c/carpenters

Tried a new way to cut crown molding last week and it saved my back

I was doing a big install in a two-story foyer and my old method of cutting on the saw horses was killing me. So I tried building a simple jig that holds the molding upright against the fence, like I saw in a video. After three cuts, I was sold. The fit was way better and I wasn't bent over all day. Anyone have other jig ideas for tricky trim work?

My old Stanley 78 rabbet plane finally gave up the ghost on a job in Boise

The lateral adjustment lever snapped clean off when I was working on some oak window trim last Tuesday. I've had that plane for almost twenty years, bought it from a retired guy's garage sale. Ended up finishing the cut with a router and a straight edge, but it just wasn't the same. Anyone have a good source for vintage parts, or should I just retire it for good?

Vent: I was cutting crown molding wrong for a solid decade

I was installing some crown in a kitchen remodel last month and the homeowner, an older guy who used to be a trim carpenter, just watched me for a minute. He finally said, 'Son, you know you can cut that flat against the saw fence, right?' I always held it up against the miter saw table like it sits on the wall, which is a pain and never felt right. He showed me how to set the angles for a spring cut by laying the molding flat and using the bevel and miter settings together. My cuts went from needing tons of caulk to fitting tight in about two minutes. Has anyone else had a basic trick like that slip by them for way too long?

Pro tip: I was cutting all my crown upside down for years

I was installing crown molding in a house in Charlotte last month, and the homeowner asked why I had the piece flipped over on the saw. I told him that's how you always do it, with the bottom against the fence. He showed me a video from a guy who cuts it flat against the table, with the top against the fence. I tried it on the next piece and the fit was way tighter in the corner, maybe a 30% better joint. How many of you cut crown flat instead of upside down?

I've been cutting my own shims for years and just found out it's a waste of time

My foreman in Tacoma saw me doing it last week and said 'just buy the bag, you're losing an hour a day.' Has anyone else switched to pre-cut shims and actually saved money?

Rant: My miter saw blade bound up cutting a 4x4 pressure-treated post for a deck in Spokane

Honestly, I was rushing to finish before dark and didn't check for a warped board, so when the blade pinched, I had to cut the power, wedge the kerf open with a chisel, and finish the cut with my handsaw, which took an extra 45 minutes. Anyone have a better trick for dealing with a bind on wet lumber?

Had a deck ledger pull away from a house in Kansas City last month

It was a 16 foot section on a 20 year old house, and the lag bolts had just rusted through. We ended up sistering new joists to the existing ones and anchoring into fresh blocking with structural screws. What's your go-to fix for a rotted ledger board?

I used to cut all my trim with a miter saw until a job in Denver made me switch to a coping saw for inside corners

That time I misread the plans for a custom bookshelf in Tacoma

I was installing a built-in unit and cut all the shelf dados at 3/4 inch, but the spec sheet clearly said 5/8. I realized it halfway through and had to recut every single piece from fresh oak, which set me back a full day and about $200 in material. Has anyone else had a plan misread that cost them this much time?

Tried a Japanese pull saw on some oak trim in Portland

I was doing some finish work on a house in the Pearl District and grabbed a Ryoba saw instead of my usual Western back saw. The cut was way cleaner, but I almost went through the piece on the backstroke because I forgot how thin the kerf is. Anyone have a good trick for keeping these saws from wandering on hardwoods?

Saw a clever way to hide a support post in a historic house in Savannah

My neighbor said my deck framing looked 'overbuilt' and it got me thinking

He's a retired engineer, not a carpenter, and he pointed at my doubled 2x10 beams and asked if I really needed all that for a 12x16 deck. I explained the span charts and load, but his question stuck with me about when extra strength is needed versus just added cost and weight. Where do you all draw the line between solid construction and going overboard on a residential job?

A quick tip on cutting pressure treated lumber that saved me a ton of cleanup

I was building a deck last week and had to cut a bunch of 2x6 pressure treated boards. I used to just cut them on my sawhorses with a circular saw and let the wet, gritty sawdust fall everywhere. This time, I set up a cheap plastic tarp under the cut line, just draped over the horses. The difference was huge. All that nasty, damp sawdust that stains concrete and sticks to everything landed on the tarp. When I was done, I just folded it up and tossed it. It took maybe two extra minutes to set up but saved me at least 30 minutes of sweeping and hosing off the driveway. The cleanup was so much faster and my client's yard wasn't a mess. Has anyone else found a simple trick like this for dealing with treated wood mess?

My old miter saw passed 25 years of use this month

I bought it new in 1999 for a kitchen remodel in my first house. It's a basic 10-inch DeWalt, nothing fancy, but it's never needed more than a new blade and a cleaning. The fact it's still cutting true after all these projects, from crown molding to deck framing, just feels good. Anyone else have a tool that's been with them for decades?

Just realized how much wood moves in a year after a job in Phoenix

I was working on a custom built in for a living room here in Phoenix last summer, using some nice 8/4 walnut. I let it sit in the shop for a week, milled it, and installed it with what I thought was a good gap. Came back for a small fix this week, almost a year later, and the panel had shrunk a full quarter inch. The homeowner pointed it out, and I felt pretty bad. I looked it up after and found out that wood can move about 1/4 inch for every 12 inches of width across the grain with the seasons, depending on the species and humidity. I always knew it moved, but seeing that exact number from a woodworking site really hit home. I guess the dry air here just pulls moisture out like crazy. How do you guys in really dry or really wet places figure your seasonal gaps?

Can we talk about the worst framing day I've had in years?

Spent 8 hours on a house in Tacoma just to find out the foundation was 2 inches out of square, so every wall we built was junk. Has anyone else had to tear out a whole day's work because of a surveyor's screw-up?

Unpopular opinion: I gave up on pocket screws for face frames

I was building kitchen cabinets for a remodel in Tacoma and used pocket screws on all the face frames like I always do. On the third day, I noticed a tiny gap opening up on a long frame... maybe 1/16 of an inch. The wood just moved with the humidity change in the house. I learned that for me, the clamping action of a good glue joint is just more reliable over time. Has anyone else had frames shift on them like that?

Shoutout to the old timer who showed me the right way to set a miter saw fence

I kept getting slight gaps on my crown molding joints because my fence wasn't perfectly square to the blade. He had me check it with a machinist's square, and mine was off by about 1/32 of an inch over 6 inches. Anyone else have a go-to method for dialing in their saws?

Shoutout to the $80 laser level I bought for a tile job

It saved me from a total disaster when the homeowner's floor was visibly sloped, but now my apprentice uses it to draw perfect squares on the shop floor for no reason. Anyone else have a tool that gets used for the weirdest side projects?

Rant: A client in Tacoma wanted a built-in bookcase but refused to let me anchor it to the wall

Last week I was finishing this custom oak unit for a living room, about seven feet tall. The homeowner insisted it was 'heavy enough to stand on its own' and said no to any wall fasteners because of the plaster. I tried to explain it was a tipping hazard, especially with kids, but they wouldn't budge. Has anyone else had to deal with a client who just wouldn't listen to basic safety stuff? How did you handle it?

My miter saw fence gave out halfway through a crown molding job

I was cutting a long piece of oak crown yesterday when the whole fence assembly just slid forward with a loud crack. The locking mechanism sheared right off. I had to clamp a straight board to the table as a makeshift fence to finish the day. Has anyone else had a fence fail like that, and what did you replace it with?

Reading an old trade journal and found a surprising fact about nail guns

I was flipping through a 1998 issue of 'Fine Woodworking' at the library and read that pneumatic nailers cause over 37,000 ER visits a year. I always knew they were powerful, but that number really stuck with me. Do you think modern safety features have made a real dent in that statistic, or is it still a major hazard on the job?

I finally got why my dad always used a story stick for cabinets

My uncle, who ran a shop for 40 years, said 'measuring is for checking, a story stick is for knowing.' It clicked that I was wasting time re-measuring the same wall three times. Anyone have a favorite way to mark them up?

Update: My miter saw blade caught a hidden nail in a reclaimed oak beam

I was cutting a 4x8 for a deck in Tacoma and the whole piece kicked back, snapping the carbide tip. I switched to a demo blade and went slower, but what's your go-to for checking old wood before a cut?

My neighbor's kid asked me why we use a chalk line instead of just a pencil

I was snapping a line for some deck joists yesterday, and the little guy from next door was watching. He pointed at my chalk box and said, 'Wouldn't a pencil be easier?' I explained that the chalk line gives me a perfectly straight guide across 16 feet that I can see from anywhere on the frame. A pencil mark is just for one spot. It made me realize how many little tricks we take for granted. What's the simplest tool or method you had to explain to someone new?