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Frank Screws

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A simple technique by Frank Caputo makes setting window stool a whole lot easier.

I’ve been working with my dad for 15 years. In those years, I’ve learned almost everything I know from him. But lately I’ve been picking up some great techniques from the JLC Forums, and they’ve changed the way we work. Yes, they’ve even changed my Dad’s approach to a craft he’s been practicing for over thirty years.

On a recent job, we were asked to install all of the window stool at the same elevation throughout the home, and tie together the stool on adjacent windows. I’ve done this same work before many times, using wooden shims. But that technique has always been frustrating. Read the full article…

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Frank Screws – Toolbox

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A simple technique by Frank Caputo makes setting window stool a whole lot easier.

I’ve been working with my dad for 15 years. In those years, I’ve learned almost everything I know from him. But lately I’ve been picking up some great techniques from the JLC Forums, and they’ve changed the way we work. Yes, they’ve even changed my Dad’s approach to a craft he’s been practicing for over thirty years.

On a recent job, we were asked to install all of the window stool at the same elevation throughout the home, and tie together the stool on adjacent windows. I’ve done this same work before many times, using wooden shims. But that technique has always been frustrating. Read the full article…

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Kickback: Letters from TiC Readers

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Our new format: Up in arms?

As a professional carpenter as well as an admitted bibliophile (collecting both books and magazines pertaining to trade craft), I just wanted to express my disappointment that you have decided to switch to a different layout than that offered with iPaper. The release of your e-magazines each period was more exciting to me to receive than most table magazines I receive.

Just when I thought you would be the forerunner in the woodworking genre e-book transition, you go the direction that so many other craftsmen-oriented websites go: the blog and forum. Read the full article…

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Hot News Flash: Table Saw Safety

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Carpenters looking for new jobsite table saws have probably noticed that riving knives are now standard equipment on ALL table saws (see TiC issue three), a critical safety improvement that not only saves fingers but also improves table saw performance.

But if lawyers have their way, we may soon be seeing SawStop technology on every table saw. And that will mean a significant improvement in table saw safety AND a significant boost in table saw prices, too. Read the full article…

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An Award-Winning Letter

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“How I built a reputation that is now worth money to me as a builder”
A reprinted article from American Carpenter & Builder, July, 1912.

We all owe a debt of gratitude to Jeff K. Burks for the tremendous effort he makes to discover, copy, and share these jewels! Years ago, Jeff introduced me and countless other carpenters to C Howard Walker’s seminal book, The Theory of Moldings. Here, Jeff provides us with a telescopic view of the past: timeless lessons that carpenters should heed today about building better business practices. Read the full article…

From The Road: 17 Comments | Add a Comment

Falling Water

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Where Wright was Right and Wright was Wrong

I recently read The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. What a great story about an architect—Howard Roark—who refuses to compromise his creative ideals or his personal values. In a biography of Frank Lloyd Wright, Brendan Gill discusses the comparison between Wright and Roark, and the common misconception that Rand based her character on the famous architect (Many Masks, pg. 490-492). After reading several biographies of Wright (and learning Wright was a colossal egotist), then visiting many of his homes (where I was overwhelmed by their timeless beauty), I have to agree: it’s too bad there wasn’t more in common between the man and the myth. But Wright’s work, and especially his influence on architecture, will definitely outlive his personality. Read the full article…

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Festool 4 Ft. (Stabila) Level

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When I started teaching carpentry clinics at lumberyards around the country, one of the first companies I sought support from was Stabila—I used their levels for a couple of decades and wouldn’t think of switching brands. There was no other spirit level available that guaranteed the same degree of precision, whether the vials were right-side up or up-side down.

When I first started in the trades, I used an adjustable level, but threw it away after setting door jambs in a home getting bull-nose drywall. Read the full article…

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Customizing a Table Saw Stand

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A unique approach to making a full-function work center

As a young carpenter living in an apartment and specializing in residential remodeling, I have to wear a lot of hats—and make them all fit into a truck and small trailer. That is why I always look for tools and techniques that combine multiple tasks into smaller packages, especially when it comes to table saws and table saw stands. To start with, I’ve always wanted one that would fit in my truck, but that’s just for starters. Read the full article…

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Exterior Porch Details for Traditional Materials

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Drive through a new subdivision today and you’re greeted by homes covered with large swathes of vinyl and plastic. Step onto a porch and meet more plastic—floors, railings, columns…the list goes on and on.

In many homes, plastic has replaced wood and permeated almost every exterior building product. Not surprisingly, builders have become fluent at installing plastic, while wood skills have begun to disappear. Just when we need them most. Read the full article…

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Shop Class as Soulcraft

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A book every craftsman should read

“What sort of personality does one need to have, as a twenty-first-century mechanic, to tolerate the layers of electronic bullshit that get piled on top of machines?”
–Matthew Crawford, Shop Class as Soulcraft: Penquin Press, 2009

I recently taught a class on Mastering the Miter Saw to a group of mixed-age students at the West Valley Occupational Center, near my home in Los Angeles. I’ve volunteered to teach classes there before. The instructors teach drafting, framing, electrical, drywall—a general hands-on course covering everything about construction with blackboard backup. It’s a great program for anyone new to the trades. But I was surprised to find the class stalled by a lack of building materials. One instructor was digging into his own pocket to keep his class going. Read the full article…

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When Special Orders Go Bad

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When the GC got to the jobsite on Monday morning, I could tell from the look on his face that something was wrong. After a quick glance at the materials in the back of his truck — two special order interior doors and some small moldings, I knew exactly what it was. The special order doors, like a lot of other special order items that are delivered near the end of the job, were the wrong ones. Read the full article…

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An Introduction to SketchUp for Finish Carpenters

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— It works the way a carpenter thinks.

If you are tired of working out trim details on a scrap of wood or making shop drawings with graph paper and a ruler, SketchUp is your answer. Unlike most computer-aided design programs you may have tried, SketchUp is very intuitive and works the way a carpenter thinks.

SketchUp has a simple set of tools that you can use to create anything from a rough mock-up to a very detailed drawing with 1/64″ precision. How much detail you want is up to you. The ability to convey your ideas to customers quickly and to produce working shop drawings is what SketchUp can do for you. Are you intrigued? What if I told you that it’s FREE! Read the full article…

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Making Money on Built-ins

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Selling yourself: Like it or not, marketing matters.

I started my Handyman business in Los Angeles, CA back in 1999 after leaving a 23-year sales career. I made a good living in sales, but it wasn’t satisfying. I’ve always been interested in fixing things, and even more interested in working with wood.

Over the years, I’ve learned a lot — there’s a huge difference between the work I do today and the funky 1×10 knotty-pine nailed-together bookcase I built for my bedroom as a kid. Today, the jobs I enjoy most, and the ones I make the most money on, involve fine finish work, including custom cabinets, bookcases, and built-ins of every type. Read the full article…