yielding for jobs requiring heavy usage.

Top 21 Features

Like a finely tuned automobile, the Top 21 has been engineered for durability and accuracy. The Top 21 has many unique features. I’m going to list just a few in this concluding overview (source).

New features:

•    Powerful 800W motor with electronic control, soft start, and speed control
•    A new base plate that sits flush on both sides for more efficient positioning on the workpiece
•    Height adjustable cutter dial that allows you to make micro adjustments to the position of the blade

Tried and true features:

•    CNC-machined parts for precision referencing and smooth operation
•    Separate base plate for multiple functions, including easy indexing off miter joints and large surface area for vertical joining applications
•    6 standard cutter depth adjustment dial

Optional accessories:

•    8mm cutter for Clamex connector (standard biscuit cutter is 4mm)
•    Sliding shoe for cutting expansion gaps
•    Edge trimming unit for flush trimming wood edges
•    A variety of optional fasteners, including the standard sized wood biscuits, Clamex connector, K20 clamping element, Duplex furniture hinge, Simplex connector, and E20 self-clamping elements

The Lamello Top 21 is available through Colonial Saw, and the price is $1,195. Yes, most cutters can be purchased for under $200. The Top 21 is an expensive tool. Lamello sets the bar pretty high, and the price reflects it.

What matters when you’re laying out a coffered ceiling is the size of the finished beam, not the size of the crown molding. And you have to use the Outside Dimension of the full finished beam—the O.D.—not the backing or substrate you might be installing first.

Backing

(Note: Click any image to enlarge)

I make my coffered ceilings using what I call “hollow backing.” I make three types of hollow backing shapes or forms: one is for beam intersections and is shaped like the intersection of two streets (see TOP form in the photo to the right).

I make another simpler shape for locations where beams terminate into walls. I use the same form for mid-span backing—when I want to support a beam between intersections, or when I’m running a single long beam across a ceiling. I usually install mid-span hollow backing about every 2 ft. (see LEFT form in the photo to the right).

For ceilings with perimeter beams—half-beams or full beams right against the walls—I use L-shaped hollow backing for intersections (see RIGHT form in the photo to the right).

But don’t be confused by the backing. The real O.D. of the beam is the face of the beam itself, not the backing. When you layout a ceiling, you have to consider the finished O.D. of the beam, from the face of the beam to the face of the beam, then (as Jed Dixon always says), you have to work back to the rough or the backing.

Construction Master Pro

If you’re using a Construction Master Pro calculator, you have to do a little imaginary math. Here’s why: There’s an unequal amount of spaces and beams. In order to make the math easy, you want to work with an even number of beams and spaces—and there’s always one more space than there are beams; unless, of course, you’re installing half-beams around the perimeter of the room (more on that later).

To make the math easier, add an imaginary beam. You can’t add an imaginary space, because you won’t know the dimensions of the spaces until after you’ve calculated the layout. But you do know the exact O.D. of the beams. This technique is very similar to laying out wainscoting: with wainscoting you subtract the last stile; but with coffered ceilings, you add an imaginary last beam.

Let’s use a simple and small ceiling as an example, something we can fit into a tight drawing—an 8 ft. x 10 ft. room. We’ll install three beams across the 8-ft. span. The O.D. of the beams is 5 in. To make the math easier, I’ll add an imaginary beam outside the ceiling, making the calculated span 101 in.

Now the job is easy. Simply divide the calculated span by the number of beams or spaces: 101 / 4 = 25 1/4 in. Remember, that’s NOT the space between the beams! That’s the size of the space PLUS the O.D. of the beam.

To layout the beam locations on the ceiling, measure across the ceiling from one wall, and strike a line at 25 1/4 in. That mark represents the back face of beam #1.

Now use the calculator’s memory to locate the succeeding beams. Press the + (“plus”) button followed by the = button. That sum—50 1/2 in.—is the back face of beam #2.

Don’t press the + button again. Just press the = button to find all other beams. In this case, there’s just one more beam—at 75 3/4 in.; but if there were five more, you’d press the = button to locate the back face of each one.

The CM Pro smartphone application also has a “Tape” feature, so if you forget one of the layout numbers, or when it’s time to pull a tape from the other end of the wall, just hit Convert and then the = button. The CM Pro “Tape” records every keystroke you make, so scroll down through the first few calculations until you get to the series of “Sub-Total=” lines.

Once all the beams have been laid out to their finished dimensions, work back to the rough substrate or backing. I normally snap lines just for the backing, not for the finished O.D. of each beam.

BuildCalc

BuildCalc has an advanced “Baluster Layout” feature, and it makes laying out everything extremely fast and easy—from balusters, to wainscoting, to coffered ceilings. If you’re using BuildCalc, check out all the advanced features, especially for laying out stairs.

To use BuildCalc’s “Baluster” feature for coffered ceilings, start by pressing the CONV button, then press the Baluster button (when you press CONV, the “Stair” button changes to the “Balstr” button).

The advanced features in BuildCalc are a little like setting up a story pole—the calculator will do all the mental work for you. Here’s how to set up the “Baluster Function” for a coffered ceiling:

One of these days, BuildCalc will probably be able to calculate coffered ceiling layouts for half-beam perimeters, but right now it can’t, so if you’re not installing full-size beams around the perimeter of the room (that rarely looks good, especially in BOTH directions!!), leave the “Members at ends?” option blank.

Most carpenters like to measure from a wall to the face of a beam, rather than to the back face of a beam. If that’s your way, then be sure to choose Layout Marks at: leading edge—that way you can strike measurement marks at the finished face of each beam, then work forward 3/4 in. and snap lines at the rough substrate or backing. I like to snap lines on both sides of the hollow backing—that way, I never make the dumb mistake of installing the backing on the wrong side of the line.

The last step is to enter the number of beams—and don’t add an imaginary one! In this case, under “Number of Members”, enter 3.

Scroll down the screen and you’ll find the layout measurements: Member 1 is at 20 1/4 in.; Member 2 is at 45 1/2 in.; and Member 3 is at 70 3/4 in.

Oh, wait! I forgot to explain how to lay out ceilings with perimeter half-beams! When I do rooms like that, I just measure in from the wall and mark the finished O.D. of the perimeter beams. I subtract that sum from the overall span of the ceiling, and then use the result as the actual coffered ceiling span—as if the room is made smaller by the perimeter half-beams. Yeah…I bet there’s a much easier way…

I’ve been using construction calculators for quite some time. They are an indispensable tool for all kinds of layout work; from squaring up foundations, calculating materials, rafter layout, right on through to finish work. When I start any wainscoting job, I reach for a calculator before I even think about cutting any wood. A few minutes crunching numbers saves time and helps me avoid costly mistakes with expensive material.

Recently, I downloaded the BuildCalc app for my iPhone. I thought it would be a good compliment to the Construction Master app I’ve been using. While getting acquainted with the BuildCalc app, I took a look at the Baluster Layout function. I noticed the baluster function is arranged so you can set all the parameters and see all of the results on one screen. Then I thought: maybe I can use this function to lay out frame and panels. After all, balusters and spaces are really the same as frames and panels, right? So, I experimented, and sure enough, the baluster tool works exceptionally well for laying out frame and panel work.

Here’s how I do it:

Simple Shadow Box Layout

Once the app is open, follow these steps to enter the Baluster Function:

(Note: Click any image to enlarge)

With the Baluster Function launched, select the “Evenly Space” Analysis Type (see image below) and enter your desired parameters:

Next, scroll down to view the calculated results:

Rail and Stile Frames

When laying out wainscoting that is constructed with an applied frame of rails and stiles, the layout is a little more complicated. Inside corners normally require a wider stile on one frame assembly to compensate for the overlap in the corner. A great system, which I learned from Gary Katz’s wainscoting DVD set, is to make my frame assemblies 1/4 in. shorter than the required span, and the buried inside corner stile 1/2 in. wider than the field stiles (assuming you are using 1x stock). The result creates an equal exposure on both corner stiles.

Since BuildCalc doesn’t currently allow you to vary the ‘starting’ or ‘ending’ member widths (I did hear this feature will be available in a future release, though!), there is a little math to do before launching the Baluster Function. Thankfully, these calculations can be done in the calculator beforehand, and they will be automatically entered into the Baluster Function. Here are the steps:

1.    Enter your wall length and subtract 1/4 in: 96 1/4 in. – 1/4 in. (in this example)
2.    Next, subtract out the wider corner stile: – 4 in. (in this example)
3.    Press the = key and then the RUN key to store your ‘run’ length
4.    Press the CONV key followed by the Balstr key to enter the advanced Baluster Function

When the Baluster Function is launched, your new calculated ‘run’ length should automatically appear in the Run box at the top of the screen. Enter all of your parameters as in the previous example, with these exceptions: “Members at ends?”, “Number of Members”, and “Layout marks”. Since the wider end stile has already been accounted for, select only “at Start” for your end members, and reduce your “Number of Members” by one. Choose your layout marks at “leading edge” to easily locate the stiles.

To see the layout for a different number of panels (and different panel sizing), just change the “Number of Members” until you get what you want.

The calculator allows you to work in feet and inches or just inches. Also, if you close out of the Baluster Function window, all your numbers are saved, so you can return to the same calculations until you’ve finished that wall. Amazing!

(SketchUp drawings by Wm. Todd Murdock)

• • •

AUTHOR AUTOBIO

Harvey Raufman is a carpenter and cabinetmaker from Old Chatham, NY. Harvey writes:

I was on my way to college and a major in biology, when a furniture-making course in high school changed all that.

I learned to sharpen and use hand tools, cut dovetails…I was hooked.

I went on to one year of trade school, and have been in the trades ever since.

I have worked in production house framing, architectural millwork (miles of plastic laminate), a couple of years with a construction company doing urban renovations, and finally went out on my own in 1985 as H Raufman Woodworking.

My first job was renovating a 200-year-old house. I learned firsthand the meaning of “wattle & daub”!

I opened my first shop a few years later. At one time I thought about making furniture full-time, but being a starving artist was not for me.

Over the years, I have taken on projects with other solo contractors, and worked on several high-end millwork projects. The mainstays of my work have been renovations, additions, kitchens, lots of built-ins, and the occasional furniture commission.

I have had a lifelong interest in architecture, design, and furniture.

When I’m not working, I enjoy dancing, hiking, and getting out on the water in my homemade canoe (yes, it actually floats!).

Between my cabinet shop and remodeling company, I have the opportunity to work on a lot of fun and challenging projects. I recently tackled a project in which we converted a home office into a master bathroom. The interior designer on the project threw us a real curveball—(almost) literally!

The soaking tub in the plans called for custom paneling, and the location of the tub in this bathroom had a real impact on the space (hence the evolution of the design). The paneling started out square (no problem), and then became a very gentle, shallow curve (again, not too big a deal), and then the tub became an ellipse (game on).

I’d never done this type of work before, but I’ve read a lot about it, and I watched a friend make some curved panels for an oak living room last year. Sometimes you just have to jump in and do it, trusting that your knowledge and experience will get you through. That’s basically what I did! I thought I would share with TiC readers what worked and what didn’t.

I don’t have the designers’ drawings to post here, but it’s basically a curved frame and panel (five equal panels) about 20 in. tall following the front of a tub.

Whenever possible, I like to make full-scale layouts of what I’m building. In this case, a full sheet of plywood fit the bill.

I was able to draw the required ellipse by measuring the major and minor axes from the tub template supplied by the manufacturer. My plan of attack was to make the plywood tub deck first, and then build the walls under the deck. The wall would then serve as the base for the paneling. It would simultaneously be the form for gluing the curved rails and moldings, as well as the framing for installing the entire piece.

There are many ways to draw an ellipse. I’ve used the string method before, but I was looking for a more exact method. At one point, I was shown one method of laying out a track and using a trammel arm with pins (see photo, below). This technique is very similar to the the router setup Mike Sloggatt used in his article on the ellipse.

(Note: Click any image to enlarge)

This method involves three points to lay out the trammel arm:

1.     The pencil point
2.     The semi-minor axis (semi-minor axis = 1/2 of the minor axis)
3.     The semi-major axis (semi-major axis = 1/2 of the major axis)

Using the drill press and a 1/4-in. drill bit, I first drilled a hole for the pencil (I tapped the first inch of the pencil through a steel dowel plate to make it 1/4 in.). I drilled a second hole for a 1/4-in. dowel the length of the semi-minor axis away from the pencil. I drilled the third dowel hole the distance of the semi-major axis away from the pencil. The dowel representing the semi-minor axis rides in the long horizontal track, and the dowel representing the semi-major axis rides in the vertical track.

The first step after making the trammel arm was to draw the center lines along both the lengths and widths of the sheet. I then brad-nailed some thin rips of poplar to the plywood, keeping the center lines in the middle of the track and making the track the thickness of the dowel I was going to use in the trammel arm. I could have used the dowel itself, but I risked creating a wavy track by nailing the poplar strips at points along the line. Instead, I marked a line parallel to my center line, and half the thickness of my dowel. I nailed one side of the track to that line. I then used my calipers to gauge the exact thickness of the dowel and milled a rip of wood with the thickness planer until it was exactly 1/64 in. thicker than the dowel. I used that longer strip as a spacer to ensure that the second poplar strip was perfectly parallel to the first. The extra 1/64 in. allowed the dowels to move smoothly. A little wax in the track helped as well.

The most important point to keep in mind during this operation was the center line. You’ll see the importance of this as the work progresses. Unlike a circle, when you shift a molding over the face of an ellipse, it no longer follows the form, and you end up with a gap. Every part was laid out along the center line throughout the project to make sure they all followed the changing curve of the form.

I then used my go-to method for routing curves with AZEK. I’m always scavenging rips of AZEK from job site dumpsters to use in the shop. With a little help from a heat gun, and an extra set of hands, I screwed the AZEK to the plywood following the curve. I cut the waste with the jigsaw, and finished the cut with a router using a bearing-guided bit. I now had a full-scale pattern for the tub top.

I made the wall plates from the top pattern with the same router and bearing set-up.

The walls were simple studs screwed to the curved plates.

I covered the wall with a layer of 3/8-in. wacky wood (bending plywood)—glued and screwed to the framing,…

…and one layer of 1/8-in. Italian bending poplar plywood—glued and stapled outside of the panel layout to the first layer.

I had to be careful not to over-tighten the screws, because over-tightening created flat spots, as the plywood followed the 1 1/2-in. flat face of the stud (I didn’t shape the edge of the stud to the curve of the plates).

One problem with forming curves is keeping the pieces from “twisting” and walking off of the line of the curve. To help everything “stay put,” I screwed blocks along the top of the wall to make it easy to follow the curve.

The next step was to make the rails.

I ripped poplar into thin strips on the bandsaw…

…and sent them through the planer using a piece of plywood on the bed of the planer to keep the planer from chewing up the thin pieces.

I had to do a trial run to make sure the pieces were thin enough to follow the curve without cracking or curling up on the edges. Four plies at 1/8 in. worked well. I could have gone to five plies, but I probably would have lost a few more pieces to the planer. A wide belt sander, which I didn’t own at the time, would have made that easier.

I needed two rails, but made enough pieces for four rails. I then cut up the extra rails for the cove moldings.

The first challenge was gluing the curved rail pieces. I thought I had an easy method using a large band clamp. This always works for gluing fully round objects. However, as you can see from the pictures, it didn’t apply even pressure—there was almost zero pressure on the top. The band itself was under tension and not even applying any clamping pressure onto the veneers. But you can see there was good pressure on the sides.

In the past, I always made a positive and negative form with smaller curved pieces. This piece was too big for that method. A friend of mine made curved rails out of oak, cutting them into pieces and then adding the hinges. I figured I’d take a cue from his experience.

It’s a slippery nightmare to work with four thin layers of poplar covered in glue.

The hinged form, and an extra set of hands, gave me the time to start clamping at the middle and slowly work the form and clamps along the curve, keeping the pieces aligned at the same time. With only one form and clamping caul, this was a very slow process. It took seven days to make five rails and two pieces of baseboard (one for baseboard, the other for the top molding).

To form the baseboard in a different plane from the rails (which changes the radius), I glued it up with a piece of the rail between the base and the form.

There is always a big concern about what type of glue to use when working with curved pieces. The answer I always give is: “it depends.” Concerns often include springback, joint creep, open-time (or set time—you do need extra time when gluing curves), and weather resistance (think of a curved exterior railing). The different properties of the different glues address these issues, well, differently. That’s why it depends. Instead of getting into a discourse on the subject (which is worth another article), I’ll just say that I used good old Titebond III.

I wasn’t concerned about springback, because every part was going to be nailed or screwed to the framing, and the parts were thin enough that it wasn’t going to be a fight to get them back to following the form (see photo, left).

The clamping caul I built had to follow the tub radius at a 1/2-in. distance from the tub (the thickness of rails I was making). I made the form using a 1/2-in. pattern bit in the router. I followed the outside layer of the plywood on the tub, routing another piece of 3/4-in. plywood. The off-cut from the piece I routed became the pattern. I then used that piece as a pattern for my form. I had to make four pieces of 3/4-in. plywood for each section of the form.

When it came time to make the baseboard pieces, I took the form apart and routed another 5/8 in. off of the form because the baseboard was 5/8 in. thick. I also had to make a few more pieces for each section because the baseboard piece was wider than the rails. I used 3/4-in. plywood because it was a good use of all the scrap pieces leftover from cutting the curves out of the full sheets of plywood.

Once all the parts were glued, it was time to put them together.

The pieces were joined on one edge…

…and then run through the thickness planer to finished width.

I was able to easily layout the stiles on the tub base itself with the FastCap flexible/flat tape measure. Locating the rails on the center line (the most important layout line), I transferred the stile locations to the top and bottom rail.

The stiles were milled to thickness from solid poplar. The flat back of the solid stock rocked a bit on the curve, especially at the tightest part of the radius.

I used the curved blade in the Festool power plane to solve that problem. One pass, and the stiles sat flush on the back.

I used my trusty Lamello biscuit jointer to join the rails and stiles. I could have used the Domino, but I wanted to have a glued spline along the entire joint.

Once glued, the edges of the flat stiles stuck up slightly proud, as they didn’t follow the curve.

I used a sharp block plane and curved sanding block to quickly shape the stiles to the varying curve of the rails.

Once I glued the rails and stiles, and attached them to the tub base (see photo, below), the next step was to make the panel molding—a simple cove that would be glued and nailed into the panels.

Going into this project, I imagined this would be the hardest part. It turned out to be the simplest! Because the radius of the curve changes along the length of the ellipse, the moldings in each panel would have to follow a different curve (which is what made me think this would be such a difficult task). By making the moldings out of one of the extra pieces I glued, I was able to overcome the issue of the changing radius. I cut the extra rail into five sections, which corresponded to each of the panels. Then it was a quick three-step process to make each molding. Having two routers set up was essential.

I first routed off the outermost ply of poplar with a rabbeting bit.

Next, I routed the cove.

I finished the piece by ripping the molding piece to width with the bandsaw (notice the labels on every piece).

One, two, three elliptical moldings—that was easy!

Because the moldings were so small, cutting them to fit was very forgiving. I cut them with my small miter saw (Makita 7 1/2-in. slider) using a wooden subfence for support, holding the piece so the fence was tangent to the point of the cut. That was accurate enough. It took a few cuts for each piece to nibble down to a perfect fit. The extra time was cheap insurance for not having to make more moldings. The vertical pieces were straight runs of molding—I just had to hand-plane a slight bevel on the edges to keep the edges of the molding tight to the panel and rail. Once all the pieces were cut to fit, I glued and brad-nailed them into place.

To finish off the shop work, I profiled and attached the baseboard and top trim pieces.

I then sent off the entire piece to the finisher for painting, and finally brought it to the jobsite for installation. And yes, it did fit through the door and up the stairs!

Installation was straightforward. I had checked the floor for level with a laser before I built anything, so I knew that shimming to level wouldn’t create any new problems. The floor was to be tiled; as long as the piece wasn’t shimmed more than 3/8 in., the tile would cover any space between the bottom of the panel base and the subfloor. The only detail that still bothered me was if the tub fit and the curves lined up…which they did. I never made it back to the house to see the completely finished room, but here’s a look at the tub right after installation.

• • •

AUTHOR AUTOBIO

In Jesper Cook’s recent article, “Miter Angles and Miter Saws,” Cook points out that miter saws aren’t designed for finish carpenters. I believe the same can be said for miter saw stands.

There have been countless articles, reviews and tips written and videoed on the ideal miter saw stand (for example: Lamar Horton’s “Wooden Miter Saw Stand” and Gary Katz’s “Make a Miter Saw Work Station“). And while not everyone agrees on what’s “perfect,” most trim carpenters would agree that continuous material support is critical.

(Note: Click any image to enlarge)

Material Support

Continuous support provides needed stability to long runs of molding, makes material easier to handle, acts as a clamping surface for other tasks such as coping, and, most importantly, allows for more accurate cuts. I’ve botched too many cuts on trim that wasn’t seated quite right. Cutting trim that’s not flush to the base and table, or out of square to the fence, can cause joints to be way off.

Mobility

In addition to continuous support, a must-have for me is mobility. I need to be able to move my equipment around my worksite without having to break everything down and put it back together again. I also can’t stand making unnecessary trips hauling equipment around when a more efficient way to transport and set up is readily available—it’s inefficient, aggravating, and costs me time and money.

The Search

I’ve looked at pretty much every commercially made miter saw stand on the market, and with the exception of Festool’s UG-Kapex wheeled stand, which is designed to fit the Kapex (see photo, right), I’ve never found a wheeled stand with true continuous material support. In fact, the only non-wheeled stand currently produced with continuous support that will fit the saws I own is FastCap’s Best Fence.

Of all the wheeled stands out there, Bosch’s T4B has always stood out to me. It’s simple, doesn’t take much to break down, and works with most SCMS saws.

A few months ago, I got a Bosch T4B for free with the purchase of a Bosch 5312 SCMS. The 5312 is nearly identical to Bosch’s now-discontinued 5412, minus the adjustable handle. (Replacing the stock blade with a Forrest Chopmaster has really yielded some nice results.)

After mounting the saw to the T4B, I really liked the ease of set up, the tool-less expansion rail adjustments for material support, and the fact that it was mobile. One nice thing about the T4B is that there are no legs for the extensions. This allows you to move the entire stand around with the supports extended.

Just like it is, this stand is perfect for cutting dimensional lumber. However, without continuous support, it’s virtually useless for trim work…at least pleasant trim work.

The Stand

The 5312 and other Bosch saws have on-board base extensions used to support work pieces near the saw’s base. When pushed all the way in, the tops of the extensions rest on ledges machined into the base. The extensions move in and out on rods running under the saw on rails. The extensions are locked in position with clamping levers.

To add continuous support to the T4B, I built wings out of 3/4-in. birch plywood and wrapped the edges in 3/4-in. maple. I made each wing 11 1/2 in. wide and 58 in. long, giving me over 11 feet of support. I used the ledges of the base as a place to rest the wing, the same ledge that the extension base slides over. To do this, I had to completely remove the sliding base extensions. I secured the wings to the base using the rods from the extension base. They were easily removed by loosening some set screws.

To join the rods to the wings, I nailed and glued two pieces of plywood together and pocket-hole screwed them to the underside of the wings.

I then drilled two holes through the doubled-up plywood as a place to run the rods through.

As a grip to move the rods in and out of the rails, I made some wooden knobs, drilled them to accept the rods, and placed a set screw through each knob to hold the rods to the knobs.

I use the saw’s clamping levers to lock the rods to the base. It makes for a really secure connection.

The far ends of the wings rest on the T4B’s work height support.

To secure it, I ran a carriage bolt through the wing and work height support,…

…and I used a 4 1/4-in. tapered jig knob from Rockler to hold it down. (In hindsight, I should have used threaded inserts rather than carriage bolts, which would have allowed me to avoid having to drill through the wings.)

This also makes it easy to put together and take apart. Taking the wings apart and putting them back takes about 30 seconds.

It’s very simple, doesn’t have too many bells and whistles, and works great for my needs.

It also makes for a nice worktable. Even with the wings on, I can still move the saw around when needed. And when I need extra support for coping or planing, I use a FastCap Upperhand underneath one of the wings.

• • •

AUTHOR BIO

Chris Knighton‘s interest in carpentry started as a young boy, working with his father building fences, gates, and sheds at their family home. Years later, Chris spent some time working with a seasoned carpenter, learning to build porches and decks. His real interest is in finish work, but that didn’t come until being forced to renovate his own home.

Though not currently in the profession, Chris’ passion for finish work has fueled a constant study and learning process. Recently, Chris has learned to design built-ins, mantlepieces, and other projects using SketchUp.

Chris, his wife, and their four children live in Northwest Louisiana.

Not long ago, I got a phone call from the company my mother works for. Apparently, a plow truck hit one of the brackets on a covered entry on the side of their building during a snowstorm. The maintenance crew looked at it and realized it was not the type of project they were willing to take on. The owner of the company, whom I have done work for in the past, said, “Call Ray. He’ll fix it.”

(Note: Click any image to enlarge)

I stopped by to take a look and met up with the plant manager in his office. On his desk, he had a couple of broken pieces left from the original bracket. He brought me outside to check out the damage to the covered entry (see photo, right). With a few measurements, and a brief moment of head scratching, I said I could fix it.

No Fancy Tools

I was given permission to use the facilities onsite since I don’t have a shop. In the end, the entire project was performed right in front of the covered entry, next to a snow pile, and with water constantly dripping from the roof (and occasionally on us!). No fancy tools, no router pattern bits, and no band saw. We had a circular saw, a jig saw, a grinder with a sanding disc, a random orbit sander, a miter saw, a table saw, and a couple of metal saw horses.

As if that wasn’t enough, when we pulled into the alley, I got out of my truck to decide where to set up shop and within five minutes we heard a large “CRASH!” A chunk of ice fell four stories from the roof above onto the cap of my truck. Luckily, there was no major damage (other than a nice dent in the cap).

I decided to move the truck near the street, almost onto the sidewalk, to keep it away from the edge of the roof.

A Cardboard Pattern

I wanted to find a way to use the original (now broken) pieces. I figured we could create a pattern and glue them together to make up the 5 1/2 in. of width of the original bracket.

We got a large piece of cardboard from one of the guys in shipping. My cousin held up the cardboard to the outside of the existing bracket while I used a sharpie marker to trace out the basic shape of the large curve.

After I carefully cut out the cardboard with a sharp utility knife…

…we began tracing the shape onto our first 2 x 12.

This became the new pattern for the rest of the pieces.

The initial shape was cut using a circular saw, and then a jigsaw.

From there, I smoothed out the curve using a grinder with a 50-grit sanding disc.

Since the curve was larger than the 2 x 12, we had to make each layer in two pieces,…

…and then use pocket screws and glue to join them.

Next, we drilled the hole in the bottom of the bracket to accept the larger 1/2 in. diameter threaded rod that would be anchored in the wall later. First, we used a 1 1/2 in. spade bit to give space for the washer. We used a 1/2 in. bit and the nut went all the way through the bracket.

After both holes were drilled, we did another test-fit to see if the hole would align with the rod in the wall. Unfortunately, we were slightly off. Since re-drilling was out, we used a Dremel with a sanding drum to enlarge the outer hole just enough to better receive the washer. The hole would later be filled with foam backer rod and caulking, and the caulking would be smoothed out over the hole using a wide putty knife.

The Finish

A final sanding of all the pieces was done before the install to help smooth out the transition of each layer to one another, and to make it look like it was a solid piece rather than a multi-layered piece.

The original was multi-layered, but after years of wear and multiple coats of paint, I couldn’t see the difference.

All edges got a quick coat of oil-based spray primer before we put the bracket up. While waiting for the paint to dry, we installed a threaded rod into the brick wall with anchoring epoxy. This took the place of the old lag screw that came out when the truck hit the bracket.

After the epoxy set and the primer was dry, we installed the bracket in its spot. We used some ledger lock screws and trim nails to attach the new bracket to the framing of the covered entry. The WindsorONE-primed side trim pieces were installed last to cover up the holes from the nails and ledger lock screws.

Final Trim

The final step was to trim out the top of the bracket with some cove molding and small wood strips to create a molding profile that would mimic the original. The small half-ball at the top of the curve was the only original piece that was salvaged, and we decided to attach it to the new bracket.

What might sound like a quick and easy task was not—water was dripping from the side of the covered roof that we were working on. The ladder had to be placed in front of the bracket and I had to reach around to the outside when it came time to install the outer trim. Each time I poked my head out I got wet, and so did the nail gun. My cousin placed the leftover cardboard on the portico roof to create a splash shield for me. It worked just long enough to keep both me and my nail gun from getting too wet.

We finished up just after dark that day while filling the nail holes with caulking. The customer was very happy in the end. It was a challenge, and a pleasure, to make something of this nature onsite.

The plant manager later sent my mother an email thanking me for doing such a great job of replicating the original bracket.

•••

AUTHOR BIO

Raymond’s career as a carpenter began over a decade ago after being in the world of advertising photography for almost ten years. He started off by doing small handyman jobs, which soon led to more complex remodeling jobs. It became apparent that Ray’s creative side set him apart from other contractors as clients asked for more complex projects, built-ins, or fireplace mantles. He soon learned that his attention to detail and creative eye for the architectural esthetics of clients’ homes helped bring a unique perspective to his projects.

Ray’s passion for his craft is evident in all that he does. From small projects, to fine finish carpentry and remodeling projects, he has amassed a number of loyal clients over the years.

Raymond founded Valois Home Improvements in 2000. He currently lives in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts with his wife and two kids. When he’s not making area homes more beautiful, you will probably find him golfing, riding his motorcycle, or having fun with family and friends.

You can see more of Raymond’s work at Valois Home Improvements.

When I first started in the flooring business, I always wondered why no one made a specialty nailer for nailing through T&G flooring without affecting the finish on the face of the board. Enter the Duo-Fast FloorMaster 250BN.

I have tried a few nailers over the years. Right now, I’m using the Porter Cable FN250A and the Hitachi NT65MA4. These two nailers have different tips (see photo, right). The Porter Cable’s tip is curved back, which allows it to slide nicely across boards, but only when the magazine is pointing away from the board. This can be inconvenient, particularly when getting close to a wall. The straight magazine can also cause a problem once in a while.

Hitachi NT65MA4 (left), Porter Cable FN250A (right).

(Note: Click any image to enlarge)

The Hitachi works better for sliding across boards that are running parallel to other boards, and the angled magazine is helpful in tight situations. The best feature of the Hitachi, which I haven’t seen on any other nailer, is the air duster. However, a less welcome feature is that it’s 15ga instead of 16ga. The 15ga nails can spit the tongues off a board if the angle is tight when using close to a wall.

At first glance, the Duo-Fast 250BN nailer looks very similar to the Paslode T250A-F16. The Paslode, itself, is a very good gun—I have used it many times on jobsites, and it’s a quite capable finish nailer. I never did get the chance to use it on flooring, though.

The Duo-Fast engineers addressed my biggest complaint about most trim nailers—not having tips that can be used for specialty purposes, particularly flooring. We need the ability to use the same nailer on multiple phases of a project to be profitable.

The major difference I see between the Duo-Fast and the Paslode is that the Duo-Fast comes with interchangeable no-mar tips. The orange tip—which is the same tip I am used to using on the Paslode model—is great for face-nailing trim or starter boards.

But it also comes with a black tip, at a 45 degree angle, which allows for you to put the nailer right where you want it—in the seam of the tongue on boards.

Some basic specs on the Duo-Fast 250BN are:

• Weight: 3.75Lbs

• Nails: 1-1/4”-2-1/2” Angled 16 Gauge Nails

To clear a jam you pull on the blue colored plastic part that covers the driver area.

Duo-Fast supplies a sequential trigger, but the pre-installed orange trigger functions just as I want in this type of nailer, so I don’t see the point in changing it.

I’m not sure why they didn’t include a belt clip with this model.

They do, however, include rubber no-mar bumpers all over the nailer’s air chamber.

This makes sense, given that this nailer is specifically designed for flooring.

The problem, though, is that they forgot that the two screws near the rear of the nailer stick out, and are not protected from scratching the floor.

I did find a great use for the T&G tip when doing trim work. You can put the nose in a detail and slide down the trim piece. This does make it harder to fill the nail hole than, say, putting the nail in a flat spot on the trim, but it makes it less noticeable from a short distance.

I shot two videos comparing the Hitachi and Duo-Fast (see below). You will see that it takes some time to set the tip of the Hitachi into the groove, and then if it moves when nailing off the board it will damage the face. The Duo-Fast, however, slides right along, which makes it faster, and poses less threats to the face of the board.

This nailer allows me to blind fasten within 2 boards of the wall (2-1/4-in. flooring planks). The last two rows will need to be face nailed.

Probably the best/worst thing about the Duo-Fast is it can be used by—dare I say it?—a less-skilled installer for a perfect finish. Before this nailer came along, I know I would never have trusted my helper to nail off the last few boards of a room. In the hands of a true professional, I can confidently say that this nailer will speed up your work, and make your life easier, in more ways than one.

• • •

AUTHOR BIO

Sal Donato is a fourth generation craftsman. He has been practicing carpentry ever since his grandfather allowed him into the workshop—when Sal was still in single digits. Sal was bit by the “Carpentry Bug” around age ten, and it has been a major part of his life ever since.

Sal graduated from college with a degree in Business Administration and founded BSA Renovations in 2004. His business is his passion and allows him to design and create custom projects to aid homeowners in transforming their house into a home.

Sal regularly contributes to the JLC online forum, is a founding member and part of the site staff for TheContractorsClub.com, and he frequently adds to the discussion on ContractorTalk.com. Sal believes in Internet collaboration between craftsmen: Sal says, “the internet is perhaps our best tool for solving some of the most challenging remodels. By sharing ideas with other like-minded contractors across the country, we are able to think out of the box and utilize new techniques and materials,…which helps to get your project done more efficiently.”

Not every project I build comes out perfectly. As a matter of fact, I can’t recall too many that didn’t have at least one minor mistake. Of course, I mean something that no one else would notice, though some of you might. Without a doubt, I’ve never built a perfect pivot bookcase, but I’m getting a lot closer!

Even the bookcase in this article isn’t perfect. Each time I build one, I learn something new. After all, hidden bookcase doors are a lot more complicated than an ordinary door—there are a lot of variables, both in design and construction, especially on openings that have to swing out.

In this article, I’ll point out a few of the mistakes I made so hopefully you won’t make them—and maybe I won’t make them again. If you notice any others, please let me know. Hidden door bookcases aren’t easy to design or build, but they’re intriguing. Maybe one day we’ll all be able to build one that’s perfect in every way.

Hinges and Wheels

I’ve seen and installed a lot of bookcase doors, many that swing on regular butt hinges. I’ve always used 4 1/2 or 5-in. heavy-duty ball bearing hinges, and they work alright, though the hinges tend to sag a little when the case is really loaded down with books. And they always need some adjustment down the road. Plus, they require a lot of jamb clearance, which has never seemed right to me. Besides, butt hinges only work on swing-in bookcases—there’s no way to hide them completely on a swing-out design.

I’ve also seen cabinet shops build these types of doors, using euro hinges. Trust me, those never work, no matter how many of those little hinges you use, they always sag. I’ve seen carpenters use piano hinges, too, but then it’s tough to take the case off or adjust the hinge. Besides, even a piano hinge is hard to hide in the trim on a swing-out case.

Swinging bookcases always sag a little, too. I’ve tried installing wheels and rollers on the bottoms of swinging bookcases, and they work okay, as long as the floor is a smooth, hard surface, and if there are no throw rugs, though sometimes the roller leaves a tell-tale track on the floor, especially over carpet.

When you use a roller, at the very least you have to leave a gap at the bottom of the case for floor clearance, and that’s a dead giveaway, too. Plus it’s almost impossible to really hide the joints in the baseboard, no matter how cleverly you disguise them. From what I’ve learned, the best way to design and build a durable swing-out bookcase door, one that can be adjusted easily, and one that’s truly invisible, is to design the door to swing above the baseboard, and hang it on a center-hung pivot hinge.

Start With a Drawing

There are few projects I work on today without doing a scale drawing first. When in comes to bookcases, especially swinging ones, SketchUp has saved my life. I started this project with a two-dimensional drawing, one that allowed me to pivot the door in the drawing. That’s how I found the correct location for the pivot point, which took some experimenting. The two most important issues are: 1: The case has to swing clear of the hinge jamb; 2: The case has to open 90 degrees. If you don’t know how to animate Sketchup drawings, watch this tutorial that Todd Murdock has put together:

I wanted the case to have a minimal amount of clearance between the jambs, so it would just clear the trim on the hinge side, and wouldn’t require wide trim on the strike side. That clearance is determined by the setback of the pivot perpendicular to the face of the wall.

(Note: Click any image to enlarge)

When wide open, the door butts against the trim on the hinge side. That clearance is determined by the depth of the bookcase and the location of the pivot, measured from the hinge jamb toward the strike jamb–parallel with the wall.

Bottom Clearance

The real improvement in this design is swinging the bookcase above the baseboard, so it won’t drag on a throw rug and can be trimmed out without any visible gaps. I wanted to end up with the case about 2 3/4 in. above the floor, to clear 2 1/2-in. baseboard. For a taller base, the bottom of the case would be even farther from the floor. If you’re not familiar with Rixson pivot hinges, scroll down to that section below right now.

Another drawing, this one three-dimensional and detailing the hinge parts and clearance requirements, confirmed that mounting the pivot base on two layers of 3/4 plywood would get me close to 2 1/2 in. above the floor. Because I could install the toe kick after swinging the case, the exact dimension didn’t matter, which made execution a lot easier.

Bookcase Construction

(Note: Click any image to enlarge.)

To prevent the case from sagging, I dadoed the sides to accept the shelves (see photo, right), something I don’t always do for built in cases. For cutting dados, I normally use a templates guide on my router, which makes it easier to build a compact template, and provides a cleaner tighter dado, but I was lazy. I didn’t have a Porter-Cable-style 3/4-in. template guide for this new router, and rather than running to the tool store, I made the router template exactly the width of the router base. I installed the cross pieces allowing enough space for both bookshelf sides plus an extra 3/16 in.—so I could slide the template up and down without hanging up—and used a long shim and spring clamps to lock the template in place.

An even easier tool for cutting dados is a Festool MFT table and router guide rail. This system is designed perfectly for the task and requires no template and no special clamping setup. Simply layout the book shelf sides with clear pencil lines for each dado (I used a Sharpie so the lines would be more visible in the photographs). Rather than running my router bit dangerously close to the guide rail, I adjust the router so that it cuts almost 1/4 in. away from the rubber edge.

To make it easier to align the boards for each cut, I attached a sacrificial fence to the table. The first pass cut a neat dado in the fence, and I aligned all the cuts with that dado. To make sure the boards didn’t slip as I moved them through the cutting station, I screwed a 3/4 in. cleat on top of the layout marks for one of the shelves. Once that cleat came up near the guide rail, I removed it and pressed it into the dado, where it locked the two boards together.

Here’s a trick I learned at Festool School: the dust collection system will collect almost all the saw dust if you don’t dado right through the first piece. Instead, plunge the router into the workpiece about 1/2 in. from the edge, cut the dado, then clean up the front when you’re finished. That little dam is all that’s needed to stop the dust from shooting out the dado, leaving it at the mercy of the dust collector.

Edgebanding Plywood Shelving

I’ve done a lot of edgebanding and always hated the hair-line crack that develops between the plywood and the solid stock. That gap is caused by the inner plywood endgrain swelling from the glue, which puts a little belly in the edge and forces the banding away from top and bottom of the plywood. To prevent edge swelling problems, I used a Collins Ply-Prep bit ($20.00) and ‘routed’ a slightly concave nose on each shelf.

In order to work properly, the Ply-Prep bit requires a router fence with infeed and outfeed surfaces slightly offset to accommodate the very slight amount of material removed from each shelf. I made a shallow pass, less than 1/16 in. deep, half-way across a temporary fence. A line etched into the bit helps center the bit vertically on the stock, which is vital—otherwise the edge won’t be cut square.

After fastening the solid mahogany banding on with glue and 23ga pins…

…I ran a laminate trimmer on each side to cut the surfaces flush.

The last piece I milled was the strike side of the case, which required a bevel. I made the first cut on my table saw, but the blade height wouldn’t cut to daylight, so I cleaned up the bevel with a power plane.

Assembly

Before assembling the pieces, I pre-finished everything, a lesson learned the hard way after making dozens of bookcases—it’s just too hard to finish all those inside corners and edges without getting runs, drips, and finish all over my wrists. I used a water-based polyurethane and a roller, brushing out each piece to remove air bubbles. If I were smarter, I’d own an HVLP (high-volume, low-pressure) system, and spray the three coats on, but I’m not, and so I don’t.

To ensure a tight box that wouldn’t sag, I glued and fastened the shelves with screws, too, brushing the glue into each dado.

Finished sides, added after the case is swinging, cover the screws. I also cut the finished sides 1/2 in. wider, so that they cover the 1/2-in. plywood back. That way, the sides don’t require rabbets.

I glued and screwed the back flush with the sides, so that the case would never rack.

Hardware Preparation

Pivot hinges are the only way to fly when it comes to supporting a heavy bookcase and achieving an invisible door. I used a Rixson Model 370 bottom pivot, which can accommodate up to 500 lbs. and doors up to 3-ft. 8-in. x 8-ft. 6-in. The bottom pivot includes two pieces: the bottom pivot spindle which mounts directly to the floor (upper right, in photo to the right), and the bottom bearing (lower right), which must be mortised into the bottom of the door. The top pivot is a standard model 340, consisting of a retractable jamb-mounted pivot spindle and finished cover plate (middle and upper left), which are mortised into the jamb head, and a top guide (lower left), which is mortised into the top of the door.

I learned a long time ago to always make templates for door hardware, especially hinges—first, because it’s easier to position and cut the mortises perfectly, which means mortise depth, too; and second, because once you’ve used any special type of hardware, you’re bound to use it again and soon—it’s just a law of the jungle, like thermodynamics. In this case, the bearing guides and the top jamb pivot are the same width and thickness, but because their centers vary, along with their lengths, each piece of hardware requires a custom template.

I started by ripping stock for the center spreaders. A standard door-hanging template guide and router bit (1/2-in. bit and 9/16-in. template guide) will cut 1/16 in. short of the template bushing, so I made the template openings 1/8 in. wider and longer than the hardware. I ripped the spreader stock to 1 3/8 in. for the 1 1/4-in. plates. I centered the spreaders between two outer rails, spacing the spreaders apart the length of each plate plus 1/8 in., then fastened the templates together with pocket screws.

The centers vary on each piece of hardware, so make individual templates, one for the top guide and one for the bottom bearing (on left).

Laying out the template stops was critical because that’s what positions the pivots perfectly. For each template, I marked a center line on both axes (parallel to the wall, and perpendicular to the wall), then measured from those center lines to locate the stops. For the bookcase templates, I measured 2 1/4 in. from the pivot center to the back of the first side, knowing the second finished side would add an additional 3/4 in., resulting in a 3 in. backset. For the front backset, I measured 1 3/4 in. from the pivot to the front of the template, and I attached stops on that line.

Setting the router depth was simply a matter of adjusting the depth stop above the turret to exactly the thickness of the hardware.

I clamped both templates to the case and mortised the brackets without a second thought.

I fastened the bottom bearing immediately (below, left), pre-drilling the double-thick bottom shelf for the #10 screws. The top guide (below, right) mounts flush with the top of the case-the bushing must be mortised into the case. I traced the location of the center of the bushing…

…drilled out the hole with a paddle bit, then mounted the bracket. The top shelf is only 3/4 in. thick, but a false shelf, installed after the case is swinging, hides the bushing.

I designed the case 3/4 in. short to allow for this second jamb head, which I mortised in my shop, before installing the case.

The top jamb bracket includes a linkage arm that draws the pivot spindle out of the top bushing in the case, so it’s easy to install and remove the case or a door. I drilled a 1 in. hole at each end of the mortise for the linage arm…

…then I connected the holes with a jig saw.

At the closet door jamb, I traced the mortise for the linkage arm onto the existing head jamb.

Then I drilled out and cleaned up the mortise, and installed the top jamb pivot. I can’t stress how important it is to check the laser plumb dots by also measuring to the jamb—regardless of what type of door you’re hanging, whether it’s new construction or a remodel. Remember, the jamb might not be plumb and you have to hang the case to ‘fit’ the jamb! It’s vital to have a complete understanding of the whole picture, otherwise you have to move hardware after everything is installed (one guess how I know this).

Sometimes, dead plumb and perfectly square aren’t the only concerns when hanging a door, bookshelf or otherwise. I wanted the ‘door’ to fit the jamb, with even gaps. The opening was a little cross-legged, too, and I wanted the casing to fit flat against the case—the case had to be almost perfectly flush with the jamb. The measurement mark was off by only 1/8 in., so I followed that rather than the laser plumb marks.

A laser works great for transferring the plumb line. Just place the red dot on the center of the top pivot and mark the location of the bottom pivot.

Rixson also offers an accessory plumb bob that mounts directly to the top pivot—a slick way of finding the bottom pivot location.

Notice that the bottom support base is 1/2 in. back from the face of the jamb. That 1/2 in. allowed me to recess the bottom toekick so the case would project over the kick, thereby hiding the 1/8 in. gap between the top of the kick and the bottom of the case.

Hanging the case isn’t difficult. Like with most doors, I retracted the top pivot spindle by backing out the set screw. When I’m hanging a door, I usually set the door perpendicular to the jamb, place it on the bottom pivot, then lean it back against the top pivot. That way, I have comfortable control over the door while backing out the set screw and retracting the top spindle. It’s easy to position the door directly under the spindle, then run the set screw back in, pinning the door into place. But with a bookcase it’s not so simple.

Fortunately this was one problem I anticipated, which made me feel pretty good. I made the case 1/4 in. short of the opening, providing just the right gap between the top of the case and the head jamb. I backed out the set screw half way, then placed the case on the bottom pivot and straightened it up in the opening. The top of the case barely scraped across the bottom of the set screw, while the top jamb pivot spindle dragged over the top of the case and then dropped like magic right into the pivot guide. Amazing!

I installed the false sides on both sides of the case, driving fasteners from inside the case, so they wouldn’t be visible as the ‘door’ opened. Of course, no one would ever see the finished side near the hinge, unless they stood inside the closet.

Before starting the trim, I installed a shim made from UHMW (ultra-high molecular weight) plastic, which is pretty slippery stuff ($18.00 from www.smallparts.com). I ripped a 1 1/4-in. length of the material from a 3/4 in. x 12 x 12 blank ($17.00), then I cut a long shim using a Festool guide and saw. I sized the shim to just touch the bottom of the case when the door is closed, which prevents any minor settling. That way, moving joints in the trim at the top of the case stay tight.

Trimming the top of the case is tricky. The joint between the architrave molding (parting bead) and the top of the case must be invisibly tight, yet still provide 1/16 in. clearance for the case to swing. And that’s where I made another mistake. I should have ripped the new top jamb down—to make it at least 1/2 in. back from the face of the jamb—so that the architrave molding would run back inside the jamb, past the bookcase, which would help to hide the joint.

Realizing I couldn’t hide the joint any other way, I swallowed hard, then removed everything from the opening. After ripping down and replacing the head jamb, I hung the case back in the opening and started installing the trim again. Another good reason not to use a piano hinge.

The horns on the architrave molding must be scribed to fit the wall and butt against the head jamb inside the opening.

I next installed a frieze board, and finished the entablature with a two-step cap rabbeted in several passes on my table saw.

The base details went on next. With the case closed, I milled a piece of mahogany toe kick and scribed it to the floor, leaving 1/8 in. clearance to the bottom of the case.

I attached the plinth blocks with trim head screws, and the casing, too, especially the strike side piece that remains on the cabinet and acts as stop when the cabinet swings closed. Notice that the toe kick is recessed inside the jamb–it’s not flush with the jamb. That way, the bottom shelf projects over the toe kick making it impossible to see the clearance gap between the top of the toe kick and the bottom of the bookcase.

It was at that moment I realized I couldn’t reach the set screw with a screw driver: I couldn’t run the screw in to secure the case completely, and I couldn’t back the screw out to remove the case. I didn’t feel so smart anymore, and it got worse.

On my first attempt at drilling a simple 3/8 in. access hole through which I could reach the set screw with a narrow screw driver, I couldn’t seem to find a drill bit sharp enough to drill through the plywood. I dried a paddle bit first, then a twist drill. On the third attempt, I realized I was drilling right into the top guide hardware.

Determined to overcome my own stupidity, I thought through the problem carefully and found a second access hole located on a radius layout, so I could swing the case clear of the top guide and reach the top pivot set screw. Fortunately, the new hole lined up perfectly. I turned the screw and drove the pivot spindle all the way into the top guide. Notice that the first hole is aligned perfectly with the hardware mounted in the top of the case.

With the case tight against the wall and under pressure from a slight amount of cross leg, I drilled a 3/4-in. hole through the side and into the jamb. A 3/4-in. x 5-in. long dowel, with a mahogany grip, locks the case in the opening. I hide the grip with a stack of books so no one will know how to open it.

There’s no door knob, and the case rubs just a hair on the UHMW plastic shim, but a slight tug on the shelves slips the case free from the shim, and the door swings open with a swoosh of air. Sure, one day I might even tape and mud the joint between the jamb and the wall…but no one but me and my dog should ever see that anyway.

True to my original drawings, the case pivots back from the hinge-side trim and just clears the strike jamb as it swings open to exactly 90 degrees. Don’t try this in a small closet. In fact, a 3/0 closet would work best, though this 2/8 opening, with a 7 in. deep case, allows enough access for a skinny guy like me.

(This article originally appeared on GaryMKatz.com)

In early 2008, an elderly woman drove her car through our back yard and took out a chain link gate. Her vehicle raced across the lawn, just missing a beautiful 30-year-old tangelo tree and a water fountain, eventually crashing into a fence where the corners of four properties met. Her insurance company paid us fairly to cover the total cost of damages, and so began my Great Gate Project.

Back then, I thought about building the new wooden gate myself, but I didn’t have the time. I thought it might be more sensible to ‘hire a professional.’ I know this magazine is read mostly by professionals, and I don’t mean this as criticism of the entire industry, but believe me, not everyone who says they’re a professional is professional.

The first, professionally installed gate. (Note: Click any image to enlarge.)

For example, when my contractor’s crew started installing the flat 5 1/2-in. boards across the gate frame, they started on the left side and ended with a small 2-in. strip of wood on the right side, near the latch. I asked them to redo the boards, so they’d be centered—that didn’t earn me any friends. Of course, by the time I realized the workmanship was questionable, they were setting the finish. I later learned that that wasn’t the only area where quality was sacrificed for speed.

After three years, the gate started falling apart, and the warranty was long expired.

The concrete footings were crumbling, and could be broken with my bare hands.

The posts were out of level, and the gate was dragging on the ground, despite my continuous adjustments.

Rather than contract with the same company again, I decided to re-build the gate my way.

Design

I started by drawing plans for the upgrade in Google SketchUp. The design was much more structural, with a stucco wall extending off of the garage and a stucco pillar on the hinge side of the gate.

The main challenge was dealing with the varying angles and grades. After many weeks of measuring, planning, thinking, and drawing, I came up with my final measured drawings of the foundation and wall structure.

Some of you might be thinking: “Wow, if I spent that much time designing a simple gate, I’d never make a living.” You’re probably right! Fortunately, I wasn’t trying to make a living building this gate—I just wanted it to last.

I chose to build the wall out of traditional wood framing instead of concrete block, because I’m not that experienced with block, which turned out to be a good decision. When I went to Building and Safety to get a permit, and showed them my plans, they told me that I didn’t need a permit for a wood structure fence—but I would need a permit if it were concrete block!

Construction

The first step was excavation. This required a bit of irrigation work, jack hammering to get out some of the old concrete, and lots of digging. The total depth of the footing and stem wall was 25 in., but I dug a bit deeper to get to undisturbed soil. I then back-filled with 3/4-in. crushed gravel.

I set up shop in my garage and got to work on the forms for the foundation. These were extremely challenging due to the multiple angles. Plus, I wanted to do a monolithic pour of the footing and stem wall, which meant that a set of forms for the stem wall had to sit on top of the footing forms.

First, I set the forms for the footing.

Next, I set the forms for the stem walls. I used #5, 5/8-in. rebar, drilled and epoxied into the garage foundation.

My calculations were for just under a 1/2-yard of concrete. I rented a ready-mix trailer from a local equipment rental yard, which made things a lot easier.

The forms made it easy to screed the concrete level and smooth. I set 1/2-in. j-bolt anchors, and let the foundation cure for 48 hours before starting framing.

Most TiC readers probably already know that a wall that’s simply bolted to a foundation will never be rigid enough to hold a gate, but, being new to construction, I had to learn the hard way. I should have set a steel post at both sides of the gate, right into the foundation, and then framed around the posts. I didn’t know that. So, I re-worked the design.

The new design required an addition to the foundation, which changed the freestanding wall into an “L” shape. More digging…more rebar…more forms…and more concrete.

The next step was two layers of Grade-D building paper and 20-guage, self-furred stucco netting, which was installed with 1 1/2-in. staples with a 1-in. crown. None of the staples were installed on the flat horizontal surfaces of the wall tops, and they were kept 2 in. down the wall from the top edge.

Also note that I didn’t install a weep screed. I specifically chose not to install this detail because it simply wouldn’t have looked good with our house, which was a 1927 Spanish Revival. I did, however, continue the lath onto the foundation, which was attached with Ramset nails.

With building paper and lath installed, the project was ready for stucco.

The scratch coat came next.

Then came the brown coat, which brought the thickness out to the same level as the existing garage wall.

Finally, the topcoat. Our house had a skip trowel texture, so blending the new section to the exiting stucco was relatively easy.

I kept the wall moist for 72 hours while the stucco cured. Additionally, the stucco had to cure for at least 28 days before painting. I chose not to use a colored topcoat, because our house was painted.

The next step was to start working on the brick pathway and threshold leading up to the gate. I started with excavation, then 4 in. of 3/4-in. crushed gravel, and a 4-in. slab of concrete with 6 in. wire mesh. The photo to the right was taken just after I bull-floated the concrete. After the water bled out, I floated and lightly scratched it to give the mortar something to grab onto.

Brick was set in a 3/8-in. bed of mortar. A masonry saw was used for the handful of angles.

Grout was completed the next day, and the brick was washed with muriatic acid.

The Gate

Finally! It was time to build the gate! I have to admit that during this whole process, my wife and I hadn’t decided on the gate design. We couldn’t even decide between wood or wrought iron, which meant that I couldn’t install the proper jambs. Of course, I didn’t want that decision to hold me up, so I stuccoed the entire wall.

Ultimately we chose a wooden gate—with mortise and tenon joinery and floating panels. For a wooden gate, I would have preferred to install the jambs before the stucco, and then key the stucco into a rabbet at the back of the jamb, but that’s not how things worked out.

Even though I have a pretty good shop at home, I felt that I needed more space, and a few tools I didn’t own, like a bandsaw, so I used a local professional wood shop that a friend of mine uses to build furniture. The shop had three table saws, one of which was an Altendorf sliding table saw. This was an absolutely awesome machine to use! They also had a hollow chisel mortiser, oscillating spindle sander, oscillating edge sander, bandsaw, and many more fine tools that aided in the gate construction.

I chose Vertical Grain Douglas Fir, because it was readily available without special order. Honestly, I wanted to build the gate out of Cedar, but it was special order, and I couldn’t wait.

The gate design was to be strictly mortise and tenon joinery without any fasteners or pins, and the center panels would float in a dado. There would be a total of four rails, which I designated from the top down as: Top Rail, Top-Middle Rail, Bottom-Middle Rail, and Bottom Rail. The two Middle Rails would have standard tenons. The Top and Bottom Rails required haunched tenons, because of the dado that ran the entire length of the stiles.

I started by milling the 2×6 stock for the stiles and rails. The first step in the process was smoothing one edge on a jointer. The next step was smoothing a face on the jointer so that these two surfaces were square to each other. After this, I ran the opposite face in a thickness planer to achieve my final thickness of 1 3/8 in. Finally, the last edge was ripped on the table saw to a width of 5 1/4 in.

The next step involved setting up a 1/2-in. dado blade on the table saw to cut the dados in the stiles and rails. These were cut to a depth of 3/4 in. The inside edges of the stiles, both edges of the two Middle Rails, and the top edge of the Bottom Rail had a through dado cut in them. The dado in the bottom edge of the Top Rail was not cut at this time because of the curve—this will be discussed later in the article.

The setup was simple: install a 1/2-in. wide dado blade, set the blade height to 3/4 in., and set the fence to 7/16 in. away from the blade. Each piece was cut once, turned end-for-end, and then cut again. This ensured that the dado was perfectly centered in the workpiece.

Curved Template

After cutting the dados, it was time to start drawing and creating the curved template for the Top Rail. I had to create the template before cutting the mortises in the stiles, because it would indicate exactly where the Top Rail and Top-Middle Rail would be.

I laid out the radius-to-rail the Egyptian way: I drew it full-scale on a piece of 1/4-in. plywood, so I could get the right curve. I didn’t have a specific radius in mind for the curve, so I set up trammel points on a long piece of scrap stock and played around. The final radius I chose was 36 in. I drew the bottom curve, and then moved the pivot point vertically up the centerline 5 1/4 in. to draw the top curve. From there I drew horizontal lines perpendicular to the sides, one at the apex of the top curve and another at the bottom points of the bottom curve—these are labeled as Top Line and Bottom Line in the following diagram. I also drew vertical lines 5 1/4 in. in from each side to represent the width of the stiles.

(Click to enlarge)

Once the template reached this stage, the template was cut exactly on the two outside parallel lines, which represented the gate width. I cut the template a few inches above and below the Top Line and Bottom Line. The exact distance away from the Top and Bottom Lines didn’t really matter, because the template would eventually be cut later at the curved lines.

The top rail template with haunched tenon layouts on both ends.

The gate was six feet tall at the top of the curve, so I measured six feet up from the bottom of each stile. I then placed the template on the stile with the Top Line aligned with the six-foot mark. Next, I marked tangent points at stiles A & B.

I also measured and marked the layout of the tenons on the template. There wasn’t any exact science here. The tenons on all of the other rails were 3 in. long, but the top rail was special because of the curve. I settled on a length of 2 in.—the deepest I could go into the stile and still leave a fair amount of material near the top edge.

I cut the plywood template with a jigsaw and smoothed the curves on an 8-in. oscillating edge sander.

Using the template, I marked the tops of the stiles, then measured and drew the exact location of the Top Rail mortises based on one of the lines drawn on my template.

The next step was to mark the location of the Top-Middle Rail, but this was where I made a serious mistake. I referenced off of the lines at Point B on each stile to find the location of the Top-Middle Rail instead of at Point D. Unfortunately, I didn’t discover this until too late. In fact, it was at the time of assembly, during glue-up, that I became aware of my mistake. (I’ll talk about this again later in the article.)

These reference points and lines allowed me to measure down the stile to find the location of the Top-Middle Rail, which was 5 1/4 in. below the Top Rail. The Bottom-Middle Rail was located and marked by measuring 5 1/4 in. up from the top of the Bottom Rail.

With this information, I was able to lay out the exact locations of all the mortises with lines drawn on the faces of both stiles. Afterwards, I transferred the lines to the edges, which were ultimately referenced when cutting the mortises.

Mortise layout for the Bottom Rail and the Bottom-Middle Rail.

Mortise and Tenons

I used an Oliver #91-D Vertical Hollow Chisel Mortiser to cut the mortises. (Unfortunately, I didn’t take pictures of that process.) With the mortises completed, I went to work on the rails. I cut them all on a chop saw to a length of 35 3/4 in. (29 3/4 in. for the length of the rail between the stiles, plus 3 in. for each tenon). I cut the Top Rail to the same length, even though its final length would be 2 in. shorter because of the 2 in. tenons. Having equal-sized rails made it easier to maintain perfect layout tolerance on the center sections.

I cut the tenons on a table saw using a dado blade, and I set a rip fence as a stop for the tenon length. After making the initial shoulder cut, I moved the material away from the fence and removed the remaining waste. I used a band saw to cut the haunched tenons (see photo, right).

For the curved top rail, I just traced my template onto a glue-up of 2×6 stock, which was wide enough to get the full radius. I cut the top rail with a band saw and sanded close to the line with an oscillating spindle sander. I smoothed the stock using a Stanley #113 circular plane.

All of the rails are complete, with the exception of the dado on the bottom, concave side of the top rail.

To cut the dado in the radius top rail, I used a 1/2-in. slot cutting router bit with a ball bearing guide mounted in a router table.

Tongue and Groove Panels

A 1/4-in. dado was cut down the center of one edge on each board.

The panels were milled from 1×6 lumber to a final thickness of 1/2 in., and a width of 5 1/4 in. The final width of the panels would be 30 3/4 in., and would be made up of seven individual boards. This would allow for 1/2 in. of expansion. Each board was tongue and grooved and glued together. The tongues and grooves were made on the table saw, but I started by milling the grooves first.

I cut the tongues next, keeping the board oriented vertically with the face up against the fence. An alternative method would have been to cut with the face against the table. Either way would have worked, but a zero-clearance insert was mandatory when cutting it in a vertical fashion. Also note that a featherboard was used when cutting both the tongues and grooves.

Using a dado blade and a zero-clearance insert, both sides of each board were cut with the same setup, resulting in a tongue perfectly centered.

Bevels on both sides of the groove edge were cut on the sable saw with the blade tilted to 45 degrees.

Bevels on both sides of the tongue edge were cut with a shoulder plane.

When assembled, a simple V-notch groove was formed between each board.

The individual boards were glued and clamped together using Tightbond III waterproof glue.

After the glue set, the panels were cut to final dimension and pre-stained. I used Cabot Solid Color Acrylic Decking Stain. I chose this finish because it didn’t need priming, and soaked into the wood instead of remaining on the surface as a film, like paint or polyurethane. I didn’t want to use spar polyurethane, because of the way it yellows and flakes with age. I think the long-term maintenance of the decking stain will be easier—just a fresh coat every three to five years. I also pre-stained all of the dados in the stiles and rails before assembly.

Gate Assembly

The next step was assembling the gate.

The gate was glued and clamped, using Tightbond III waterproof glue. The center panels floated within the frame to allow for expansion and contraction throughout the seasons. However, I used a small bead of “Big Stretch” acrylic latex caulking on the bottom edge of each panel, on both sides of the gate, where it fit in the dados. This will, hopefully, inhibit any water from getting down into the dados.

The stiles were left long during assembly, but after the glue set-up, I trimmed the stiles and the Top Rail close to the line with a jigsaw. I then clamped the curved template onto the gate directly on my cut line, and used a flush trim router bit with a ball bearing guide.

Because of a through-dado on the stiles, a haunched tenon was necessary on both the top and bottom rails.

Gate Installation

Gate installation was relatively easy. I installed the jambs on the stucco walls using 1/2-in. lag bolts. I used two 4-in. ball bearing hinges and an exterior door lockset from Emtek. I didn’t want a traditional gate handle. The jambs were installed to the wall using four lag bolts on each jamb that were recessed into the wood and plugged. The recess was cut with a forstner bit, and the plugs were cut with a plug cutter, then trimmed flush.

After two coats of stain, the gate was finished (below, left). Once I put a bit of paint on the stucco (below, right), the project was finally complete.

Once completed, we received many compliments from neighbors and friends who all stated the new gate and wall looked as if they had always been a part of the house. We agreed.

LOOKING BACK

Along the way, I learned a lot, and would have done several things differently:

• First off, I wish I had built the gate 1 3/4-in. thick instead of 1 3/8-in. thick. This is for two reasons: 1. The gate is warping. 2. A thicker gate would have allowed me to use better hardware.

• I wish I’d fixed the design flaw of the free-standing wall earlier…while in the design stage, not the concrete stage. That would have meant a lot less stress.

• And speaking of stress, when it came time to pour the concrete, I ordered a half-yard. My calculations were just under this number, but I should have ordered 3/4-in. of a yard. I was freaking out during the pour, worried that I’d run out of concrete. But scraping the drum gave me just what I needed.

• Finally, I should have done a full mock-up of the gate, or at least drawn the full-size gate on plywood. As I mentioned earlier, I made a glaring error: My drawing and initial idea was for the top and bottom panels to be of the same height where they meet the stiles. Unfortunately, I laid out the mortises incorrectly and didn’t notice it until after the glue up when I stood back and said “Ugh!” Of course, my wife said they looked fantastic, and no one but me knows the truth.

I made sure to disclose at the beginning of this article that I’m not a professional contractor, nor do I work in the industry. But I am a very serious do-it-yourselfer. My day job is in the film industry. I’m a sound mixer and I work on a swing shift, which starts at 3:30 in the afternoon. That allowed me to work on my project for several hours a day before I went “to work,” as well as over a few long weekends. In all, the entire project took about eight weeks—which, I know, will sound like a long time to a lot of TiC readers. But I really enjoy doing this type of work myself—not only is the final product fulfilling, but every step along the way was rewarding—even the hard-learned lessons. And I definitely welcome any and all feedback—I relish the idea of learning “the easy way.”

I would like to thank Peter Vogel for his patience and guidance with building the gate. Peter is an exceptional woodworker and artist. Additionally, I would like to thank Kirk Giordano, of Kirk Giordano Plastering, Inc., for his informative videos. Kirk’s videos show his level of expertise and professionalism, which aided me considerably in completing my project.

• • •

AUTHOR BIO

Mike Boden is a re-recording mixer at 20th Century Fox, where he has worked since 2005. With over twenty years of experience in the film industry, Mike has also held positions at Universal Pictures, Sony Entertainment, and several other smaller studios.

After college, Mike noticed that his mother’s home was in need of some serious repairs. Mike decided to tackle them himself, which served as a great entry point into the craft of woodworking and construction. From there he bought his first home in 2001 and embraced the opportunity to build many upgrades himself, which included a laundry room remodel, French doors, skylight, cedar closets, interior doors, landscaping, pergola, and much more.

Woodworking and construction offer Mike a gratifying counterpoint to sitting in a dark studio, mixing audio. Mike dreams of someday having his own dedicated woodshop instead of a shared garage.

When not working at the studio or on the house, Mike enjoys traveling with his wife, cooking, playing with his three dogs, and photography. His photography portfolio can be viewed at www.mikeboden.com.

Like a lot of guys I meet, I’ve spent years fighting to build cabinets and furniture, and mill custom moldings, in my garage shop—working around the 1951 Mack fire truck I restored, and the 1954 Harley I’m working on, and my newer bike—plus, I have to store all this crap for Gary and Mike’s Roadshows…well, you get the picture. I wanted a real shop, a place I could spread out and get some work done without having to move stuff every time I wanted to build something.

My first thought was to rebuild the barn at my house. We don’t keep horses anymore, and the old barn is full of stuff I’ve saved that I  could just never bring myself to throw away—from ten years of doing JLC Live! shows, and remodels all over the county in north eastern Pennsylvania, where I live.

Emptying that barn would take longer than re-building it, and besides, a friend of mine that has a shop at his house said it is a pain because people—friends you never knew you had, if you catch my drift—are always stopping in looking for a favor, like: “I need six feet of this,” or “Can you help me fix this?” or “I don’t know how to make this?” My friend also said that it was hard to go out there to work sometimes, being so close to the house.

On top of that, I wasn’t sure what my shop would turn out to be. At one time, before I started making a living by the mile and was swinging a hammer full time, I thought about starting a business making dovetail drawers, or custom moldings, or fireplace mantles…you know what I mean.  And I figured if I ever did start a business and wanted to sell it, I wouldn’t have much to sell if the business and shop were in my barn.

So I started looking for a small piece of land—just the right spot. Not too far from home, but not too close, either. It took a lot of years to find. A piece came up a mile down the road. A real nice and well-known spot called “Milk Can Corners.” High-visibility for being out in the middle of nowhere, and on a paved road, too, if you can imagine—that’s big for my neck of the woods. The property also had 3-phase power, which I figured might be nice in the future—I had big plans for machinery.

I figured that, at the very least, the land was a good investment. Who knows, maybe in a hundred years they’ll put a strip mall on it. But I knew I’d always be able to sell it down the road, if I ever had to. And it was just the right distance from my home: far enough to make going there like going to work, but not so far that it wouldn’t be fun on a Sunday.

(Note: Click any image to enlarge)

Milk Can Corners is a pretty spot, with a large pond to the southeast, surrounded rolling hills that are blanketed with snow in the winter, and covered with hardwood trees that turn every color in the rainbow throughout the year—especially in the fall. Since the spot is so visible, I wanted the building to look nice for the neighbors (and for me, too) every time we drove by it—I didn’t want to build another steel pole barn.

So I started looking at barns for ideas—and I looked everywhere. I’m lucky to work with the Katz Roadshow. We travel all over the country. I found this place in the Pacific Northwest, while we were driving from Seattle up through the San Juan Islands. As soon as I saw this barn, I knew it was the one (see photo, left). I liked the peaked gable roofs, with the hay-pulleys. I don’t even know what you call that style, but that was it.

On the next few road trips, we worked on a SketchUp drawing. I wanted to use that Greek Revival trim design, too, the one Gary demonstrates at the roadshows. I’ve seen that same style of window and door trim on barns and buildings all around me (see photo, right), and figured it would look great on my shop—I wanted the building to fit right into the area where I live, as if it had always been there.

Then I started to over-think the building: could I build it so someone else could turn it in to a house? Or maybe a retail store—it was right at the intersection of two main county roads. I was going to put in a foundation and stick build. But after figuring the cost, I realized I couldn’t afford it: I live way out in the country and I’m in construction—there’s not a lot of money to be made out here.

A good friend of mine, Don Hohn, owns a construction company that does a lot of pole barns. He built them for farms, and commercial use, and for retail, too—some huge buildings. He told me that for basically the price of a foundation I could have half the materials of a pole barn. And he told me that if I was careful while building the barn, I could tighten up the cost even more by paying attention to all the small details. Plus, I could tighten up the building, too—seal it up and insulate it really well—which where I live is pretty important. It gets cold here!

So I built a pole barn with the idea that it could be a house some day. Don’t get me wrong: once you take this path, it does get costly—any building does. But I think it will all pay off down the road.

Don Hohn’s crew came and set all the poles first, and attached purlins on the walls. Then they straightened everything up with the same string-and-line and bracing we use for stick-built homes.

To carry the trusses, Lvls are set on top of the poles. The gable end poles run high to support the gable trusses at each end—trusses can rack and fall in high winds, especially tall ones, like my 8/12 pitch barn.

My trusses were also too tall to transport on the truck, so they shipped them in two pieces. Notice that the peak is missing on each truss.

The first truss is set on the outside of the poles and will line up with wall purlins in the same plane for siding. Notice the crew set a 2×6 every 4 ft. on center, sandwiched between the two lvl’s, with the roof pitch cut on top, so the 2×6 blocks wouldn’t stick up past the trusses. Setting the trusses was easy. Each truss was pulled tight against the blocks then nailed off.

Once all the main trusses were set, the tops were added, then the 24-in. ladder-type bracing for the overhangs. And, finally, the flying peaks were added—where farmers always attached a pulley to load hay into their barn.

I framed the dormers and cupola on the ground, and we set all of them with a crane, which made it easy to frame—a lot easier than working on the steep roof. The dormers were set right on top of the roof purlins. I framed in the window shafts later.

Before installing any metal on the main roof, we finished the dormers and cupola. It’s much easier to work on roof purlins than on slick metal roofing. But we made one mistake…we didn’t put the wrb (housewrap) over the side wall flashing. I regret that, a lot. There are several small leaks in my roof!

We set roof jacks and planks beneath the dormers, and laid a sheet of osb with cleats on it so we’d be more comfortable and have someplace to put stuff. If you ever worked on 24-in on-center purlins you know how sore your legs and hips get.

Roof almost done. Finishing up the ridge vent and fascia.

In the photo to the left, you can see us running the copper ground wire for the lighting rods along the ridge.

The roof is almost finished, and you can see the lightening rods and the weather vane, plus the pointed peaks on every gable, which give the whole building the look of an old barn. Yes, that’s snow falling! When you’re working on a metal roof, snow or rain can be very scary.

Carl Hagstrom (standing to my right) came out to help me set the windows. You can tell that I’m pretty happy to be a barn-builder and owner, but Carl’s wondering what he’s doing outside wearing a tool belt when the temperature is in the teens!

All the windows were framed in flush to the purlins, and were now ready for housewrap and board-and-bat siding.

We wrapped WRB on the outside of the purlins to help block wind and rain. Plus, having the WRB outside the purlins allowed me to spray insulation foam behind the posts. Rough-cut green lumber tends to split a lot as it dries, so we only nailed one side of the siding and batts, then let everything dry and shrink six to eight months before nailing off the second side. You’ll also notice that we set a temporary 2×4 with a laser right at the bottom of the siding, which made it easy to install the 16-ft. tall boards.

We installed flexible flashing for each sill pan, then applied a good bead of sealant. You can also see in this picture the 2×6 framing for each window opening—on the right side, the 2×6 framing box is secured to the horizontal purlins.

The WRB was cut flush with the window opening, then lifted up high enough to clear the window flashing. We ran sealant up the sides and across the top of each window, but left the bottoms open, so they’d drain.

Carl’s an old hand at window installs—I think he’s installed a few hundred windows just at building shows alone!  We checked for plumb, level, and sash function before securing each window.

Yes, it’s too cold to be installing adhesive flashing! We tried to keep it warm in the truck, but the weather wasn’t going to hold up my barn!

Here’s the finished shop! Well…almost. I was in a hurry, so I sided right over the front door and side window—I cut both of those in later.

Both the top hay door and hay dolly at the peak are in—they’re both dummies, just for looks. The siding boards are 16-ft. so we packed out the purlins with 1-in. batts, and ran the gable siding right over the top of the wall siding.

I hung a pair of sliding barn doors, so it would really look like an old barn, but I also installed a 2-in. insulated garage door behind it them. I got the rolling-door design from a building I saw in the neighborhood. I really like that raked top rail.

I really wanted the building to look like it had always been there, for a few hundred years. Once the fresh-cut lumber darkens, I think it will. The real crime is…I’m thinking about an addition.

Even before I insulated the walls, the WRB made for a great wind block—and a nice place to work while we poured the slab. Notice that the 16-ft. walls and scissor trusses leave plenty of room for a second floor or loft down the road.

On the inside, we poured a monolithic slab over 8 in. of tamped stone. I set a radiant-heat system in the slab, too, so the slab is insulated around the perimeter with 2-in. blue board 16 in. tall on the wall and 16 in. wide at the bottom of the pour.

We poured the perimeter 12-in. x 16-in. and the interior floor 6 in. thick with 3/8-in. insulation rolled under the whole slab.

We put expansion board around the poles, and hung the rebar wired to 20d, so it would stay in place while pouring.

After laying down all the tubes, I put 3/8 insulation over the tubes where we were going to cut the expansion joints. I don’t know why I did that…it just felt good.

Conduit protected the tubes where they came up out of the concrete—that way we wouldn’t slice through them while finishing the floor. We installed 8 loops, so none of the loops would be too long.

To protect the tubes during the pour, we wheeled the mud in on sheets of OSB. The heat tubes were pressurized, so if we had a leak we would know right away and could repair it right then and there. I had plenty friends to help.

I was especially lucky to have Harry Aldrich on the job that day. He’s one of the best flat-work guys in my area. He’s old school, with plenty of patience, and he does beautiful work.

My plumber and friend Keith Birchard stayed the whole day—just in case we hurt one of the tubes, he was there ready to repair it.

After the pour, I divided the slab in to 6 sections and cut the expansion joint about 1 1/2 in. deep, praying I wouldn’t hit any tubes that might have floated up in the concrete.

I dreamed for years of having a building and floor like this one.

• • •

AUTHOR BIO

Tom (right) letting loose at a machine gun rally in Kentucky.

Tom Brewer lives and tries to work in Northeastern Pennsylvania, but, unfortunately, he’s not home much, and has yet to set up his new shop! Tom travels about seven months out of every year as Road Manager for the Katz Roadshow.

Still, all that traveling has a few rewards. Steady work; touring historic homes and locations; and, occasionally, some real fun.

From the early part of my career I’ve been dealing with a lot of curved work. The neighborhood I specialize in was built in the early 1900s, and many of the homes are graced with both simple and complex arches. When I started in the business, I relied on millwork shops whenever I needed to restore or remodel projects. But all that changed on one single job.

A client on a tight budget sent me a picture of an arch he wanted built in his family room. It looked a little complicated; it wasn’t a simple radius. That was my first encounter with an ellipse. He had found a millwork shop that would make the arch for a competitive price. As usual for that time, I was happy doing just the rough framing and installing the owner-supplied trim…at least until the piece showed up on the jobsite.

That old saying—if the price is too good, there is something wrong—proved true. What was supposed to be an elliptical arch looked more like someone traced a large garbage can lid and two coffee cans—an unsuccessful attempt at a three-centered arch.

I wasn’t pleased, and neither was my client. While it’s usually against my nature to criticize another craftsman’s work, I couldn’t tolerate that trim. It had to go. That is the moment I decided to learn more about the ellipse—to learn not only how to draw one, but how to make one.

I turned to George Collings’ Circular Work in Carpentry and Joinery and fell deeply into the mystery of circular work and its use in millwork. Along the way, I discovered that the ellipse can be the perfect form for arches on homes. It can be used in places where a segmental arch won’t look right, or when a semicircular arch won’t fit, like in flanking arched openings with different spans, or an arch with an extremely low rise. No matter what the height or width of an opening, the shape of an elliptical arch is always pleasing and consistent.

The Ellipse Defined

Even with Collings’ great book in my hands, understanding how to layout an ellipse wasn’t easy. Just look at this online definition: A curved line forming a closed loop, where the sum of the distances from two points (foci) to every point on the line is constant (source).

And here’s another description, with a formula, that I found online: A closed conic section shaped like a flattened circle and formed by an inclined plane that does not cut the base of the cone. Standard equation x2/a2 + y2/b2 = 1, where 2a and 2b are the lengths of the major and minor axes. Area: πab

Well, regardless of what Gary Katz says about my abilities with math, I’m not very good at understanding advanced equations. Like most carpenters, I need to get a handle on things—I need to get my hands on something tangible, something physical, in order to understand it.

The Basics

(Note: Click any image to enlarge)

The easiest way for me to explain what an ellipse looks like is to share a simple illustration of something that any carpenter can visualize. If you take a 4″ PVC pipe and cut it on your miter saw at a 90˚ angle, (zero on most miter saws!), the cut end of the pipe forms a circle with a 2 in. radius, and a diameter of 4 in.

If you cut that same pipe at an angle, by swinging the saw to 22 ½˚ or 45˚, the cut end of the pipe will form an ellipse. And the size and shape of the ellipse is mathematically predictable.

Drawing an Elliptical Arch (the string method)

A circle only has one axis—its diameter, but an ellipse has two: a large axis called the Major Axis, and a smaller one called the Minor Axis.

If we look at that piece of pipe we cut on the miter saw, the minor axis would be the diameter of the pipe.

If we are going to use this shape to create an arch, there are a few important features we need to identify in order to really understand an ellipse. Those features are:

•    The Rise and the Run of the arch (the Rise is one half of the minor axis, and the Run is equal to the major axis; since we are only using half of the ellipse)
•    The focal points

In the illustration of the ellipse we can see a few elements that define the shape. For a carpenter Rise and Run are more familiar, so I’ll use those terms instead of major axis and ½ the minor axis. The ellipse we will draw for this article will have a Run of 40 in. and a Rise of 14 in.

Starting with a horizontal baseline (the spring line of the arch), mark off the 40 in. in addition to the midpoint at 20 in. (see below).

Using a square, draw a perpendicular line from the midpoint of the arch’s Run to define the Rise of the arch. In this example the rise is 14 in. (see below).

Next, find the ellipse’s focal points by using a measurement of ½ the Run length (20 in. in this example) to strike a mark on the Run line measuring from the top of the rise line. I usually make a small story pole for this to make it easier.

Set two screws at each end of the Run, and then connect a non-stretch line or cable between the two points. This gives us a string with a measurement equal to the Run, the major axis of the ellipse.

NOW, move the cable connections to the focal points without changing the length of the string.

All that’s left to do is to stretch out the string and draw your ellipse. The shape that is drawn can be cut with a jig saw with a reasonable degree of accuracy for rough framing. I use this technique for drywall arches and for framing barrel ceilings and porches.

Note: An alternate method for setting the string length is to set a third screw at the top of the Rise line. Tightly stretch the string from a screw set at one focal point, over the height line screw, and secure it to a screw set at the opposite focal point. Next, remove the Rise line screw and use the string as a guide to trace the arch’s shape.

…

…

…

Cutting an Elliptical Arch with a Router

The string method is normally not accurate enough for molding and case work, at least not in my hands. I suppose there are carpenters with the skills and patience to make it work—but I prefer to use a router to cut my trim. The technique and layout may be different, but now that we understand the shape it’s really not hard at all.

First determine the layout of the arch—the Rise and the Run. These dimensions will determine how to set up the router’s trammel arm. The trammel that I use consists of a piece of 1/8 in. thick aluminum stock, and two sliding shower door rollers to act as pivots.

To set up the trammel, mount your router at one end of the trammel arm and drill a hole to allow the cutting bit to drop through. Measuring from the appropriate cutting side of the bit, mount the rollers along the trammel arm as shown below. To make life easy, I run a score line down the center of my trammel to help in layout. This allows me to locate the pivots on the center of the arm very quickly. Both rollers must be placed accurately in order to create a predetermined shape.

Now that the trammel is set up, we need to create a T-slot for the trammel’s pivot rollers to ride in. The T-slot is set along the Run line (the spring line of the arch) with its perpendicular slot centered on the Rise line. The width of the slots corresponds to the width of the pivot rollers being used. I create this T-slot by cutting two rectangles out of whatever scrap I happen to have onsite, and use the roller wheels, or spacers of the same width, to set the slot width. When everything is aligned and positioned correctly, I screw the pieces down to a backer board, including the piece I’m going to cut, which forms the top of the ‘Run’ track.

With the trammel rollers dropped into the slots, this jig cuts an almost perfect elliptical arch. There is no need to locate the focal points, the Rise and Run dimensions are constrained by the T-slot, and the geometry is automatically created.

…

You’ll find that once you make of a few of these, there are a lot of things you can do with the ellipse. Exterior ornaments, arched trim heads for bookcases, arched passage ways, and a host of other cool projects ….

The real trick is never to let your client see just how easy it is!

(SketchUp drawings by Wm. Todd Murdock)

Step-by-step instructions for drawing an elliptical arch with the string method—a complimentary Quick Reference Guide to Mike Sloggatt’s full-length article, The Elegant Ellipse.

I had a set of custom doors to build from scratch and boy was the timing right. Festool picked me as one of the few carpenters to get a Domino XL for user evaluation. And I took full advantage of the opportunity, one that I felt was both a privilege and a responsibility. I carefully documented the process for my peers on THISisCarpentry. Maybe another contributor will follow up with a different angle on this awesome second generation tool.

(Note: Click any image to enlarge)

Without further chatter let’s build some doors.

First, to build doors from stock, you have to laminate your stiles and rails. I try to select vertical grain materials, and Douglas Fir is a perfect choice. The species is known for limited movement—great stability, and distinct hardness for a ‘softwood’. Maybe this is why a lot of wood doors are made from fir. When laminating, it’s best to orient your lumber so the grain is opposed.

I know that this photo doesn’t show that opposed grain as well as it might (see photo, right)—we got pretty lucky with vertical grain being…well…vertical. In fact, some of the grain actually turns at the end and runs the same direction as the piece it’s laminated to. I also inspect the lumber and will sometimes compromise the grain direction to bury a defect in the glue face.

Next we cut a dado into the stile and rail stock to accept the panels. I do this before I cut the rails to exact length because it saves some time. This is best done with a shaper, but I wanted to keep this job limited to tools most carpenters have access to, so I used the table saw.

Just a few passes and we have the dado. A few minutes with a sharp chisel and you have a nice clean bottom dado.

Next I cut the rails to length. Be sure to leave extra length for the tenons on each end.

There’s high dollar machinery for this step too, but I found the MFT table to be a fantastic substitute, with my OF1000 router riding on the rail with a ¾” dado bit making a single pass per tenon side.

Cutting the Tenons

This is an extremely simple setup. First, set your router up on the guide rail. Pick your shoulder cut location and set up a stop on the MFT fence. Dial in the cutter depth and then have at it. The MFT table and the router is almost too sweet for this use; the precision and repeat-ability insure each rail is exactly the same, which is critical for building doors square. This was one of those moments where the cost of a Festool product was immediately justified by the time it saved me to perform the task at hand. Tenoning each rail took less than two minutes each.

Excuse me while I take another sip of the green koolaid here…umm my, that is delicious.

Here’s a tip, don’t fuss too much trying to make your stile and rail mortise and tenon joints super snug—you don’t want it sloppy, but you shouldn’t have to fight it. Having a little wiggle space here makes the glue up a lot easier. Once the domino is added into the mix, those joints will tighten right up anyway.

I cut the mortise pockets in the rails first before cutting the tenons—so the rails would have square ends and better support for the Domino. But I’ll admit I also made those cuts first because I was over eager to fondle the XL. I cut the tenons later.

Once you have all your stiles and rails run, cut the panels. I had ¼” VG Fir ply in stock but I wanted a ½” panel so I laminated two sheets together with spray adhesive.

The secret weapon here is 3M Spray 90. I love this stuff.

Chamfer the edges of the panels and the tenons on the rails a little to help them slide into the stiles. I used the RO90 for this.

Honestly, this wasn’t intended to be a fix for Festool junkies, it just feels that way.

If you don’t round over the tenons a little, it’s nearly impossible to get everything together when you’re gluing up. Test your assembly before glue up—including your clamps. More than likely you will have to ‘tune up’ a rail or two to get all the joints tight. I always do. So, keep that MFT table setup until you finish the glue-up.

I like to keep my stiles long for extra clamping space, and so I don’t have to fuss around keeping them perfectly flush. It’s easy to cut the tails off with a tracksaw after the glue-up dries.

So How About that XL?

My first impression of the XL was that I was surprised at how small it was. I was expecting a behemoth given the sizes of the new dominoes, but it really isn’t a whole lot bigger than the 500. While similar in size, the units are completely different.

I prefer the ergonomics of the new XL much more than those on the 500. With the 500 I’ve found myself actually holding the cord end where it meets the machine for ‘keep it flat control’. But the XL seems to lock onto the material much better with a more positive forward placement of the front hand. From my perspective, the improved ergonomics provides a superior clamping force compared to the 500, which frees the back hand to focus on controlling the plunge cut.

Actually, both hand placements are an improvement, providing more consistent plunge cuts and improved control. This is really important given the length of these new dominoes. If you are off in plane between holes, these long behemoths won’t allow the joinery to close. I’ve had the same problem with the 500 but only when I wasn’t paying close enough attention and allowed the machine to sag off the work piece slightly. That ‘sagging’ is usually the only cause of misalignment.

The new hand positions resolve the issue, and now as long as I’m applying significant pressure to the front hand, the machine feels ‘locked’ down.

I also like that I can see the bit doing its thing. While you can’t actually see it plunge into the material, just being able to see it gives me a bit more confidence. You also don’t have to break the machine apart to change the bit. It makes it easier if you do, but I was able to make a change without taking off the front handle/table assembly.

The XL maxes out at 70mm deep, half the exact length of the 140mm dominoes. I had to use the 100mm dominoes because my mortise-and-tenon joint ate away a half inch (12-13mm) of depth.

Adding a little more plunge depth would be my first suggestion for an improvement on this new machine as it does shine in the construction of doors, and doors are traditionally going to have a mortise-and-tenon joint even if it is dowelled (or domino-ed).

The new XL offers two mortise widths versus the three widths available on the 500. Given the specialty nature of the XL, I expect this will be adequate; I found the 3MM oversize a nice amount of play when assembling the doors. I chose to bore a tight hole in the rails (horizontal members) and use the oversize hole for the stiles. This gave me a little wiggle adjustment between the three rails to accommodate any slight discrepancies in my markings, as well as allowed for adjustments for keep things square.

To adjust the width of the mortise you switch a lever (see photos, below).

Another improvement over the 500 is a easy-to-view display of the mortise width adjustment, right on top of the tool.

Wiggle room is definitely helpful during glue up: having the ability to tap the rails around a little may compromise strength a tad, but if you can’t get the door together perfectly square and flat, what’s the point of strength? Maximum strength can only be insured with tight holes on both sides.

If I had a bunch of doors to do, I might set up a story pole to be precise about placement, especially for heavier exterior doors where strength is more of an issue.

I discovered a few other tidbits during my introductory evaluation. First, let’s look at the positives.

The indexing pins on the front of the machine called ‘stop pins’ can now be locked up and out of the way.

There are now six stop pins, which provides a lot more options for spacing mortises, which is handy for quickly setting up repeatable cuts on a variety of projects.

And when you don’t need them, just push them up and they’ll click out of the way.

You’ll find the depth of mortise adjustment is different too—on the XL there’s a lot more settings available so you can dial in the exact depth of cut.

As I said before, it’s easy to remove the motor from the fence. In fact, it’s a little bit like the Domino 500. You use the same technique, with the wrench, but in this case you lift a lever that’s on the base of the fence (see photos, below).

Of course no review is good without a gripe or two. The doors I built were 1-3/8″ thick, standard thickness for interior doors—which is just under 35mm. Naturally, I wanted my mortises in the center of that dimension, at about 17.5mm. Unfortunately, you can’t dial in a custom mortise location based on the thickness of your stock. Like it’s smaller brother, hard stop settings are 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 40mm.

No, this isn’t a picture of the Domino 500. It’s the XL. They’re almost identical.

I’m not a big fan of pre-set depth adjustment settings. Either what you want isn’t available, or—as happened in my biscuit-jointing past—vibration or an accidental drop knocks off the adjustment setting just enough to ruin the job. The good thing about the XL is that the stops are ‘positive,’ they won’t move accidentally.

To dial in the exact depth I wanted, I used a 2mm spacer placed under the faceplate of the tool set at 20mm. This put me .5mm off but it was close enough as long as I marked all the tops of the parts.

I admit I did a little rough handling test of the XLs friction lock for the height adjustment. Like I said before, the lock held solid. But I’d still like to see a micro adjustment device here, similar to a router, given the precise nature of the tool and how accuracy affects the success of the joint. Especially when—like in this example—you have a domino going through a secondary tenon and alignment is critical within that tenon.

And while I’m on a rant, given that this machine excels at door building, why not have centerline stops for 1-3/8″ (17.5mm) and 1-3/4″ doors (22mm)? Just sayin’.

But all gripes aside, watch the video below and marvel at an awesome machine, one that effortlessly cuts the most precise mortise pocket known to man. Visibility and seeing your layout marks is superb—same as the 500, which makes placement a snap.

Once I had all the holes cut and dominoes in place, I test fit the whole assembly again. Of course, this is when I discovered the depth loss in the mortise hole due to the height of the stile-and-rail tenon (you don’t think I figured that out before I made the cuts, do you?).

Once satisfied with the fit of all the joinery, I disassembled the whole door again and started the glue up.

I don’t use a whole lot of glue. In fact, I don’t apply any to the panels, so they’ll float and move. I apply a small bead of glue along the bottom of the tenon on each side.

The reason for this is squeeze out. These are stain grade doors, and glue wreaks havoc on stain grade. In this application, less is more. You should have a little consistent squeeze out on each seam. Nothing more. Let that squeeze out set up for an hour or two then carefully chisel or scrape it away while it is still a little pliable but not runny. When it comes time to finish sand the doors, you’ll be glad you waited.

And when you clamp up, be sure to have clamps on both sides of the door to create opposing clamping force. This keeps the clamp from pulling the door into a bow or a belly. Also, use a straight edge to insure your assembly stays flat. Adjust your clamps as needed.

Additionally, I lay full-length strips of 1/8-in. plywood beneath the clamps, to protect the door—which also makes sanding a little easier. It takes quite a bit of force to get everything tight with all that joinery going on. You don’t want to dent up your work with the clamps.

Allow setup to dry overnight, and enjoy a frosty beer while you watch the glue dry. If you’re inclined, fondle the XL a little more and marvel at its magnificence. It just saved you a ton of time. Once the glue has dried, unclamp and cut off your stile horns with the track saw, sand out imperfections and glue joints, then set up a router for hinge mortising.

While sipping a brew, I got to thinking of other ways the XL could benefit my operation. We’re a custom door shop, first and foremost, so anytime I’m building a door from scratch there’s no doubt the XL will have a part in it—for building doors, this unit is a phenomenal time saver. In fact, you could even build doors right on a jobsite, like our grandfathers did. Wait a minute…how did they do that without a Domino XL?

• • •

• • •

Watch this bonus video on Making Doors with the Domino XL, featuring a brief introduction by Gary Katz:

An answer for organizing tools

I don’t know about you, but I have a lot of drawers in my shop that are crammed with tools. It’s difficult to find stuff when I need it, and every time I open a drawer, I’m always worried that my sharp tools are banging around, getting dull or chipped. Especially my new lathe tools.
Jesse Wright sent me a text message recently with a photo of Kaizen Foam. He was writing a review for Tools of the Trade. The minute I saw the stuff, I knew it was the answer.

(Note: Click any image to enlarge)

I called Paul Akers at FastCap and ordered a sample package of each type along with the tools Paul recommended for marking and cutting. Kaizen Foam is not expensive—the thick material I used for my large lathe tools costs about $20.00 for a 2 ft. x 4 ft. sheet; the thinner foam is about half that much.

Paul also sent me a TriBlade utility knife—the type with the long replaceable blades, and a marking tool—one with a long-nose tip that makes tracing tools a snap, even when you’re drawing on black foam.

The marker comes with a long cap that protects the entire length of the tip. I was surprised at how dark a line it traced.

Kaizen Foam comes in several different thicknesses and styles. But they all share the same characteristic: each piece is made up from multiple laminations, so it’s easy to tear layers out and maintain a consistent depth—that’s the real secret to this innovative product.

I don’t have a lot of free time on my hands, so it was late at night, about 10:30, when I finally had a chance to use the foam in my shop. But working with this stuff isn’t brain surgery—it’s not something you have to do first thing in the morning. In only a few minutes, I had all my lathe tools organized perfectly. Now I’ve got my eye on a few other drawers.

Four-centered arches are most often found in Victorian homes for a simple reason: Victorian architecture is a blend of neo-classical styles and Gothic designs. And there is no better example of Gothic revival architecture than a four-centered arch.

Today, few homes lend themselves to such extravagant design, so the four-centered arch has largely been abandoned, except for high-end Tudor or Tudor Revival homes, which makes sense: the four-centered arch is often called a ‘Tudor Arch’ because of it’s origin in Jacobean architecture.

These bookcases are framed with four-centered arches. Though the entablature looks a little busy, this design might easily fit in a ‘library’ today. (Note: Click any image to enlarge.)

Four-centered arches were once found only in Gothic or Gothic revival homes, like Lyndhurst, in the Hudson River Valley.

The mirror in the Lyndhurst dining room over-mantle (see photo, above) is framed with a four-centered arch featuring finial-like tracery. This Gothic theme is continued in the flanking two-centered arches. A closer look also reveals a depressed four-centered arched doorway on the left.

The four-centered arch is not seen very often in modern homes, but when the style dictates, it can make a very dramatic statement. The compound curves of this type of arch can offer a regal feel to the space.

When defining an arch using four different arc centers, the possible configurations are almost endless. The shape of the arch can vary, even with the same span and rise.

Four-centered openings are often framed with a square surround. This creates a triangular-shaped space above the opening, and is called a ‘spandrel.’ It is often used as an ornament, featuring a decorative panel or carving.

The Gothic style is often described as the ‘Gothic order,’ as opposed to the classical orders—which explains why this entablature is included in an 18th century pattern book Gothic Architecture, by Batty Langley. Notice the pointed 4-centered ‘ogee’ arches decorating the frieze.

Pattern books often included proportional drawings and instructions on layout, like this four-centered doorway. Following the instructions isn’t always a simple task.

The Pseudo Four-Center

A variation of the four-centered arch is the ‘pseudo four-centered arch.’ This type of arch is often used on openings with a short rise. In this variation, the larger arcs that create the pointed top are replaced with straight lines that are tangent to the outer circular arcs.

A pseudo four-centered arched door decorates this walk-in cabinet. If you’ve been noticing recent trends in kitchen designs, then you’ll recognize the influence that Gothic architecture currently has on woodwork and appliance surrounds—especially stove hoods.

The pseudo four-centered arch framing the fire box of the mantelpiece below is subtle, but its Gothic influence makes a definite statement.

This inglenook at the Frederick Holland Day home in Norwood, MA is an extreme example of a pseudo four-centered arch.

Another home along the Hudson River Valley, Olana, built by the painter Frederic Church, is also decorated in the Gothic style, though the masonry and tile work—and colors—aren’t what you’d expect! These are examples of pseudo four-centered arches with a much greater rise.

As you can see from the examples above, the four-centered arch can be used in a variety of ways—not only to decorate a passageway or doorway. Certainly, elliptical and three-centered arches are more common than four-centered arches—most homes in America are based, in one way or another, on classical designs, not Gothic designs, which explains why four-centered arches are rarely used today—but they should be. And one of the reasons they aren’t used is because few carpenters know how to lay them out—especially when the arch proportions must be adjusted to fit an existing opening. Here are some Quick Reference Guides to help you.

The Classic Four-Centered Arch

This example uses only the width of the arch to determine proportion. The relationships between the four centers in this example are not the only ones possible, but are the most commonly used.

Four-Centered Arches with a Known Height & Width

The following steps will help you lay out a four-centered arch when you know the required height and width of the opening.

Pseudo Four-Centered Arches

The following procedure can be used for drawing out a pseudo four-centered arch. This variation is often used on openings with a very short rise. Trying to fit a traditional four-centered arch within these constraints can require radii that are very large and difficult to work with. Replacing the larger arcs with straight lines is much easier and creates a different feel.

What do a real estate agent, a dentist, an architect, a couple of woodworkers, and a father/sons machinist trio have in common? They were all attendees of the two-day Festool Cabinet Construction Class that I was lucky enough to get into.

I’ll preface this article by saying that my first job within this industry was at a small custom cabinet shop, so it’s fair to say that I’ve made a couple cabinets before. Why in the world would I go to cabinet making class when I’m totally satisfied with my process now?

There are always new ways to accomplish the tasks we’ve done for years. Some ideas we discard, some we embrace, and some we just glean a little tidbit from and add it to our bag of tricks. Plus, I have always been interested in how to make cabinets without a table saw. I was hoping this class would shed a little light on that subject, so I could make an informed decision on whether I should change or tweak my approach. Other than that, I really didn’t know what to expect when I walked into the class.

There were eight people in my group—a little more than normal—but, just by happenstance, we had not one but two great instructors, each of whom specialize in two very different aspects of the Festool system. Steve Bace, the head trainer at Festool Las Vegas, came from a deep background in solid surface fabrication before he joined the Festool family; and Brian Sedgeley, the head of the Indianapolis location, specializes in cabinet and furniture construction.

After a brief introduction from our trainers, and a five-minute roundtable with all the students, we walked into the ‘classroom’. If you are even vaguely familiar with the Festool line, let me tell you—walking through their door is the equivalent of being a kid and having Willy-Wonka open the gate to the chocolate factory.

(Note: Click any image to enlarge)

Everyone’s eyes got really wide and started to dilate; I think one guy even wept…no, it wasn’t me (okay, yes it was). Hey, tens of thousands of square feet of green and black might do it to you, too.

An MFT-3 was your desk, the Kapex stations and multiple guide rails were your assistants, and the one hundred systainers filled with every tool or accessory you could think of was the choir. We walked around for a few minutes, just taking it all in. Finally we gathered around and got to work.

They split us up into three groups and gave us our instructions. Each group was to create an FF lower cabinet and euro upper—both complete with 5mm adjustable shelf pin holes. The nice thing about this process is that you can set up this operation at your shop or on-site. Space is your only limitation; and, as you’ll see, you don’t always have to have a ton of space to do quality work. We were also encouraged to ask questions and work at our own pace. “We are not here to build two quality cabinets,” they insisted. “We are here so that when you leave you will have the knowledge to do this again one hundred times over, with confidence.” I really appreciated that approach.

We started by breaking down sheet goods for our carcasses.

They walked us through the proper way to set up a MFT…

…and attach the parallel guides for our long rips.

They really did walk us through a good deal of the Festool family—both old and new. Speaking for myself, it allowed me to learn the idiosyncrasies of these tools, some of which I had owned for a couple of years. For instance, I had no idea that if you measure from the bottom plate of the Domino to the center of the cutter, it is exactly 10mm. Why is that important? Because if you want to put a fixed shelf between two side panels that is not more than an inch or two from either end, that darn flip down plate is gonna be in the way. Knowing this little tidbit about the 10mm offset enables you to draw a line where your shelf (or shelves) will go, clamp a straight edge to your work piece, and your Domino will line up almost dead center of your 19mm shelf (did I mention this class dealt heavily in metric?). I never knew this trick, and the Domino was the first Festool tool I owned!

We also got a demonstration on the Kapex for sizing our dimensional stock to finished length, which was nice, because I was still trying to figure out if it was really worth the extra coin. Of course, the action was sweet, and the footprint was small, and dust collection was…you get the idea.

But I already knew these things. What really stood out to me was the laser and angle finder that comes with the unit. I had read about how accurate each of them was, but seeing was truly believing.

When you take a reading in (or around) a corner, you simply bring the jig back to the saw, turn on the laser…

…and align the center line on the jig with the dashed laser line. You have now established at what degree your miter will be cut.

My least-skilled employee could master this within minutes. I like anything that takes the guesswork or calculation out of the equation. If there’s an easy way for me to do something, while getting a quality result, without having to think about it too much, I’m in.

For routing dados, and for trimming edge banding, we turned to the MFK 700—Festool’s ‘little router’. I say that with a little bit of a chuckle, because with its nearly one horsepower motor, micro-adjustability, and wide offset bases, it’s really the router I reach for most often. It’s so comfortable in the hand, and is the only router that comes to mind with which you can place more than 50% of the base on your work. Most router bases are, of course, round, with the bit being dead center. If you are edge routing you will have nearly half your baseplate on the work and the other half, well, that’s up to you. With the offset base on the 700, you can keep the vast majority of the plate on your work—and the handle gives you added stability.

I haven’t even mentioned the other base that lets you do edge trimming. By that I mean flush trimming materials applied to edges. For this project we used iron-on birch edge banding, and, as we all know, you have to trim it. Where I would normally use an edge banding trimmer consisting of a couple plastic components with flush cutting blades and some springs in the middle, we used a router that was tilted almost 90 degrees. This stuff was really thin, so of course it trimmed easily; but the nice thing about this setup is that if we had glued on a piece of solid stock that was, say 1/2 in. thick, we could still have used this exact same setup to trim it.

Okay, back to the class.

For boring the 5mm adjustable shelf holes we used the LR 32. I’ve been eyeing this part of the system for a while, since I already had the OF 1010 router (the 1400 will work too, but the setup is slightly different), and my jig/drill approach did not always give me the best results. I also didn’t want to have a dedicated machine for drilling holes or for cup hinges. Blum makes a great press that will do both, but I don’t have space to lug one around with me. Tools that will do more than one job win out nearly every time in my book.

I will say that I was a little bit lost during the initial setup, but the nice thing about this class is that they don’t just describe how things are setup—they tell you how, then they let you do it. You can’t beat hands-on experience. Any questions are answered along the way, and, in the end, you feel very confident in what you are doing.

We discussed layout, the standard backset of shelf holes, distance from top or bottom of panels for hinge plates, and whether or not a stop- or through-hole is needed. Once you’ve figured out the setup, the actual boring is a breeze—and really fast, too. You can almost race through the process and still have an absolutely clean hole every single time. (Just as a side note, after this class I went home and bought this system, and I’ve used it a bunch of times already. Melamine, plywood (both pre- and unfinished), and MDF all respond the same: Flawless every time.)

On the second day, we finished our projects about ninety minutes early, and were given two options: leave early, or stay and putter around the shop. Duh, which one do you think we chose?

This is where individual questions and opinions started coming out. One student kept mentioning how much he loved his RAS and the instructor echoed how much he liked it as well. After a couple more mentions of this tool I finally blurted out, “I’m sorry, what’s a RAS?” The room grew quiet, and all eyes turned to me. Imagine crickets chirping. Finally, the instructor said, “Let me show you.” I felt a little bit better when over half the class told me that they had no idea what a RAS was, either.

They brought out the Rotary Sander/Grinder/’Animal’ they called the RAS, drew an arbitrary ‘scribe line’ on a piece of plywood—sort of like what you might encounter on a filler strip butting to an irregular wall—and started in on it. Holy cow, this thing found the line as quickly as a bloodhound, and followed the trail all the way to the end in a minute. And we removed a lot of material. I couldn’t believe the dust collection either. All that stock was sanded off and without any distinguishable dust. Wow.

As I mentioned earlier, Steve Bace comes from a solid surface background. He had mentioned that the OF 2200 was what he used to rout complex edges on some of his material. When someone spotted a chunk of solid surface that was nearly 2 in. thick, the question was posed, “Can you show us how to rout that?” He immediately pulled out a complex detail router bit that was nearly the size of a baseball. “This router can put a clean edge on this stock in one pass.” I think he saw the look of disbelief in my eyes, which is why he looked at me and said, “and Matt’s gonna show us.” What?!? I’ve never used this router before, and all my instincts were telling me that this was not a good idea. But I had to step up, right?

The first thing I noticed when I grabbed this tool is that it’s HEAVY. Actually, 17.2 lbs. to be exact. My first thought was, “talk about user fatigue….” But then, with the enormous bit raised above the baseplate, I set the router on the table, turned it on, and let go (don’t try that at home; the instructor was right next to me). It just sat there humming and didn’t move a millimeter. The weight is actually comforting, because you know there is not only a lot of power, but a lot of beef, too. When I finally began to rout I didn’t even realize that the bit had contacted the edge until the bearing came into contact with it. I moved forward cautiously, but soon realized that the only thing slowing me down was me. This machine carved right through like a champ, and with the dust collection on, the air was as clean as a whistle.

Every question we could think to ask was not only answered, but also demonstrated, when possible. I walked out of those two days with new ideas on how to use my tools (and also with a few more on my wish list).

In the end, did I totally revamp the way I do things? Not really. I have a slightly different approach when it comes to cabinet backs, but I still like my way of joining face frames together. I did walk away with a bunch of new ideas on how to do things that I might not have ever thought of. Some apply to cabinets, some to woodworking and trim carpentry, others I may never use, but I now have the knowledge in my skill set, should the need ever arise for me to use it.

This class also re-instilled the ‘systems approach’: Get a system and use it—whether it is tools, techniques, software, whatever. Figure out the best way that meets your needs, and then repeat, repeat, repeat. I was a believer long before I took this class, but I have an even deeper appreciation for it after those two days.

If you are thinking of attending one of these classes—do it (and if the class is full, send Festool an email and tell them you want to go. My guess is that if they are inundated with requests they may be forced to add a class or two). You may hear some things that you already know, but odds are you will also hear some that you don’t. You may even find that spark of genius that inspires you to try something new and innovative.

http://festooltraining.com/

Two-centered and four-centered arches share something in common—a pointed peak. It’s not surprising that both are commonly found in Gothic and Gothic-inspired architecture. But a three-centered arch—sometimes called a ‘basket-handle arch’ or ‘Anse de panier’—closely resembles an ellipse, which puts it in a field of its own.

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Be sure to read Part 1 of this series on arches: Circular-Based Arches

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This depressed type of arch, like the Segmental and Drop arch, can be used when the design requires the rise—or height—of the arch to be reduced. While segmental and ‘elliptical shaped’ arches both share a rounded top, the elliptical variation provides the benefit of a clean vertical transition, and respects traditional design principles.

A three-centered arch is an elliptical approximation using three tangent arcs. (Click any image to enlarge.)

A true ellipse is the shape created by making a diagonal section-cut through a cone or cylinder. The ellipse has two focal points and a constantly changing arc radius.

It can be difficult to determine if an arch is a true ellipse, or just one composed of simple tangent arcs, swung from three centers. Either way, elliptically shaped arches are more commonly found in traditional homes based on colonial styles—though their use depends more upon the skill of the architects, millwrights, and finish carpenters.

I’ve heard some carpenters say (and I won’t mention any names!) that the popularity of segmental arches—sometimes one of the most boring and ugly forms of architecture—results more from a lack of knowledge and technique than from an understanding of classical forms—both Gothic and Colonial.

These carpenters believe that elliptical arches—or, at the very least, three-centered arches—are far more attractive, but that the technique is beyond the skill of most contemporary carpenters. I don’t necessarily agree. I don’t think the segmental arch should be completely avoided.

A segmented arch forms a pleasing and handsome frame, as long as the arches (the rise, the radius, the span) are nearly identical in size.

In the first part of this series, I shared some images of segmented arches gone wrong. But, when designed and executed properly, a segmented arch forms a pleasing and handsome frame, as long as the arches (the rise, the radius, the span) are nearly identical in size. But, if the openings have variable spans, a three-centered arch is a better answer!

At this point, I can’t help but mention Gary Striegler’s article in JLC about building an arched passage door. I’m including a PDF of that article here. It’s a critical part of this study, both because it will help readers form a better understanding of complex arches (arches with more than two centers, and elliptical arches), and because Gary’s article provides techniques for constructing a three-centered arch, which is much easier than milling elliptical molding! In fact, mill shops often use a similar technique to create their elliptical moldings, sometimes using five or more centers to create a more accurate elliptical shape.

This coffered three-centered arch passageway features raised panels and uses the Ionic capitals of the pilasters as imposts to provide visual strength and support.

Another example of where a three-centered arch is easier on the carpenter, as opposed to a true ellipse, is in a coffered passageway. The curved panels of the head only require two different radii. In the photo to the right, you can see that the panels across the top share the same curvature, and panels with a tighter radius are used as the arch terminates on each side.

Getting back to the purpose of this article—how do we layout this pseudo ellipse? Well…it all depends on what you are given to work with. Although being involved at the planning stages is ideal, most of the time it’s not a reality.

Hopefully, the following Quick Reference Guides will help you deal with any ‘curve’ you’re thrown.

The Classic Three-Centered Arch

This layout is for the classic three-centered arch. You only need to know the required width or span of the arch. The rise of the arch will be determined by proportion only.

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Three-Centered Arches with a Known Height & Width

This layout is used when you must fit an arch within a predetermined height and width.

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Three-Centered Arches with Known Radii

This layout is used for creating a three-centered arch when the two radii to be used are predetermined. This is the situation used in Gary Striegler’s article.

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Keep an eye out for the last part in this series, on Four-Centered Arches!

Most carpenters these days are very concerned about space. Whether we are trying to cram all of our tools into the back of a pickup, into a small garage/shop, or onto a cramped jobsite, most of us are all-too-aware that the old adage “bigger is better” is not always true. How many times have we been on a job only to wish we had brought that one tool that was left behind due to lack of space?

One of the main culprits in the attack against space is the pesky table saw. While it is an essential tool, the portable table saw takes up the largest chunk of real estate, whether in use or packed away. Most carpenters I know are always trying to find a smaller table saw—but we’re also loath to sacrifice quality. After all, a table saw isn’t worth a nickel if it won’t cut well or operate safely.

(Note: Click any image to enlarge)

This article will focus on two of the smallest table saws out there: the Bosch GTS1031 (52 lbs.) and the DeWalt DW745 (45 lbs.). I wanted to see if these saws were up to a real-world challenge on a jobsite, or if they were simply designed for the occasional DIY project. Ironically, a lot of the carpenters I’ve been working with, and we have a good-size crew, have been interested in the results of my head-to-head study; in fact, many of them participated in this review.

Most portable table saws these days are pretty much a standard size, and many manufacturers offer some sort of collapsible-wheeled stand as an accessory. Wheeled stands are great if you have a step-van or a trailer—and an endless amount of available space. But if you’re working out of a regular van or pickup truck, you’ll have to start making serious sacrifices with the tools you carry when you decide to load your table saw. And if you do load your table saw, you’d better have help!

Table saws mounted to wheeled stands weigh over 100 lbs., more weight then I like to lift twice a day, alone. Some carpenters still swear by these stands, and I suppose I might, too, if I worked on small jobs where my tool setup was always close to my vehicle. But I work on large jobsites, on high-end custom homes, and some days I see my truck only twice a day. My on-the-job shop varies from a basement wine cellar to a third-floor master suite. And the grounds are always torn up with trenches, concrete work, and landscapers. Wheeling a saw stand around is not an option.

At the same time, portable table saws are too small to really work on, even if you’re just ripping trim and shelving. And for cutting cabinet parts, they’re nearly worthless. That’s why, for this review, I tested both ‘compact’ portable saws using a Rousseau 2745 table-saw stand with an out-feed table.

A little about the Rousseau stand: right out of the box I had issues. First, of the eight screws that secure the table top, two fell out when I turned it right side up, and two more were stripped! Those aren’t very good odds. There was also welding slag left on the main crossbar that impeded the fence from sliding smoothly and functioning properly. In order to get the fence to work, I had to sand off the little metal beads under the powder coating, which, of course, removed the finish. I was not impressed to say the least, especially since the stand costs just as much as one of these saws.

To Rousseau’s credit, when I brought this to their attention, they sent out a replacement stand. In fact, my note to them sparked a full-on company meeting and review of quality control issues. They thanked me for criticizing their stand! I’d like to see more companies step up and take responsibility for their products the same way. Believe me, if you ever have an issue with a Rousseau product, you can expect to get good service.

Now, back to how this affects the saws and their levels of performance. Rousseau stands provide portable saws—especially these new compact saws—a much larger work surface, greater stability, and improved safety. The stands come with a shop-saw-style rip fence, and there are a multitude of add-ons and modifications you can also purchase to suit your needs. I used the Rousseau 2720 out-feed table to go along with my stand.

Blades

Now, on to the saws.

My first suggestion when it comes to these portable saws is to remove the factory-supplied blade and go buy a good blade! You can keep the original blade around for those times when you need a sacrificial blade—when you know there are nails or something that might ruin a good blade. And while I’m on the subject, never buy a thin-kerf blade. I know that saw manufacturers recommend thin-kerf blades for these saws because the motors aren’t nearly as powerful as a shop saw, but, honestly, most of the work we do with a small portable saw is ripping trim material—not a lot of 8/4 hardwood.

Both of these saws have more than enough power to run a full-width saw blade. If you’re running a thin-kerf blade to save material…well, I honestly don’t think you’ll ever save enough material to make it worth your while. The biggest headache of a thin-kerf blade is deflection. When I’m cutting hardwoods—sometimes even when I’m ripping softwood—and I want to rip off anything under 1/8 in., deflection really pisses me off. And I’m often trying to rip off less than 1/16 in.!

So for this review, I ended up using three different blades: I tried a Ridgid Titanium 50 tooth blade and a Forrest Woodworker blade on both saws, in addition to the factory supplied blades. I actually liked the less-expensive Ridgid blade in the Dewalt more than the thin-kerf Forrest. But, in the Bosch both alternate blades seemed to wobble more than the original blade so we used the factory-supplied blade in the 1031. 

Multi-purpose tools?

While I am on this rant, I’m also not a believer in making your out-feed table a multi-purpose Swiss-army knife. I see a lot of carpenters installing everything from router inserts to accessory clamps in their out-feed tables (sorry, Gary!). I may be the only one—and I apologize if I’m insulting all the other out-feed table fanatics—but maybe I’m the only unfortunate soul that runs into that open router hole, or that slightly proud lip or screw, while I’m making a delicate and expensive rip.

Hang-ups like that also create a dangerous situation when you have a spinning blade, binding material, and irreplaceable fingers. I know it’s tempting—after all, just look at all that free space! But unless you are extremely diligent about making everything absolutely flush, unless you use solid router inserts every time you rip, you could be putting yourself in a dangerous situation. Okay, that’s enough lecturing for today.

The Bosch GTS 1031

TiC has already examined the DeWalt 745, so let’s look closely at its rival. The Bosch compact saw has many of the same features—after all, manufacturers are beginning to recognize the importance of these details.

A large paddle-switch makes it easy to turn the saw on, and especially easy and fast to turn the saw off!

Like the DeWalt saw, the Bosch table extends to the right. Lift the lever to slide the table out, then lock the lever by pressing it back down.

On the DeWalt 745 the fence slides out on a cool rack-and-pinon gear, but relies on a Rube-Goldberg flip-over arm to support the stock. But on the Bosch extension system a small section of the table actually slides out. There’s no rack-and-pinion control, but there is good support for the workpiece. Of course, on our jobsite, we rarely used these fences because the saws were mounted in Rousseau stands.

Riving Knives

Riving knives are now required accessories on all saws—the days of having to remodel a saw guard and make your own riving knife are fortunately over. Like most carpenters, I’ve grown to like riving knives so much—and have learned to rely on how well they prevent kickback—that I’m reluctant to use a saw without a riving knife. You should be, too.

Both the DeWalt and the Bosch come with similar guard systems. The lever that releases the riving knife on the Bosch saw is slightly larger than the DeWalt’s, but it’s not painted yellow, so it’s harder to see in this photo.

The riving knife is really nothing more than the splitter, stripped of the guard and anti-kick back pawl, with the height adjusted to about 1/8 in. to 1/4 in. below the teeth on the blade.

Once the riving knife is lifted to its highest position, the guard slips onto the front…

…and the anti-kickback pawl snaps on to the back.

I’ll be the first to raise my hand and admit the truth: Like most carpenters, our crew rarely used the saw with the full guard in place. We like to see the blade—there’s no other way to make precise measurements. In fact, most of the time we put on the guard only when we heard the jobsite safety inspector was around the corner—and at those moments, it was nice that the guard installs so easily and so quickly. (Yes, on some of our jobs, there’s a safety inspector! For insurance and liability purposes, many large contractors have an OSHA-style inspector that will fine companies for frayed cords, not having guards on saws, pinned back safeties, etc.)

The guard stores beneath the saw. A flick of the finger releases it.

The anti-kickback pawl stores beneath the saw, too, and snaps in securely.

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Accessory Storage & Handles

While we’re looking at the bottom of the saw, notice that the whole base of the saw is protected by a roll-bar cage. That may be the reason the Bosch weighs 7 lbs. more than the DeWalt, but it is good protection.

The cage provides a secure handle for lifting and carrying the saw.

Comfortable handles are also installed at the top of the saw, on both sides of the table.

Handy cord storage can be found beneath the back of the saw, inside the cage.

I really appreciate how saw manufacturers are thinking more about the problems we face with tool accessories. Even the miter gauge—which I never use—stores beneath the table, at the back of the saw.

And if you use the rip fence, it can also be stored upside down beneath the table. Unfortunately, in that position, the rip fence interferes with dropping the saw into a Rousseau stand, but hey, you can’t expect to win every time!

A stout push stick also stores on the side of the saw, within easy reach.

Head-to-Head on the Jobsite

Remember, we used these saws one at a time. And they were often the only table saw on the jobsite. So we used each saw a lot—sometimes asking a little too much of it. But that’s reality, right? My overall impression of the Bosch saw is that it’s okay. I’m not the type to bash anyone or anything, but I tried two different blades on the saw and they both had a serious wobble—and one of them was the blade that came with the saw. The wobble was especially noticeable on startup, and although it straightened out—or seemed to—I wasn’t happy with how it left the edges of the stock: rough, and often with saw marks, which meant extra work cleaning up edges that wouldn’t normally need that kind of effort. It was pretty disappointing.

The Bosch saw bevels past 0 and 45 degrees, which is very handy!

But the lock/unlock lever is a knuckle-buster at the 45 degree angle. You can’t release the lock without bashing your knuckles into the table saw extension release lever. I guess that’s another price we pay for compact portable saws.

I like the cool riving knife system, but more dust seems to fly in your face than out the back port, especially if you don’t have a vacuum hooked up—which is another thing to carry, and another reason why a wheeled saw stand doesn’t work for me. Overall, I don’t have a lot of great things to say about the Bosch. It’s a mediocre tool, a judgment reflected by the voices of my other crew members: They all asked if I could bring the DeWalt back. That about sums it up.

Top Pick – DeWalt

We started working with the DeWalt, and in the end we went back to it. I didn’t play easy with this saw just because of its size, and neither did the other guys on our crew. Like I said, it was often the only table saw on the job site, so it was used for everything from making custom plinth blocks out of 8/4 hardwood to ripping sheet goods down to size.

Overall, both saws are loud. Hearing protection is a must when using either of these tools. Gary tested the decibels and found that the Bosch was slightly louder.

Both saws have 15 amp motors and work just fine for what I would call “standard” ripping, but both struggled somewhat with thicker hardwoods. Their ripping capacities without the Rousseau stand are limited. You could, of course, supplement this with a track saw, but that means finding space for it. And that is what this article is about: finding tools that work within our confined spaces—both on the jobsite and in our vehicles. Do we have to sacrifice space for function? And what exactly is the sacrifice?

The truth is, I made both of these saws work for me on cramped jobsites for over a month each, and our work is demanding. In the end, the DeWalt won the war. For those of us with limited space, this saw is a viable option. But that doesn’t mean the DeWalt won with acclaim. The saw has some deficiencies that might really bother a fanatic. Two black metal tabs at the rear of the blade insert are not flush with the insert. I had to tape over those pieces to stop wood from catching on the proud lip.

The DeWalt has some serious plusses, too, like the rack-and-pinion fence, though unfortunately, because I used the Rousseau stand, I didn’t get to use the best feature on the saw—it’s very easy to make accurate adjustments in small increments with that fence!

But the DeWalt is a good little saw. It handled everything we threw at it. Sure, there were a few hiccups, like burn marks and chatter, and scant power at times—when we really pushed the little guy. And really, given the price, size, and weight of the saw, all of these complaints are minor; they should be expected. Call me a pessimist, if you will, but I don’t expect cabinet-saw performance from a portable unit. In my opinion, for the money (and for the size!), this little DeWalt saw performs just fine, even on the very demanding jobs where I work—where installations are often unacceptable if they’re off by 1/32 in.

And I have to say this in support of both Bosch and DeWalt: I think manufacturers are starting to catch on that people like us make our living out of the back of a pickup, a van, or half of a garage, and we need all the help we can get!

• • •

AUTHOR BIO

Michael Inskeep is a foreman at Millworks By Design in southern California. As a young man he realized he had a talent for creating things, which grew into a love for building furniture, painting, drawing, and making music. As a professional carpenter, he cut his teeth building stairs. From there he made the transition to other aspects of finish carpentry. Along the way Michael had the fortune to work with some exceptional carpenters who taught him a few “tricks of the trade.” He also enjoys passing those “tricks” on to others who are willing to learn. His attention to detail, and ability to learn quickly, have led him to work on some of the largest and best projects in southern California. But, at the end of the day, his true passions are his two baby boys. The smiles on their faces make all the stress of deadlines and dust worthwhile!

I’ve toured a lot of historic homes and seen some extraordinary arches—door jambs, windows, passageways. In reading about historic architecture, especially Gothic and colonial styles, I’ve come across some beautiful arch work. But those once-common elements are not often incorporated into millwork today. Sure, sometimes the carpentry techniques are more difficult, and too costly, but the problem I’ve recognized is more one of design.

Common circular-based arches (Note: Click any image to enlarge)

Arches in modern homes often seem slightly off—there’s frequently something wrong with them, particularly when you compare arches built in homes today to historic designs. I couldn’t put my finger on the problem, so I started researching arch designs in pattern books and on the Internet. What I discovered is more a problem of communication than technique. Mixing arch designs—like this segmented entry door jamb and 3-centered stone arch—never works (see photo, right).

Combining a group of openings with segmental jambs can look awkward if the spring lines are at different elevations, if the tops of the arches vary in height, or if the spans are significantly different (see image, below, click to enlarge).

Segmental Openings

And segmented jambs can look even worse if keystones are used improperly. Remember, you can only put a keystone in one and only one spot—at the apex of the arch (see “Parts of an Arch,” below).

And another thing . . . segmented radius arches do not look good when they’re decorated with classical head details. Doesn’t there appear to be something missing in both of the pictures below? Yes, there is—structural support and a defined point of termination.

Certainly, there are a lot of builders and architects who aren’t reading Get Your House Right! But the real problem I found was with instructions for laying out arches—they are all terribly outdated! In fact, almost all of the information we use today has been collected and re-printed from books that were published over a century ago—illustrations filled with confusing text, multiple lines and intersections, usually with all the information compressed into one ink drawing (see image, right).

Publishing books a hundred years ago was prohibitively expensive: the cost of a single sheet of paper was so high that private letters were often written with the text running in both directions, just to save on paper. It’s no wonder book publishers never considered multiple, step-by-step illustrations.

But that’s not the case today—at least not for an e-magazine like THISisCarpentry! Now that we have paper-free publishing, it’s time to re-draw those old instructions.

The articles in this series are meant to provide a richer format for today’s “digital savvy” carpenter. There is still a fair bit of geometry involved, but fear not! All of these articles include Quick Reference Guides, or ”cheat sheets” (downloadable PDFs), with step-by-step instructions for each arch layout.

Let’s get started:

Arch Basics

An arch is a structure that spans an opening and supports weight. Arches have been around for thousands of years, and were originally constructed out of stone. During the Roman Empire the engineering of the masonry arch was perfected and its structural element defined.

Even though decorative millwork doesn’t need to provide physical strength and support, it should do so visually. You can’t fool the eye. You might not know why, but something inside you will let you know if it doesn’t look quite right (just like the start of this next sentence!). It’s just like why choosing a terminating or supporting molding can make all the difference.

Parts of an arch (click to enlarge)

Important Terminology

Impost: The block set into a wall or uppermost part of a column or pillar, used to support an arch.

Keystone: A wedge-shaped piece at the apex of an arch that locks the structure together and allows it to bear weight. The shape of the keystone should always be related to the center point of the arc that makes up the arch.

Spring line: The line at which an arch begins—located at or above the impost.

Stilt: The elevation of the spring line above the impost.

Voussoir: A wedge-shaped piece used to make up the curved part of an arch.

Geometry Refresher

Because all of the following arch types are based on the circle, let’s review the fundamentals of circular geometry.

Anatomy of a circle

Important Terminology

Arc: A curved line that is part of the circumference of a circle.

Chord: A line segment joining two points of a curve.

Circumference: The distance around the perimeter of a circle.

Diameter: The distance across a circle through its center point.

Radius: The distance from the center point of a circle to its perimeter. Equal to one half of the diameter.

Point of Tangency (tangent point): The point at which the tangent touches an arc or circle.

Tangent: A line, arc, or circle that touches an arc or circle at only one point.

One-Centered Arches

Done correctly, segmental arches are versatile enough to even feel at home in a Craftsman style home.

Determining the radius of an arc for a given span and rise can be worked out with simple geometry, but if you have a construction calculator, you can find your radius with just a few key punches.

Here are the steps (I use BuildCalc on my iPad. If you use CMPro on your iPhone/iPad or Droid, the key locations are a little different, but steps are the same!):

1. Enter the desired span of the arch (48 inches in this example) and press RUN.		2. Enter the desired rise of the arch (6 inches in this example) and press RISE
3. Press the CONV key (when you press the convert key, the ARC key will change to the RADIUS key).		4. Press the RADIUS key to display the radius. (Note that at the completion of this calculation, BuildCalc's keys will revert back to their default settings. The Radius key becomes the Arc key again, as seen above.)

Finding the radius of a segmented arch

This function of a construction calculator can also be used if you need to find the radius of an existing inside curve.

1. Cut a straight piece of wood to a length that will fit inside the arch, and touch two points of its curve. The actual length of the stick is not important, but using a nice round number like 12 in. or 24 in. will make things easier. After cutting, measure and mark the midpoint along its length.

2. Place the piece of wood against the arch—it doesn’t matter where.

3. Measure the distance at a right angle from the top of the stick’s midpoint to the existing curve.

4. Enter that measurement into the calculator and press RISE.

5. Enter the length of the stick and press RUN.

6. Press the CONV key to change the ARC key to the RADIUS key.

7. Press the RADIUS Key.

For readers who don’t have a construction calculator, here is the formula you can use with a standard calculator. Unfortunately, you also have to convert any fractions to decimals.

Two-Centered Arches

While Roman architecture is known for one-centered arches, two-centered arches are fundamental to Gothic architecture and form the simplest “pointed” arches.

The large main parlor window at Lyndhurst is framed by a two-centered arch.

The lancet windows surrounding this tower are typical two-centered arches. The same motif repeats itself in a crenelated pattern across the porte cochere parapet walls. (Sells Mansion, Columbus Ohio)

Variations

There are many variations of two-centered arches, and each depends on the location of the center points. When the center points are located closer to the middle of the span, the arch flattens out; if the center points are located farther away from the middle of the span, the arch becomes sharper.

The drop-arch on this fireplace, beneath a suspended hood, provides just the right amount of gothic flavor for an early 20th century arts-and-crafts home. (www.adamsonhouse.org)

The following Quick Reference Guide provides step-by-step procedures for finding the required arc centers and appropriate radii for a two-centered arch that must meet a specific height and width.

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Note: A recurring step found in these geometric constructions is to draw a line perpendicular to another line’s midpoint. For simplicity, a square has been used in the illustrations, but the task can also be accomplished with just a compass/trammel and a straight edge, as shown in the following Quick Reference Guide.

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Don’t miss the next article in this series on Three-Centered arches, where the geometry gets a little more complicated.

Today, ‘tangent handrail’ is certainly an obscure topic. Until recently, when I taught a seminar on the subject in Seattle, I didn’t think anyone would be interested. I was wrong. At that seminar, hosted by Keith Mathewson of Seattle Fine Woodworking, we had a full house of dedicated craftsmen who came together from all parts of the country for one reason only—to learn something new.

Strangely, in this case, the ‘new thing’ was both old and new, for tangent handrail (once a common vocation) probably hasn’t been practiced, or formally taught, for a couple of generations or more. The challenge was to try to relearn something which was once well known, but is now all but forgotten.

“A variant of the Cylindric method of layout, [the Tangent method] allows for continuous climbing and twisting rails and easings. It was defined from principles set down by architect Peter Nicholson in the 18th century.” (Wikipedia)

So, why would we attempt to use an 18th century system for building handrails? I think it’s fair to say that the majority of stairs being built in America today are still being constructed by small companies, or individual craftsmen who don’t always have six figures to invest in CNC machinery. For those of us who fall into this category (including some fully equipped CNC operators), traditional tangent layout methods are still a viable means for producing continuous and complex hand railing.

The fact remains that the tangent method of laying out and making curved and twisted (wreathed) handrail worked well then, and still works today—you just have to make the effort to learn how. And the effort is worth it. Handrails made with the tangent system are far more beautiful and pleasing than those ‘assembled’ from factory parts.

A traditional ‘wreathed’ handrail fitting (center) provides a graceful continuous transition compared to the typical methods seen in modern construction (right). Notice how the handrail on the right stops and starts at each change in plane and jerks it’s way up the stair, while the railing in the center ‘flows’ up the stair. Traditional handrail design isn’t just a matter of aesthetics. Close your eyes and imagine your hand sliding down the rail as you descend the stair.

The Class

(Note: Click any image to enlarge)

The Seattle seminar was four days of drafting, and a hands-on workshop. I had come prepared to review and teach nine-to-twelve separate drawings (one for each of the various tangent plan arrangements). What we actually accomplished was two of the drawings and one ‘squared wreath’ for each of us. Some of the guys were able to begin carving the handrail profile (with good results for first-time efforts), but most of our time was spent deciphering the old line system.

We started the first day with an historical overview and introduction to the tangent method, and then proceeded directly to the drafting tables. You can’t do anything without a good drawing. And that will be the focus of this article, too.

Drawing curving handrail is almost more of a challenge than making it, especially since some of the surfaces that must be drawn don’t even exist in reality! But a good drawing is the only way to develop a pattern—called a ‘face mold’—for these custom-made curved and twisting handrail fittings.

What is Tangent Handrail?

Maybe the best way to describe tangent handrail is to describe what it isn’t. There is absolutely no wood bending of any kind, no vertical or horizontal strip-laminating, no steam or chemical forming (or any other means of twisting and torturing wood fibers into submission). The wood (or stone) is simply taken for what it is, and cut and carved to the desired shape. The tangent method simply provides the patterns for accurately accomplishing this work.

What does ‘tangent’ mean?

The first step in understanding the tangent system is understanding what a tangent is! A tangent is simply a straight line that touches the edge of a curve at only one point. It is always perpendicular to a circular arc’s radius. Below is a simple two-dimensional example (“simple” because it only involves a single plane).

Lines that intersect at almost any angle can be used as tangents to create a smooth curving transition. (Click to enlarge)

When using the tangent handrail system, you must visualize a wreath in three dimensions with tangents that intersect in two planes—one that descends the lower flight of stairs, and one that ascends the upper flight of stairs.

With the tangents inclined, a diagonal (or ‘oblique’) slice through the cylinder creates an elliptical shape.

And you must be able to draw that wreath in three dimensions if you want to cut it accurately from a single block of wood.

Before getting to the step-by-step instructions for drawing the pattern (or ‘face mold’) for the wreath, watch the following video, so you’ll have a better overview of the theory behind the drawing process.

A Step-by-Step Drawing

The following drawing steps are used to create a two dimensional representation of the three dimensional ‘box’ that is the foundation for tangent handrailing. This example features a 90 degree turning handrail wreath, with equal pitches. Starting with a drawing of the handrail fitting ‘in plan’ (‘in plan’ means when viewed ‘from above,’ like looking at a floor plan), the required information is projected through elevation to the ‘oblique plane.’ The result produces a ‘face mold,’ which is a detailed template for creating this custom handrail piece.

Step 1: The drawing process starts by drawing two intersecting lines that are perpendicular to one another. One horizontal and one vertical, their intersection is labeled point A.

Step 2: Create a square box to represent the plan view of the handrail by drawing lines parallel to both the horizontal and vertical lines. The distance of the offset is the centerline radius of the handrail turn in plan, 5 inches in this example. Note that the parallel vertical line should also project above the horizontal line.

Step 3: Use a compass to draw the centerline of the handrail’s curve in plan. Point C in the drawing (below) is the center of the arc, and the compass is spread to the predetermined radius distance of 5 inches. With the arc drawn, the tangent and spring lines can be identified.

Step 4: Measure out along the horizontal line from point V (the vertex), using the same radius distance used previously (5 inches) to locate point B1. From this point, use a protractor to draw a pitch line at the angle of the stair pitch, 35 degrees in this example. This creates an elevation view of the three dimensional box being drawn.

Step 5: Use a square to draw a line perpendicular to the pitch line that intersects point V.

Step 6: Locate point Bo by swinging an arc from point Vo, with the compass spread to the distance between Vo and B1.

Step 7: Draw a line originating at point Vo that passes through point Bo to define the inclined tangents.

Step 8: Create the parallelogram that makes up the oblique plane (the lid of the box) by drawing lines from points Ao and Bo that are parallel to the inclined tangents.

Step 9: The next step is to determine the bevel angle for the handrail. This is the angle where the handrail’s profile is ‘twisted’ at each end in order to match the profile of the straight raking rails. Using point V as a center, spread the compass until it touches the intersection of the pitch line and the perpendicular line drawn in step 5, and then swing an arc to the base line.

Step 10: Draw the bevel line by connecting the arc intersection on the base line to point B. This line represents the centerline of the handrail profile.

Step 11: Begin creating a box that will encompass the handrail profile by drawing lines parallel to the bevel line. Since the handrail width in this example is 2 1/2 in., the offset is 1 1/4 in. on each side of the bevel line.

Step 12: Finish the box that surrounds the handrail profile by drawing two lines perpendicular to the bevel line to define the height of the profile. In this example, the handrail profile is 1 3/4 in. tall.

Step 13: To determine the minimum required stock size for the wreath block, enclose the squared profile box with a box that is square to the level base line.

Step 14: With the squared handrail profile determined, it’s time to move back to the oblique plane and the creation of the face mold. The inclined tangent lines that extend outside points Bo and Ao represent the centerline of the ‘shanks,’ or straight sections, on either side of the curved portion of the fitting. The widths of the shanks on the face mold are determined by the squared handrail profile and the bevel angle. Use the distance measured along the base line, from the bevel line intersection to the handrail width line intersection, to offset each side of the shank center line. Finish by squaring off the shanks with a perpendicular line; the shank length is arbitrary.

Step 15: Draw ordinate lines for the plan view and oblique plane by drawing lines connecting points C and V, and points Co and Vo.

Step 16: Draw the inner and outer edges of the handrail in plan by drawing arcs centered on point C, offset from the plan centerline by 1/2 of the handrail’s width on each side. The distance is 1 1/4 in. in this example for the 2 1/2 in. wide handrail.

Step 17: Draw a line parallel to the ordinate line in plan. The distance is arbitrary; it will be used as a benchmark for projecting measurements to the oblique plane.

Step 18: Draw a line from the intersection of the previously drawn parallel ordinate line and the tangent line, parallel to the height line, until it intersects the inclined tangent line above.

Step 19: Transfer the intersection point on the inclined tangent line to the opposite inclined tangent line by using a compass to swing an arc centered on point Vo.

Step 20: Draw lines from both points on the inclined tangent lines that are parallel to the ordinate line of the oblique plane.

Step 21: Begin transferring measurements from plan to the oblique plane. Use the distance along the ordinate line in plan from point V to the handrail’s inner edge (Red) to mark point 1 along the oblique ordinate line from point Vo. Use the distance along the parallel benchmark ordinate line in plan, measured from the tangent line to the handrail’s inner edge (Blue) to mark points 2 and 3 up from the inclined tangents, along the lines drawn parallel to the oblique ordinate.

Step 22: Transfer the handrail widths from plan to the oblique plane. Mark point 4 along the oblique ordinate line measuring down from point 1, which is the handrail width along the ordinate line in plan (Red). Mark points 5 and 6 by using the distance measured from the inner to outer handrail edges along the benchmark ordinate line in plan (Blue).

Step 23: Complete the face mold by using a flexible curve to connect points 1, 2, and 3 to the inner edges of the shanks, and points 4, 5, and 6 to the outer edges of the shanks.

The Face Mold

Now that the drawing is complete we can see and cut out the face mold.

I often paste the face mold drawing onto a 1/4-in. piece of plywood or hardboard so I can easily transfer information from the pattern to the ‘blank’.

The blank is the actual stock from which the wreath is cut. Watch this video and you’ll see how the blank—before it’s shaped—fits on the oblique plane at the top of the drawing:

 Shaping the Wreath

Working to lines drawn directly on the blank, the waste material is first cut away with the bandsaw. Both the rough convex and concave sides of the rail are now revealed and finished up with a spokeshave and rasp, etc.

Molding the Wreath

The actual carving, or shaping, of the handrail profile is a subject in-and-of-itself, and with varying suggested methods (see Mike Kennedy’s article, “Carving a Volute”). Some of these include hand-held routers, grinders and other ways and means. In the distant past, there was little doubt or discussion as to ‘how to do it.’ Every woodworker had to be reasonably good with his hands, and passable or proficient woodcarving was taken for granted.

In most cases, the excess wood was cleared away by hand, and the profile was simply scraped or ‘scratched’ to shape. A simple shop-made tool for accomplishing this task is called a ‘scratch stock,’ and is still a viable tool. Other handy tools (besides the regular set of carving chisels) include: Quirk routers, hand beaders, and special radius molding planes or shaves.

I use a special molding machine, which I designed and had built some years ago. I rarely have to hand carve anymore, but there are times when only hand-work will do. As long as the profiles are fairly simple, and the wood reasonably soft, hand-carving still works well—especially for occasional supplemental stair parts.

Too Complicated?

If all of this sounds way too complicated, I might agree with you, except for the fact that I have been doing this, myself, for many years—and I flunked high school algebra and never completed college. I had to figure all this stuff out on my own, down in the basement of the old Los Angeles County Library. Working from very old, brown and brittle ‘reference only books,’ I slowly began to paste it together. Back in the 1970s and ’80s there was absolutely no one to talk to about this stuff, except for a few dead authors like Riddell, Monkton and Ellis. There weren’t any books in print on the subject, and, of course, no Google. Anyway, I suppose if I can do it, so can you.

How long does it take?

A complete set of drawings and templates can take a couple of hours or more—sometimes a full day. But for a single part, I am often done in an hour. After that, it’s out to the workshop to cut wood. The cutting and squaring of a typical wreath piece can take two or three hours, and the machine carving will add, perhaps, another hour. In short, most individual parts are completed within a day, and sometimes before noon. If I have to do any hand carving, it’s usually another full day or so. It is certainly possible to expend a full week on a custom volute.

Why should anyone go to the trouble?

Not everyone should go to the trouble. It is difficult. It is time-consuming. And despite the title of the book, A Simplified Guide to Custom Stairbuilding and Tangent Handrailing, there is absolutely nothing ‘simple’ about it. That said, tangent handrail, or handrail cut from solid stock, does have some very definite advantages when viewed in comparison with today’s typical laminated handrail:

• Handrail cut from solid stock is not subject to bending limitations or restrictions, such as small radii or steep pitches.

• Solid rail does not spring-back, unwind, or de-lam.

• Solid rail has no visible, stripped glue-line issues.

• Natural wood grains and textures are left intact and prominently featured.

• Handrail segments cut from tangent lay-out methods are able to negotiate changes in direction and pitch with predetermined, graceful curves.

• A tangent layout yields the pattern and required dimensions to cut a wreathed rail from the minimum amount of stock without ‘guess work’.

• Difficult handrail butt-joints are pre-cut on the bench and usually square to the plank before the wreath is formed.

There are other advantages, too, but there are also some limitations (you’re not, for example, going to be able to cut a 24-in. piece of curved rail from a single board). Perhaps the greatest single advantage is the ability to produce a product which your local competitor can’t. This can translate into more work, and more money for your work! It can also place your company within a class of clientele who demand custom work and are willing and able to pay a premium for it.

• • •

Appreciation (rather than a bio)

I hesitate to mention any names, but I’d like to acknowledge a few of the guys who attended the class; without their help, the class, and this article, might not have been possible:

Billy, who booked us a room in a hostel (what’s a hostel?). I don’t know, but there were four of us on two bunk beds in a room no bigger than a condo kitchen. This was great fun!

Josh, who drove us all around in his monster pickup truck, complete with camper shell and lumber rack, and learned the hard way that it really doesn’t fit in the airport parking structure!

Mike, who always asked the best questions, and fixed his own wreath after I nearly wrecked it on the band saw.

Troy, Kyle and Doug, who figured out most of this on their own before coming to class (I know they’ll do well).

Steve, who sat quietly at his computer most of the time, and then went back and did something neat on his CNC.

Al, who drove me to the airport (he’s smarter than most of us, I think).

Brad, who really is smarter than all of us.

Drew, who finally drew it correctly.

Lavrans, who bought more than a round or two.

Dave, who kept me company.

Katz, who documented the whole mess, and continues to publish Pulitzer Prize-winning pieces like this one.

Todd Murdock, for the killer SketchUp drawings (he wasn’t at the class, but he did a lot of great work on this article!).

And Keith, who just furnished me the menu (“These were all produced by tenants in my catering kitchen”):

Wed. – Chinese Dim Sum

Thurs. - Salvadoran Chicken, corn salsa, rice and salad

Fri. – Ethiopian chicken, beef, goat, salad, mango & avocado drink

Sat. - tamales with rice & beans

Sun. – Northern Mexican tacos, sopitos, quesadilla, carrot cake, and Mexican tea cookies.

Who can top that?

A second portable table saw with a riving knife!

Ever since portable table saws first appeared on jobsites, carpenters have been throwing away the guards, and for good reason: They’re difficult to remove and re-install; after they’ve been used for a few months, you can’t see through the plastic shroud, so it’s impossible to align the blade with a measurement mark; you have to remove the guard to make narrow rips or rabbets; and carpenters have always suspected that the splitters cause more kickback than they prevent. Those are a lot of reasons to set aside a saw guard.

Fortunately, tool manufacturers—prodded by governmental regulations—are upgrading the guards on portable table saws. Bosch was the first manufacturer to release a new guard system. On my website almost two years ago, I reviewed Bosch’s new Smart Guard System for their portable table saw. At the time, I learned that several tool manufacturers had been working on the same system together, so that every new portable table saw could be equipped with an easy-to-use guard system where the splitter converts to a riving knife. Up until then, the only way to install a riving knife on a portable table saw was by modifying the splitter, and that meant the shroud couldn’t be used again. But Bosch’s new Smart Guard System eliminates the need for modifying the splitter, allows carpenters to use the plastic cover or shroud, and converts easily into a riving knife simply by lowering the splitter down beneath the top teeth on the blade.

If you don’t know what a riving knife is, or how important it can be to your safety, pay attention! A riving knife acts just like the splitter on a table saw—it prevents the kerf from closing on the back of the saw teeth, which usually results in kickback. A saw kerf can close for a variety of reasons, either from pressure built up in the wood grain—especially in hardwood— or from a warp or twist in the board, which creates pressure between the rip fence and the teeth at the back of the blade. Kickback is one of the most dangerous things that can happen while using a table saw. Many carpenters have lost fingers—or worse—because of accidents due to kickback.

Like a splitter, a riving knife mounts behind the blade, but instead of projecting up over the blade, a riving knife is about 1/8 in. shorter than the top teeth of the blade. More importantly, a riving knife attaches to the blade carriage, so it travels up and down with the blade, staying at the same elevation, no matter how high or low you crank the blade. Some splitters don’t do that, which makes them impossible to modify. But the best thing about a riving knife is that it doesn’t have to be removed—ever, unless you switch to a smaller blade or dado set. Riving knives can save a lot of fingers. (For more on riving knives, read this article from Fine Homebuilding).

Bosch’s Smart Guard System revolutionized table-saw safety—mostly because it was the first easy-to-use guard that carpenters weren’t inclined to throw away! Bosch made the plastic shroud easy to see through, easy to remove, and easy to store right on the saw. They also made a splitter that converts into a riving knife quickly and easily: It takes only a few seconds to loosen the splitter and lower it into the riving knife position. If you’re not familiar with the Bosch Smart Guard System, the tool review article referenced earlier discusses the system in greater detail.

The guard system on the DeWalt saw is very similar to Bosch’s guard system, but there are many other benefits to this saw. First of all, the DeWalt 745 weighs less than 45 lb., while the Bosch 4100 comes in at 60 lb.! The Bosch saw does run much quieter and more smoothly, but the weight difference is so dramatic that many carpenters will be tempted by the DeWalt saw, especially considering that the DeWalt saw costs as little as $400, while the cheapest I’ve seen the Bosch is $550.

Because the DeWalt saw is so much smaller, I was able to get a smaller Rousseau Saw Stand, which saves on the overall weight and space. The only real compromise I’ve had to make with this saw is the noise: This new saw is a screamer.

I tried the saw with the factory blade from DeWalt, and also with a Forrest blade, and found little difference in the noise—although the saw cut beautifully and ran more smoothly with the Forrest blade.

Another problem I have with the DeWalt 745 is the blade elevation mechanism—it takes over 40 revolutions of the crank to raise the blade fully!

(Click any image to enlarge.)

At first, I thought the smaller gear teeth would be prone to sawdust buildup, but after using the saw for more than a year, I’ve found that the mechanism still works smoothly, if slowly.

Fortunately, the engineers who designed the Bosch and DeWalt guard systems paid a lot of attention to the way we use table saws. Both guards are split down the middle, so the operator can see the blade looking from both the front of the guard and through the top of the guard. Because you can see through the top of the guard, you don’t have to lift or remove the guard to check that the blade is hitting a measurement mark.

DeWalt has definitely improved on Bosch’s clumsy and difficult-to-operate guard latch.

The 745 guard slides easily onto the back of the splitter/riving knife—simply lift the front of the guard and slide the rear ring and pin over the hook in the splitter.

To lock the guard in place…

…press the large thumb latch down.

To remove the guard, lift the latch up.

Nothing could be simpler. The latch on the DeWalt guard operates smoothly and easily—a significant improvement on the Bosch latch, which is difficult to grasp, and it sticks.

DeWalt’s easy-to-use hardware for storing the plastic guard under the saw is similar to the Bosch, so storing the guard and keeping it with the saw is no longer an excuse for not using the guard.

Trust me, this is one table-saw guard you won’t throw away in frustration.

To adjust the guard and splitter/riving knife, you have to remove the throat guard. But DeWalt made that easy, too. The throat guard is secured with a tool-free lock, and a finger hole makes it easy to remove the insert.

Converting the guard from a splitter to a riving knife means lowering the splitter until it’s just below the top of the saw blade teeth.

Bosch uses a very small lever to release the splitter/riving knife.

On my Bosch 4100 saw, even in the locked position, the splitter/riving knife isn’t perfectly snug. I’ve tried tightening the lock nut to increase the pressure, but the bolt is so small, I worry that I might shear it off.

By comparison, the DeWalt splitter is secured with a T-knob that tightens and seats easily. You don’t have to remove the knob to lower the splitter.

Just loosen the knob about three turns, and push the knob in, so the splitter can slip off the retaining pins. Then lower the splitter into the riving knife indexed position.

DeWalt tried to think of everything with this saw.

They even ship it with a plastic push stick.

I guess, in a pinch, that’s better than nothing…

…but my advice is to make yourself a proper push stick, one that doesn’t push towards the blade but over the top of the blade.

That’s another great way to save fingers while working with a table saw!

• • •

Soon after Larry Haun published his book, A Carpenter’s Life, I overheard someone complaining that the book was ‘repetitious’. They said: “Larry just keeps saying the same stuff chapter after chapter—take care of the earth, don’t be greedy, care about your neighbors. I thought the book was going to be about carpentry!” I didn’t have the courage to speak up then, but I will now, from the safety of my desk. Yes, Larry Haun’s final, and perhaps most illuminating, book is repetitious—and it should be.

The lessons Larry wants us to learn from his last published work (Larry passed away on Monday, October 24), are important enough to require reiteration. As Larry writes:

Change, even minor change, can be tough to face and doesn’t come easy for most of us. We get used to our habitual ways of living, even when things are not what we would like; we prefer to stick with ‘the tried and the true.’ Even a change like switching off a mindless TV program to read a good book is not easy. We get in a rut and find it difficult to get out. But is not change really all there is?

Accepting and adapting to change is what A Carpenter’s Life, and a craftsman’s life, is all about: making mistakes, learning, then repairing your work and avoiding the same mistakes later. If we don’t dedicate our present moment towards appreciating and understanding our past, how we can ever hope to manage our future?

A Carpenter’s Life is a trip through Larry’s past, told by the houses he lived in and the homes he built, right up until the end of his miraculously simple yet endearing career. The book is filled with hands-on homilies and simple life-truths, sometimes expressed through bumper stickers and maxims from folklore. Larry says: “Times do change, but not necessarily for the better. We do have more things, but do we have more happiness? I was born at a time and in a place where no one had electricity, people talked to each other face-to-face because there was no radio, TV, or telephone.”

It is these stories and perceptions that punctuate each chapter of A Carpenter’s Life, lessons Larry returns to repeatedly—maybe to make sure we are listening, that we understand, that we remember: hard work, accomplishment, and consciousness of the present moment form our core strength, and that is what we miss from the “good old days, when we were more in touch with the earth and our place on it.” As Larry puts it so poetically: “We long to feel, sometimes in the evening, that gentle breeze that comes, touches our faces, and tells us who we are.”

The publication of this book is miraculous, too, and a testament to Larry’s discipline and drive—his ‘won’t give up’ attitude. As Larry told me on the phone last year: “No one wanted to publish it! So I just started writing it, chapter by chapter, and sending the chapters to Peter Chapman at Taunton. Finally, I don’t know why, I guess I just wore them down, Taunton decided to publish it.”

As usual, Larry’s self-deprecating humor hid the truth: the editors at Taunton recognized the importance of the book almost immediately, and even though it had no place in their catalogue, they knew real value when they saw it. As Peter Chapman, Editor of Taunton Books said in a recent New York Time’s article: “There was this wellspring of feeling [at Taunton Press]. Everybody who read it found something in it. I knew Larry was a good writer who could clearly explain how to install a step. But I kept wondering where this other stuff was coming from. It’s a very spiritual view of the world.”

I can’t imagine any carpenter not being moved by Larry’s book, by the experience of his life, the years he spent in construction, the revolution he lived through, and his simultaneous search for meaning and value in what he saw as an America run wild with materialism and greed. Ironically, Larry played a part in that wild and greedy growth—he helped change the way we build homes, ushering in a new system, abandoning the traditional bib-overall all-around carpenter who could do anything, and ushering in the new leather-aproned specialist: the Southern California piece-work Framer.

Larry’s book brings to mind George Sturt’s The Wheelwright’s Shop, published in 1923, which provides a rich history of a rapidly changing craft at the close of the 19th century, when hand skills were giving way to machine skills. Just think of the late-19th century song John Henry: The Steel Driving Man: “Before I let your steam drill beat me down, I’m gonna hammer myself to death, Lord Lord, I’ll hammer my poo’ self to death.” This was a time when wooden wheels were being replaced by steel tracks.

Larry reminds me of John Henry, too. Even Kevin Ireton, past editor of Fine Homebuilding, uses similar iconography when describing an early encounter with Larry: “Over and over, he drove sixteen-penny spikes with two licks—one to set and one to sink. The nails disappeared so fast I wondered if some magician’s trick were secretly pulling them into the wood ahead of the hammer blows.”

Like The Wheelwright’s Shop, Larry’s book describes a time when revolutionary new methods changed an industry. “I’ve heard people say, ‘We don’t build them like we used to.’ That’s true,” Larry Haun writes. “After tearing down and remodeling many older buildings, my observation is that we build houses better than we used to.”

Larry Haun (photo by Dean DellaVentura)

Larry helped build out the San Fernando Valley in northern Los Angeles, during an expansionary period that this country hasn’t seen since—at least not one that was sustainable. In a country hungry for new homes, when “for the first and probably the last time in our nation’s history, masses of ordinary workers could afford to buy and actually own homes,” Larry developed production methods for laying out and framing walls, cutting roofs, installing windows and doors—methods that didn’t “sacrifice quality for quantity.” As Larry puts it, “We weren’t building gingerbread houses, McMansions, or starter castles. We were building solid, one-and two-story tract houses that working-class families could afford to buy.”

Through a collection of articles and videos, Larry eagerly passed those methods on to other carpenters and framers—he taught classes, he built Habitat For Humanity homes, he installed ramps for the disabled.

For all the ways that Larry has changed how we work, I think his last gift to us is his best. He wanted to change the way we think. Rather than working so hard to forget our past, Larry says, “We need to educate ourselves about where we have been, what we have done wrong, and what a sustainable world will look like.”

“My mother always told me not to make a mess of things for others to clean up,” Larry says. And he shares with us the same advice he gave his granddaughter: “It is not our seed that sustains the world. It is the seeds from the trees, plants, and grasses that sustain us.”

Like his mother, Larry loved plants and seeds and gardening; he measured his life by seasons: “I like to remember, though, that even if I live to be a hundred I will only have seen a hundred planting seasons.”

Larry Haun lived to be eighty, and though he saw fewer than eighty planting seasons, he sowed seeds that will continue to grow in all of us—first, because of the changes he brought to framing and carpentry, but more so for his good will, his care for others, and this last book, in which he shares lessons learned the hard way, from a lifetime of building houses.

Many of you know John Ratzenberger from his role as Cliff Clavin on the popular sitcom “Cheers”. Cliff was a postal worker who spent his free time eating peanuts and drinking beer. John, on the other hand, is an accomplished actor who spends his free time advocating on behalf of education for the construction industry. John is a Senior Fellow at the Center for America, a nonprofit organization committed to reinvigorating skills and entrepreneurship in the United States. We recently learned of John’s passion for carpentry, and approached him for an exclusive TiC interview!

• • •

John Ratzenberger

THISisCarpentry: We understand that you were a carpenter, framing houses in New England, before you became an actor. How did you get into carpentry?

John Ratzenberger: I became a carpenter because I received training in school in working with wood. Equally important, I was encouraged from an early age to tinker and learn how to build and fix things. It was part of our self-reliant upbringing in one of the world’s great manufacturing towns, Bridgeport, CT. Everyone knew how to build and fix things, so it was natural that I would take up working with my hands. It’s critical that we get back to that ethos in America—it’s building and fixing things that built our civilization and brought America to the dance, so to speak. And, by learning skills and returning to those values of self-reliance, it’s the way we’ll get back to where we need to be as a country.

TiC: We feature in-depth, well-illustrated articles that detail step-by-step projects—both on the jobsite and in the workshop. What projects have you tackled on your own home? Would you care to share some pictures, and a brief story or two, with our readers?

JR: The most recent projects I’ve worked on are with young people at Bradley Tech, a vocational and technical high school in Milwaukee. We worked on house framing, and I showed the young people a few tricks I learned with a hammer about avoiding the inevitable ‘blue thumb’. I spent a great deal of time as a roofer, and one of my greatest pleasures has been showing my children buildings on which I worked as a builder, carpenter and roofer. It’s something solid, tangible, and lasting, which creates a sense of pride. That’s one of the main reasons I encourage young people to learn skills. At Bradley Tech, we took a basic frame and joist and connected it to a foundation of sorts. I was impressed with the practical mathematical skills of the young people involved in the project—they knew something important was at stake when they did their house framing calculations, so they were highly attentive to accuracy. It’s that sort of practical application that brings traditional learning to life, and I support it fully.

TiC: You have had a long and varied acting career. How would you compare the craft of acting to the craft of carpentry?

JR: I was an English major who knew how to work with my hands, crafting and building things. So my love of the written and expressed word fits well with my love of crafting things from scratch. You have to have an imagination, and to also know what the limits are—what works and what doesn’t, and learn from trial and error. These are disciplines that come into play with acting, whether on TV, in films, and with voice characters, as I’ve done in every Pixar movie.

TiC: Let’s talk about the trades in America. Just 15 years ago we still had some public schools teaching wood shop, printing, auto shop, drafting, electrical, and metal work. Today, those programs have all but died out. You mentioned, in a Washington Times article, that parental safety concerns may explain why we have lost funding for these public school programs. How do we address this challenge? How do we encourage parents to believe in the value of the trades when safety is such a natural concern?

JR: The lawsuit-happy culture in which we live today creates fears that don’t match with actual danger in far too many cases. In the dozens of trade and skills programs I’ve visited in the last few years, the shop floors and environment are safer today than they’ve ever been. The problem is that public school districts face the rising threat of lawsuits, have to pay higher premiums for insurance every year as a result of the threat, and they conclude that it’s less expensive to simply cancel the programs. That’s why I support civil justice reform in the states to enable people, companies, organizations and schools to get back to a predictable playing field where liabilities are real and not the product of a creative plaintiff lawyer.

TiC: What is the importance of having shop classes in the public school system, as opposed to mainly teaching the trades in vocational technical schools?

JR: I believe it’s a lifetime program. By that, I mean that young kids should have the chance to tinker, invent and create in a school and at home. I think it’s important for schools to provide practical skills training from an early age—I had that training, and it made a world of difference for me and many of my age group. That said, it’s also vital that we have technical training available beyond high school and for those millions of Americans in career transitions right now.

TiC: Let’s talk about “Industrial Tsunami”. What is the message you want to send with this documentary project? Where are you in the production process? How do you see the documentary contributing to the betterment of the trades and the lives of tradesmen?

JR: The skilled worker crisis in America is real, it’s happening now, and it will only get worse if we don’t act soon. The average age of the American skilled worker is 55 years old, and there simply aren’t enough people in the skills pipeline to fill the coming void. Right now, hundreds of thousands of skilled jobs go unfilled because employers cannot find skilled workers. The scale of the problem is huge—it’s a significant factor in our nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) and will become a national security concern if we don’t right the ship. That’s a driving force behind the 10 By 20 Pledge for America campaign—10 million skilled jobs by 2020, hosted by Center for America (www.centerforamerica.org). I’m a Board member of this organization, and I’m proud that we’re tackling this problem. One of the first steps to remedy the situation is to encourage immediate action at the local level—connecting schools and community organizations with skills training and employers. It’s a virtuous circle that can start right now, without Washington and Wall Street. We’ll focus back on the documentary itself once we fully communicate with the American people through the media about this crisis.

TiC: You’ve commented before on the media’s pattern of portraying tradesmen in a poor light. How do we change that?

JR: We need to speak with our feet. When TV shows, films and the mainstream media portray skilled workers—essential workers—as shifty, lazy and stupid, we need to walk away. Advertisers and film funders are alert to these trends. What we also need to do is talk about this online, in our newspapers, and in our schools and communities. Not too many years ago, skilled workers were considered heroes. Rosie the Riveter powered the Allies to victory in World War II. We need to get back to that mindset. Recent natural disasters put a fine point on it—when roads fall apart and the power goes out, we grind to a halt until skilled workers put us back in operation. We depend on them, so we owe them our respect.

TiC: We first learned about your industry activism through an email newsletter from Center for America. What is your role in the organization, and how do you see it serving to better the industry?

JR: I’m on the Board of the Center for America, and I’ve been impressed with the way the Center tackles tough issues. We’re cutting through the clutter of sound bites and partisan bickering in order to help everyday Americans understand the whole story-behind-the-story about major issues facing America, including the skilled worker crisis, our lawsuit-happy culture and its costs to our quality of life, and the increasingly harsh regulatory environment that is crippling the ability to create jobs. I see a direct link between this type of effort and the well-being of American employers and, specifically, the carpentry and woodworking industries. If everyday Americans better understand the stakes and the solutions, we’re going to expect more from our elected leaders and from each other. That’s the way to get things done.

TiC: In a recent New Yorker article, John Cassidy wrote about the causes of our national recession. He cited the natural progression of capitalism, in addition to calculated policy measures—specifically, policy that has attacked trade unions and labor laws, opened the US market to cheap foreign competition, and essentially abandoned the training and re-training of the country’s non-college-graduate work force. Do you see a connection between the trades and the revitalization of the economy?

JR: While I might take issue with a few of Cassidy’s conclusions, because I’m a fan of entrepreneurism and free enterprise, I agree that the training and re-training of the non-college-graduate work force is absolutely critical to future American economic survival and success. I don’t believe that government has all the solutions here—some of the best skills training programs around America are run by private sector employers, unions, and community-based organizations that don’t rely on taxpayer funding. That said, allocating a fair share of taxpayer resources in our schools to vocational and technical training is an important goal that cannot be abandoned. I’ll say this, too: Many of the skilled jobs of today and the future may require college educations in addition to technical training. The nature of skilled jobs has a terrific history, and these jobs are stable, secure and well-paid. I’m counting on American self-reliance and innovation to drive the skills training effort—good ideas are out there right now, and they need to spread to all communities to get the job done.

• • •

We thank John for taking time out of his busy schedule to talk with THISisCarpentry. We obviously share John’s passion about the importance of education in the trade industries, and we encourage all of our readers to join the 10 By 20 Pledge for America Campaign.

Solving a new gable end vent puzzle…without a ladder

Sometimes it’s the little jobs that allow us to flex our ingenuity muscle more than the big jobs.

(Click on any image to enlarge)

We were just finishing up a bit of messy work on some foundation waterproofing for a client when they mentioned that they were also getting some leaks into the gable end of their attic. I looked up at the 35-foot-tall brick gable-end wall and could barely see the ratty wooden vent from below, but it seemed like the likely culprit.

While we were eager for some cleaner work, I knew repairing this puppy from the outside would be no picnic. So I said, “Let’s take a look in the attic and see what we can do.”

From inside the attic it was easy to see that the brick and block of the gable end were run up around the form of a combination circular/orthogonal vent. This was typical new construction. Installing retrofit pieces would pose a geometric puzzle. The simplest solution to this puzzle would involve cellular PVC, Festool dominoes, Kreg pocket screws, and (best of all) no ladders.

Here’s how we went about it.

Studying the old unit for replication and improvements

The original unit (see photo, right) practically crumbled out of its existing masonry opening. Demo from the inside was a piece of cake, and we brought the unit back to the shop. I measured the outside diameter at exactly 28 in.

This turns out to be a fairly stock unit, and is still widely available, but it’s built mostly from finger-jointed sugar pine. I wanted our new vent to last much longer than the original, yet I felt obligated to match all outside and visible profiles exactly—after all, this was an historic district.

The one small concession I made to changing the outside look of the original vent was adding one extra louver, which helped prevent windblown storm rain from bouncing inside the attic. No one from the neighborhood could possibly pick up this ‘before and after’ change; they’d have to have one heck of a visual memory!

New materials and tools allow better ingenuity

The solution I came up with in order to improve the durability of the new vent, and work a finished installation from the inside, consisted primarily of four key design aspects:

1. Building two frames on the inside of the radius work, whereas the original only had one. This would allow for a secondary louvered rectangular assembly to nest inside a primary rectangular frame. Since the primary frame could be locked together securely to the exterior brick mold with a few stainless steel pocket screws from the inside, this solved the geometric puzzle of fitting two different shapes into two different existing masonry openings. A secondary panel was the only way to avoid the problem of fitting louvers into the primary frame on-site. This would have been more troublesome than in a shop, and probably would have involved touch-up paint and caulk from the outside on a 40-ft. ladder.

2. Improving drainage to secondary louvered frame panel by fitting flashing ‘blocks’ or ‘diverters’ between the lower half of the vent slats, which allows rain to drain quickly toward the exterior. The need to install flashing blocks was another reason I didn’t want to fit louvers in the primary frame on-site.

3. Constructing everything from cellular PVC, due to its workability and weather-resistant  characteristics. Also, the quick set times of PVC glue allowed us to speed up the process of millwork, and gave us very strong and reliable bonds in our laminations and joints.

4. Installing a replaceable screen to the primary frame, thereby allowing the secondary frame to be captured and ‘float’ within its nesting place without mechanical fasteners or glue. Having southern exposure, I felt the more massive secondary PVC louvered frame of this vent could potentially expand and contract much differently from the primary frame. I didn’t want it transferring stress to the primary radius work and/or stress the caulk seals. I felt a snug secondary frame fit and an overlapping screen lock were the best choice for this situation.

Getting to work in the shop; radius and primary frame work

A screw is nothing more than a helical clamp. These “mini clamps” allowed us to work from the top side, without having to get under the board with bar clamps.

We started by working off of a scrap of 3/4-in. AC plywood. This provided a good sacrificial base upon which we could fasten multiple layers of PVC flat stock, all with mitered corners. The plywood base was large enough to accommodate the complete width of the finished radius profile.

The brick mold thickness was built up from laminations of 1/2-in.-thick stock on top of 3/4-in.-thick stock with off-set joints. We used regular PVC glue to laminate the layers and Festool dominoes to reinforce the joints. Layers were clamped tightly together using screws that were placed outside the profile and into the sacrificial base (see photo, right).

We placed dominoes in areas that would be buried in the finished brick mold profile, which meant they would not be exposed or ‘revealed’ during the milling phase.

Finally, we padded up our center trammel point with plywood scraps to be flush with the top layer, and worked our router from outside in, and top down.

The sacrificial base allowed us to rout the profile all the way through without cutting into our workbench. There was a 3/4-in. brick mold backer that was routed separately, glued (with PVC glue), and clamped to the brick mold profile, to give full profile to the inside radius. It was roughed-out from an octagonal glue-up (again with dominoes at joints).

Since this backer had to fit and register inside the back of the louvered outer frame, it was not the full outside radius. This was one of the trickier parts to make and attach. Again, to avoid on-site fitting, I used the old vent as a pattern, because we knew that fit!

Here is the brick mold glue-up prior to routing and surfacing. The routing process was all done with the center trammel point. We had four main cutting planes to achieve, and they were easily worked out in multiple passes with two different profile bits.

The final 3/4-in. backer molding is cut to the inside radius size. Here the brick mold is just laying on top. I glued on the backer after cutting it to size. The outside radius was just trimmed with a flush bearing bit wherever it projected beyond the brick mold. The backer did not need to be a perfect edge along the outside of the brick mold since it had to be trimmed to rectangular frame-size later. In fact, you can see a section missing near my thumb.

Secondary louvered frame

While I worked radius profiles, my helper milled the PVC stock to size, and assembled the secondary louvered frame. All frame and louver components were glued with PVC glue and/or pocket screwed with stainless steel pocket screws. There were no components that would prematurely rust or rot.

Since the inside louver shape is bigger than the circular brick mold, rain water can get behind the perimeter edge at the lower half of louver. In fact, frequent water penetration on the old unit led to its failure. To improve the design, I glued filler blocks between the fins just on the outside edge of radius (and out of view). This serves to divert water down to next lower fin.

I shaved down the excess filler easily with my FEIN multi-master, and sanded it smooth. All water now drains by gravity down to the bottom of the circular trim and vacates at the exterior brick face of the building’s envelope.

Had this new louvered piece been made from wood, I would not have been so confident installing wood ‘deflection’ blocks in this manner, due to the effects of wood fiber expansion and contraction, resulting in stress across the glue joint. However, only having to overcome limited thermal expansion and contraction stress across the glue joint, I felt PVC was a good choice for a detail like this.

You will later see the ‘notch’ in the exterior brick molding that serves as the final evacuation point for any accumulating moisture on the bottom of the brick molding.

Finishing up in the shop

In the photo to the right, you can see all three components of the louvered vent, as a bird would see it from the outside. Note the ‘diverter’ blocks on the vent panel (in back) and drain notches on the bottom of the primary circular brick mold unit. More on the drain notches below.

We painted the finished components (only exterior exposed surfaces) in the shop with three coats of quality exterior latex acrylic paint (Sherwin Williams “Duration”) using High Volume/Low Pressure (HVLP) spray equipment. Spraying is faster, and gives a very even coat; particularly on material like PVC, which doesn’t soak up a paint film like wood, and can often show brush marks.

Some may note that milled PVC is a rougher surface when you expose interior ‘grain’ through the milling process. For this project, where the finished piece is thirty-five feet in the air, we felt nobody would notice; plus, we felt the roughness allowed a better mechanical bond for the paint. If we wanted a smoother finish (say, for a more visible condition) we would have used a couple coats of primer and sanded between coats (in order to fill low spots of pours), and then sprayed the finish coats.

Installing On-site

Since we previously pulled the old unit into the shop to use as a reference model, we only had to remove a temporary plywood panel from the rough opening before installing our new, three-stage unit.

The nesting detail is what made this whole thing workable from inside the attic. The inside frame was pocket-screwed with eight stainless steel screws to the outside circular brick mold. I used a close pair of stainless steel pocket screws (rather than a single at each location) to provide another level of security and insurance, preventing the radius work from ever wanting to jump out of the hole and leave home. Because of the different geometry within the planes of exposed brick and rough block, these screws lock the whole assembly in the hole mechanically and geometrically.

The outside radius was fully caulked and sealed to the brick with matching exterior grade caulk. This may look like I climbed a ladder and took this shot, but I was not that brave. This was about 35 feet off the ground, and since I designed this thing to be installed without taking that risk, I merely stuck my camera outside and shot back towards the work.

In the image to the left, you can clearly see the drain notches on the molding I talked about earlier. The notches allow any accumulating water on the bottom apex of the brick mold to easily drain to the outside. Even though PVC won’t rot, I like this detail—a little extra insurance on the longevity of the unit.

Next, I installed the secondary louvered frame, which fits perfectly inside the primary frame, and is screwed to the exterior circular brick mold.

Next, I just tapped the secondary frame home—no screws necessary. Additionally, the unit can expand and contract separately from the outer frame and the attached brick mold, with a fiberglass mesh screen keeping it secured from ever drifting inward toward the attic. It can’t go anywhere.

Here is detail of the fiberglass screen fit to the inside of the vent to keep the insects out of the attic. Saw kerfs (dadoes) were made around the inside edge of the primary frame (simple table saw cut during the shop phase). These kerfs accepted rubber screen retaining beads, so that the screen could be easily replaced should it get clogged up with airborne dust and pollen over time.

Below, you can see the freshly re-mortared primary frame within the rough block opening. There is no way rain water can get inside this well-detailed vent. I also suspect that it will remain this way for a very, very long time.

I can tell you that the clients were very pleased with us fixing this annoying leak in their attic with a quality solution. And we were pleased to safely walk away from this job without ever having to scale our 40-ft. ladder.

• • •

AUTOBIO

I began my building career apprenticing for a master carpenter at age 14. This was after school hours, remodeling homes in historic Clifton, Va. I can still remember my first project—a lattice surround for an air conditioning condenser. Not the most glamorous project; but a nice start. I think my mentor, Louis McFatridge, thought it was a good (and safe) idea to test me on something outside, and seemingly inconsequential. However, since the condenser was on the home’s approach (thus the lattice), I knew all guests would see it. So I took the opportunity (and my mentor’s best chisels) and set out to make it the best lattice surround I could fabricate with my limited skills and knowledge. It was not a masterpiece, but it must’ve turned out pretty darn well because I stayed on with him during the next four summers, up until college. Even during college I got on with any framing or trim crew I could find that would hire me, during holiday breaks and summer recesses. As a designer, this early, and regular, hands-on experience proved invaluable.

I love the design-and-build process, and never consider anything completely perfect. It can always be better. In fact, I earned my bachelors of Architecture degree at Virginia Tech specifically to become a better builder. I started my own design/build company, Vice Versa Builders, in 1993. We specialize in residential remodeling.

I have been truly blessed to be able to do what I love, and love what I do. For me, architecture is problem-solving, with an artistic mindset. Masterpieces are achieved through classical and romantic building elements, living (and aging) in harmony. I always try to keep in mind the advice I give my clients: “Every good solution is preceded by a well defined problem.” Since remodeling problems are usually unique, my goal is to learn, define, and study the specific problems. Then I look to frame the building solution within a harmonic construct that strives for architectural perfection. After 30 years, I’ve been at it quite a while now, and I’m still looking to achieve my architectural masterpiece in every project I take on.

I’ve heard carpenters and trim installation contractors complain that PVC trim expands and contracts too much. My comment to them is: Yes, cellular PVC trim does move, but so do all other exterior building products, and many of them just as much as, if not more than, cellular PVC.

.

The fact is, movement can be caused by different forces of nature. For wood, wood composites, and fiber cement, movement is all about the moisture content of the product. Wood expands and contracts with changes in the surrounding humidity and, to a lesser degree, the temperature. More humid air will cause wood to expand, while drier air will cause wood to contract.

Wood does not move in all directions equally. In fact, the greatest movement will always be across the grain. If you read the installation instructions for fiber cement, or composite wood siding and trims, you’ll see the manufacturers recommend gapping between boards. Why would you need to gap something unless it’s going to move?

Coefficient of Thermal Expansion

For building products made from cellular PVC, aluminum, steel, or other polymer-based materials, it’s all about the temperature at the time of installation compared to the temperature swings the product will experience throughout the year.

You need to learn how to deal with this phenomenon, and I’d like to tell you how without getting too deep in the weeds.

First of all, let’s discuss product movement. Just about every material—be it a natural resource, or man-made product—has a coefficient of thermal expansion. Wow! Those are some big technical words. So, what does it mean?

The coefficient of thermal expansion describes how the size of an object changes with a change in temperature. Specifically, it measures the fractional change in size per degree change in temperature at a constant pressure.

There are several types of thermal coefficients: volumetric, area, and linear. Which one is used depends on the particular application, and which dimensions are considered important or critical to the material. For solids, like cellular PVC, one might only be concerned with the change along a length, or over some area. Some common coefficients of thermal expansion for some standard building product materials are:

For cellular PVC trim, as well as most exterior building products, the focus is on linear movement, since movement along the product’s length is what needs to be controlled—especially where there are long runs of trim. If your cellular PVC trim is going to move, it will be most noticeable in the fascia, frieze, or rake boards on a house.

Determining Amount of Movement

Before getting into how to best control movement, let’s look at how to determine the amount of movement for a given set of conditions. Let’s say we’re installing cellular PVC trim when the outside temperature is 50° F. The boards are 18 feet long, and the house is in Maryland, where the temperature can reach 100° F.

To determine the maximum amount of linear movement, we need the coefficient of linear thermal expansion for cellular PVC, which is 0.000032 in/in-F, the length of the board in inches (216), and the maximum temperature swing the product will be exposed to during the year—in this case, 50° F. The formula to determine movement is as follows:

The Change in Product Length (unrestricted) = The coefficient of linear thermal expansion for cellular PVC x the length of the trim x the maximum change in temperature or (Temperature at time of installation – Maximum Temperature product can reach on any day during the summer).

Δ Length = 0.000032 in/in-F x 216 in x (100° F – 50° F)

Δ Length = 0.3456” (unrestricted) or 0.1728” (when properly nailed) which is between 5/32 in. and 3/16 in.

When I say “properly nailed,” I’m not talking about an 18 gauge or even a 16 gauge trim nail. We recommend an 8d, 12 gauge trim nail.

Now, you’re probably saying: I can’t get 8d, 12 gauge nails that I can gun. Yes, you can. Swan Secure (now part of Simpson Strong-Tie) makes such a nail that is branded their “TRIfecta” nail. These nails come in a strip and are collated, so there is no problem gunning the trim to the framing members of the home.

Further movement can be reduced by using an adhesive in combination with the fasteners. For instance, gluing the cellular PVC fascia board to the sub-fascia with Liquid Nails sub-floor or heavy duty construction adhesive can reduce the board from expanding or contracting.

Best Installation Practices

Here are some “best installation practices,” given to us by contractors and remodelers with years of experience putting up long runs of cellular PVC trim (i.e. fascia, rakes, frieze boards):

• Screws restrict movement more than nails
• If you can bend the fasteners you plan to use to secure your trim between two fingers, they are too thin.
• If practical, you can further restrict movement on long runs by reducing the on-center fastener spacing to 12 in. A good example here is a fascia board where there is a wooden sub-fascia allowing a tighter on-center fastener spacing.

• Shiplap joints offer a superior joint to scarf or miter cut joints. They increase the adhesive surface area while also aligning the face of the boards, thereby preventing any offset.

• Allow the cellular PVC trim to acclimate to the outside temperature before installing. If possible, install any long runs on a house when the outside temperature, and the temperature of the cellular PVC trimboard, is between 60° and 65° F.
• Double-fasten on both sides of any board-to-board joint using the recommended number of fasteners based upon the width of the board (see image, right).
• Pick inconspicuous spots away from sight lines for expansion joints that will compensate for any movement in the cellular PVC trim.
• Southern exposures, or areas where the product is in direct sunlight, can result in slightly greater product movement due to the heat gain potential for the trim in these areas.

So, there you have it. Everything you wanted to know about why cellular PVC trim moves, but were afraid to ask. I hope the information and recommendations provided here help you with your cellular PVC trim applications, thereby making installation easier, and providing a finished project that meets or exceeds the homeowners’ expectations.

I’ve heard carpenters and trim installation contractors complain that PVC trim expands and contracts too much. My comment to them is: Yes, cellular PVC trim does move, but so do all other exterior building products, and many of them just as much as, if not more than, cellular PVC.

.

The fact is, movement can be caused by different forces of nature. For wood, wood composites, and fiber cement, movement is all about the moisture content of the product. Wood expands and contracts with changes in the surrounding humidity and, to a lesser degree, the temperature. More humid air will cause wood to expand, while drier air will cause wood to contract.

Wood does not move in all directions equally. In fact, the greatest movement will always be across the grain. If you read the installation instructions for fiber cement, or composite wood siding and trims, you’ll see the manufacturers recommend gapping between boards. Why would you need to gap something unless it’s going to move?

Coefficient of Thermal Expansion

For building products made from cellular PVC, aluminum, steel, or other polymer-based materials, it’s all about the temperature at the time of installation compared to the temperature swings the product will experience throughout the year.

You need to learn how to deal with this phenomenon, and I’d like to tell you how without getting too deep in the weeds.

First of all, let’s discuss product movement. Just about every material—be it a natural resource, or man-made product—has a coefficient of thermal expansion. Wow! Those are some big technical words. So, what does it mean?

The coefficient of thermal expansion describes how the size of an object changes with a change in temperature. Specifically, it measures the fractional change in size per degree change in temperature at a constant pressure.

There are several types of thermal coefficients: volumetric, area, and linear. Which one is used depends on the particular application, and which dimensions are considered important or critical to the material. For solids, like cellular PVC, one might only be concerned with the change along a length, or over some area. Some common coefficients of thermal expansion for some standard building product materials are:

For cellular PVC trim, as well as most exterior building products, the focus is on linear movement, since movement along the product’s length is what needs to be controlled—especially where there are long runs of trim. If your cellular PVC trim is going to move, it will be most noticeable in the fascia, frieze, or rake boards on a house.

Determining Amount of Movement

Before getting into how to best control movement, let’s look at how to determine the amount of movement for a given set of conditions. Let’s say we’re installing cellular PVC trim when the outside temperature is 50° F. The boards are 18 feet long, and the house is in Maryland, where the temperature can reach 100° F.

To determine the maximum amount of linear movement, we need the coefficient of linear thermal expansion for cellular PVC, which is 0.000032 in/in-F, the length of the board in inches (216), and the maximum temperature swing the product will be exposed to during the year—in this case, 50° F. The formula to determine movement is as follows:

The Change in Product Length (unrestricted) = The coefficient of linear thermal expansion for cellular PVC x the length of the trim x the maximum change in temperature or (Temperature at time of installation – Maximum Temperature product can reach on any day during the summer).

Δ Length = 0.000032 in/in-F x 216 in x (100° F – 50° F)

Δ Length = 0.3456” (unrestricted) or 0.1728” (when properly nailed) which is between 5/32 in. and 3/16 in.

When I say “properly nailed,” I’m not talking about an 18 gauge or even a 16 gauge trim nail. We recommend an 8d, 12 gauge trim nail.

Now, you’re probably saying: I can’t get 8d, 12 gauge nails that I can gun. Yes, you can. Swan Secure (now part of Simpson Strong-Tie) makes such a nail that is branded their “TRIfecta” nail. These nails come in a strip and are collated, so there is no problem gunning the trim to the framing members of the home.

Further movement can be reduced by using an adhesive in combination with the fasteners. For instance, gluing the cellular PVC fascia board to the sub-fascia with Liquid Nails sub-floor or heavy duty construction adhesive can reduce the board from expanding or contracting.

Best Installation Practices

Here are some “best installation practices,” given to us by contractors and remodelers with years of experience putting up long runs of cellular PVC trim (i.e. fascia, rakes, frieze boards):

• Screws restrict movement more than nails
• If you can bend the fasteners you plan to use to secure your trim between two fingers, they are too thin.
• If practical, you can further restrict movement on long runs by reducing the on-center fastener spacing to 12 in. A good example here is a fascia board where there is a wooden sub-fascia allowing a tighter on-center fastener spacing.

• Shiplap joints offer a superior joint to scarf or miter cut joints. They increase the adhesive surface area while also aligning the face of the boards, thereby preventing any offset.

• Allow the cellular PVC trim to acclimate to the outside temperature before installing. If possible, install any long runs on a house when the outside temperature, and the temperature of the cellular PVC trimboard, is between 60° and 65° F.
• Double-fasten on both sides of any board-to-board joint using the recommended number of fasteners based upon the width of the board (see image, right).
• Pick inconspicuous spots away from sight lines for expansion joints that will compensate for any movement in the cellular PVC trim.
• Southern exposures, or areas where the product is in direct sunlight, can result in slightly greater product movement due to the heat gain potential for the trim in these areas.

So, there you have it. Everything you wanted to know about why cellular PVC trim moves, but were afraid to ask. I hope the information and recommendations provided here help you with your cellular PVC trim applications, thereby making installation easier, and providing a finished project that meets or exceeds the homeowners’ expectations.

• • •

AUTHOR BIO

John Pace has more than 20 years of experience in the design, development, production and installation of rigid and cellular vinyl building products for residential and light commercial applications. He is a founder of Wolfpac Technologies, Inc., an extruder of cellular PVC sheet and board materials that has been serving the building products industry since 2003. He is also the President and Chief Operating Officer of VERSATEX Trimboard, a subsidiary of Wolfpac Technologies, Inc.

While many companies have recently implemented environmentally responsible strategies, John has been a driving force in the implementation of green practices for decades. The company was recently awarded the Green Seal of Approval from the NAHB for meeting the requirements of certain mandated practices specified in the National Green Building Standard.

John regularly collaborates with customers and designers in the field, and maintains strong associations with the Vinyl Siding Institute, the Moulding & Millwork Producers Association, the National Wholesale Lumber Association and the National Coil Coaters Association.

John holds a BS in Civil Engineering from Lehigh University, as well as a Professional Engineers License.

A few months ago, I wrote a short article about a recent job I was working, and the RRP (Renovating, Repairing, Painting) rule regarding the lack of standards for HEPA vacuums. This is a follow-up to that article.

(Photos by Bill Robinson) Click any image to enlarge

I went into, and completed, that particular job following the RRP standard as best as I understood it, with the best tools and practices at my disposal. The job went well, the customers are satisfied, and no one had any overexposure to lead particulates. My only source of concern was my vacuum system. It was not officially stamped as ‘certified’. Well, now my concerns have been answered. Festool’s new line of CT vacuums has been certified as FULL UNIT HEPA Dust Extractors.

What does this mean for me? Well, two things. For one, I now know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I use a system that does, indeed, comply with the EPA standard. It also means that I now have a vacuum (excuse me, “Dust Extractor”) that does everything.

My feeling on vacuums is this: I don’t want to carry around a shop vac for rough cleanup, another vacuum for hooking to my tools, or cleaning inside an occupied home, and then another one that I can use for lead-safe work. What a pain! These Festool vacs combine all three in one.

The tipping point for me on the first two reasons was the ‘longlife filter bag’. I was using the single-use bags and kept thinking, “This is great, but I feel like I’m throwing away money every time I fill one up.” I kind of had to bite the bullet to go with the longlife, but I’m so glad I did. Sometimes, I fill it multiple times a day. Now I don’t have to think about using my dust extractor for rough cleanup during framing; I can just empty the bag! The same goes for when I hook up to my track saw or sander. The same bag will handle both jobs.

Why do I mention all this when we are talking about RRP? Because you cannot use a longlife bag when doing lead renovation work (unless you want to throw it away, and I would certainly discourage that). I keep a box of sealable/disposable bags for when I know it serves the right purpose. We like multi-taskers around here.

What else does this mean? Well, let’s look at cost. Not only do I not have to lug around three different pieces of machinery, I also don’t have to pay for three different pieces of machinery. I can get a decent shop vac for about $100, but if I don’t need a separate shop vac, that’s money in my pocket. Also, do a search for EPA certified vacuums. I didn’t find one model that cost less than the CT Mini, and the closest models didn’t have some key features, like automatic tool start, anti-static hose, and convenient hose/cord storage. Add all these things up, and this CT system begins to look like the most economic choice, as well.

I don’t want to come off sounding like a Festool salesman here, so let me quote Bill Robinson, EPA RRP instructor, and TiC author:

Even if your brand of vac claims to contain a HEPA certified filter, it may not be designed or tested to ensure against what is referred to as “bypass leakage,” meaning that it still may not meet the letter of the RRP regulation.

Good news for me, and you: Festool has just announced that, effective immediately, every one of their CT Dust Extractors is shipped from the factory with full unit HEPA certification. This certification guarantees that the seal between the filter and the vac is perfect, meaning there’s zero possibility for incoming air to get around the filter. What’s more, if you purchased one of these vacs before the changeover, they’ll even send you a brand new filter, plus a certificate, and a HEPA sticker for the outside of the vac.

When it comes to working in older homes these days, dust is no joke. Buying good equipment that’s designed to capture dust at the source is a small investment when you stop to think about it. Not only will you find it easier to meet the new EPA RRP requirements [with these new vacs], you’ll leave behind more satisfied clients, who will appreciate the absence of dust after you leave. Plus, you’ll save on the time and labor you would otherwise waste cleaning up after the fact. It’s a no-brainer, if you ask me.

There you have it.

The older CT 22 and 33 lines do not meet Full Unit HEPA certification, but all of the vacs in the new CT line (the Mini, Midi, CT-26, CT-36, and CT-48) are full unit certified. So, if you are like me and are a ‘Frugal Festoolie’, you will be able to find the right model to match your workload and your budget.

“Wait, so you’re telling me that I can get a RRP compliant unit for $385?!?”

To put it bluntly . . . Yup. :)

Read more about Festool’s HEPA certification by clicking here.

For the last few years, Tom Brewer, Mike Sloggatt, and I have been traveling around America doing carpentry clinics at local lumberyards and tool stores. The experience has been a blessing. We’ve met carpenters and lumberyard staff, manufacturers’ representatives and marketing people from every corner of the country. Regardless of the jokes and criticism we all hear about our industry, every mile of the way we’ve met honest, hardworking, and responsible trades people.

(Click any image to enlarge.)

Walking into Glen Rock Stairs is like stepping back in time. Sure, they’re using some new machinery, like automated CNC routers for cutting out stringers, but, for the most part, they build stairs the old-fashioned way. Each carpenter is assigned a specialty task and a special area of the shop.

Carriages

Dave Jeltes works on a comfortable hardwood floor, assembling carriages. I caught up with Dave as he was fastening the stringers to the treads (see photo, right)—all with hand nails: “I like to feel the nails do their job—draw things up tight,” he told me. “That’s something I can’t feel with a nail gun.” He didn’t need pneumatics at the speed he was driving nails.

Unlike most carpenters today, Dave’s hammer is his most-used tool.

After securing the treads, he lays the carriage down and drives in wedges before installing the risers.

Stepping quickly, he snaps on the wedges with the side of the hammer.

Next, risers are dropped into each mortise. Then the risers are nailed into the back of each tread.

After that, more wedges are driven, each with a single hammer blow…

…and snapped off with the flat of the hammer.

There’s no fancy machinery in Dave Jeltes work area, just Dave.

Radius Stairs

Everyone has a nickname at Glen Rock—and for good reason. Many of the craftsmen are first generation Polish immigrants. “Richie” (Ryszard Kluk) builds radius stairs in Glen Rock’s new assembly room, where everything imaginable is possible. Even the radius stairs have housed stringers. Once the stringers are mortised, Richie installs the treads.

Starting at the top, he slips each tread into a stringer mortise, then marks for the bullnose cut.

The two bottom treads are laid out for bullnose returns on both ends.

Nosing Returns

“Voytek” (Wojciech Minarczuk) cuts and fits each bullnose return on a bandsaw, starting with a miter.

It takes a steady hand to support the workpiece and make a straight cut right through the miter.

Next, Voytek makes the cross cut.

And last, he makes the rip, cutting off the bullnose waste.

The pre-cut radius caps are fit by eye,

trimmed a little on the miter saw,

and then the final joint is finished on the band saw.

To perfect the miters, Voytek holds the joint tightly closed with his hand, then carefully passes the bandsaw blade through the miter.

Timing is critical. Voytek stops cutting precisely at the heel of the miter, then releases the cap before withdrawing the tread.

All of the bullnose starter steps are assembled in another corner of the shop, by Faith Noah. She’s the only woman working in a shop full of men, but no one risks giving Faith any guff. Her workbench is set up for one chore, and with every clamp and cawl in place, she makes the job look easy.

In a much larger space, Jaroslaw (Jerry) Ziplinski assembles all the handrails. Using power tools is dangerous, and we all try to work safely. Jerry was kind enough to remove the guard on his custom dual-kerf cutter so we could see clearly how the tool operates. Jerry starts by making two cuts in the first piece, then matches the joint and marks locations for mating cuts in the second piece.

Jerry joins all of his railing parts with Clamp Nails.

Clamp Nail Company: 21 W. Lone Cactus Dr. Phoenix, AZ 85027-2940 (623) 581-0204

Back in the 1980s, we used to fasten all our casing miters with Clamp Nails. I never knew where they came from. Now I do. And they work great for fastening all types of wood joinery.

Clamp Nail was started in 1917 near the Chicago area and is still owned and operated by the same family, though sixteen years ago they moved to Phoenix, AZ. Used in everything from furniture to picture frames to cabinet doors, clamp nails are really popular for caskets. The company tends to sell mostly to manufacturers of high-end products.

Jerry likes the fasteners because they’re much faster than rail bolts, and the joints are bulletproof. Clamp Nail have flanges that open on the wide end, so as the nails are driven—wide end first—and the flanges narrows, the joint is drawn tighter and tighter.

John Everett took us on a tour of the shop first, then, like saving the dessert, he showed us his workstation last. Tucked into a corner at the back of the shop, beneath a bank of high windows, John operates a lathe that surely dates back to the 19th century. Once powered by steam, and maybe even a water wheel, the lathe pulley and belt are now driven by an electric motor. And that is the only difference between John Everett and generations of wood turners who have used the same machine.

• • •

Custom closets with adjustable shelving are the norm for my business today.

About a year and a half ago, my friend Gary Striegler gave me the idea of building closets with adjustable rods and shelving. At first, I was a little confused about how the rods could be adjustable, but after I read an article Gary wrote for JLC, it all started becoming clear. The shelves adjust like any cabinet with adjustable shelves, but it’s the adjustable rods that make this system really cool.

(Note: Click any image to enlarge.)

I use the Hafele North American oval rod system, and custom-cut the rods for each compartment. The rods come with a special clip that has two studs on the back made to fit into the adjustable holes. You just set the clips where you want the rod, and snap the rod in the clips—done!

When I first started building these closets, I had my cabinet builder drill the bulkheads—the dividers between compartments—for me, but I have since bought my own line boring machine, an expensive investment, but an absolutely necessary addition to my shop. I make a lot of built-ins; the machine was money well spent.

I used to use a Rockler jig for drilling adjustable shelving holes, but now I love my 32mm line boring machine. I can drill about three bulkheads in the time it takes to drill one by hand, and they’re all identical—no sweat. If you don’t have a boring machine, most cabinet shops do, and you can sub out the drilling to them—think about it!

Like many contractors today, I work with demanding clients—not only do they want top-notch quality, but they want the latest in closet designs, too.

I work mostly in custom homes—there’s no way I could install slam-bam apartment-style closet shelving like Gary Katz talks about in his recent closets article! Most of my closets feature dressers or knee spaces. Extra cabinets in a closet can cause serious design issues. So, I like to involve the homeowner in the layout process—that way, we can work out design problems before I start cutting wood.

Start from the bottom

After the layout is established, I begin making a cut list of materials. I like to put a 4-in. base under all the compartments—a feature that provides a custom look, but also makes the whole install easier, faster, and more precise.

I cut 3 1/4-in. materials to frame each base—just like the egg crates some cabinet makers build. I rip 15 1/4-in. MDF for the tops. I chamfer the edges on the tops, and trim the front of each base with 4-in. poplar, which creates a nice v-groove detail, rather than a flush joint. Flush joints are so much more difficult to deal with!

The nice thing about installing a base is being able to level the floor—which makes it really easy to install the bulkheads so that all the adjustable holes are perfectly level and aligned! So, when assembling the bases, I make sure they’re perfectly level. Closets are usually carpeted, so shims don’t show, and when I’m going after the hardwood, I install a shoe molding.

I nail the bases together, and fasten them to the wall in the back. I glue the top on with the front still exposed. Then I shim the base level from the front, and attach the poplar face.

Fool-proof Bulkheads

Next, I install the bulkheads. When I make bulkheads, I cut them 14 in. wide and tall enough to reach the ceiling. I almost always take the bulkheads all the way to the ceiling. This gives the clients maximum storage. I also try to keep all the compartments the same width so the shelves and rods are interchangeable. I never build a compartment wider than 36 in., because the shelves will sag (this is all part of the learning curve!).

I cut all of the bulkheads the same height, and mark a center line right in the middle—that’s critical, because I drill the bulkheads from the center out. I know a lot of cabinetmakers who lay out their adjustable shelving holes from one end or the other, but I’ve found it’s safer to start in the middle. When you drill from the center out, your holes are the same distance from top and bottom. This way you can use the bulkhead for a right or left install—you don’t have to worry about flipping one (guess how I learned that).

I drill a vertical row of holes in the front and back for the shelving, and then I drill another row of holes 11 1/2 in. from the back for the rods, so the rods are positioned in the right place to hang clothes.

When you drill holes for adjustable shelves, make sure to space the holes on 32mm centers, not 2 in.! The holes also work better when drilled with 5mm bits instead of 1/4-in. The 1/4-in. holes are a little too sloppy for the studs on the rod clips.

I drill the center bulkheads all the way through, which eliminates the need for back-to-back or ‘mulled’ bulkheads between center compartments. I’ve been told it’s not good to drill a bulkhead all the way through because the shelf pins would hit each other, but I have never had a problem with that.

After the bulkheads are drilled, I put drill pocket holes in the bottom of each one so I can fasten them securely to the bases.

While I’m in the shop cutting material, I rip up enough stock for all the supports. I put a horizontal support—or cleat—at the top, middle, and bottom of each compartment—unless there’s a cabinet unit. I make the supports 2 1/4 in. wide.

I always rip my supports and face frames 1/8 in. wider than I need to, and run them through my planer to remove saw kerfs—many of my installs are stain-grade, and even for paint-grade work, I like to provide the very best product.

After the cleats are ready, the bulkheads are cut and drilled, and I double-check my layout on the walls. I make sure the compartments are the size I want before I install one single piece—I hate going backwards.

Installation

Once the bases are installed, the rest is easy. I nail the first bulkhead on the left side. I’m right handed, and going from left to right just seems right—it’s definitely easier for me to hold the material in my left hand and a nail gun or screw gun in my right. If you want to improve efficiency—which is the same thing Gary Katz talks about in his article, you just have to think about things like that!

I nail the first bulkhead only at the back in the corner. I then install the three supports—top, bottom, and middle. Next, I attach a bulkhead. I continue installing cleats and bulkheads across the wall, nailing the bulkheads into the support boards, but only at the back. After they are all nailed in, I begin fastening the fronts.

I cut a scrap the same width as the compartments, and use it as a guide to align the front of each bulkhead. I square up the far left bulkhead first, then fasten it with the pocket screw to the base. I use the scrap piece to space the next bulkhead, and pocket-screw it in. I continue along until all the bulkheads are screwed to their bases, each one perfectly square and rigid.

Face Frames

Once the bulkheads are finished, I begin installing the face frames. I make my face frames 2 1/4 in. wide. I cut the stiles about an inch from the ceiling. I glue and nail them to the bulkheads, leaving a little extra space between the stile and the ceiling so I don’t have to fight installing the stiles—a little play makes it easier to install the stiles flat on the bases.

Next, I install the top rails, which are 3 in. tall, using pocket screws from the back. I always wrap crown molding around my compartments so that any space at the top is covered. The crown molding really sets off my closets—just the kind of custom touch my clients are looking for.

After all the face frames are done, I start running crown around the compartments. I use spring clamps to pre-assemble my crown before I install it. I’m able to get tighter joints with spring clamps, and pre-assembling them eliminates underlayment problems. (I use a 23 gauge pin nailer to pre-assemble the crown to prevent splitting the wood).

I have had carpenters ask why I put crown in closets. I figure: if you are going to spend this much time on a closet, the extra time it takes to run the crown mold is minimal, and it looks unfinished without crown molding. It really gets the client’s attention, and makes the closet look more like cabinetry or furniture instead of just shelving.

After all the compartments, face frames and crown are installed, I build the shelves. I ask the clients how many shelves they think they need, but about four per compartment works well, if they are interchangeable.

Some compartments will be rods only, and they can use the shelves in another compartment if they need to.

I cut the shelves 3/8 in. less than the width of the compartments to allow for the shelf pins, and 3/4 in. less than the depth to allow for the shelf edge trim I use.

I don’t install the rods until the end of the job, after the painters are finished. The rods I use are chrome, and I don’t want to take the chance on them getting damaged. I cut the rods 1/2 less than the width of the compartments to allow for the clips that hold them in.

Trial and Error

These types of closets have made a big impact on the homes I build. They have become so popular on some homes that we have made all the closets in the house adjustable—that’s a nice up-charge. I have also had great luck making adjustable pantries using the same methods, as well as hall closets that are sometimes used to store stereo equipment or TV components.

There has been a lot of trial and error in coming up with the perfect system. But the real trick is to always take enough time on the layout: get the compartments square; make them the same size whenever possible; make sure the adjustable holes align up from side-to-side (nothing looks worse than rods or shelves sitting out of level).

For more information on adjustable closets, see Gary Striegler’s article: Fitting Out a Custom Closet.

• • •

AUTHOR BIO

Lewis Taliaferro is a custom home builder in Lone Grove, Oklahoma. He comes from three generations of builders. Nearly every member of his family has some experience in building homes, mostly rental properties. So, it was no surprise that, shortly after graduating high school in 1999, Lewis went and did the same thing. He learned a lot building those rental houses, learning from his own mistakes, and meeting sub-contractors and suppliers along the way.

Lewis, with his son, Nolan

After about two years, his uncle, who had been building custom homes for over thirty years, gave Lewis the opportunity to build some spec homes in a nearby development he had started. It took off! Lewis built spec homes for the next three or four years. He gained a lot of great experience in that time, but one of the greatest things he learned was trim carpentry.

Lewis has always had a love for finish work. Now that he was building spec homes, it gave him the opportunity to do more detailed work. He found out that he could dress up his homes a little more than other spec homes by giving the houses a more custom feel with moldings, and nicer cabinetry. He has been building custom homes now for about the last six or seven years.

Lewis has served as the Southern Oklahoma Homebuilders Association President, and was one of the first builders in his area to build a Positive Energy Home, and an Energy Star rated home.

Lewis doesn’t have many hobbies, but during his free time he enjoys boating, taking trips, and spending time with his wife, Stephanie, and his kids Raynee, Wyatt, and Nolan, who are his inspiration and motivation.

When I started out in the building business, interest rates were low, money was easy to borrow, and custom homes were the way to go. But six years later, in the early 1980s, that all changed. Interest rates went over 15%. No one could afford, let alone qualify, for a loan. Economics and demand dragged us into multi-family housing—we started installing finish work on apartment complexes, condominiums, and townhouses. The work was hard, the prices competitive, but the profits were good if you had your act together, if you were fast and didn’t make mistakes.

Five or six years later, I was glad when the custom home business came back with a roar. But I wouldn’t trade what I learned from those 200-plus unit buildings, not a bit of it. Our approach to every high-end custom job—from the big ones to the little ones, and our profit margins—still depends on the lessons learned from production work. And installing closet shelving is a perfect example.

When it comes to installing closet shelving, if your crew isn’t following a manual of practice—a system that simplifies repetitive tasks, eliminates needless steps, and speeds installation time—then you’ll never enjoy the profits that can be made in closets. Once the exterior doors are in, before installing any interior doors or trim, we like to get the closet shelving in place, if it’s paintgrade. It’s just easier to work in a closet without the doors in the way, and besides, that way we don’t have to worry about banging shelving into new doors. We wait to install the baseboard until all the shelving is in, too, because the baseboard has to be cut around the dividers.

Closet Design

Laying out and installing closet shelving used to be simple—you just installed a single shelf and pole in every closet, about 66 in. from the floor, so a dress wouldn’t drag on the carpet. Maybe people didn’t have so many clothes back then.

Today, closet design is an important part of construction, but designing closet shelving doesn’t have to be a brain-twister. Though closets seem to come in many different sizes and shapes, they’re actually limited to only two basic types: walk-in closets, and reach-in closets.

Control Closet Design

(Click any image to enlarge.)

No matter how high-end a home, the closets always share a lot in common—at least the ones outside the master bedroom. After all, there are only so many possible configurations. The three most common types of shelving arrangements are (see image, above): Double Pole, Single Pole, and Linen Shelves. We try to include a little of each in every closet, and we use 15 1/2 in. dividers to separate and help support the shelving.

To allow enough room for medium-length coats and shirttails, Double Pole should be spaced a minimum of 40 in. from the floor, and 40 in. apart. That puts the top of the 1×4 cleats at 42 in. and 84 in. from the floor (see image, below). We angle-cut our dividers, leaving a 1-in. toe on the floor, so it’s easier to get a vacuum near the wall. Whether the customer wants wood, melamine, or MDF shelving, we limit the span—anything over 34 in. will sag without a support.

Single Pole is meant for dresses and long coats. It must be installed at least 66 in. from the floor, farther for tall clients. To secure the pole and the rosettes, we use 1×4 cleats to support all closet poles. For linen shelving, we use 1×2 cleats.

This shelving arrangement is a catchall—it’s not meant just for bedding: shirts, sweaters, sports clothing, and even toys will end up on these shelves. To keep closets uniform and easier to install, we keep to the same layout—12 in. on center for all but the bottom two shelves.

Blankets and boxes need more space, so we put the first linen shelf at 18 in. from the floor, and the second one 15 in. higher, for boots or tall toys.

The top shelf is usually above the door header, which means that, in a 24-in. deep closet, it’s tough to get anything up there.

Even though the dividers are 15 1/2 in. deep (so they’ll support the poles!), we install a 12 in. top shelf, and radius or angle-cut the tops of the dividers.

These simple design rules apply to even the most complicated closets, from reach-ins, like the one in the previous illustrations, to elaborate walk-ins, like the one below. Just remember one thing whenever you turn a corner with shelving: All closet poles require a minimum 24 in. clearance before the next divider, otherwise there won’t be enough room to slide clothes into the corner.

Walk-in closets, and long reach-ins, pose a problem when it comes to shelves sagging, too. The best solution is another design strategy: eliminate mid-span supports on linen shelves by limiting their span to 32 in., then let the closet poles run longer. After all, metal supports for single and double pole are easy to install, but installing supports for linen shelving isn’t so easy, and there are a lot more shelves!

A not-so-simple story pole

Obviously, the trick to making money in closet organizers is being organized yourself, and that starts with the design. Once you’ve controlled and simplified the design, control and simplify the layout and installation, too—teach your crew how to make and use a story pole for every job.

It’s a fact of life: the more times your carpenters pull out a tape measure, the more mistakes they’ll make, the slower they’ll work, and the less profit they’ll produce. There’s hardly a carpentry layout task that doesn’t benefit from the use of a story pole.

Make closet story poles from a piece of durable 1×4, and don’t just pencil the marks—cut notches so the pole can be used from job to job.

Make all the notches at the top of the support cleats, except the top cleat! Instead, cut the story pole 3 1/2 in. short, so the mark for the top shelf—made by striking a pencil across the top of the story pole—will be at the bottom of the cleat; that way, your carpenter won’t have to climb a ladder to see the top shelf mark.

With good design control and a story pole, a single carpenter can lay out all the closets in a typical home in less than one hour, and even make a cut list, too. Whenever possible, we try to keep linen shelves the same width, so they can be cut in packages. The same with Double Pole arrangements, especially if there are several closets of roughly the same size. That way, only one special measurement needs to be made in each closet. But I’ll save that subject for another day.

Important Closet Requirements

Single Shelf-and-Pole: To accommodate long coats and dresses, a section of Single Shelf-and-Pole should be installed in every closet (closets for children are often an exception). To keep dresses and coats from dragging on the floor, install Single Shelf-and-Pole at least 66 in. from the floor—take the measurement from the bottom of the shelf (that puts the pole at about 64 in. from the floor). For exceptionally tall people, increase the height to keep long clothes off the floor.

Double Pole: If pants are folded over a hanger, they only need half the hanging height as a long dress—about 34 in. from the bottom of the shelf to the floor. Shirts are longer and require 40 in. from the bottom of the shelf. Because most of the clothes in our closets today are pants and shirts, Double Shelf-and-Pole should predominate in every closet, which doubles the storage space. To make the job of installing shelves easier and to allow homeowners the choice of changing the arrangement of their clothes, I separate all Double Poles by 42 in., which makes the top shelf 84 in. from the floor.

The Top Shelf: The top shelf should run completely across the closet, and around all three walls in a u-shaped closet, so the same 84-in. height determines the second or top shelf over a Single Shelf-and-Pole, too (see diagram, above). In most 8-ft. closets, 12 in. of space remains between the top shelf and the ceiling, which is enough room for shoe boxes, hat boxes and other storage.

Sweater Shelves: A typical bank of sweater shelves should begin 16 in. from the floor, which allows room for tall boots on the floor. Succeeding shelves should be spaced about 12 in. apart. If the top shelf is installed at 84 in. from the floor, this sweater shelf arrangement should result in a somewhat even spacing.

Shoe Shelves: Shoes only require about 7 in. of height (that includes high-tops and pumps). To get the most from your closet space, design shelving specifically for shoes and don’t rely on 12-in.-spaced shelves for shoe storage. An 84-in. tall bank of shelves, with the first shelf 16 in. from the floor, can include 4 shoe shelves and 3 sweater shelves (see diagram). Of course, if there’s room, and you’re expecting a lot of shoes, build an entire bank of shoe shelves.

The only shelf in a closet that won’t align horizontally with other shelves is the Single Shelf-and-Pole, because it’s set at 68 in. from the floor. The 16-in. space between the Single Shelf-and-Pole and the top shelf can be divided again by an additional shelf, which creates a perfect location for a few pairs of shoes.

(This article originally appeared on GaryMKatz.com)

Recently, a builder looking for help with a few projects referred a client to me. One of the projects was a mantel with cabinets on either side. They were unsure exactly what they wanted for the mantel, but the cabinet design would be similar to the kitchen cabinets they already had in their home.

The mantel I did for another couple. The clients saw it and wanted something similar.

I suggested they take a look through my website for some inspiration, and, if nothing came of that, to look through some magazines for some ideas we could expand upon. Perusing my website, the client’s wife fell in love with a painted mantel I had completed for another couple some time before (see photo, right).

The new clients wanted their mantel to be made from cherry, and stained similar to the island in their kitchen. The kitchen was predominantly white with a stained island.

(Note: Click any image to enlarge)

The mantel I did for that other couple has some Greek attributes to it, and is very detailed. That design wouldn’t work for this project, because the original mantel was too tall to fit this new installation. So I went back to the drawing board and came up with a new design using all the same details (see drawing, left).

After playing the numbers game with the dimensions, I finally had something that looked good and would fit into the designated area. Because there were to be cabinets on either side, I made a rendering of the cabinets with a “Plain Jane” mantel. This rendering was made using eCabinet Systems.

Construction

The biggest challenge for me was the rope. On the original mantel the rope was real—I made curved grooves with a 1/2-in. core box bit, then laid in the rope molding and glued it down. A little primer, some paint, and it was a done deal. But with this mantel, I needed it to look like stained cherry. So I went on a quest to find a flexible rope molding that was stainable.

I hit the Internet, and found a company called Zago, out of New Jersey. They make resin moldings that are flexible and stainable—perfect. I ordered 12 feet. When it arrived, the experimenting began. I made some samples and stained them with Traditional Cherry stain. It didn’t take long to get a good sample—first try, actually. This flexible molding was just the ticket I was looking for.

The first thing I needed to make was the base (or “backboard”) that all of the moldings would sit on. I made the base from solid cherry. I designed it so there would be no joints showing. The boards were jointed together using biscuits, pocket screws, and glue. This was the layout I used:

The backboard must be laid out carefully, so that the moldings, which are applied later, will cover every joint, making the backboard appear like a solid substrate. After gluing up the backboard and sanding it down, I started placing the moldings, beginning at the bottom of the pilasters.

The first detail I applied was the plinth blocks. Simple structures—just a board sized to 15/16 x 7 3/8 x 8, glued down and screwed from the rear. The next molding was the plinth block bead—the torus molding. Again, a simple detail: a 1/2-in. bullnose on three sides of a 15/16 x 1/2 x 7 3/8 piece made with a router.

Next, I installed the panel frame. There are four panels: two uppers and two lowers. The lower panels are long, and the uppers are short. The panels are made from 13/16-in. thick strips 1 in. wide. The inside edge has a French Provincial profile on it. The box is made by mitering four corners together and then gluing. After the panels are made, the lower panels are glued and screwed onto the backboard above and resting on top of the 1/2-in. bead.

The Greek Fretwork

Next comes the Greek fretwork molding. This molding looks more complicated than it really is. To make the molding, you just need a table saw dado setup. The molding is 1 1/2 in. wide and 1/2 in. thick. The “teeth” are 1/2-in. x 1/2-in. I setup the dado to be 1/2 in. high and 1/2 in. wide. To speed up the process, I put two pieces of 1/2-in. stock together, face-to-face, and pushed them through using a miter gauge. The actual dimensions were a bit less then 1/2 in.—.480 in. wide, so I moved the fence .960 for each pair of cuts. I flipped the two pieces over, cutting both the top and the bottom teeth, before resetting the fence for the next pair.

Some readers might be thinking: “Wow! That’s a lot of very accurate fence moving. Why didn’t you make an indexing jig on a miter gauge, the way you would for cutting finger joints?” Well, the answer is simple. I needed the teeth to line up perfectly on both sides, which meant the distance between each cut had to be .960, exactly. So I used my Wixey digital fence gauge to move the fence precisely the right amount for each tooth. I have Wixey digital equipment on both my planer and my table saw. I also use their angle finder, calipers, and digital height gauge. Those tools have changed the way I do things in the shop. Most of the time, setups are done perfectly on the first try! No fine-tuning nonsense.

To complete the fretwork, I capped the top and bottom with cove molding. I first set the fretwork on top of a temporary gauge strip, to get the correct height, then mitered the cove molding across the top and bottom, securing everything with glue and nails.

The smaller upper frames that decorate the end block area were placed on top of the cove molding. And above those frames I added backing for the ovolo, dentil, and crown molding. I milled two pieces of 13/16-in. birch, which flushed out perfectly with the panel frames. After that, I was ready to complete the moldings that ran across the face of the mantelpiece.

Ovolo molding

First, I installed an ovolo molding, which I cut with a router bit. Some people call it a “quarter round,” but it’s really elliptical-shaped and has a lot more beauty than a radius molding.

Next came the dentil molding. To make the dentil molding proud of the ovolo, I first installed a 3/8-in. thick piece of MDF at the same height as the dentil molding. I cut the dentil molding myself, using the dado blade in my table saw, which enabled me to space the dentil blocks so that they fell short of the edge of the backing by 1/16 in.

Above the dentil molding I installed another piece of backing, this time stain-grade because it would be visible beneath the crown. Again, I maintained steps or transitions between each layer by increasing the width of every piece—for this layer I milled flat stock to be 1/16 in. proud of the dentil molding. The ogee molding went on next, and finally another piece of flat stock, which forms the foundation of the reeded corona.

The Reeding

The next set of operations was simple, but daunting—the reeds. There are 218 reeds in this mantel. I made them two-at-a-time with a router table, a 3/8-in. beading bit setup, and a fence using three pieces of wide stock.

I started by routing a profile on the end grain of each piece and on both sides. Next, I ripped off the reeds with a table saw set to 3/8 in. I repeated the same process until the boards were too small to handle, then started in on a new board. I finally ended up with a pile of reeds profiled on three sides—the face and two ends. I milled up about 120 of these. Finally, I cut the reeds to length—getting two pieces out of each reed.

I sized the length of the reeds 1/8 in. longer than the height of the mantel shelf corona, which created a nice shadow effect—the way a corona should be designed. I did several tests to make sure the reeds fit properly inside the space between the two pilaster ends, but in the end, luck was with me. Besides, with that many pieces, a difference of a few thousandths of an inch could add up pretty quick, so why bother with math? I knew I could always shave a few with a hand plane to work out any problems.

The Mantel Shelf

By now, you’re probably noticing the rope molding in the photographs. Yes, I tacked that in place using a few 23ga pins. I needed the rope molding in place in order to see the whole picture and take other measurements. But before I get to the rope molding layout, let’s finish the mantel shelf.

The mantel shelf needed to jog around the pilaster end blocks and follow the line of the corona. But I didn’t want to apply delicate moldings to the nosing of the shelf. Instead, I cut the shelf to size and routed an ovolo profile right on the edge.

I started with a properly sized cherry blank, allowing for a proportionate overhang. I cut the notches for the end blocks on my table saw, then finished the cuts with a jigsaw. After cleaning up the edge, and making sure it was straight and square, I ran the ovolo router bit around the two ends, and then the front, with the router resting on the bottom of the mantel shelf.

Because I used a router bit, the inside corners were rounded (see photo above). I squared up these corners with a 3/4-in. chisel, two different curved gouges, and my trusty utility knife. The two corners took about 25 minutes to clean up. After that, I sanded them and removed all the knife marks.

I attached the mantel shelf with pocket screws fastened through the back of the backboard, and with a good glue line on top of the corona moldings. I used Titebond II and a lot of squeeze clamps to apply good pressure all the way around the shelf.

Reeds, Rope, & Tassels

Now the real excitement began—sort of. It was a Sunday afternoon. I had nothing else to do. I was bored. The perfect time to glue 218 reeds on the mantel, a task I had not been looking forward to for good reason—it took over four hours to do. Each read needed three drops of glue: one drop of 2P-10 and two drops of Titebond! Next, I wiped the 2P-10 accelerator onto the flat stock, and then set each individual reed in place. 218 reeds. 654 drops of glue.

But the end result was definitely worth every drop of glue.

Next, I removed the swagged rope molding and reinstalled it permanently with glue. First, I made a cardboard template, so that each of the swags would be identical, then I wrapped the molding around the template and fastened it with glue and 23ga pins. Because the material was thin, I worried that the wet glue might cause it to warp before the glue set. I didn’t want to fire a hundred pins through the delicate molding, so I set a piece of MDF across the top of the moldings and clamped it down until the glue dried thoroughly. While the glue was drying, I set up to cut the tassels that capped the top and bottom of the rope molding.

Like punctuation in a sentence, the tassels are a necessary element to the overall composition; they do not diminish the design; in fact, they add clarity to the whole mantelpiece. Fortunately, they are deceptively simple to make. Everything is done on the table saw with a dado blade setup.

I took a short length of cherry that was 3/8 in. thick and 9/16 in. wide. I set my dado for a .355-in. wide cut. I set the angle to 14º and raised the blade so the dado took off nothing at the bottom of the cut, but the point of the angle would retain full thickness/width.

I used a miter gauge with a backup board to prevent blowout. I cut the dados in a sequence that would remove the tear-out from previous cuts. The first of three cuts had the piece of cherry with the back facing towards the dado; the second cut was with the back facing up; and the final cut was with the back facing the miter gauge. I flipped my cherry stick over to the other end and then did the three cuts again. I repeated that to about 6 sticks, so I would have plenty of the tassels. Then I moved the fence over .355″ and repeated the process. I did this until I had a dozen tassel layers on each side of each stick, then I cut the sticks in half and worked with those lengths.

Then I cut pieces from these lengths to fit each of the peaks and low-points of the swagged rope molding.

Like I said, the rope molding would have been incomplete without the tassels.

The Overmantel Panel

This mantelpiece has two stories, the second story being the overmantel panel. I made a simple flat recessed panel with a quirk-and-bead design. I used solid stock for the stiles and rails, assembled with pocket screws. I routed a rabbet in the back of the stiles and rails for a 1/4 in. flat panel, and then added the bead molding afterward—mitering the inside corners.

Once the panel was completed, everything went into the spray room.

I taped off the rope molding so that it wouldn’t be conditioned along with the cherry. I used a clear stain base to condition the cherry and prevent blotching—cherry is infamous for blotching. The clear stain or conditioner soaks the wood fibers, which stops them from absorbing the final stain unevenly.

After a sealer and two top coats of clear finish, the mantel was ready for installation.

Installation

The day finally came and I transported the mantelpiece—in two completed pieces—to the customer’s home.

We prepared the area and set the mantle on sawhorses. We joined the overmantel frame to the mantle by screwing through the bottom of the mantle (on the back side, hidden) into the overmantel, attaching the overmantel panel to the top back edge of the mantle. After the two were joined, we attached a 6-in. wide x 9-ft. tall piece of 1/4-in. solid cherry to the backside of the mantle, from floor to ceiling, using screws, one panel on each side of the mantelpiece. Those 1/4-in. panels covered the bare wall from the mantelpiece to the bookcases.

We had to cut several holes for electrical and the HDTV system. To ensure there were no mistakes, I setup a laser on one electrical box, then took measurements from and to the other boxes. Next, I positioned the mantel on the wall and used the projected laser line to mark exact locations on masking tape for each cut.

To secure the mantel we attached two plywood boards to the wall using screws and adhesive. We ripped the plywood to fit inside the pilasters and spaced them perfectly, so that the mantelpiece would slip right over them. The flanking 1/4-in. pieces of cherry had a good bead of silicone applied to them along with other areas of the mantel. Finally, I placed the mantel back into position and attached it with two nails on either side, through the legs into the plywood backing previously attached to the wall. I also drove three screws through the top of the mantel panel, behind the future line of the crown molding that would be applied after the cabinets were installed.

About two weeks later the cabinets were completed and installed. The molding will be installed along with the entire lower floor, not done at this time.

• • •

AUTHOR BIO

Leo Graywacz is the owner of LRG WoodCrafting in Windsor Locks, CT. He started the company in 1997, and has worked by himself, for himself, since that time. Leo’s company specializes in custom woodworking, especially interior architecture and cabinets.

Leo got his start in cabinetry while he was still in his late teens. Getting a job with a house builder, he worked through different jobs until he found himself in the shop, where he flourished. After three years, he was in charge of his own area and had his own helper, making historic windows and sashes.

From that job, he went to other shops and found that he might want to try going out on his own—so he did. For a while, he had a shop in Coventry, CT. It was inexpensive to rent, but was quite a distance from his home. He found a new shop much closer to home, and has been there ever since. He has since doubled the size of the rental area, and handles most of the tasks himself, from ordering materials, to delivery and installation.

Leo likes to dabble in photography, mostly wildlife. When he gets a chance to be in nature with his camera, he can get lost in the art of taking pictures. When he isn’t out in the wild, he is taking photos of work he has completed. He enjoys being on the computer, which makes his work life much easier, and makes time off enjoyable when he isn’t with his family.

He moderates on three forums that deal with construction: Contractor Talk, Remodel Crazy, and Woodworking Talk. He is a member of several others forums, where he tries to help others in the field by talking about his experiences.

Leo has a wife, who has been with him for 25 years, and two boys. The oldest is in college and likes bowling—he enters tournaments, and has an average of 250. The younger son is still in grade school, and, like most young boys, enjoys playing computer games. Leo’s wife is very supportive of his business and is understanding of the time it takes to do it alone. Which is a good thing, because he puts in a lot of hours!

How about setting level and plumb lines for a project? Are you still using a water level or transit for such applications? Probably not—the laser level has earned a place in the tool arsenal of most carpenters because it reduces both labor and potentially costly layout errors, thereby saving its owner time and money.

There’s another tool, which, while not yet very common on most jobsites I visit, has the potential to save you even more time and money than laser levels and nail guns combined. It’s a moisture meter.

What Moisture Meters Do

Moisture meters “read” the moisture content of lumber, drywall, concrete—in fact, just about any porous building product, whether already installed or sitting in a supplier’s warehouse. This information allows installers to accurately predict how the materials they’re working with will move in the future. This knowledge is invaluable, as one can then plan the installation accordingly and be secure in knowing they’ve made provisions for the inevitable expansion or contraction of the lumber, or whatever material they’re working with.

Moisture content varies dramatically. (Note: Click any image to enlarge.)

If you don't know the moisture content of the material you're installing, you're working in the dark, and luck isn't on your side.

Wood flooring installers have been using moisture meters for years. Many will check not only the MC (moisture content) of the flooring they’re preparing to install, but also the MC of the slab or subfloor it’s about to be installed over, and sometimes even the adjacent framing and drywall. This is especially true on new construction projects, where literally thousands of gallons of water vapor will most often evaporate from curing concrete, framing lumber, drywall compound, and paint.

The reason they take such precautions is simple—moisture goes to dryness. If the wood flooring is dryer than the surrounding materials, moisture from those materials will likely work its way into the flooring, causing it to swell, and possibly even buckle, in extreme cases. Conversely, if the flooring has a dramatically higher MC than surrounding surfaces, moisture will be drawn out of the flooring, causing it to shrink. Either situation is a likely call-back (and an expensive one at that), which is why installers often check and double-check conditions until they’re satisfied the MC of all the building materials—flooring, framing, masonry, etc.—in a particular area is similar.

But flooring contractors aren’t the only ones who can benefit from using a moisture meter. Anyone who works with finished products that have a propensity to move due to changes in moisture content will find value in owning an instrument. Finish carpenters, in particular, should carry a moisture meter in their truck and should use it just as flooring contractors do, checking and documenting the MC of not only previously installed components on the job, but all the millwork and cabinets delivered to the site, as well as any lumber taken from an outside source, such as a lumberyard, another jobsite, etc. In short, any material in your finished product that absorbs and releases moisture should be checked prior to installation.

What Moisture Meters Tell Us

Why go through all this trouble? Consider this… a 4% change in the MC of a piece of flat-grained softwood equals a 1% change in its size. This may not seem like a lot, but flooring installers know differently.

To put this into perspective, let’s consider a typical T&G beadboard installation, whether on a porch ceiling, as wainscoting on a wall, or whatever. Assuming 3-in. wide beadboard is being used, it will take 4 pieces, placed edge-to-edge, to cover one running foot on the width of the wall or ceiling. On an 8-foot wide surface, that equals 32 pieces. And if the MC of the beadboard were to increase 4%, that equates to over 1/32 in. of expansion per piece, or about an inch of total expansion, and that’s just in 8 feet! Imagine what happens when a beadboard porch ceiling runs perpendicular to a home!

While we can’t change how nature does her business, we can be aware of conditions and plan accordingly. Fortunately, you need not spend a ransom to acquire a decent moisture meter. There are entry-level models available for as little as $30, though one should probably plan on spending at least $125 and up to acquire a good quality instrument.

Pin or Pinless?

That’s the first choice you will need to make when selecting a meter. Most moisture meters read the moisture content of material through pins that are driven into the surface of the material. The pins are needle sharp barbs, typically around 1/2 in. long. The pins reach into the cells of the material, measuring the electrical resistance of the product. Since moisture is a good conductor of electricity, the greater the amount of moisture present, the higher the reading will be.

Pinless moisture meters typically bombard the material being tested with RF (radio frequency) signals, measuring dielectric properties which change proportionally to how wet or dry the material is.

The advantage to a pin-type meter is that it usually costs less than a pinless. I’ve owned a very serviceable Lignomat pin model for close to 15 years. If I recall correctly, I paid less than $100 for it. A disadvantage to this type of meter is that it’s a bit invasive, leaving two holes wherever it’s pushed into a surface (see image, below). While not very large, these holes can be an issue if the surface is already finished (as is usually the case with cabinetry, for example).

On the flip side, some instruments offer longer pins and even hammer probes for checking the MC of thicker lumber such as logs and timber. This method is very accurate, which is why these are usually the tools of choice for commercial lumber and millwork operations.

Pinless meters leave no holes, but are usually more expensive, with prices starting at around $200, and often selling for much, much more. So, if one can afford it, why wouldn’t a pinless meter be desirable? In a nutshell: Accuracy. Pinless meters scan a cross-section of material, and then average the readings to give you the MC. If more moisture is present on the surface of the material (which is easier for the meter to scan) vs. the core, the MC reading can be skewed.

Additionally, a pinless meter is most accurate when the surface it is reading is dead flat and at least as wide as the scanning portion of the instrument. If you need to determine the MC of a sizable piece of lumber, such as a post or beam, you’ll get a more accurate reading by using a pin type meter. But if you need to verify whether that load of pre-finished, custom mahogany frame and panel interior doors is ready for installation, go pinless.

Pin meters have another limitation. They won’t typically read MC under 6%, since material that is drier than that doesn’t have enough moisture present for the meter to detect. This shouldn’t be much of an issue for carpenters in all but the most arid parts of the country, as even the driest material we install is usually in a range above 6%.

If the aforementioned information still can’t help you select a type of meter, there’s always the combination, or dual option. Fairly recent to the marketplace, a dual meter offers the advantages of both types of instrument in one package. It allows the user to quickly scan the surface of the material using pinless technology. If more accuracy is required, it also functions as a pin-type meter, thanks to the probes incorporated on its leading end. This best-of-both-worlds tool usually has a starting price of around $400.

For 3/4-in. material, the pins should penetrate at least 1/4 in. into the wood. To get an accurate reading on thicker material, the pins must penetrate deeper.

This pressure-treated 4×4 was soaked and felt like lead.

Calibration

Some meters require manual calibration to ensure accurate readings, while others are factory-set and not adjustable. This issue reminds me of the “fixed vs. adjustable vial level debate,” with each side having its proponents as well as opponents. If you choose a meter requiring calibration, be aware that you may also need to purchase a calibration kit with the meter, and occasionally perform accuracy tests. My feeling is that this is probably overkill for most carpenters as the increased accuracy (if any) is likely not enough to warrant the additional expense and effort.

Settings

The more accurate moisture meters require the user to select the type of material being tested. Because not all wood has the same resistance properties, one must set their meter to a predetermined species group. My Mini Ligno, for example, lists over 20 different wood species in two different groups. Setting the meter to the group being tested is clearly outlined in the user manual for the instrument, and usually requires little effort. On my meter, it’s as easy as double-clicking a contact switch that’s between the pins.