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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!

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!

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.

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?

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!

• • •

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.

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.

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.

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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.

(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.