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…
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…
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…
This past summer, I had the opportunity to create a detail that is now rare in construction. The trade seems to have lost its flair for creative, interesting, and alluring details. All too often we have been transformed into simple assemblers. One of the reasons why I love remodeling is that no job is the same. While some parts of a job are unavoidably familiar, new challenges arise on every project. And some projects push us more than others. Read the full article…
Between my cabinet shop and remodeling company, I have the opportunity to work on a lot of fun and challenging projects. I recently tackled a project in which we converted a home office into a master bathroom. The interior designer on the project threw us a real curveball—(almost) literally! Read the full article…
Not long ago, I got a phone call from the company my mother works for. Apparently, a plow truck hit one of the brackets on a covered entry on the side of their building during a snowstorm. The maintenance crew looked at it and realized it was not the type of project they were willing to take on. The owner of the company, whom I have done work for in the past, said, “Call Ray. He’ll fix it.” Read the full article…
Not every project I build comes out perfectly. As a matter of fact, I can’t recall too many that didn’t have at least one minor mistake. Of course, I mean something that no one else would notice, though some of you might. Without a doubt, I’ve never built a perfect pivot bookcase, but I’m getting a lot closer! Read the full article…
I had a set of custom doors to build from scratch and boy was the timing right. Festool picked me as one of the few carpenters to get a Domino XL for user evaluation. And I took full advantage of the opportunity, one that I felt was both a privilege and a responsibility. I carefully documented the process for my peers on THISisCarpentry. Maybe another contributor will follow up with a different angle on this awesome second generation tool. Read the full article…
Four-centered arches are most often found in Victorian homes for a simple reason: Victorian architecture is a blend of neo-classical styles and Gothic designs. And there is no better example of Gothic revival architecture than a four-centered arch. Read the full article…
Two-centered and four-centered arches share something in common—a pointed peak. It’s not surprising that both are commonly found in Gothic and Gothic-inspired architecture. But a three-centered arch—sometimes called a ‘basket-handle arch’ or ‘Anse de panier’—closely resembles an ellipse, which puts it in a field of its own. Read the full article…
Today, ‘tangent handrail’ is certainly an obscure topic. Until recently, when I taught a seminar on the subject in Seattle, I didn’t think anyone would be interested. I was wrong. At that seminar, hosted by Keith Mathewson of Seattle Fine Woodworking, we had a full house of dedicated craftsmen who came together from all parts of the country for one reason only—to learn something new. Read the full article…
Soon after Larry Haun published his book, A Carpenter’s Life, I overheard someone complaining that the book was ‘repetitious’. They said: “Larry just keeps saying the same stuff chapter after chapter—take care of the earth, don’t be greedy, care about your neighbors. I thought the book was going to be about carpentry!” I didn’t have the courage to speak up then, but I will now, from the safety of my desk. Yes, Larry Haun’s final, and perhaps most illuminating, book is repetitious—and it should be. Read the full article…
Many of you know John Ratzenberger from his role as Cliff Clavin on the popular sitcom “Cheers”. Cliff was a postal worker who spent his free time eating peanuts and drinking beer. John, on the other hand, is an accomplished actor who spends his free time advocating on behalf of education for the construction industry. Read the full article…
About two weeks before leaving for three days of Roadshows in New Jersey a while back, I got a call from a friend in North Carolina: “Hey,” he said, “I know this guy in New Jersey who turns 16-ft. columns and tall porch posts on a 19th-century lathe!” I couldn’t pass that up. Read the full article…
Recently, a builder looking for help with a few projects referred a client to me. One of the projects was a mantel with cabinets on either side. They were unsure exactly what they wanted for the mantel, but the cabinet design would be similar to the kitchen cabinets they already had in their home. Read the full article…