Sharpening tools properly must be one of the hardest lessons to learn in carpentry. And yet the path to success is simple. Unless you’re a tool junkie, or my friend Gary Katz, it doesn’t require fancy or expensive equipment. Read the full article…
Sharpening tools properly must be one of the hardest lessons to learn in carpentry. And yet the path to success is simple. Unless you’re a tool junkie, or my friend Gary Katz, it doesn’t require fancy or expensive equipment. Read the full article…
Early last winter, after searching for more than two years, I finally found a new home in Oregon, outside of Medford, near the small town of Ruch. It took a long time to find this place because I couldn’t decide where I wanted to live and once I did, I had a hard time finding a place I could afford—a small, older home that hadn’t been remodeled. After the “big boom,” houses like that became pretty rare. Read the full article…
…and a Deck Ledger
The most important thing I’ve learned about installing doors and windows—and of course I learned it the hard way—is this: Look at the Whole Picture, then always start at the bottom and get the sill perfectly level. That lesson paid off big time while setting a French door and sidelights in my own home. Read the full article…
One of the most important aspects of window installation is weatherproofing. I’ve seen too many jobs with window flashing installed improperly, allowing moisture to penetrate the jamb, leading to air and water leaks, rot, mold—the whole mess. Read the full article…
I’ve been helping my dad since I learned to walk (when I was nine months old, to be exact). I began work as his assistant when I was three months old: after daycare, I’d accompany him to look at jobs, sign contracts, and even pick up materials for the next day. As I got a little older (around age two), I started to actually help out on projects—I’d hold one end of the tape measure and carry his notepad on estimates. Read the full article…
The TiC Toolbox is a new, FREE mobile app—a pocket reference from THISisCarpentry.com, created especially for carpenters, contractors, and architects. Download the TiC Toolbox for instant, on-the-job problem-solving, for in-the-shop solutions, or use it as a desktop reference! This app will improve skills and increase productivity. Read the full article…
In Part 1 of this article, we reviewed the details of casing joinery and how to measure for new casing around a door frame. We also reviewed the necessary cut list, so that you can cut your casing right the first time. In Part 2, we moved on to the details of baseboard. We covered the best methods for installing casing and the use of hand-driven nails in Part 3. We’ll finish Chapter 2 by exploring methods for pre-assembly. Read the full article…
In Part 1 of this article, we reviewed the details of casing joinery and how to measure for new casing around a door frame. We also reviewed the necessary cut list, so that you can cut your casing right the first time. In Part 2, we moved on to the details of baseboard. Now, we’ll explore the best methods for installing casing, and the use of hand-driven nails—the preferred technique for working with soft wood. Read the full article…
This article is a follow-up to “The Misused & Confused Chair Rail“, which I wrote for TiC a couple of years ago. It generated a lot of positive and negative feedback, and hopefully it challenged your ideas of how to use a chair rail. That article also led to many questions about other trim elements. One question that continues to come up concerns how to build mantels. Read the full article…
The values on the calculator that we use for common roof framing are: Pitch, Rise, Run, and Diagonal. If you have any two of those values, the calculator will quickly figure out the rest of the right triangle—which means it will tell you everything else you need to know about a rafter. Read the full article…
As a young carpenter (or should I say, “helper”) I was always amazed at the skill of the roof framers. They made it seem effortless to cut and fit roof rafters with only the aid of a framing square. The whole process mystified me. In those early years, I tried several times to do it myself, but I never had success. Read the full article…
In the not-too-distant past, all boats were made out of wood. It was a highly refined art that required proper materials, extensive knowledge, and patience. Today, this skill survives among an elite group of craftsmen. Read the full article…
I was on a job recently where I had to completely rework the entry door install on a house. It was difficult to tell from a distance, but the original work had been poorly done (and that might be an understatement!). All of the errors made in that original installation became more and more apparent once I started disassembling the install in order to right the wrongs. Sometimes you have to peel back more than the skin to see how rotten the fruit is at the core. And then you need to take a strategic approach to help that core heal. Read the full article…
A few years ago, I was riding on a plane to Columbus for JLC LIVE. I was working away on my laptop, oblivious to the fellow sitting beside me who was reading every word I wrote over my shoulder. When he asked if I was a carpenter, I may have exhaled audibly. I was sure that he’d start telling me about his most recent remodel, the molding he installed in his dining room, or the screen door he hung on the back porch. I couldn’t have been further off the mark. Read the full article…