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Copper Rooflet

A copper rooflet isn’t made of wood, so what’s it doing in THISisCarpentry? Well, working with copper requires a lot of the skills that we use every day working with wood. In this project, the rooflet is meant to “look” like wood, and it serves a purpose that is generally filled by wood. Sure, I use some skills that are not technically considered “carpentry,” but if you’ve ever sweated a pipe-fitting, or made a pan-flashing for a window or door, or flashed a cricket, valley, or chimney, you’ve got the skills. So, brush off that dusty skill set, use your imagination, and apply it to a project that just might be screaming COPPER! Read the full article…

Staircase in a Bottle

A Blast from the Past

Have you ever thought about building a model ship in a bottle? What about a staircase? Of course, if you think about it, it’s not the bottle that’s the problem, it’s the bottleneck. Quite a few years ago, I was facing just such a challenge. At first, it seemed simple enough, but the more I thought about it, the tighter the squeeze seemed to be. Read the full article…

Hull-Oakes Sawmill

Hull-Oakes Lumber may be the last steam-powered commercial saw mill in the country, and they’re one of the few mills capable of cutting large timbers up to 85 ft. long. The mill has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1996. Large long timbers are still used in railroad trestles, the restoration of historic structures, and for the spars and masts of ships. By coincidence, the day I arrived the mill was cutting an 80-ft. long timber for the restoration of the C.A. Thayer, an early 20th century three-masted schooner used to transport lumber along the West Coast. Read the full article…

Casing Doors: Part 1

The trim that surrounds a door frame is called casing, and it’s always installed before baseboard and chair rail because they have to butt against it. Casing is also the easiest type of molding to install because the joinery is simple, making it a perfect first project.

I’ll start off by explaining the details of casing joinery and describing how to measure for new casing around a door frame. I also talk about making a cut list, so when you cut your casing it will be perfect the first time. Read the full article…

Wooden Storm Door

Like many carpenters, I’m always looking for an interesting challenge. I like tackling something I’ve never done before—and succeeding. Not only is it satisfying to push yourself, but a satisfied customer means good word-of-mouth, which (hopefully) leads to more work. Win-win. This is exactly what happened when one of my best clients approached me with an interesting project. Read the full article…

Sharp Matters at Windsor Mill

Remembering Ray Flynn

I first visited the WindsorONE mill in Willits, CA about ten years ago. Don Dunkley, the events coordinator for JLC LIVE, arranged the tour for a group of show presenters. I remember driving up there in a van with Tom Carty, Mike Sloggatt, Don Dunkley, Tom Brewer, and a few other guys. The trip is still vivid, mostly because Tom Carty got carsick in the back of the van. Read the full article…

An Introduction to Spreadsheets

Like most contractors, I’m always looking for ways to be more efficient and accurate when it comes to the paperwork needed in this business. There are a great many programs available that claim to fully automate your construction business. Most of them are either too expensive and/or too complicated for my small business. What I need is something easier to use and more flexible. Read the full article…

Stanley Sells Delta

More changes in the Tool Industry

Started in a garage by Herbert Tautz in 1919, and known for producing the first combination table saw/joiner, as well as The Unisaw, Delta Tools was recently sold by Stanley Black & Decker to Chang Type Industrial Co. of Taiwan, manufacturer of power tools for DeWalt, Black & Decker, Craftsman, and Ryobi. The tools will continue to be produced in the U.S. To learn more, read on! Read the full article…

Ramps for the Handicapped

Volunteer work: good for the community and good for the soul

One of my first memories, in the early 1930s, when I was 4 or 5 years old, was of our mother taking care of a neighbor woman, Eula Hughbanks, who had tuberculosis. TB was more common in those days, with little hope for a cure, especially for poor people. The nearest medical care of any kind was 30 miles away. Such care might as well have been on the other side of the world for most of us, as few had an automobile. So people did what people have always done, especially in hard times—they took care of one another. Read the full article…

The NEW Bosch Axial Glide Miter Saw!

I was excited to work with the new Bosch Axial Glide “folding” miter saw (AGS), especially since I’m still enjoying a prosperous relationship with its older brother—the 5412. With an innovative articulating arm straight out of a transformers movie, the neato factor of this unit alone has stirred more interest in carpentry circles than Obama-Care has in rest homes. Read the full article…

The Misused & Confused Chair Rail

How high should we install chair rail? Ask most carpenters and they’ll either say 36 in., 32 in. or they’ll measure the back of a chair and tell you to lay it out so the chair won’t scar the wall. Well, I’m sorry to say, that unless your ceilings are 16-ft. tall, 36 in. is way too high for the chair rail; and letting the back of the chair set the chair rail height is like letting the size of a rug decide the size of a room. In most cases, it just doesn’t work! Read the full article…