DEAR GLENN: I’ve read many of your articles in JLC and I’ve watched videos on your website, too. You seem to be the go-to guy when it comes to deck construction. Maybe you can help me with my headache! I apologize if my rant is long (see below), but I’m hoping it’ll straighten out the issues for other builders, too. — Scott Wells – Scott Wells Construction Co., Medford, OR Read the full article…
There was a time when tradesmen were some of the most respected citizens in a community. Wheel-wrights, masons, joiners, carpenters—people who worked with their hands—were respected like doctors, lawyers, and accountants are today. Read the full article…
I wanted to build my shop so that it’d be really comfortable to work in. What’s more, I wanted to be sure to build it responsibly. I mean, who knows who will work in my shop when I’m gone? Read the full article…
Once I find something that works, I pretty much stay with it. And the system I’ve used for making simple cabinets is still largely the same. I use multiple shaper setups for making cope-and-stick stile-and-rail doors, raising panels, and other high-end cabinetry projects. But in this article I want to focus on basic cabinet construction using a minimal number of tools—tools that most carpenters already own. Read the full article…
For almost fifteen years I’ve been meeting a friend of mine, Ken, on Friday mornings. He’s retired, but he still does a few small jobs. Sometimes he gets one that is a little over the top and asks me to help. Recently, he pulled out a picture of a door and said, “Do you think we could make one of these?” Another builder friend of his had a client who had to have the door, until they found out the price! Read the full article…
Over the years, I’ve done my share of beam work, but I didn’t get a taste of real timber framing until a few years ago, during the recession, when a friend and I salvaged an old barn—there wasn’t much work around and the opportunity presented itself. Even though the barn had outlived its useful days and the roof had failed, most of the timber framing was still stable. And here’s why—joinery. Read the full article…
Co-written by Emanuel Silva
In my last article, I wrote about installing a fence post. Although it was dirty and hard work, I enjoyed every minute of it. Seeing that fence post today, standing plumb and solid, makes me feel glad that all the steps I did were well worth it. Read the full article…
So much was happening back in the first weeks of September 2001. Reading the news and watching videos of the Twin Towers, few of us knew that Roger Cliffe passed way, after suffering a heart attack while riding his bike. While some people knew him as Dr. Cliffe, because he taught technology classes at Northern Illinois University, many of us knew Roger as a prolific author of woodworking books (Table Saw Techniques, Radial Arm Saw Basics, The Shaper Handbook, etc. ), and as an extremely approachable woodworking instructor. Read the full article…
In 2011, I was given the opportunity to frame up four small houses with Dutch Hip roofs on a remote island in the tropics. I planned to use the experience to teach the contractor’s crew western style framing. Read the full article…
We live in a society that undervalues blue-collar work. In the late 80s and early 90s, when computer technology grew by leaps and bounds, industrial arts classrooms were turned into computer labs; students were taught that a four-year degree was the only accepted path after high school. Today, we see a huge increase in the number of college graduates that cannot find a job in their field because a flood of new graduates—in addition to the existing workforce—are competing for the same job. Read the full article…
I have always been on the lookout for a better way to make a more secure rail post connection at the bottom of a set of deck stairs. Over the years, I have tried the old ways of mounting the post on the outside of the stringer and adding a couple of bolts—a technique that never worked, and especially won’t work today because of the way that building codes have changed: Deck posts must now withstand 200 lbs. of lateral force. This new code requires a lot more thought, and the installation requires a lot more hardware. Read the full article…
When I first read Norm’s article on skirt scribing, four thoughts immediately came to mind:
1) He and I both learned the technique from the same instructor, Don Zepp.
2) Norm’s explanation of the process was spot on.
3) I had a bunch of photos of a skirt board I had installed that I should share with others.
4) I felt exactly like Norm did: Don Zepp was absolutely the best instructor I’ve ever had the good fortune of learning from. Read the full article…
Since I began work on my new home and shop, I’ve been learning a lot about new materials. I didn’t want to do this job on my own—I can’t even begin to keep track of all the new instructions and methods to ensure proper installs. Even if it came out in the last five or ten years, it’s still brand new to the way our industry works. Read the full article…
About six years ago, I remodeled an Avis car rental office. Prior to the remodel, the office had a showroom of cars on display, complete with showroom-style glass so that the cars could be seen from the road. Avis wanted to give the office a softer, more residential look, so the glass was removed, a wall was framed, and double-hung windows and vinyl cedar shake siding were installed. At the time, I figured my only option was to install a metal residential door—a typical one you’d find in a home, made of galvanized light-gauge steel—and a wood frame. I didn’t know I could get a raised panel commercial steel door with glass back then! Read the full article…