215 Great Building Tips

101

Transcript of 215 Great Building Tips

Page 1: 215 Great Building Tips
Page 2: 215 Great Building Tips

25 years of great

CHAPTERS

Drywall / 32

r Repairr lnstallation

r Strategyr Tidy Applicationr Prep & Cleanup

r Rulesr Roofsr Walls

r Floors

El Finish Carpentry / 60

r Rulesr Cutting & Copingr Installing Trim '.

r Constructionr lnstal lat ionr Efficiency Guidelines

)

::j-'--\

2t DRYWALLL, Z REPAIR

a4 H.MEMADEI I MrrER cLAMPs

.orrrf,i.tiluoll 74

Painting | 40

Framing / 48

Cabinets / 7A

www.fi nehome bu i ld i n g . com

Page 3: 215 Great Building Tips

El Mechanical Systems / 80

r Electricalr plumbing

DEPARTMENTS

108

Editor's Note

Benches& Sawhorseslmproved sawhorse,Mult ipurpose cart,Knockdown saw stand

Doors& WindowsRouting hinge mort ises,Solo window instal lat ion

Energy EfficiencyCutt ing r igid insulat ion,lnsulated headers

Ti l ing TechniquesAccurate diagonal t i lecuts, Removing a brokenti le, Applying latex gro.ut

Math & MeasuringArch layout, Measuringodd shapes

The Thunton PressInspiration for hands-on livingo

6

B

r Roofingr Sidingr Trim

Stringersr Treads & Risersr Rail ings

El Outdoor Spaces / 102

. becksr Porchesr Patios

28

116

Exteriors / 86

Stairs | 96

al al-{ lf DRYWALL-rAPE

^ I ( r D | S P E N S E R- -

Page 4: 215 Great Building Tips

editor'snote

Welcome tothe tailgate party

AN OLD-TIMER ONCE TOLD ME that the key to working effi-

ciently on any building project is to avoid stupid mistakes. I think

he had the answer to half the equation. Knowing that you should

measure a board twice before cutting it once and that you should

remove masking tape before the sun bakes it onto the window is

important. But it's the clever solutions to common construction

problems that make up the other half of the equation.

Builders are a resourceful, gregarious lot. They delight in com-

ing up with ingenious ways to do things faster, with greater

accuracy, and typically with tools and materials already on hand.

Luckily, builders like to share their ideas, whether standing in the

checkout line at the hardware store or sitting on a tailgate with a

favorite beverage in hand at the end of the day.

For the past 25 years, Fine Homebuilding has

encouraged readers to submit their gems of use-

ful wisdom. The ideas are presented in our "Tips

& Techniques" column, where builders offer up

their job-site brainstorms, and they're scattered

throughout articles and other departments.

This special collection brings together some of

the best advice we've received addressing both

halves of the working-smarter equation. Here,

you willfind professional-grade guidance on

how to avoid mistakes and how to work more

efficiently, taken from a variety of feature articles on topics such

as framing, drywall, and painting. You also will find a wide range

of tips across the entire spectrum of tasks that make up this

occupation and this passion that we call home building.

ff you'd like to find out more about Fine Homebuilding, please

turn to p.121 for more information, or check out our Web site

at www.finehomebuilding.com. And if you've got a tip that you'd

like to share, send it in. Join the party.

-{harles Miller, special-issues editor

EditorKevin lreton

Executive Art DirectorRobert Goodfellow

Special-lssues EditorCharles Miller

Executive Editor.fim Snyder

Senior Editor Charles Bickford

Associate EditorsDanielS. Morrison,

Brian Pontolilo

Assistant EditorsJustin Fink,

Christopher Ermides, John Ross

Senior Copy/Production EditorChris Hoelck

Copy/Production Editor Julie Risinit

Deputy Art DirectorsDan Thornton, Marne A. Mayer

Art Assistant Krysta 5. Doerfler

Administrative AssistantMaureen Friedman

Contributing EditorsScott McBride, Rick Arnold,

Mike Guertin, Scott Gibson, Gary M. Katz

Indexer Harriet Hodges

PublisherTim Schreiner

Administrative AssistantChristina Glennon

Sr. Marketing ManagerCarolyn Turoczi

Single Copy Sales ManagerMark Stiekman

Advertising Sales ManagerJohn Dyckman

Corporate Accounts ManagerJudy Caruso

Senior National Account ManagersJoel Burger, James Spangenberg

National Account Managers.Charles Howe, Wendy Baxter,

Michelle Erca '

Ad Sales Support AssociateSharon Zagata

Fine Homebuilding Books & VideosExecutive Editor, Home building

Steve Culpepper

F I N E H O M E B U I L D I N G Photo: Charles Mil ler

Printed in the USA

Page 5: 215 Great Building Tips

HOW TO CONTACT US:

Fine Homebuilding

The Taunton Press, 63 S. Main St., P.O. Box 5506,

Newtown, CT 06470-5506 (2O3) 426-8171

finehomebuilding.com

Editorial:

To contribute an article, give a tip, or ask a

question, contact Fine Homebuilding at the

address above or:

Call: (800) 309-8919

Fax: (2031270-6753

E-mail: [email protected]

Customer Service:

For subscription inquiries, you can:.Visit our subscriber service section at:

finehomebuilding.com

.E-mail us: [email protected]

.Call our customer support center:

To report an address change, inquire

about an order, or solve a problem, call:

(8OOt 477-8727

To subscribe, purchase back issues,

books or videos, or give a gift, call:

(800) 888-8286

Advertising:

To find out about advertising:

Call: (800) 309-8953

E-mail: [email protected]

Retail:

lf you'd f ike to carry Fine Homebuilding in your

store, callthe Taunton Trade Company at:

(866) 505-tt674

Mailing List:

Occasionally we make our subscribers' names

and addresses available to responsible

companies whose products or services we feel

may be of some interest to you. Most of our

subscribers find this to be a helpful way to

learn about useful resources and services. lf you

don't want us to share your name with other

companies, please contact our Customer Service

Department at:

(8OOl477-8727

The Taunton Guarantee:

lf at any time you're not completely satisfied

with Fine Homebuilding, you can cancel your

subscription and receive a full and immediate

refund of the entire subscription price. No

questions asked.

Copyright 2006 by The Taunton Press. Inc. No reproductionwithout permission of The Taunton Press, Inc.

LimitedEdition

Complete Line

READER SERVICE NO.41

Bjg-Bag_s-.-

Big Jobs

Made in USA !

Available at Quality Suppliers www.bestbelt.com

READER SERVICE NO.46

G R E A T B U I L D I N G T I P S 2 0 0 6

Page 6: 215 Great Building Tips

benches&sawhorses

The improved sawhorse: lt has lipsMy work as a carpenter who specializes in repairing and replacing exterior trim means

that I spend a lot of time fussing with long workpieces that have to be planed to fit.

As shown in the drawing below, I made some simple modifications to my sawhorses to

make the planing go a little easier.

First, I cut the ends of the sawhorse crossbars to create little liplike ledges on their ends

that are wide enough to support a piece of 1x stock on edge. Second, I bored f -in.-dia.

holes in the sawhorse crossbars to accommodate the stationary jaw of a bar clamp.

To use, I simply rest the workpiece on the horse's lips, clamp the stock to the cross'

bars, and plane away. - J O H N M I C H A E L D A V I S N e w O r l e a n s

2x4sawhorsecrossbars

Lip supportsworkpiece.

The Thunton PressInspiration for hands-on livingo

I N D E P E N D E N T P U B L I S H E R S S I N C E I 9 7 5

TAUNTON, INC.

Foundtrs, Paul and Jan Roman

THE TAUNTON PRESS

President & Editor In Chief Sue Roman

Execatiue Vice Presidznt &Chief Financial Offcer Timothy Rahr

Executiue Vice President &Publisher, Magazine Group Jon Miller

Publisher, Booh Group James Childs

Chief of Operations Thomas Luxeder

DIRECTORS

Creatiue Director Susan Edehnan

Hurnan Resources Director Carol Marotti

Technohgy Seruices Director Fdward Kingpton

Contro lbr'Wayne Reynolds

Adaertising Director David Gray

Marheting Director Diana Allwein

Fulfrllment Director PatriciaVilliamson

THE TAUNTON PRESS

Booksr Marhetizg; Melissa A. Possick, Audrey Locorotondo.

Publicity: Nicole Radder, Janel Noblin. Editorial: Helen

Albert, Kathryn Benoit, Peter Chapman, Steve Culpepper,

Robyn Doyon-Aitken, Julie Hamilton, Pamela Hoenig,

Carolyn Mandarano, Jennifer Peters, Amy Reilly, JenniferRussell, Erica Sanders-Foege, Kathleen \flilliams. lrr: ChrisThompson, Nancy Boudreau, Amy Griffin, Karhy Kelley,

Sandra Mahlstedt, \7endi Mijal, Lynne Phillips, Carol Singer.

Manufacnring Thomas Greco, Laura Burrone.

Business Office HollySmith, Gayle Hammond. Legal:

Carolyn Kovdeski. Magazine Print Production: Phllip\an

Kirk, Nicole Anastas, Jennifer Kaczmarryk.

Distribution: Paul Seipold, \Talter Aponte, Frank Busino,David DeToto, Leanne Furlong, Deborah Greene, LinneaIngram, Frank Melbourne, Reinaldo Moreno, RaymondPassaro, Alice Saxton, Nelson W'ade.

Finance/Accountingt Finance: Kathy \florth, Brett Manning,

David Pond. ,tl ccounting Patrick Lamontagne, Lydia Krikorian,

Judith O'Toole, Shannon Marrs, Elaine Yamin, Carol Diehm,

Dorothy Blasko, Susan Burke, l,orraine Parsons, Larry Rice,

James Tweedle, Priscilla'Sflakeman.

Fulfillmenc Diane Goulart. Fulfllment Slaems: Jodi Klein,Kim Eads, Nancy Knorr, Dawn Viglione. C*rtomer Smtice:

Ellen Grassi, Michelle Amoroso, Bonnie Beardsley, DeborahCiccio, Katherine Clarke, Alfred Dreher, Monica Duhancik,

Eileen McNulry Patricia Parks, Deana Parker, Patricia Pineau,

Berty Stepney. Data Entry: Melissa Dugan, Anne Champlin,MaryAnn Colbert, Maureen Pekar, Debra Sennefelder, Andrea

Shorrock, Marylou Thompson, Barbara Villiams, Brian .

Wilcox.

Human Resources: Linda Ballerini, Christine Lincoln,

Dawn Ussery.

Information Technolory Servi cex;z Applications Deuehpment:Heidi \Taldkirch, Frank Miller, Robert Nielsen, Linda

Reddington, lawrence Sullivan, John Vaccino, Daniel'Woodhouse.

Deshtop and Netutorh Sapport: Kenneth Jones,Michael Colonari, Petre Cotofana, Gabriel Dunn, Michael

Lewis, Jay Ligouri.

A safer step stoolI've been a remodeler and a

handyman for more than 20 years

no% and in that time,I've really

come to appreciate the simple

perfection of my little step stool.

Itt made entirely out of scraps

rescued from the burn pile.

The thing I like best about my

little stool is its stability. Because

the sides are tapered, it's a lot

harder to tip over rhan a stool with

straight sides. Its l4-in. height

makes the stool narrow enough to

pass between stud walls framed on

16-in. centers, but still tall enough

for rne to reach the top of a wall

in a room with 8-ft. ceilings._ M I K E N I E M E Y E R

Lawrenceburg, Ind.

%-in. p lywoodsides and top,screwed andg lued

1 4 i n .

Rubbershoes

Holes in sawhorse crossbarsprovide purchase for bar clamps.

F I N E H O M E B U I L D I N G Drawings: Charles Mil ler

Page 7: 215 Great Building Tips

Marketing: Dennis O'Brien, Patrick Cozens, Keri DeGross,

Catherine Hansen, Karen Lutjen, Michael Valanzola.

Operations: Joseph Morits, Roberta Calabrese, Sally

Cunningham, Kevin DeGroate, John Gedney, Marc Imbimbo,

Jennifer Licursi, Susan Nerich, Jeannette Pascal. T Room:

Michael louchen, Geraldine Benno, Anna Pendergast, Anne

Scheurer, Norma-Jean Thylor. Maintenanca.' Lincoln Peters.

Promotion: Michele Mayernik, Sandra Moryka, Nicole

Pallatto, \Tilliam Sims. Promotion Print Productioz; Diane

Flanagan, John Cavallaro, Sandra Hannan.

Thunton Creative and Edi toial: Creatitte: Michael Amaditz.

V. Kathy Martin, Sarah Opdahl, Alison \filkes, Pamela

Vinn. Edito rial Jefferson Kolle, Debra Silber, Deana Tierney.

Photography: Scott Phillips. Vidzo: Gary Junken. Prepress:

Deborah Cooper, Richard Booth, William Bivona, David

Blasko, Richard Correale, \Tilliam Godfrey, Brian Leavitt,

Chansam Tham mavongsa. Adaertising Production: l-avi-

Bergeron, Lisa DeFeo, Tlacy Goodpaster, Steven Molnar,

Patricia Petro, Kathryn Simonds, Martha Stammer.

TAUNTON DIRECT

Donna Capalbo, Robert Harlow, Michele tadyko, Kathleen

McGreevy,

TAUNTON INTERACTIVE

Jodie Delohery Michelle Rutkowski, Roben Steigerwald, Man

Berger, Rafael Cardoso, Stace Caseria, Christopher Casey, Mark

Coleman, Jennifer Vhceler Conlon, Tiish Dardine , Ruth

Dobsevage, Joshua Katinger, Geoff Krajeski, Howard Runyon.

TAUNTON TRADE

Kevin Hamric, Director; John Bacigdupi, Brett DeMello,

Allison Hollett, Elizabeth Quintiliano, Rebecca Shafton. Singk

Copy Sahs:Mark Stiekman, Valerie Droukas.

TAUNTON MAGAZINES

FineVoodworhing . Fine Homebuilding

Threads . Fine Gardzning . plrt Coohing

Our magazines are for people who are passionate about

their pursuits. \Written by practicing experts in the field,

Thunton Press magazines provide authentic, reliable

information supported by instructive and inspiring

visuals.

TAUNTON BOOKS

Our books are filled with in-depth information andcreative ideas from the finest authors in their fields.

\X/hether youre practicing a craft or engaged in the

creation of your home, Thunton boofts will inspire you

to discover new levels of accomplishment.

WWW.TAUNTON.COM

Our website is a place where you can discover more

about the interests you enjoy, converse with fellow

enthusiasts, shop at our convenient on-line store or

contact customer service

E M P L O Y M E N T I N F O R M A T I O N

To inquire about cateer opportunities, please e-mail

us at [email protected] or visit our website

www.taunton.com. You may also write to The Thunton

Press, Human Resources, 63 S. Main St., Box 5506,

Newtown, CT 06470.

CUSTOMER SERVICE'We

are here to answer any questions you might have and

to help you order our rn"g"rirr.r, boola and videos. Justcall us toll-free ̂ r800-477-8727.

TheThunton Pre, Inc., Taunton Direct, Inc., Taunton Tiade, Inc., ud tunton

Intemctive, Inc., ue a.ll subsidiuia oflIaunton, Inc.

THE NEWEST WAY TO

Ittur*TE * ttJl|'onTAIR AND MOISTUREAROUND WINDOUI'S...

HOHMANN & BARNARD'S

WRAP.N.SEAL'"Foam forms a continuous seal around

perimeter of flange and internallybetween frame end rough opening for

'Wrap-N-Seal" protection. Our patented"foam-flex" process allows optimal foam

compression to maximize sealingproperties. Renders window flangesimpervious to air and moisture, while

eliminating the need to tape over flanges.Clear adhesive backing will not drool or

stain like typical black rubberized-asphaltadhesives.

READER SERVICE NO.36

1-800 463-9663

www.fraserceda r.com

READER SERVICE NO. 1

G R E A T B U I L D I N G T I P S 2 0 0 6

Page 8: 215 Great Building Tips

benches&sawhorses

Removablecasters fitin plasticsleeyes.

C O N T I N U E D

Multipurpose cartTo move heavy or awkward items around a iob site, I use thissmall cart consisting of a l2-in. by l8-in. plywood base,2x2curbs, and caster wheels.

As shown in the drawing below,I use the sort of casters withstems that fit into plastic sleeves. By drilling right through thecurb, these sleeves can be slipped in from the top or bottom.Foam or carpet padding is great when I have ro move items likevanities. The cart also makes a dandy mechanics-style crawler

Padded s idefor accessing the under-

side of sinks or lavatories,

and it'll scoot around for

low-level work on outlets

or baseboards.

With the recessed side

of the cart up, I drag my

compressor around,lug

paint pails, and move

buckets of drywall mud.- P E T E R B L A C K M O R E

Salt Spring lsland, B.C.,

Canada

15 in. --->l

2-in'-dia' casters - 'v

T[iple-duty stoolMy little work stool stays put,or scoots around on wheels,

depending on what I need it for.

As illustrated in the drawing

above, the stool is accompanied

by a dolly with 2-in.-dia. swivel-type casters.

Most of the time.I use the sroolwithout its dolly. Its l\Vz-in.

height is enough ro reachg\Vo

Notches for stool legs

of the construction iobs inside

the house. It's also useful for

small children to reach the sink.

I put the stool on its dolly

when I want to scoot around

close to the floor for nailing or

drywall finishing. It's even goodfor waxing the car.

- J O S E P H S . K O W A L E W S K I

Ridley Park, Pa.

,81h

in.

\zF-u '/----:

II

1O1/zin.

IIIt_1t:l ;'

- -

- - - - - ' > - - ' ; ' ? . . - . - -

:h.JJS

2x12 base

'6ru".i;r'

aMadeinSoIoSiderThe Name Says It All

Please visit www. solosider.com

READER SERVICE NO. 9

F I N E H O M E B U I L D I N G

the U.S.A. Patent pending

A high quality tool that willnot mark the siding. Willnot tear the paper or housewrap. There are no screwsor nuts to use or lose.

The SoloSider will letyou adjust a pieceofsiding up or down inreal time using 1/16increments. It can beset for differentoverlaps using thequick release knob. Theplastic parts are glassfilled nylon 6/6. This isan engineering gradethat is almostindestructible in thisapplication. The mainbody is a heat treatedand tempered springsteel. Nickel plated.

Dstg and Prwent Moisture Problemswith the new.mini-Ligno D - a professional, reliableand affordable Moisti,rre Metei. Now available forWood, Wood-Based Products, Dr;rwall, Gypsum,Concrete and other building materials.

'

Moisture Meters areindispensable toolswhen selectingmaterials, checkingstructural lumberdoing repairs, lookingfor water d,amage,installing hardiloodfloors, b*uitaingcabinets, checkingwindow frames, etc.

' , .

' i . ! } ' : 1 1 ' \ | .

Lignomat USAPO Box 30145,Portland OR 97294

8OO-227 -2105 www.lignomat.com503-257-8957, FAX 503-255-1 430 USA

READER SERVICE NO. 35

Page 9: 215 Great Building Tips

benches&sawhorses

Double-duty miter-sawI upgraded my miter saw

recently, and that got me look-

ing at commercially available

stands. Then I wondered

whether I already had com-

ponents that could be recon-

figured into an acceptable saw

stand. I did a little improvising,

and now I've got what I think

is a more adaptable saw stand

than any commercial unit I

reviewed_and it didn,r cosr

me anything extra.

The basic stand consists of an

extendable aluminum scaffold

plank held up by a pair of fold-

ing sawhorses. I used Werner's

PA 208 plank (Werner Ladder

Co.; 888-523 -337 0). It weighs

401b., is 14 in. wide, and

extends from 8 ft. to 13 ft., but

any similar plank will work.I

C O N T I N U E D

benchaffixed a power strip to

one of the sawhorses.

I made a pair of sup-

ports to hold up the ends

of long pieces of stock.

The supports are mirror

images of each other,

and like the chopsaw,

the supports are

anchored to the plank

with C-clamps. Capping

the edges that contact

the lumber with alumi-

num angle stock reduces

friction and makes the

rig easier to use.

Extendable aluminumscaffo ld p lank

Right-sidesupport/stop

Aluminumangle

2 in . by 4 in .

Left-sidesupport/stoclamped top lank

\.__4

Wing nutand bolt

by 12in. /

1 in. by 4 in.by 15 in .

Support/stopin mult iple-cutoff mode

Each support includes

a movable stop that can be

raised above the support when

I need to make multiple cuts(top detail), even up to 11 ft.

long. For one-off pieces,I lower

Height to matchmiter-saw base

the stop to the position where

its vertical edge can be aligned

with the saw's fence (bottom

de ta i l ) . - LARRY JAcoBSoN

Seattle

Vertical edge ofsupport/stop infence-al ignmentmode

A 45 'bevelcollectswood chips.

Hiltrll lJll l,l : \:I l uillllilr llJtll+.tlr til \\ / r l IllA..

MK-|0010" WET CUTTIiIG TIIE SAW

. 1-1l2 HP fan-cooled motoro Two position motor post cutting head for convenient

cutting ol various tile sizes. Variable height cutting head allows for plunge cutting. Linear-Bearing and chrome plated guide-bar assembly

ensure precise cutting. Blade shaft lock for easy blade removal

. Part# 158189

. 0ne-year limited wananty

MK-370EXP'"7" WET CUTTIIUG TILE SAW

. Powerful 1-114 high-torque universal motor

. Tilting head allows for precise 450 miter cuts

. Variable height cutting head allows for plunge cutting

. lS"cutting length, diagonally cuts 13" tile

. Hinged blade guard lor easy blade changes

. HeaW duty on/off switch

. CSA Approved

. Part# 159943

. One-year limited wananty

--"rr".,"E

AEiIAT

JE&-[ TDlll@llSe||tx (D@ ,n Y r '

-\/

PRIGE: $SZS PBIGE: $299FREE SHIPPTI{S! FREE $HIPPIIITG!Find it at http://www.ajandb.com/fhb.html Find it at http://www.ajandb.comlfhb.html

READER SERVICE NO.48

1 2 F T N E H O M E B U I L D I N G

Page 10: 215 Great Building Tips

benches&sawhorses

Slot for --.crossbar

\

C O N T I N U E D

Roof framerrs sawhorseNo matter how careful you are, the metal fasteners in

sawhorses eventually encounter a spinning sawblade.

The inevitable result is aggravation and lost money ona new blade. The drawing

shows the kind of sawhorses

I use when I cut roofs. The

design is simple, and the

material is scrap plywood.

Best of all. these horses

require no fasteners. Inter-

locking plywood pieces store

flat in the back of a truck,

and the crossbar cutout

can be adjusted to accom-

modate any piece of lumber

adequate to the task. I've

found that with a load of

2xl0 rafters, I need at least

a2x6 crosspiece to support a

dozen or more rafters._ W I L L I A M R A Y N E S

Hurricane-tiesawhorseI stole the idea for this

sawhorse from a local

road crew. The horses

can be taken apart

for transport and

quickly reassembled

with a screw gun. The

knockdown connec-

tions all are made by

way of metal framing

connectors.

At the top of the 2x legs, a pairof hurricane ties accepts the

Hurr icane t ies,both s ides

'tt-.tt

Cut slots toplywood thickness.

Equal toheight ofin Part A

slotcrossbar. Below the crossbar, a

rail screwed to joist hangers on

the leg brace stiffens the horse.

I made a pattern out of hard-

board that gives me the profile

of the standard sawhorse.

With the pattern,I can whip

up a new set from wood scraps

whenever I need a worktable.- M I C H A E L D e Y O U N G

Chi l l iwack, B.C., CanadaSunset, Maine

$rched bottoms-for stabi l i ty onuneven ground

C)

:to

u.

6&.

6

c

Ec)

o*iio

E

Turn Ordinory Bafhroorn Projecls hrfreordinerylvifh "yormlyYours Home Cornforf Solufions!

:F,:,, :::l';;: : : :i'::!.i i||l:i' wnntylpnuspecial ard ey SazringsJ

f f i p .WarmlyYours electric floor warming systems,tgwel warmers and mirror defoggers addWelcomed luxury to bathroom remodelingprojects

ObsigneO for maximum comfort and easeof instdlation, each is backed byWarmlyYdl.rrs exclusive 2417 installationsupport seruices and Free lifetimehomeowner assistance plan.

For product information on these andother quality WarmlyYours home comfortproducts, plus savings certificates worthup to $125,00 off on your next remodelffrgpQect, call (800) 875-5285 today.

Coupon must be presented at t ime of purchase.

WarmlyYours, Inc.'2 Corporate Drive, Suite

1 4 F I N E H O M E B U I L D I N G

100 .Lake Zurich,lL 60047 .Ph. (800) 875-5285

*Sor* sERvrcE No.4s

.Fax (800) 408-1100 . Website www,WarmlyYours.com

Page 11: 215 Great Building Tips

benches&sawhorses

Plywoodb a s e ;

Appl iance Tcarton *--//

C O N T I N U E D

'l'ernporary sat!' standThe drawing below shows how I improvise a stand for a por-

table tablesaw from an appliance carton. I begin by cutting the

box down to about 24 in. with a utility knife. Then I reinforce

the box's upper edges with 1x2s screwed and glued to both inside

and outside surfaces. My saw is affixed to a plywood base over a

hole that allows dust to evacuate. I place the saw and its base atop

the reinforced box and run screws through the plywood into the

1x2s to hold everything together. The plyrvood extends well

beyond the back of the box, where it is held up by a 2x8 leg.

Don't let the box get too full of sawdust; the saw may overheat or

even cause a trre. - M A R K W H I T E K o d i a k , A l a s k a

Bench top tab lesaw" Use 1x2sinside andout toreinf orcel iP .

A 2x8 leg extends above baseto become outfeed block.

Knockclownsil\v standMy work as a remodeler

requires that I carry a wide vari-

ety of tools and materials, so

space in the truck is at a premi-

um. That 's why I came up with

this knockdown saw stand.

The stand is constructed of

2x4 legs that have been con-

nected in pairs by way of 2x4

crossbars. Scre'*,s and glue

hold them together. The

crossbars are notched in the

rniddle where they engage

one another.

I mounted my portable

tablesaw on a%-in. plywood

base that has a big hole in the

middle to evacuate sawdust.

The saw is held fast to the stand

during use by dowels. A pair of

%-in. holes along the front edge

of the base corresponds to the

dowels in the front legs of the

saw stand.

- R O B E R T C O N R A D

Pel lston, Mich.

{ Z- in . p lywood\ base

WholeHouseWaterPurification

Harnessing the benefitsof germicidal ultraviolet

light to protect andimprove human life.

I

ni1

RIIRilIIC'i UlTnnu0HC O R P O R A T I O N

ultraviolet,com375 Marcus Boulevard . Hauppauge NY 11788

(631 ) 273-0500 . [email protected] SERVICE NO.4

F I N E H O M E B U I L D I N C I

0pento an hing!Itb Sutta h$,a MiraclelM IRACLE TRUSS pre-engineeredsteel bui ld ing systems incorporateopen cathedral-sty le cei l ingswhich provide a more comfortable-feel ing environment. These designsare idea l fo r poo l enc losures ,recreat ion areas, hobby roomsor for any purpose you canimagine. Learn more today.

ffisj{

. Fast and easy assembly doesn'trequire skilled labor or heavyequipment.

. Unique steelweb-frame designyields 100% usable space and isspecifically engineered to utilizestandard-sized wood purlins &girts for simple insulating andfinish-off.

r Customizable to meet yourneeds with a wide variety ofsizes {widths from 24'to ll0'),styles and l9 contemporarycolors to choose from.

Building packages include steelframes &endwalls, sheeting, hardware, trim andcomplete assembly instructions.Bthsr rizet availabls wiilb smrihr sevr'ngs/*Brtilding [odes in CA & FL may affect pricos.

ffittRAcllilRrFs'1-866-463-1229www.miracletruss.com

READER SERVICE NO. 26

e . y e , U

e fJl

v' q/

G,

- * - t d . '

" ' ' -

ej ' o

ultraviolet.com {t'l

1 6

Page 12: 215 Great Building Tips

doors&windows

Straps made of 2-in.-wide strips of 3/q-in.plywood attached with 172-in. screws

Putting a new window in an old brownstoneIn Brooklyn, where turn-of-the-century brownstones and bricks are the norm, window

replacement often calls for some ingenuity. I have used both Bonneville and Andersen

brick-to-brick replacement windows. These units are custom-made to be % in. narrower

than the brick opening, with a brick molding already attached. In theory, they drop

into the opening and are strapped to the interior-wall framing with vendor-supplied

galvanized straps. Caulk the brick moldings to the bricks, and you're done.

But with solid-brick walls, what do you strap the new window to? When old windows

are removed, the area once occupied by the sash weights is now a large void. Rather

than make a mountain of

unstable framing in the void, I

improve on the strap idea. As

shown in the drawing, I screw

2-in.-wide strips of 3A-in. ply-

wood to the sides, bottom, and

top of the window. Now I can

attach the plywood strips to the

stud wall, shimming as neces-

sary to square to the window.

The strips then are cut flush

with the studs.

The strips also serve as sup-

port for jamb extensions or

drywall. Before installing the

drywall, I stuff the sash-weight

voids with insulation._ M A T T H A U S M A N N

Brooklyn, N.Y.

- \ , )

New windowr\\ Stud wallBrick molding

*s

shim as -/

Space formerly occupie'dby sash weights

:'-t::\\

N. \ . \ .,\rri.

necessary.

F INE HOMEBUILDING

Once theyare affixed toframing, cutstraps flushwith stud

20

S,ra *"tt jVg plywood strap

Drawings, except where noted: Charles Miller. Photo this page: Charles Bickford.

Use a nail to markthe center of thestrike-plate holeLocating a passage set

in a door isn't too tough.

Heights are standard, and

many manufacturers pro-vide a template with thehardware. Locating the

latch hole in the jamb can

be more difficult. Here's

the most accurate way I've

found to do it.

Close the door, and hold ittight to the stop. Then push

a 6d nail through the %-in.

pilot hole in the door edge

unti l i t pierces the doorjamb; a pry bar provides

leverage if necessary. Now

drill holes for the latch andthe strike using arsAr-in.

spade bit . (A %-in. bit is

too small for most latch

mechanisms, and the troleleft by a l-in. bit won't be.

covered completely by thelatch plate.)

- T O M O ' B R I E N

New Milford, Conn.

Page 13: 215 Great Building Tips

doors&windows

%-in. plywood

Attach hinge leafto plywood.

Router basefollows template'scurue as it cutshinge mortise.

(drawing 4).

F INE HOMEBUILDING

C O N T I N U E D

Routing hinge mortisesI had a fair number of doors that needed hanging,and I wanted to take advantage of my router andmy 3/t-in.-dia. straight bit to make quick work of thehinge mortises. I had tried freehanding the mortiseswith mixed results. So I decided to make the hinge-mortising template shown in the drawings below.

I started with a piece of Vz-in. plywood, to whichI attached the leaf of a radiused butt hinge alignedto the edge of the plywood as it will be placed onthe door or jamb (drawing l). Using the hinge as

a guide for the router's base, I routed a shallowgroove in the plywood.

The inside edge of this shallowgroove became the cutline that I fol-

6nd-rT:v_.. - .1

(

f

t

lowed with my jigsaw as I made a circular cut in

the template (drawing 2). Next,I cut the template

along the dotted lines (as shown in the drawing) to

make it more convenient to maneuver.

To cut a hinge mortise,I screwed the template to a

iamb and followed the curved edge of the plywood

with the router's base (drawing 3). I used the same3/q-in. straight bit, set at a depth equal to the thick-

ness of a hinge leaf, to make the cuts. By the way,I

placed the screws that hold the template to the jamb

so that their holes will be covered by the doorstop

Router base

22

-RAy FREUD CherryHi l l , N.J . and moved on. -SCOTT BRUCE Grand B lanc , M ich .

Screw hinge leaf todoor stile, and cutaround its perimeterwith a utility knife.

Chiseling hinge mortisesI typically use a router and a template to cut mortises

or to enlarge existing mortises for new door hinges.

But for small jobs where it doesn't make sense to cart

along a lot of gear, I use a utility knife and a chisel

for the same purpose. First, I screw the hinge to the

door stile in the desired position. Then I score around

the edges of the hinge with the knife as shown in the

drawing above. With the hinge removed, I chisel the

mortise to the thickness of the hinge. Now I can

reattach the hinge using the same screw holes.-DANIEL E . H ILL l l l G r i swo ld , Conn .

Solo windowinstallationI had to install windows

in a new house by

myself. First, I cut a

couple of 2x4s about 8 in.

longer than the widest

window. Then I mea-

sured the distance that

the windows projected

from the house and cut

four blocks equal to

this distance plus %in.l

screwed one block to the end of each2x4.

Working from outside,I installed a vinyl window and

placed the 2x4s over it, screwing them to the wall on both

sides. Now I was free to go inside and level the bottorir of

the window and center it in its opening with shims. The

extra Ycin.letme move the window without interference

from the 2x4s. When the window was centered and

level,I went back out and nailed it in place, beginning

with the bottom flange. Then I pulled out the crossbars

Crossbar with blocks holdswi nd ow during i nstall ati o n.

Page 14: 215 Great Building Tips

doors&windowsC O N T I N U E D

A stronger ioint where thecasing meets the stoolCommon practice is to nail up through

the stool into side casings. But biscuits

hold better than end-grain nails and

won't come out through the exposed sur-

face of the side casing.

-JOSEPH BEALS l l l Marshf ie ld Hi l ls , Mass.

Hanging heavy doorsWhen I have to muscle a solid-core doorinto or out of its hinges,I let a drywalllift (a tool designed for placing drywallon walls)do the heavy lifting. Unlike aflat bar, a drywall lift features an integralfulcrum (so I don't have to set it on top ofa2x4 to get leverage) and a stirrup thatpermits hands-free operation. As shownin the drawing, when I'm ready to hangthe door,I slip a toe through the stirrup,use my foot to center the lift under thedoor, and effordessly raise the door intoposition. You can find these tools at thebig drywall-supply outlets that cater tothe pros. Expect to spend from $15 to $20for one.

By the way, the sharp metal edges of thelift can scratch wood surfaces, so I usuallycover them with a layer of duct tape.

_ T O M O ' B R I E N

New Milford, Conn.

g

Y

o

c,o-iiO)o

.,!

o

like a Elayour Bas

rnsu[arcb wa[[pane[sfrom real insulation is the key to a comfortable and

basement. OvrX Insulated Sub-Flooring Tile and Wall Panels30 years of proven technology. The engineered wood panels,

in combination with STYROFOAMinsulation, can helpprotect your investment against water and mildew. OvrX will also

r" *"!.

ffi #ffiffitffi:i'lriL"T"1**"trT, 5"JlHt""#i ft*nREADER SERVICE NO.54

F I N E H O M E B U I L D I N G

Swim or exercise against a smooth current adjustableto any speed or ability. Ideal for swimming, wateraerobics, rehabilitation and fun. No traveling,no crowded pools, no heavy chlorine.The 8'x 15' Endless Pool@ is simpleto maintain, economical to run,and easy to install inside or out.Modular construction means manysizes and options are available.

efreaOy own a pool? Ask about.n. (to S T L A N F

READER SERVICE NO.62

Page 15: 215 Great Building Tips

doors&windowsC O N T I N U E D

Thimming foam flush to studsI use foam insulation from an aerosoi can

when insulating around rough window and

door openings. The next day,I trim all the

excess foam away from the wall and the win-

dow frame with a mastic trowel (drawing

above). Its serrated edges saw through the

foam,leaving the foam flush with the wall.-KEITH METIER High land Park , l l l .

TWo ways tofix a door thatwon't latchIf the door contacts the

latch-side stop at the top

but not at the bottom (or

the other way around)

and is difficult to latch,

the door is warped, or the

jamb is twisted.- S C O T T M c B R I D E

Sperryville, Va.

; ' i' t l * l

f 'Ti' iil; l ' t l ' . 1 ' ,' irf{

i

Fix 1:Moving thehinge cancornpensatefor warping ortwisting. A doorcan be coaxedinto closingsmoothly byshifting eitherthe top orbottom hingeoutward at thejamb.

Fix 2:lf moving thehinge doesn'tfixthe problementirely, it maybe necessaryto move thedoorstop so thatit contacts theentire latch sideof the door.

WARPEDDOOR

TWISTEDJAMB

E-6

o

'c

!

o

o

oI

oo)G

.9

';o

o

READER SERVICE NO.8

F I N E H O M E B U I L D I N G

READER SERVICE NO.12

Page 16: 215 Great Building Tips

energyefficiency

Wall-sheathing insulation stopsWhen I switched to blown-in cellulose insulation in the attics of

new homes, I saw the trouble installers had stapling cardboard

insulation stops between the rafters or trusses above the exterior-

wall plates to keep insulation from falling into the soffit.

I came up with the idea of extending the exterior-wall sheath-

ing above the top plate to become an integral insulation stop.

Instead of trimming 1 ft. off the last row of sheathing to end it

flush with the top plate, I let it run above the plate. I calculated

the height between the bottom and top truss chords at the point

above the outside face of the exterior wall. Then I deducted 1!zin.

to leave a ventilation slot between the top of the wall sheathing

and the underside of the roof sheathing. and cut off the rest.

After nailing on the wall sheathing, I marked the roof-truss lay-

out along the top edge of the sheathing and squared down the

lines to the top-plate level, Before lifting the walls, I cut 132-in.

slots for each truss to drop into. The slots quickly positioned

each truss and allowed me to float the walls beneath until they

could be tweaked straight; then I could nail down the trusses.

Expanding spray foam seals any gaps between the truss and

the wall sheathing so that no insulation slips by. The extra work

saved me more than it cost me in time because the insulators

didn't have to charge for crawling on their bellies to staple

cardboard stops. -MIKE GUERTIN Eas t Greenw ich , R . l .

A 2x6 providessheathing support.

2x4 stud fordrywal l b locking

Entire corner cavitycan be insulated.

1x3 o rplywoodstrip

A hybrid corner that eliminates therrnal bridgrngContributing editor Mike Guertin a2x6 on the exterior corner and nailslong has been concerned with exterior a2x4 and a lx3, or a strip of plywood,corners, which can be notorious cold together to form the interior corner.cavities. Although thermal bridging is Insulation throughout the corner cav-a concern along the entire wall, fram- ity eliminates thermal bridging by .ing alternatives such as double-stud breaking contact between the sheath-walls are not cost-effective. Corners, ing and the drywall. Guertin sayson the other hand, carry less load than that the corner still provides gooda typical stud and are structurally support for top plates and for nailing.more flexible. Guertin is experiment- (Although Guertin's building inspec-ing with a2x6 corner (photo left) that tor approved the corner, check withcan be insulated completely. He uses your local inspector before trying it.)

%-in. OSBsheathing

Fiberglassinsulat ion

1/z-in.

drywall

F I N E H O M E B U I L D I N G Drawings: Charles Miller. Photo: Scott Phillips.

Page 17: 215 Great Building Tips

energyefficiency

Cutting rigtd insulationFoam-insulation boards are high in R-value,but they also can be a nuisance to cut---{spe-cially foam boards that are 2 in. thick. Autility knife won't cut deeply enough. Akitchen knife works, but not very wellbecause the triangular cross section of theblade binds as the cut deepens. Saws leaverough edges and spew statically chargedinsulation particles that cling to everything.

A2-in. putty knife does a grear job ofcutting foam insulation. The trick is tosharpen one side of

the blade. Teamed

with a straightedge,

a sharpened putty

knife cuts through

foam like butter,

and its wide blade

keeps the cut from

wandering._ C H R I S E L L I S

Brewster, Mass.

of

Insulated headers forcold climatesI've seen a lot of different ways tomake built-up headers, from the

2x

traditional to the bizarre.The tra-ditional method sandwiches Vz-in.plywood between 2x material untilit matches the depth of the wallstuds. Unfortunately, this causestwo problems. First, the headeroften isn't the exact thickness ofthe wall, and when trim time rollsaround, you have unhappy carpen-ters. Second, this kind of header hasno insulative value.

The drawing at right shows theheader that I've been assembling tosolve both problems. Ir's essentially abox beam with plywood tops and bot-toms, and sides made either of 2x or, myfavorite, laminated lumber. The resultis a header precisely the same dimen-sion as the wall and a continuous void

the length of the header for insulation.My engineer had no problems withthe structural capability of this design.The key is to provide adequate nailingthrough the plywood into the sides. Forthese headers,I used 8d nails spaced onthe same centers as the perimeter nailsin our plywood wall sheathing.

-B ILL WELCH Jackson , Wyo .

C O N T I N U E D

knife

Sharpen

Foaminsulat i

8d na i lst\"[i\ \\

Ir\\i \ \, t \ \

['\L l . t

N.,)

READER SERVICE NO. 16

F I N E H O M E B U I L D I N G

READER SERVICE NO. 15

30

Page 18: 215 Great Building Tips

Repairand how to

5 common problemsfix them By MyRoN R. FERGUsoN

racks or holes in dry-wal l , wet or staineddrywall, peeling jointtape, popped nails or

screws. Any of these prob lemsmeans a drywall repair is inevita-ble. I know that some people gri-mace when faced with a dreadedchore like fixing a hole in drywall.The framing never seems to be inthe r ight place for attaching apatch, and the quarter-inch layerof joint compound used to fix itlooks nearly as obvious as the gap-ing black hole, except now drywalldust coats the furniture and thewall needs to be repainted.

Unlike most people in my busi-ness,I love walking into a drywall-repair job. I savor the look on acustomer's face when I say, "Sure,

no problem. I can f ix this in nofime." The more severe the dam-age, the more gratifying the look.Over the past two decades, I musthave faced every possible type ofdrywall repair, and I have gottengood not only at patching holesbut also at permanently concealingrepairs and doing them as quicklyand easily as possible.

Myron R. Ferguson (www.thatdrywallguy.com), author of Dry-wall: Professional Techniquesfor Great Resu/ts (The TauntonPress, 2005), l ives and worksin Galway, N.Y. Photos by Zach-ary Gau lk in .

@^ing popped nails and screws

Nails and screws rear their heads whenthe dryrall panel is not fastened firmlyagainst the framing, when the framingshrinks or twists, or when the wall orceiling is struck or moved slightly dur-ing remodeling work.

Protruding fasteners are easy to fix.Whatever the cause of the telltalebulge, called a pop, the best remedy isto refasten the panel near the poppednail or screw. I usually press on thepanel next to the pop and drive a dry-wall screw into the stud aboutlVzin.away (sometimes on both sides), draw-ing the panel toward the framing. Iremove the popped fastener or driveit back into the framing.

Covering the dimples is easy. lf thepaper surface of the drynvall has notbeen damaged, just fill the depres-

sion with three thin coats of joint com-pound, letting the compound drybetween coats, followed by lightsanding with 1SO-grit sandpaper. lfthe paper has torn or if the core ofthe drywall is damaged, it's best toremove all loose material, fill thehole with joint compound, and thencover the area with fiberglass-meshtape. (You can use paper tape, but Iprefer self-adhering mesh tape.) Thisapproach also works for any hole2 in. wide or less.

Fill dimples with three thin coatsof compound, but use tape if thesurtace is damaged.

Refasten drywall to the underlyingfram-ing near the popped nail or screw.

32 F INE HOMEBUILDING

Page 19: 215 Great Building Tips

2 rtl l ing and taping cracks

Chip away loose material, and cut a V-shapedgroove along the length of the crack.

Cracks in drywall usually are caused by structural

movement, such as the sett l ing that happens in

new homes. Most often, cracks occur on a seam, but

sometimes they can be found in the middle of panels

over doorways or windows. (ln modular homes, cracks

in the middle of panels can occur as a result of trans-

portat ion and placement on a foundation.) In new

construction, I recommend wait ing at least six months

before repairing cracks to give the structure time

to settle.

Most cracks go completely through the panel, sojust repair ing the surface is not enough. The f irst step,

as in al l repairs, is to remove any loose material with

a putty knife or utility knife. Next, cut a V-groove

along the crack, opening i t up aboutVz in . and go ing

almost completely through the panel to the paper on

the back. Fi l l the void with joint compound (for more

about choosing joint compound, see p. 35), and cover

it with mesh or paper tape. Then smooth the area

with two or three coats of joint compound, blending

it into the surrounding area and l ightly sanding after

the last coat. l 'm careful to let the compound dry

between coats.

'ffiffi,

'&

Fillthe groove with joint compound, andapply sel{-adhering tape over the crack.

Applvthree thincoats ofcompound,f eatheringit into therest of thewall.

#-,

frr

Page 20: 215 Great Building Tips

3 t"tching an old electrical-box openingWhen an outlet or a switch is eliminated, thebox may be removed or left in the wall. lf thebox is left behind, make sure there are no liveelectrical wires in it. (Wired boxes should not becovered with drywalh they should be closed witha cover plate and remain accessible.)

Start by beveling the outside edges of the holewith a utility knife to a 45o chamfer all around.Next, cut a drywall patch the same size as thebeveled opening, and bevel back the edges tofit the hole. I use a utility knife to adjust the fitof the patch until itt snug. The patch works bestwhen it sinks slightly below the wall plane, leav-ing room for a thin layer of joint compound.

Spread a generous layer of compound onto theedges of the opening (or the patch), and pressthe patch in place. Then cover the seams withmesh or paper tape, and two or three coats ofcompound. Sand after the last coat.

Bevelthe edges of the wall opening,then cut a matching patch and bevelits edges.

Add joint compound to the open-ing or the patch, then press thepatch into place.

Repairing water-damaged. 1 .

cei lrngs

A water leak usually runs along the top of drywalluntil it finds a seam or corner, often loosening thetape and the joint compound to create an exit.Damage to the drywall itself is generally not exten-sive because the water doesn't sit for too long.

Seams, however, usually need some work. Oncethe leak has been repaired, remove loose tapeand joint compound. lf the drywall is loose, it canbe refastened to the framing with drywall screws.Cover the seams with paper or mesh tape; thenapply two or three coats of joint compound.

Drywall saturated with water may loosen andsag. lt will have to dry thoroughly before it canbe reattached. However, sagging areas will bedifficult to reattach when dry because the drywallcan take on a new shape. I sometimes can fix sagsbefore the drywall dries by supporting it with atemporary support or with furring strips fastenedto the framing. Removing any wet insulation sothat it can dry is also a good idea.

After masking surrounding areas, removeany loose drywall and joint tape.

Page 21: 215 Great Building Tips

Cover seams with mesh or paper tape,followed by three coats of compound.

Paint the damaged area with a stain-blocking primer to prevent stains frombleeding through repairs.

Apply compound to taped seams;cover with three coats.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT JOINT COMPOUNDThere are two broad categories of compound: drying and setting. Withineach of those categories, different mixes are available that dry faster orslower, softer or harder, depending on your needs.

Drying-type compoundMost drying-type compoundsare premixed and ready to useright out of the bucket, but thereare different types. Taping com-pound is used to embed the joint

tape for the first coat and to fillfor the second coat. lt is strongand doesn't shrink much. Toppingcompound is a lighter-weightcompound that is used for thethin finishing coat. lt feathers outnicely, dries quickly, and sandssmooth. All-purpose compoundcan be used for all stages. lt'savailable in most lumber or hard-ware stores. For small repairs, ifyou don't want to buy more thanone bucket, use a topping or anall-purpose mix.

Whatever varie$r you use, alldrying-type compounds requirean application temperature ofat least 55"F (this conditionapplies to surface, compound,and air temperatures). Thecompound must dry thoroughlybetween coats; drying times areaffected by temperature,humidity, and airflow.

Setting'tyPe compound setting-type compounds, which hardenWhile drying-type compounds quickly, are great for repair work.

cure as water evaporates, setting-type compounds harden by chemical reaction. Setting times vary from20 minutes to six hours, depending on the type used. Because these com-pounds harden chemically, humidity and cooler temperatures have littleeffect on setting time.

Setting-type compounds are great for quick repairs, but they can bedifficult to sand. I like to use a lightweight setting compound for thefirst two coats before finishing with an all-purpose (or a topping) drying-type compound.

The big drawback of setting-Upe compounds, however, is the inconve-nience of mixing them yourself. On the plus side, you can mix only whatyou need and store the rest dry. For all but the smallest batches, I mix thecompound in a S-gal. bucket, using a mixing paddle attachment with a Vz-in.electric drill. With setting-type compounds, additives can be mixed into thebatch to accelerate drying time even more.

GREAT BUILDING TIPS 2006

Page 22: 215 Great Building Tips

5 Repairing large holesWhen people have to repairlarge holes that fall betweenwall studs or ceiling joists,they often cut the drywallback to the framing tocreate a spot for fasteninga patch. The problem is thatthe repair then becomesmuch larger.

I try to keep the repairas small as possible by notattaching the patch to the

framing when the damageis between studs. For roundor square openings (such asthose that are createdwhen a light fixture isremoved), the patch canbe measured and cut to fitprecisely. For oddly shapedholes, I simply cut a patchslightly larger than the dam-aged area, hold it over thehole, and trace around it

with a pencil; then I cut outthe damaged area to matchthe patch.

To strengthen the repair,I use furring strips to holdthe patch. I cut the 1x2str ips about 6 in. longerthan the hole and sl ideeach strip into the open-ing, fastening it on bothends with drywall screws.The patch is fastened to

the furring strips with dry-wall screws, making it afirm part of the panel andflush with the surface. Thismethod makes the patcheasy to conceal and unlikelyto crack or loosen.

To tape the patch, first fillany large gaps with jointcompound; then cover allthe edges with mesh orpaper tape. Because paper

Make a square or rectangular patchslightly larger than the damaged area.

Hold the patch over the damaged areaand trace its outline onto the wall.

--"t'n--

With a drywall saw, cut along the pencilline, then test the patch until it fits.

F I N E H O M E B U I L D I N G

::.*\*.*=*ii"

'---* t' ,*15

Strengthen the repair by installing 1x2 furring str4rs inside the wall cavity. Strips shouldbe 6 in. longer than the opening and fastened at both ends with drywall suews.

J

Page 23: 215 Great Building Tips

tape is stronger than mesh

tape, I recommend it for

larger, more dif f icult repairs

and those that are attached

directly to wall framing.

Cover the tape and patch

with three thin layers ofjo in t compound, making

sure to feather out the

edges properly and not to

bui ld up the patched areas

too much.

Repairs that span wall

framing can be a real test

because of the large surface

area they involve. I start by

removing the damaged area

with a utility saw, cutting to

the wall framing. (For cuts

perpendicular to framing, I

f i rst mark an outl ine so that

the patch area wil l have

square corners.)

Because I cut along the

inside of the framing, I have

to attach 1x2 furring strips

or 2x4s to studs for fasten-

ing the patch. I make sure

that the str ips are f lush with

or sl ightly back from the

back edge of the drywall

surface. l f possible, I use

one piece of drywall for the

repair. I leave about a 1/a-in.

gap to avo id damaging the

edges of the patch.

THREE COATS OFCOMPOUND MAKEREPAIRS DISAPPEAR

The f inal step in al l drywall repairs is

to coat the patch with at least three(and sometimes four) layers of joint

compound-lett ing each coat dry in

between-fol lowed by a l ight sand-

ing. No matter how careful ly I patch

a sect ion o f wal l , the tape and jo in t

compound form a h igh spot or bump.

A poorly feathered patch can be as

not iceable as the damage i t was

meant to conceal .

The key to avoiding an unsightly

high spot is spreading and feathering

the layers of joint compound over a

large area without bui lding up excess

compound on any high areas. I l ike to

begin each coat by applying a l iberal

amount of compound to the entire area

and then feathering the outside edges

first, working the compound smoothly

toward the thin layer left in the center.

The f irst coat should be as thin as pos-

sible while st i l l hiding the tape.

After the f irst coat of compound is

dry, I use my trowel as a straightedge

to see how far the high spot projects

f rom the p lane of the wal l . The b igger

and more not iceable the hump, the

more area I wi l l need to cover withjoint compound to feather i t into the

rest of the wall . (For small patches, Ijust rub my hand over the repair to

fee l how wel l the h igh spot is d isap-

pearing with each coat.)

The second coat is a f i l ler coau I f i l l

in any voids, feathering the outside

edges whi le keeping the compound

very thin on any high spots. When the

second coat is dry, I check the high

spot again (by hand or by trowel)

and apply more compound to widen

the area further and to f i l l in voids or

unfeathered edges. This third coat ofjo in t compound increases the d iame-

ter of the patched area even more.

Depending on the size of the repair,

each coat wi l l feather out 6 in. to

12 in. from the previous coat.

Attach the patch to the furring with drywall screws.

Spread a thin layer of compound over the seams, and applymesh or paper tape.

; . : ' : ' !. .|,.....

( ; I t F , \ T I J U I I - I ) I \ ( ; T I I ) S ] I I { I t ,

Page 24: 215 Great Building Tips

lnstallationA self-muddingdrywall-tape dispenserPeople have given me some pretty

strange looks when I carry my drywall-

taping machine onto a job site. But

the machine's looks are deceiving. As

shown in the drawing at right,I built

the unit out of scrap2x4s,a2x6rand a1-gal. plastic bucket. The bucket is

affixed to the 2x6 crossbar with four

short screws.I made two slits in the side of the bucket where they engage the bottom.

The slits are on opposite sides. The rear slit should be iust large enough to

allow drywall tape to pass through it. The front slit should be slightly wider

to allow both the tape and a thin layer of ioint compound to pass through it.

A roll of paper tape hangs from a2x4 upright toward the back of the rig.

I run the tape through the slits in the bucket, and then I fill the bucket with

thinned joint compound. Now I'm ready to pull the tape out to the desired

length, lop it off with a razor knife, and apply it directly to the wall-no

premudding necessary.Using this setup, two of us taped an 1100-sq.-ft. house in five hours.

-cHRls MATISHAK Delburne, Al ta. , Canada

Drywall kickerI hang drywall once in a while, butnot often enough to iustify invest-ing in a real drywall "kicker," alever made iust for lifting a pieceofdrywall. Instead, I modifiedmy pry bar by attaching a 3-in.length of l-in.-dia. dowel with abolt through the nail-pulling holethat is countersunk in the dowel.A little toe pressure lifts a drywallpanel2 in. off the floor.

_ A N D R E W K I R K

Independence, Calif.

piece ofdowel

rape emerses with a thin t***icdating of-joint compound. -

-y'

2x4 upright

Roll of paper tape

Bucket ofthinned jointcompound

Depth of score

When I slide this tool along the edge of a

piece of drywall, the blades cut from bothsides, making it quick and easy to remove

uniform strips from a sheet of drywall.-BRIAN BUSH Dafter, Mich.

Drawings; Charles Millcr. Photo: Mike Gucrtin and Randy O'Rourke'

2x6

)-/

Drywall edge trimmerOur crew uses "in-line" framing for walls

to save lumber (weight from above bears

directly on studs, and plates are joined with

steel splices). Because this style of framing

allows a single top plate, our walls are a

little less than 8 ft. tall. The downside to this

technique is that we have to trim about an

inch off the ends of our drywall. This work

is tedious with a utility knife, and the $25

edge trimmer I bought didn't work very

well. I made my own trimmer by screwing

together some pieces of lx scrap to make

a cutting guide and attached a couple of

"snap-off'utility-knife blades to its top edge.

rF-ie:,-

Blades al igned with

1 x scrap

;,r.$3-in.-longf - in.-dia.

F I N E H O M E B U I L D I N G

Page 25: 215 Great Building Tips

%o-in.-thickposter-boardstr ips

Ceil ing joists

Invisible drywall butt jointsDuring 40 years in the trades,I've had a number of high-end drywall jobs that required dead-flat ceilings-nobulges allowed where the ends of the drywall sheets abutone another. This method is our crew's solution to the prob-lem. I've inspected jobs that we did 25 yearsago using thismethod, and you still can't see where the butt ioints occur.

This trick starts with a sheet of plywood the same thick-ness as the drywall. First, trim an inch off the width of thesheet, then crosscut it into 10 equal strips. They will be9%in. wide by 47 in.long. Next, staple strips of Vrc-in.-thick poster board to the long edges of the plywood strip.

Before raising a drywall panel for installation, screw oneof the plywood strips to the end of the panel. The poster-board strip goes between the plywood and the drywall. Asthe drywall goes up, the butt ends are arranged to fallbetween the ceiling joists. When the adjacent drywallpanel is screwed to the plywood strip, a shallow dip is cre-ated where the drywall bends over the poster board. This

shallow dip creates a hollow for the tape.

We tape our joints in the usual manner, beginning with

the butt joints. Once that joint compound has dried, wetape the long edges. Incidentally, a 20-in.-long piece ofIVz-in. aluminum angle is a handy tool for leveling thefinish coats of joint compound over rhe butt ends. Usingthis technique, we never had a joint show up on a punchlist at the completion of a job.

-T l M HANSON Ind ianapol is

I REMoDELT NG TrPPatching holes in textured drywallFrom time to time, my work includes patching holes indrywall. And if the holes are in textured walls, eitherorange-peel or knockdown texture, I have to set up mycommercial sprayer to retexture the patch. Betweensetup and cleanup, that's a lot of work for a small.job.As shown in the drawings, l've found a better way.

I begin a patch by applying mesh tape over the hole(1). Then I cover the mesh with all-purpose drlnrallcompound (don't use setting-type compound) appliedwith a 4-in. taping knife. This process patches the holebut also clogs the crevices that create the texture (21.Once the drywall compound has dried, I sand smooththe center of the patch. Then I feather the edges of thepatch with an old toothbrush dipped in warm water anda dry cloth. I work my way around the patch (3), leav-ing a tapered surface that makes a gradual transitionto the smoothly sanded center of the patch. To finish, Iprepare a mixture of water and all-purpose compoundthin enough to produce a splatter. Next, I suck someof the mix into a turkey baster and practice splatteringon a piece of scrap until I get the effect I'm looking for.This step is important: Trial and error is the key to mak-ing this technique work. When l've got the right consis-tency, l'm ready to texture the patch (4).

-DAVID A. ROJAS LasVegas

Gently scrub perimeter of patchwith a moistened toothbrush.

Apply new splatter texturewith a turkey baster,

GREAT BUILD ING T IPS 2006

Screws, 5 in. on center

Drywall dips over poster-board strips, creating arecess for tape and joint

Page 26: 215 Great Building Tips

Strategy7 steps to aprofessionalp.int jobBY FRANK SINICROPE

1. PRorEcr rHE FLooRAND PREP THE WALLSI like to move all furniture out or to the center of the roomand cover it with plastic. To protect the floor, I roll out 4-milplastic and tape it to the baseboard. Unless l 'm painting theceiling, it's necessary to cover only the first 3 ft. or 4 ft. offloor from the wall. Blue masking tape is besU it adheres tomost surfaces and peels off cleanly for up to 14 days. Thegreen tape can stay on even longer.

Next, I make sure walls and trim are clean, stain-free, andsmooth. Nail holes, bumps, and cracks can be patched; ifthey're less than % in. deep, I use lightweight joint compound,which dries quickly. (For tips on drywall repair, see p. 32).

Essentialpatching tools.Use a 6-in. tap-ing knife and a5-in-1 tool forwall prep.

o s t p e o p l e t h i n k t h a tpainting the interior of ahouse is a iob that requires

just a couple of tools, a high tolerance

for boredom, and very little experience.

Only after they've come to the end of

their messy f irst job do they begin to

wonder about that old guy in painter's

whites they once saw working at some-

one else's house. How could he paint an

ent i re room in a seamless ly choreo-

graphed sequence of brush and roller

strokes before his second cup of coffee

and not spill even a drop of paintl I'm

not that old guy yet, but I am a paint-

ing contractor. People always ask me

how they can improve their paint ing

techniques. I f you consider the act of

painting on par with a trip to the den-

tist, the answers ahead will provide some

Novocain to ease the pain of your next

painting project.

Frank Sinicrope is a paint ing contrac-tor in Hawthorne, N.J. Photos byCharles Bickford.

ffirereffircF

@

LongJasting, low-tacktape is best (3M Corp.;888-364-3577;www.3m.com).

F INE HOMEBUILDING

Page 27: 215 Great Building Tips

2. DoN'T FoRGET THE PRTMERIt's a good idea to start any job with a quality primer. Stainsincluding ink, crayon, water, and smoke soot can be blockedby a stain-kil l ing primer such as BIN (Zinsser Co. Inc.; www.zinsser.com; 732-469-81 00) or Benjamin Moore's Fresh Startacrylic pri mer (www.benjami nmoore.com; 800-344-0400).After covering the stains, be sure to spot-prime the samearea with the finish paint beforeapplying the final coat. Other-wise, the spot wil l appearshiny when the wall is viewedat an angle.

Cover a multitude ofsins. Hide stains andrepairs with a stain-killingprimer.

3 . PAINT THEWALLS FIRSTPro painters have differentpreferences, but I like topaint the walls f irst, thenthe trim. I can roll out thewalls quickly and not worryabout any spray landing onthe trim. Once the walls arefinished, I wipe down thetrim with a damp rag andstart on it. I don't maskoff the trim when I cut inthe walls, but masking iscertainly a good optionif you'd rather not worryabout getting wall paint onthe trim. Any one of thelow-tack tapes works well.

Don't sweat it. Use tape.Pros rely on a steady stroke toavoid using masking tape inmany situations. But tape en-sures clean, straight lines whileyoLt're still improving your skill.

- J /

06 41

Page 28: 215 Great Building Tips

[--*"t*-*,*****']

-tf

4d)*";saF

-'*t;/'

@f:i

"t.,

Easy does i t " Too much pressur-eon the ro l ler wi l l leave l ines in the^ ^ i - . + ^ ^ l l ^ - JP < 1 i l t L L c l r V U r U P s ) .

r . i i i t i ; i i i : i i ' i I ] i , : i : i . .+ i i i l { . :< ; ; r - ; , i i ; i ; ;

: - i , ; r - r , ' ; . , ' r , ' i ' : I : . i ' i : i . r L j i a ! | { : t ; t i 5 { . ) i

: - r - : , . : 1 1 i ] i i , , t i : - : . . i i t i | . j r i . l i d i i i ; ,

i i , - i i . . t , , , , , , . r : ' : r - . r ' l i . t , i r i , i i .p i . : : r - . r - i : i . : ; 1 .

.;., i.1.i : I ;.,:. ;- 1 i I I i: i i.t : i i]; i '!:, r.::fj i-l i:::

::j 1 1 {,' j l '.,:) i: : i ;;, rr,rl ; 1 : ir' t-,i : u,.: C :: .:, '

i : , . - : i t i i : , , ' i r f ; I i l ' : ; i : ' t t ) i : r r i i i : t ' , , ; ; . , ; ; , r . ; ' ;

. r : ' l ' i , - . , , - , , i : , r , ; , ' l - 1 , - , - . '

, , , i ' i - . , - , , i , . : . , , : . . 1 : - . , t . : . , - ,

. : i : . . - , l . i ) . , i . . . i : . ; , i : ' . . . '

, , . i . . , , . i , ' , . . : ' , ' , i , : . .

\

\1,'.Ll

4 2 t : i \ l H ( ) \ 1 t I i l l l . t ) t \ ( , F

Page 29: 215 Great Building Tips

5. steRT wtNDows tN THECENTER AND WORK OUTWARDI paint the muntins of a window first, then move to

the frame. With a 21/z-in. sash brush, I angle the tipinto the muntin's edge and draw the paint along the

muntin with one smooth stroke. (lf you're unsure

of your technique or don't want to bother, you can

mask the glass with blue tape or scrape the glass

once the paint has dried.) Don't apply too much

paint to the window frame; also, open and close

the window while it's drying so that it doesn't dry

shut. lf the window is painted shut, carefully run a

razor blade between the window sash and casing to

break the seal.

6. BEcrN pANELED DooRs Ar rHE ToP AND woRK DowNPaneled doors should be primed with a high-quality

primer to eliminate bleed-through stains. Multiple finish

coats (usually two) may be necessary to get good cover-

age. Ask your paint supplier to tint the color of the primer

as close as possible to the color of the paint you've cho-

sen. Again, the secret to stopping lap marks is to use a

smooth last stroke with little paint and light pressure.r Start by painting at the top of the doot panels first,

then rails, then stiles. Here, less paint is better to prevent

drips; two coats lightly applied are better than one heavy

coat that drips or sags.r Be sure to keep the paint's leading edge wet to pre-

vent brush marks. A final light stroke across the panel

faces and along the intersections of the rails and stiles

will eliminate sags and brush marks.r When you reach the doorknob, use even less paint

to get a seamless stroke pattern. The trick is to brush

around the knob with continuous strokes and avoid

stops-. Masking is also an option, as is removing the hard-

ware, which allows you to follow the grain.o Be sure to check your work for drips, particularly in

recessed areas and along door edges. As long as the paint

is *illfairly wet, drips can be erased whh a light brush stroke.

The proper order foran even coat. To avoidlap marks, paint themuntins first, then thewindow frame, and fin-ish with the casing.

A ftnal brush strokedefines joinery. Nomatter how you applythe paint, finish with astroke in the diredionof the wood grain.

7. CLEAN uP wtrH PLENw oF wATERFor latex paint, I first flood the bristles with water, working out the

majority of the paint. I use a wire brush gently to scrape out all rem-

nants of dried paint. lf not cleaned thoroughly, the brush will lose flex-

ibility. I use a little dish soap to remove the traces of oils that are in latex

paint, rinse again, then shake or spin the brush dry. For a video tip on

cleaning oil paint from brushes, go to www.finehomebuilding.com.Rollers are certainly worth cleaning. lf washed thoroughly, they

can be used repeatedly. Scrape excess paint out of them with a

5-in-1 tool, then wash them using the same technique as the brushes,

without the wire brush, of course.

GREAT BUILDING TIPS 2006 43

Page 30: 215 Great Building Tips

Tidy ApplicationPaintingwindow sashPainting the muntins

on a divided-lite sash

or door is a pain, and it

takes forever. Here's a

tip from a friend whose

father was a painter.

First, don't paint a win-

dow when it's lying

flat. Stand it up on a

pair of sawhorses, as

shown in the drawings.

Now paint only two

sides of the rectangles

formed by the muntins.

If you're right-handed,

you probably want to

paint down the left

sides and across the bot-

toms of the muntins.

When you're done, flip

the sash over and start

again. This way you'll

never have to paint

across the top and down

the right, which is awk-

ward for righties. Left-

ies do just the opposite._ J E F F E R S O N K O L L E

Ridgefield, Conn.

Painting bifold doorsWhile painting colonial bifold doors,I discovered thatI could paint both the edges and the faces of a pair ofdoors if I propped them open on a pair of sawhorses.As shown in the drawing at right, spring clamps makegood props.

-JEFF NOVITSKI Swee tVa l ley , Pa .

Paint down the left sides andacross the bottoms of the muntins. Paint caddy

I paint houses for a living, and there are three things

about painting with a roller that really annoy me. Oneis masking the baseboard and spreading out a tarp to

catch drips and speckles. Another is moving the paint

bucket from station to station, and the third is moving

the tarp again, which inevitably results in drops of wet

paint smearing the carpet or floor.

Instead of this sequence,I now use a plywood plat-

form on wheels both to carry the paint bucket and to

protect the baseboard and floor from paint splatters. A

plastic blade on one end of the platform butts up

Plastic blade

against the wall to catch drips, as shown in the drawingabove. To make the blade, I used a section cut out of anold plastic garbage can, and I attached it to the caddy

so that the curve points upward. This position directs

paint away from the wall and accommodates higher

baseboards. -STAN LUCAS Redmond, Wash.

Paint down the leftsides and across thebottoms again.

1x1 curb

Offset casters

Spring clamps support bifold

44 F INE HOMEBUILDING Drawings: Charlcs Miller

Page 31: 215 Great Building Tips

Paint stiltsA drywall screw through

a small square of ply-

wood makes a handy

stilt to prop up work

while finish is applied.

When I paint a door, for

instance,I place a pair

of stilts on the floor to

support the door, and

another one against the

wall near the top of the

door, as shown below._ M I C H A E L R . S W E E M

Downey, Calif.

KEEP THE EDGES CLEAN

Clean edges where paint meets woodWhen a painted surface butts up to unpainted wood,

frustration lurks. Masking tape alone isn't enough to

block the paint completely. lt flows into the minute

irregularities under the tapet edge, leaving a fuzzy line

when the tape is peeled away.We recently solved this problem in an entertainment

center that my company built. As shown in the drawing,

the cabinetry has painted uprighr and lacquered shelves.To get the clean line we were looking for, we first

applied a strip of low-tack blue masking tape to the

shelf. Then we ran a thin bead of latex painter's caulk

along the intersection and wiped it with a moistened

finger a couple of times to remove virtually all the caulk.

We weren't concerned about leaving a bit of caulk on theparts to be painted, only on sealing the edge of the tape.

After we finished painting the uprights, we carefullyremoved the tape while the caulk and paint were stillwet. Result: A clean paint line without a master's hand.

A word of caution: lf the caulk and the paint are dry by

the time you remove the masking tape, run a sharp util-

ity knife down the intersection first.-CHUCK GREEN Ashland, Mass.

Painted upright

Thinbead of 'painier'scaulk

Lacqueredshelf

Easy-releasemasking

Use paint stilts tosupport work while finish

Painting next to carpetCutting in a baseboard that borders a carpet can be

a bit messy. I use 2-in.-wide, low-tack masking tapeto hold the carpet tufts away from the baseboard so

that the paint can be applied below the top of thecarpet line.

First, I lay the tape so that it runs about 7s in. up thebaseboard (1). Take care not to press the tape againstthe baseboard. Next, press the tape onto the carpet

about 1 in. away from the baseboard, and use a putty

knife to work the folded side of the tape into thecorner where the carpet and baseboard meet (2). Thismakes the tape stick to all the carpet tufts right up tothe edge of the baseboard. Now when I tug the tapetoward the middle of the room, the tufts are pulled

away from the baseboard, and the baseboard side of

the tape can be worked down (3). This wraps the edgeof the carp€t and protests it from the paint. Pulling the

tape more from the room edge exposes more of thebaseboard for painting! then pressing the room edgeof the tape to the top of the carpet attaches the tapeso that the gap between the carpet and baseboardremains open (4).

-AL LEMKE Hopewel lJunct ion, N.Y.

Work tape into cornerwith putty knife.

Keep tension on the roomedge of the tape as youpress the knifeinto the corner.

Pull out the knife andpress the tape securelyto the carpet.

a

g

E

GREAT BUILDING T IPS 2006

Page 32: 215 Great Building Tips

Prep & CleanupStraining paint for touch-upsBy the time a gallon of paint or varnish has been around longenough to have been opened a half-dozen times and still notcompletely consumed, you can be sure it has collected enoughdried gunk to leave an unsightly surface. It's time to strain thepaint. However, straining the entire contents of the can is messyand time-consuming if you're doing just touch-up work.

As shown in the drawing,I take a different approach.Instead of pouring the paint through the strainer, I put thestrainer in the paint.

I stretch the cheesecloth sffainer over the can and secure itwith a rubber band. The cloth hangs in the paint or varnish,and the finish that accumulates above the cloth is free of con-taminants; itt just right for touch-ups.

-DON MATHIS v i a ema i l

Centrifugal forcespins paint andwater off roller.

Direct waterjet alongedge ofroller.

Cheeseclothstrainer securedwith rubber band

Gal lon ish

Paintbrush garageReal painters clean their brushes every day. I am not a real painter. ButI often seal end-grain cuts and back-prime siding and exterior trimwith an oil-based primer. To save cleanup time at the end of the day,Ikeep my brush in the rig shown in the drawing below.

My brush garage consists of a 1-gal. paint parl, a lx4 crossbar nailedto a doughnut-shaped plywood base, and a5-gal.drywall bucket witha lid. To use it,I put several inches of paint thinner in the paint pailand suspend the brush from the nail hanger so rhat the bristles areimmersed in the thinner. Then I cover the drywall bucket to keep thethinner from evaporating.

This setup allows me ro go weeks without cleaning my brush. Andat the end of a long day of running siding and trim, it sure is nice notto have to deal with paint-thinner fumes and drips.

- JOHN CARROLL Durham, N .C .

Na i l hanger

1-ga l .paint-th innerpai l

The problemof latex overoil paintI'm amazed by how

often contractors and

homeowners alike ap-

ply latex paint directly

over a semigloss oil fin-

ish without first rough-

ing up the old surface

or applying a primer.

Before long, the slight-

est ding can result in alarge chip, exposing the

old oil-based finish.

I've owned two

homes with this prob-lem, and I've spent

hours sanding off the

latex layer on more

doors than I care to

remember. Recently,I

stumbled upon a great

stripping aid: water.

I've found that if the

latex surface is damp-

ened with water a few

minutes prior to sand-

ing, the topcoat will lift

easily off the oil-based

undercoat with gende

prodding from 8O-grit

sandpaper. A wet rag isall you need. fust make

sure the paint stays wet

for a few minutes prior

to sanding. I've often

had entire sections peelaway from a door.

Once you've removed

the latex, rough up the

base coat with sandpa-

per and give it a coat of

primer. Now you're '

ready for a new topcoat.- J O N A T H A N

A P P L E B A U M

Westfield, N.J.

\

\of varn{W

Centrifugal rollercleanerCleaning water-soluble

paint from a paint roller

used to be a tedious choreuntil I came up with thisidea. Now after I've fin-ished painting, I simply

attach an extension handleto the roller, step outside,

and use a garden hose todo the work. Directing astream of water along theedge of the roller revs itup to a good speed, so the

paint and water spin off theroller. Be sure to perform

this operation well awayfrom anything that might bedamaged by the paint andwatery overspray.

_ M E L W O L P E R T

Weatogue, Conn.

F I N E H O M E B U I L D I N G

Drywallbucket

\_--z

Plywoodbase

1x4 crossbar nai led to base

46

Brush suspended in paint thinner

Page 33: 215 Great Building Tips

TOOLS FROM THE RECYCLING BIN

Paintbrush carrierWhen I paint trimwork, I hate to wastetime climbing up and down the ladderto get the right brush. I could leavevarious brushes in the paint bucket,but they soon would become a drip-ping mess.

My solution is to cut the top off a1-gal. plastic antifreeze jug with flat

sides. I then cut two slits in one of thesides and thread a nylon belt throughthem, as shown in the drawing. lsl idethe loose belt ends through the loopsof my painter's pants, creating a paint-brush carrier that rides easily on myhip. I now have several brushes close athand. The carrier cleans up easily withwater or paint thinner.

*MIKE ELL IS Sea t t l e

Plastic jug withbottom removedacts as paint canor funnel.

Cut rim into equal portions, and bendupward every other segment.

Low-budget paint mixerThe next time you need to stir somepaint and can't find a mixer for yourdrill, make your own. As shown inthe drawing at right, I cut the rim ofa metal peanut-butter-jar lid into aseries of segments that can be bentinto an effective mixer. Drill a hole inthe center of the lid, and affix it to a3/e-in.-dia. by 6-in.-long toggle bolt.Now use a pair of metal shears tocut the lid into equal segments, andbend up every other section. Mixingeven old paint is a snap with this rig.

_ M I C H A E L J U P P E

Hudson, Ohio

Combo paintbucket/funnelInstead of working directly outof a gallon can of paint or asmaller but hard-to-hold cof-fee can, I use a chopped-downmilk jug. Not only is the buih-inhandle a plus, but the containeralso does double duty. Whenl'm finished painting, l justremove the cap and set the jug

on top of the paint can. Anyleftover paint drains back whereit belongs.

- R . 8 . H I M E S

Vienna, Ohio

:

Scraper cleanupPaint stripper combined with old paint or varnish makes a stickygoo that can be tough to remove from a scraper or a putgr knife.To make an easy job of it, I cut a straight slit about 2 in. long in alarge tin can. Then I slide the blade of the knife into the slit closeto where it joins the handle. When I pull the blade out, the oldfinish falls into the can, ready for disposal.

-ROY VIKEN Boise, ldaho

GREAT BUILDING T IPS 2006 47

Page 34: 215 Great Building Tips

Rulesto know how good good

10 ways to work efficiently andis enough BY LARRY HAUN

I-f t was a coincidence that another

I contractor and I began framingI houses next door to one another

-I- on the same day. By the timehis house was framed, mine was shin-gled, wired, and plumbed. It was nocoincidence that the other contrac-tor ran out of money and had to turnover the unfinished house to the lend-ing company, while I sold mine fora profit.

Both houses were structurally sound,plumb,level, and square, but every 2x4in the other house was cut to perfection.Every joint looked like finish carpentry.The other contractor was building fur-niture, and I was framing a house.

Unlike finish carpentry, framingdoesn't have to look perfect or satisfyyour desire to fit together two pieces ofwood precisely. Whether you're build-ing a house, an addition, or a simplewal l , the goals when framing arestrength, efficiency, and accuracy. Fol-lowing the building codes and the blue-prints should take care of the strength;efficiency and accur acy are trickier.During 50 years of framing houses,I've come up with the following rulesto help me do good work quickly andwith a minimum of effort.

Larry Haun, author of The Very Effi-i ient Carpenter (The Taunton Press,1999) and Habitat for Humanity:How to Build a House (The TauntonPress, 2002), has been framinghouses for more than 50 years. Helives in Coos Bay, Ore.

Don't move materialsany more than you haveto

Hauling lumber from place

to place is time-consuming

and hard on your body.

Make it easier on yourself

every chance you get, and

start by having the folks

at the lumberyard do theirpart. Make sure lumber

arrives on the truck stacked

in the order it will be used.

You don't want to move

hundreds of wall studs to

get to your plate stock, for

instance. And floor joists

are stacked on top of floor

Floor sheathing

Wall and roof sheathing

sheathing, not the other way around.

When it's time for the delivery unload the building materials

as close as possible to where they will be used. Often, lumber

can be delivered on a boom truck, so stacks of lumber canbe placed right on the deck

or on a simple structure built

flush alongside the deck.

Once the material is deliv-

ered, don't move it any more

than you need to. Cut studs,

plywood, and anything elseyou can right on the stack. lfyou do have to move wood,plan so that you have to

move it only once.

Floor framing

EJon top

Wall framingin midd le

-/

Roofframing onbottom

Cut 2x4s righton the stack.

Drawings: Christopher Clapp. Photo: Bnan Pontolilo.

Page 35: 215 Great Building Tips

Cut topplate toexadIength.

Cap or doubleplate can be up to1/t in. short(not long).

yourlumbercounts

These days, if you cull every bowed or crooked

stud, you may need to own a lumber mill to get

enough wood to frame a house. How do you

make the most of the lumber that you get?

Use the straightest stock where it's absolutely

necessary: where it's going to make problems

for you later on if it's not straight. Walls, espe-

cially in baths and kitchens, need to be straight.

Itt not easy to install cabinets or tile on a wall

that bows in and out. Straight stock is also

necessary at corners and at rough openings

for doors.

The two top plates need to be

straight as well, but the bot-

tom plate doesn't. You can

bend it right to the chalkline

and nail it home. lf you save

straight stock for the top

plates, you'll have an easy l

t ime aligning the walls.

And every project needs

lots of short stock for i ,,blocking; take bowed ,'

'

material and cut it into i

the cripples, headers, ..and blocks. " ,'

Use straight studsfor corners, forrough openings,for top plates, andin kitchens andbaths.

Use bowedstock for bottomplates, blocking,cripples, and \\ /headers. \=-__/,

Build a hous€,not furniture

In other words, know your tolerances. Rafters don't have to

fit like the parts of a cabinet. Nothing in frame carpentry is

perfect, so the question is: What's acceptable?

You need to get started right, and that means the mud-

sills. Whether they're going on a foundation or on a slab,

they need to be level, straight, parallel, and square. But

there's no harm done if they're cutlh in. short. A rim joist,

on the other hand, needs to be cut to the right length

(within tho in.) before being nailed to the mudsill.

When it comes to wall framing, the bottom plate also can

be th in. or so short, but the top plate needs to be cut to

exast length (again within the in.) because it establishes the

buildingt dimension at the top of the walls. But the plate

that sits on top of that, the cap or double plate, should be

cut % in. short so that intersecting walls tie together easily.

Once you've raised the walls, how plumb or straight is

good enough? In my opinion, 1/r in, out of plumb in 8 ft.

is acceptable, and a Tq-in. bow in a 50-ft. wall won't cause

harm to the structure or problems for subcontractors. Take

special care by framing as accurately as possible in kitchens

and bathrooms. These rooms require more attention partly

because of their tighter tolerances, but also because the

work of so many trades comes together here.

Bottom plate

No more than % in. out of plumb in 8 ft .

Rim joist cut to exact length (within l/rcin.)

t

fIf

\Cutting the mudsill up to 1A in. short (not long) is OK.

G R E A T B U I L D I N G T I P S 2 0 0 6

Page 36: 215 Great Building Tips

7l Work in aEJ logical order

Establish an efficient routine

for each phase of work, do

it the same way every time,

and tackle each phase in its

logical order. In the long run,

having standard procedures

will save time and minimize

mistakes. Let's take wall fram-

ing as an example.

First, I snap all the wall l ines

on the floor; then I cut the

top and bottom plates and

tack all of them in place

on the l ines. Next, I lay

out the plates, detailing

the location of every win-

dow, door, stud, and

intersecting wall.

I pry up the top plate and

move it about I ft. away

from the bottom plate, which

I leave tacked to the

deck. I scatter studs

every 16 in. for the

length of the wall.

I nail the top plate

to the studs and keep

the bottom of the studs

snug against the bottomplate. This helps to keep thewall square, straight, and in

position to be raised. I try to

establish a rhythm and work

consistently from one end to

the other. Once the top plate

is nailed completely, I pry up

the bottom plate and repeat

the process on the bottom.It's worth saying that I didn't

just make up these steps;

they evolved over time. Rec-

ognizing inefficiency is an

important part of framing.

2. Tack top and bottom

3. Detailplates for studs,doors, windows, and intersecting walls.

plates in place. yin'| ,/' '\| . ..t'"\ . - r + "\ ----- --.

4. Pry up top plate.Bottom plate remains.

5. Scatter studs every 16 in.for the length of wall. Nai/ studsto top plate.

5 0 F I N E H O M E B U I L D I N G

6. Pry up bottom plateand nail to studs.

1. Snap wall l ines.

,:.r.,r1..,

Page 37: 215 Great Building Tips

tf Keep the otherEl trades in mindlf you want to waste time

and money when framing,

don't think about the eleqtri-

cal work, the plumbing, the

heat ducts, the drywall, or

the finish carpentry. Whether

you do them yourself or hire

subcontractors, these trades

come next. And unless you're

working with them in mind

every step of the way, your

framing can be in the way.

For example, when you

nail on the double top plate,

keep the nails located over

the studs. This placement

leaves the area between the

studs free for the elestrician

or plumber to drill holes with-

out hitting the nails.

Don't measureunless you have to

The best way to save time when you're framing a

house is by keeping your tape measure, your pencil,

and your square in your nail pouch as much as pos-

sible. I have to use a tape measure to lay out thewall lines accurately on the deck, but after that, I

cut all of the wall plates to length by cutting to the

snapped wall lines. I position the plate on the line,

eyeball it, and then make the cuts at the intersect-

ing chalkline.

Another time-saver is to make square crosstuts

on 2x4s or 2x6s without using a square. Experience

has shown me that with a little practice, anyone

can make these square cuts by aligning the leadingedge of the sawt base, which is perpendicular to

the blade, with the far side of the lumber beforemaking the cut.

Center studsbehind tub formixing valve.

When nailing together thedouble top plate, align the nailswith the studs.

Behind the lavatory, center theopen area between studs for themedicine cabinet.

When installing extrawidetrim, include blocking foreledrical switches.

With pradice,you can makesquare cuts byaligning the froniedge of the sawtbase with thefar edge of theboard.

lnclude backingfor drywall.

- e G €

Trimming 1/tin.

from a board's length

shouldn't require measuring.

Ripping (lengthwise cuts) longer

pieces also cin be done by eye if you

use the edge of the saw's base as a guide.

Train your eye. lt'll save time cutting, and as you

develop, you'll also be able to straighten walls as

easily by eye as with a string.

GREAT BUILDING TIPS 2006 51

Page 38: 215 Great Building Tips

gl Finish one taskft before going on to the nextMy first framing job was with a crew that would lay

out, frame, and raise one wall at a time before moving

on to the next. Sometimes crew members would even

straighten and brace the one wall before proceeding.

We wasted a lot of time constantly switching gears.

lf you're installing joists, roll them all into place, and

nail them before sheathing the floor. Snap all layout

lines on the floor before cutting any wall plates, then

cut every wall plate in the house before framing. lfyou're cutting studs or headers and cripples, make a

cutlist for the entire proiect, and cut them all at once.Tie all the intersecting walls together before starting to

straighten and brace the walls.

Finishing before moving on is just as important when

it comes to nailing and blocking. You might be tempted

to skip these smalljobs and do them later, but don't.

Close out each part of the job as well as you can before

moving on to the next. Working this way helps tomaintain momentum, and it prevents tasks from beingforgotten or overlooked.

Ef,il:H:ff?s*,eYou don't need a mathematician toknow that it takes less time to cut two

boards at once than it does to cut

each one individually.

lf you have a stack of studs that all

need to be cut to the same length,

align one end of the top row, snap a

chalkline all the way across, and cut

the studs to length right on the pile.

Or you can spread them out on the

floor, shoving one end against the

floor plate, snap a chalkline, and cut

them all at once.

Joists can be cut to length in a simi-

lar way by spreading them out across

the foundation and shoving one

end up against the rim joist

on the far side. Mark

them to length, snap a line, and cut

the joists all at once.

Also, don't forget to make repetitive

cuts with a radial-arm or chop/miter

saw outfitted with a stop block, which

is more accurate and faster than

measuring and marking one

board at a time.

First, spread studson the plywood floorwith one end againstthe floor plate.

52 FINE HOMEBUILDING

Page 39: 215 Great Building Tips

Don't cl imb a ladderunless you have to

I don't use a ladder much on a framing job

except to get to the second floor before

stairs are built. Walls can be sheathed and

nailed while they're lying flat on the

deck. Waiting until the walls are raised

to nail on plywood sheathing

means you have to work

from a ladder or a

scaffold. Both are

time-consuming.

With a little foresight,

you can do the rafter layout

on a double top plate while it 's

still on the floor. Otherwise, you'll

have to move the ladder around thejob or climb on the walls to mark the

top plate.

Know thebuilding code

Building codes exist to cre-

ate safe structures. Because

building inspectors are not

capable of monitoring allparts of every project, your

responsibility is to know the

building code and to build

to it.

For instance, the code actu-

ally specifies how to nail a

stud to a wall plate. You need

two 16d nails if you're nail ing

through a plate into the end

of the stud, or four 8d nails

if you're toenail ing. When

you nail plywood or oriented

strand board (OSB) roof

sheathing, you need a nail

every 6 in. along the edge of

the sheathing and every

12 in. elsewhere. And if

you're using a nail gun, be

careful not to overdrive the

nails into the sheathing.

Attach thesheathing whilethe wallis sti l/ on

..''t the plywood floor.

A final word: lf special situa-

tions arise, consult the build-

ing inspector. He or she is

your ally, not your enemy.

Get to know the building

code for your area. Get your

own copy of the IRC (lnterna-

tional Residential Code) and

build well, but build effi-

ciently, with the understand-

ing that perfection isn't what

is required.

Work safelywhateverthe rule

Working safely should beat the top of your prior-ity list. Safety glasses,hearing protection, and adust mask should be thenorm, as should attentionaround coworkers or dan-gerous debris.

Safety devices andgood intentions, however,won't help if your mindisn't on the work. Payattention, approach thework with a clear head,listen to that inner voicethat says, "This is toodangerous," and be extracareful toward the end ofthe day.

Mark rafter layout ontop of the wall plate.

Roof sheathing is nailed every6 in. along the edges and every12 in. elsewhere. ln high-windareas, sheathing alongthe eaves, rakes, andridges is nailedevery 6 in.

7a- in. sheathing

The American PlywoodAssociation says there's noreduction in strength for nailsoverdriven by thc in. or less. lfmore than 20% ofthe fasteners exceed1/e in., add one nailfor each twooverdriven nails.

2x8 rafter

G R E A T B U I L D I N G T I P S 2 0 0 6

Page 40: 215 Great Building Tips

RoofsFraming jigI have a rapid, accurate method for assembling any wall, flooq orroof that uses standard dimensions. My method uses a jig, whichis simply aZx4 notched on 16-in. or 24-in. centerlines to receivethe framing members. Two such jigs are handy, and for large-scale work, four can help. To use, just slip one member at a timeinto the jig until everything is in place, then nail. No measuring isrequired except for cutting pieces to length. The jigs really helpon long runs that need to be covered with drywall, plywood,etc. For trusses, everything can be assembled with the jigs, the ply-wood started, and then the jigs pulled up. No nails to pull.

I put together a 1000-sq.-ft. workshop with this method-mostly by myself and on evenings and weekends. It really works.

M.R. HAVEtTIS St . Albans, W.Va.

Roof-sheathing jigWhen I'm nailing down the first row of ply-wood sheathing on a roof that will have soffits,I use a pair of jigs shown in the drawing to-position

the panels. Using these jigs,I can ad-just the amount of overhang to suit the fascia

detail by moving the blocks in relation to thelip that supports the edge of the plywood. I'vefound the jigs to be especially helpful when Iam working alone and in need of a third hand.

_ J O H N S H E P H E R D

Charlottesville, Va.

Notchdetail

A double-bevel plumb cutfor valley rafters

Mark two plumb lines the same dis-tance apart as the thickness of the val-ley rafter (1). Set the saw to 45o, andmake the first cut so that the outsideline becomes the long point (2). Cut

the inside line in the other direction but with thesame bevel (3). -R ICK ARNOLD Wick fo rd , R . l .

Hanger notchWhen I have to

attach a rafter to a

beam with a joist

hanger,I find it help-

ful to kerf the rafter's

plumb cut with a

Skilsaw. Then I can

insert the hanger into

the kerf, as shown in

the drawing, and nail

it in place. The kerf

depth coincides with

the full cutting depth of my 7Yc-in. saw, so I don't have to mess with adjust-ments. I also can stack the rafters and make one cut to kerf them all at the sametime. This method is a lot easier than notching the rafter, and it provides a con-tinuous plane up the rafter to attach drywall.

_ G R E G H A L V E R S O N

Portland, Ore.

Notches 24 in.F--_------*l7:::: : -1: - :_ : :::=l j- - - *-i

+ __v_ +C*tt/zin.l V* *l'.-T;

Eli7, in.

or 16 in. on center

Jigs for trussassembly

lnsert hanger.

%-in. plywood

54 F I N E H O M E B U I L D I N G Drawings, except where noted: Charles Millcr. Drawing center right: Toby Welles/Design Corc. Photos this page; Brian Pontolilo.

Page 41: 215 Great Building Tips

piece, showing you where to finish the cuts.

Now you cdn put the pieces together with a

couple of 8d nails near the end of the splice.

Depending on how long the pieces are,

you either can assemble them on the

ground and carry them to the

ridge, or put them together

in place.

Equal / , /

Splicing ridge boardsAs a framing carpenter, I frequently come across a ridge span longer than

the overall length of the material I'm using for the ridge. To extend the

material to the correct length,I splice ridge boards with a V-shaped joint as

shown in the drawing below.

My crew and I call this technique "penciling the ridges," after the big pencil-

shaped piece of wood that results when the cuts are made. To begin the cuts,

overlap the ridge material with the crowns pointing in the same direction.

The overlap should be at least equal to the rafter spacing (usually 16 in.

around here). Now take your tape and mark the rafter layout lines as shown

in the drawing. Draw cutlines from the center of the top ridge board to its

end, and make these cuts with the sawblade set % in. deeper rhan the cut.

This depth will put saw tracks in the bottom

I REMoDELT NG TrP

Stepping upI recently added three dormers on a12-in-12 root, using a toe-board androof-stair system that saved me a lotof time, risk, and effort. As shown inthe drawing below, the stairs are madeof hvo 2x12 stringers with 16-in.-long,3/c-in. plywood treads. The uphill end ofeach stringer was cut in a curved pat-tern to keep the front edge from dam-aging the shingles when it slid ontothe roof. The downhill end should benotched on the underside for a flat 2x4toe board. I placed one ladder on eachside of the dormer layout and hookedeach over the 2x4 toe board thatwas nailed at the eave parallel to theridge. A 2x12 plank then could be laidacross the treads of the turo stairs, andmoved up and down the pitch of theroof. Framing, siding, trimming, paint-ing, and shingling the dormers andsurrounding area were relatively easy,and the system caused a minimum ofdamage to the existing roof.

-WAYDE MILLANY Dil lon, Colo.

Curved stringer preventsdamage to shingles.

Rafter layout

Cutl ines

I like this detail because

it's clean and because

it holds together bet-

ter than a couple of

toenailed, butt-ioined

boards. It's also sim-

pler than scabbing

on a plywood gusset

or a2x spl ice._RYAN HAWKS

Flagstaff, Ariz.

Use 8d nails to secure assembled ridge boards.

Sheathing steep roofsWhen the pitch of a roof is 10 or more, we like to sheathe from the top down.This method requires a litde more staging, but it is much safer and saves time.

Set the staging so that you're standing up between the rafters about 6 ft.from the ridge. From the center of the ridge at each gable end, measuredown 4 ft.r/q in., and snap a line across the rafters. Begin the layout with

a full sheet on the line as you would if

starting at the eaves. After you finish

a row, nail it off completely, and lower

the staging toward the outside of the

building. Continue with the process,

completing the last course from the out-

side staging._ M I K E G U E R T I N A N D R I C K A R N O L D

East Greenwich, R.l.

10- in . r ise1O- in . run

2x12 p lank

2x4toeboard

16 i n .

y./Y t

%-in. plywoodtreads

*q-.

Photos, except whe re noted: Mike Guert in and Randy O'Rourke G R E A T B U I L D I N G T I P S 2 0 0 6 5 5

Page 42: 215 Great Building Tips

WallThe hooter stickPlumbing and aligning stud walls can bequite a chore, sometimes involving thebetter part of a five- or six-member crew.On a recent job,I became acquaintedwith the tool shown in the drawing below.Here in Austin, Texas, it's called a hooterstick, and I haven't found anything that'sbetter suited for adjusting long, tall, or justplain awkward walls.

Basically, it is nothing more than twostuds, a2x4 block 20 in. to 30 in. long, andan old hinge. To assemble the stick, firstcut a 45" V-notch in the end of one stud,and scab the block flush to the bottomend of the other stud. Then fasten the twoparts with the hinge.

To use the hooter stick, place thenotched end against the underside of thetop plate, near a corner or an intersectionwith another wall. To brace the bottom ofthe stick, you can use either your foot or ablock that is tacked to the subfloor. Nowyou're ready to push in the direction thatyou want the wall to move. The hooteris an awkward piece of equipment tomanipulate at first, but once you get usedto it, you will be surprised at what youcan do to an outside wall full of offsetsand headers. _ P A U L W I L S O N

Austin, Texas

V-notch

- ,\"

F INE HOMEBUILDING

20-in. to 30-in.

The easiest way to keep the bottom plate of a framed wall from walking when itis being raised is to toenail it into the subfloor. The nails bend easily as you lift thewall, and the bottom plate usually remains in the immediate neighborhood of itsintended layout.

A more secure system uses the strapping that binds lumber loads. Cut it into l2-in.pieces, and nail one end to the underside of the bottom plate. The other end shouldrun under the wall and benailed into the subfloor.Concrete nails will piercethe stuff; or you can abuseyour zhz-in nailset and starta hole. The strapping canbe left in place and coveredby the finished flooring.

_ F E L I X M A R T I

Ridgway, Colo.

Sheathing walls soloFor those loners who put up their own sheathing,here is a method that makes it simple for one personto control a 4x8 sheet of plywood or OSB. The key isto put up the framed walls before the top plates aredoubled. As shown in the drawing at left, make acouple of short 2x blocks, and clamp them to the tgpedge of the sheathing. Make sure the blocks are flush

with the edge. No*, using the blocks as hooks, hang the sheathing on thetop of the wall and nail it home. The blocks will ensure that the sheathingends up flush with the finished height of the top plate.

_ J A M E S H U R L E Y

Nevada City, Calif.

Stud

Subfloor-/

,* ;: ,.-*-j_>

Toenail

Page 43: 215 Great Building Tips

12-in. to 18-in. scabwith 45' bevel

and wal l tosubfloor.

2 ft.

Wall-lift prop polesWith three or four site-built

wall jacks like the one shown in

the drawing above, a two-

member crew can lift 30-ft.- to

40-ft.-long stud walls. The jack

is made of a2x4 about 7 ft. long

with three nailed-on scabs 2 ft.

apart. The scabs form ledges to

support the wall as it is lifted.

With the stud wall lying flat

on the subfloor and toenailed

to it, toenail each jack to the

floor so that its base is tight to

the wall's top plate. Now begin

at one end of the wall, and lift

it to the first notch. Move back

and forth along the wall,lifting

one notch at each station until

you've reached the third level.

From there, it's an easy push to

get the wall upright._ E D W I L S O N

Seattle

Straightening studsIt's not unusual for a stud wall to have some sticks in it that bow in or out of the wall

plane, making it tough to do a decent job on the drywall or paneling. Here's how I fix

both situations. After identifying the bowed-in studs, I work on the worst one first.

Using a straightedge held vertically against the side of the stud,I find the high point

of the bow and measure across it for a notch that will accept a2x4 cross member.

Then I set the saw depth to make a cut iust a little deeper than the thickness of the

2x4 cross member-about 1% in. Now I nail the cross member to the bowed stud,

flush one end of it to the adjacent stud and nail it, and toenail the opposite end as deep

as needed to remove the bow (drawing left). To fix a bowed-out stud (drawing right),

I make a notch l3/c in. to l% in. deep at the point of the stud that is bowed out the

most. Then I drive a pair of 16d nails--one angled up and one angled d6q7n-1e

anchor the cross member to the stud. When the cross member is flush and nailed

with the adjacent studs, the bow is gone. This second method works well when the

opposite side of the wall is inaccessible--rovered with a shear wall, for example._ J O H N R I E D H A R T

Ventura, Calif.

Bowed

Angle naildown.

-out stud\__=r

\,,.l,,,Notch 13/r in. to1% in . deep

I REMoDELT NG TrPHeader retrofitNext time you put a built-upheader into an existing wall, usea reciprocating saw to sever thenails at the top and bottom of allthe studs to be removed. Rotatethe freed studs 90", and align themto one side of the bottom andtop plates. Next, place trimmers(cut to their finished length) at anangle on each side of the open-

ing. Raise one half of the head-er into place, and tap the trim-mers into their vertical position(depending on the span, a mid-support for the first half ofthe header may be required).Remove the original studs, addthe other half of the headenand spike the halves together.

-FELIX MARTI Ridgway, Colo.

Toenail cross member as deepas needed to remove bow.

Notch nodeeperthan

( l

Rotate studs to allowroom for the first half ofa two-piece header.

Plan view

G R E A T B U I L D I N G T I P S 2 0 0 6

Page 44: 215 Great Building Tips

FloorsRubber band

i lsBent

7a- in. holefor nozzle %-in. pine body

8d na

\I'1,

Glue s led

Call me persnickety, but I like to place a nice full bead of consrruc-tion adhesive down the center of the floor joists before I lay down asheet of plywood subflooring. Too many rimes, I've been on a job sitewhere the glue was applied carelessly, resulting in an erratic line withskips and unacceptably thin smears. If it's worth the expense andeffort of gluing a subfloor in the first place (and I think it is), then ittworth taking the time to do it right. The device shown above is mysolution to the problem. I think the best part is that using this gad-get, I center the glue bead on the joist every time without having togo back.

The glue sled, as I call it, is nothing more than a I%-in.-wide blockof 3/q-in. pine with a hole in it. The block is sandwiched betweenVc-in.-thick plywood sides. The hole accepts rhe nozzle of the gluecartridge, and the rubber band loops over the caulk-gun frame, hold-ing the sled in place. In use, the plywood sides ride along the sides ofthe joist, keeping the nozzlecentered.-I

think a3Ae-dia. bead ofglue is the ideal amount. And although Idon't obsess over this detail, I can tell you that cutting the nozzle3/ain.from its tip yields alrt-in. open-ing for the glue to exit. If yourjoists are on 16-in. centers, figureon using about three-quartersof a 10.5-oz. tube per sheet ofplywood. Where sheets cometogether on one joist, you canget a fairly even off-center beadof glue by lifting up the sled andangling the glue gun to the side.

_ H E R R I C K K I M B A L L

Moravia, N.Y.

Blocking orheader supportedbetween joists

Solo framingA carpenter working alone can hold aheader, blocking, or similar framing mem-ber in place for final nailing with a few bentnails. I use 8d nails, driven about a third oftheir length into the top edge of the workand then bent 90". These ears will supportthe piece until the first nail is set.

_ C R A I G S A V A G E

Carpinteria, Calif.

The twisterOne of the first

things we do on a

new framing site is

to build a "twister"

to help straighten

corkscrewed lum-

ber. Our twisters are

made of two 3-ft.

2x4s and one 2-ft.2x4. As shown in the drawing above, thelong 2x4s sandwich the short one, crearinga slot at one end. To use the twister, we nailthe twisted piece of stock at one end. Thenwe slip rhe2x4lever over the other endand move the twister until the stock comesflush with its nailing surface. The twister

usually provides enough leverage that ittakes only one hand,leaving the othei fre.eto swing a hammer or fire a nailer.

-SEAN SHEEHAN Bas in , Mon t .

Rubber band hooks

F I N E H O M E B U I L D I N G

Page 45: 215 Great Building Tips

I REMoDELT NG TtPsBeam stairIn the course of building a family-room addition, we had toplace a 22-ft, glulam atop an old stud wall to carry the weight

of a couple of rooms above. The glulam weighed almost 500 lb.,

and we had no access for a crane, a boom truck, or a forklift.

After easing the beast inside with rollers and a ramp, we made

a "beam stair" for making short lifts, one end at a time.

Once the ceiling ioists were shored up temporarily, we

removed the old wall and nailed in three cripples on each side.

As we framed adjacent walls, we left out a stud on each sidefor maneuvering room. In front of the double-width stud sPaces,we built two temporary stairstep arrangements, dividing the

height of the lift into four intervals of about 22 in. each.The stringer was a 2x8 affixed to the cripples with duplex nails

and tacked securely at the bottom to the subfloor. The "steps"were 2x6 blocks, each about 18 in. long, secured to the stringerwith four duplex nails apiece. They were canted toward the

stringer a bit so that the beam wouldn't tilt forward onto us.We lifted one end of the beam at a time onto a step until the

beam sat on the cripples. After more jacking, prying, and shim-ming, we nailed it in place and added joist hangers for the

second-floor joists._ROBERT GAY SCAII IE

Joist lower than header

Upside-downjoist hanger

Joist liftDuring a recentremodeling proj-ect, we had to puta new floor overan old ceiling. Thecramped quartersmade it impossible to swing a hammer frombelow to bring the joists flush with newly addedheaders and beams. The drawing shows howwe used a temporary upside-down joist hangerand a crowbar to bring a joist flush, allowing itshanger to be installed in the right position.

- J I M L O C K W O O D

Brookline, Mass.

Adding new joistsI strengthened the originaljoists in my house by sisteringon some new ones. The typical problem is trying to get the

ends of the joists to fit between the mudsills and the subfloor.

When tilted, the joist is a bit too big to fit without seriouspersuasion. To avoid this, I cut a wedge from each end of

a new joist, allowingme to tip the joist intoposition easily. Then Itapped in the wedgesand nailed them in place

for full bearing._ R O G E R W E S T E R B E R G

Verndale, Minn.

Wedge is driven under new joist after installation.

G R E A T B U I L D I N G T I P S 2 0 0 6

Page 46: 215 Great Building Tips

: RulesUse these 10 tips to get startedBY WILL BEEMER

y first construction job was as a tr im carpenter 'shelper during school summer vacation. All I did thatfirst summer was fetch and carry; I wasn't allowed tomeasure, cut, or nail. I was told to observe. In doing

so, I learned that finish carpenrry is essentially a visual exercise.Even if the framer couldn't read a level, the finish carpenter's job

is to make the doors, windows, and cabinets work, and to makethe house look good. Finish carpenrry is more than interior trim. Itincludes roofing, siding, decking: anything the owner will see aftermoving in. Rough carpenters evolve into finish carpenrers by learninghow to measure, mark, and cut more accurately. With practice, split-

ting the pencil line with a sawcut and working to closer tolerancesbecome second nature.

Perfect miters are only part of finish carpenrry. Finish carpentersmust develop an eye for proportion and detail. They must learn tovisualize the steps that lead to the finished product. Now,I teach theseskills to novice carpenters. To help make learning these skills easier,I've organized the following ten rules of thumb.

Wi l l Beemer is d i rector o f the Hear twood School in Wash-ington, Mass. , and co-execut ive d i rector o f the T imberF ramers Gu i l d .

AVOID USING NUMBERSIt is usually more accurate to hold a board in

place to mark its length (drawing left) rather

than to use a tape measure and involve num-bers. Sometimes, using a ruler or a tape isunavoidable. I use a tape measure on a long

piece that's too difficult to mark in place, butgenerally, I don't like tapes. A tape can flex

and change shape,and the movable end hookbends easily, affecting accuracy.

A rigid rule is better than a tape for measur-

ing lengths under 6 ft.; hence, the 6-ft. folding

wooden rule takes over during trim and cab-inet work. The best folding rules come with

a sliding brass extension that makes taking

inside measurements easy. Open th.e rule

to the greatest length that fits berween fJre

points to be measured, and slide out the brassextension the rest of the distance. Hold it atthat length, and carry it to the board to be cut(top drawing, facing page). No need for num-

bers; just mark the board from the extendedruler. A combination square or a wood blockof known dimension is the best way to lay out

Don't measure.It is more accurate tomark trim in placethan to measure andthen transfer numbers.It's easy to misreada ruler or to confusenumbers while walkingto the saw.

F I N E H O M E B U I L D I N G

tu*

Drawings: Dan Thornton. Photo: Charles Bickford.

Page 47: 215 Great Building Tips

the small measurements needed for revealsand other spacings (drawing bottom right).Learn what dimensions are bui l t in ro thetools you use. A carpenter 's penci l is Yc in.thick; you can use it as a spacer for decking.The pencil lead rsVrc in. from the edge ofthe pencil, so it can scribe ha-in. increments.The body of a folding rule ist/sin.wide. Theblade of a standard combination square isI in. wide, and its body is % in. thick.

A door or window should be cased withoutthe use of a tape. Lightly mark the reveal onthe jamb with a pencil. Square-cut the bot-toms of the casing legs, hold them up to rhejamb, and mark the top cuts from the reveallines. Cut the legs, and tack them in place.Miter one end of the head, and holding i tupside down over its final position, mark theother end to length (drawing facing page).

Use a combinationsquare as a markinggauge for consistent

.me asu rem e nts {or thi ngssuch as casing reveals,handrail centers, andwindow-stool notches.

lt,

Combinat ion square

Pencil l ineindicateswhere toplace thetrim.

Transfer rneasurements diredly. Many foldingrules have a brass end that extends to measureinside dimensions. Carry the extended ruler tothe workpiece, and transfer the measurernentdirectly whenever possible.

USE REVEALS, ANDAVOID FLUSH EDGESWood moves-as it dries out, as the housesettles, as you cut it, and as you're nailing itup. It's almost impossible ro ger flush edgesto stay that way. That's why, for example,carpenters usually step casing back from theedge of door and window jambs. Steppingtr im back to form reveals causes shadow-lines and creates different planes that makeit harder for the eye to pick up discrepancies.If a casing is installed flush to rhe inside of ajamb, it may not stay that way. The eye willeasily pick up even a Vrc-in.variation from topto bottom. If the casing is stepped back% in.or 3/s in., this variation will not be nearly asevident and will be hidden in shadow muchof the time. Separate discrepancies, and theybecome less evident.

In years past, carpenters by necessity usedtrim materials of different rhicknesses; plan-ers were not in widespread use. You rarelysee mitered casings in older houses becausedifferences in material thickness are obvious

Head-casingoverhang

Variedthicknessescreate areveal.

to the head, which runs over and past the legsby %in. or so. This way, the carpenter didn'tworry about the length of the head casingbeing exact or the side casings noticeablychanging width with changes in humidity.The head casing is usually the thicker piece so

Offset everyfthing. Woodmoves, so it's practicallyimpossible to keep flushedges flush. lnstead, offsetedges from each other, suchas the casing from the jamb.And use boards of differentthicknesses as with the headcasing and the leg shownhere. This way, they can swelland shrink unnoticed.

that the shadow it casts makes it appear to bea cap. Rosettes often were placed at the uppercorners and plinth blocks at the bottoms ofdoor jambs. The casings and baseboardsbutted to them. The variations in thickness ofthese boards were lost in the overwhelming

presence of the thicker plinths and rosettes.

GREAT BUILD ING T IPS 2006 51

Casing1"9

Page 48: 215 Great Building Tips

-IIII

II-I

I

Diverging lines are obvious mistakes. With shingles or lapped siding, diverging startingand ending points can be hidden a little at a time by slightly tapering the course widths. Butthis technique doesn't work with other materials, such as tongue-and-groove flooring, whosecourse can't be varied easily.

Out-of-paral le l wal ls

Moldings hide the gap.Floorboards don't have to bea uniform distance from thewall. As long as the base/shoemolding covers it, the gapcan vary.

SPLIT THE DIFFERENCEI f y o u ' r e r u n n i n g c o u r s e s o f m a t e r i a l

between two diverging surfaces, and you

s ta r t ou t wo rk ing pa ra l l e l t o one , you

won't be paral lel to the other. With deck-

ing, roofing, or siding, you can adjust the

gap or coverage sl ightly at each course so

that the courses are para l le l to the o ther

surface when they reach i t .

Th i s ad jus tmen t i s f i gu red eas i l y . S "y

that you're shingl ing an old house, and the

roof measures 135 in . f rom r idge to eave

on one end and 138 in. on the other. Divide

one of these f igures by the ideal exposure

per course, 5 in. for normal three-tab shin-

gles. Thus, 135 in. divided by 5 equals 27;

th is is the number o f courses at 5 in . per

course. At the o ther e nd of the bu i ld ing,

138 i n . d i v i ded by 27 y i e l ds 5Va tn . Lay

ou t each s i de o f t he roo f us ing t he two

different increments, and snap chalkl ines

between them. Wi th these ad justments ,

t he cha l k l i nes s ta r t ou t pa ra l l e l t o t he

eaves and end up paral lel to the r idge.

I n cases whe re t he gap o r cove rage i s

not ad justab le , as in tongue-and-groove

flooring, you have to make up part of the

discrepancy at the start and the re st at the

end. Say you're instal l ing f looring between

two wa l l s t ha t a re I i n . ou t o f pa ra l l e l ,

and you ' re leav ing a min imum expans ion

gap of Vz in . be tween the f loor ing and

the wall . Make the expansion gap I in. at

each side of the wide end of the room and

Vzin . a t each s ide of the narrow end. Shoe

molding and baseboards cover the gap. I f

you ' re us ing a one-p iece th in baseboard,

you ' l l have to r ip tapered f loorboards a t

the start and f inish to keep the expansion

gap narrow and paral lel to the wall .

Use boards as wide as poss ib le as your

s tar t ing and ending courses to keep con-

verging l ines as far apart as possible. Mea-

sure the room width at both the wide and

narrow ends, and subt ract the expans ion

gaps. Div ide these measurements by the

f loorboard width . Mul t ip ly the remain-

ders by ha l f the board width . These wi l l

be the widths o f the s tar t ing and ending

str ips at the wide and narrow ends of the

room. If these str ips are narrow, try add-

ing ha l f a board width . As long as these

sums are less than ful l board widths, use

them for the start ing and ending str ips.

Baseboar

*)

Floorboards la id to spl i t the di f ference

62 F I N E H O M E B U I L D I N G

Hidden gap

Page 49: 215 Great Building Tips

AVOID EXPOSINGEND GRAINEnd grain absorbs stain and paint differently

from face or side grain; even if left natural,

end grain reflects light differently. Unless you

want to emphasize this difference, plan your

installation to hide end grain or cut mitered

returns to cover it up.

A return is a small piece of trim, often trian-

gular in section, that ends a run of molding.

Tiaditionally, returns are used on stair treads,

window stools and aprons, butted head cas-

ings-anywhere a piece of molding doesn't

end in a corner.

On a power miter saw, the blade often

throws small returns to some dimly lit, inac-

cessible corner of the room. I cut them with a

small miter box and a backsaw.

FIT THE JOINT BEFORECUTTING TO LENGTHIf you're coping or mitering a joint on a piece

of base , chair rail, or crown, make sure thatjoint fits well before you cut the other end to

length. You may need the extra length if you

make a mistake and have to recut the cope

or miter. If you had cut the piece to length

before miscutting the cope or miter, you'd be

grumbling on your way back to the lumber-

yard instead of calmly recutting the piece.

Don't show endgrain. lt absorbspaint and especiallystains differentlyfrom flat grain. Ifa piece of moldingmust end abruptly,cut a return for it.

Mi teredreturn

Fit the more difficult endbefore cutting to length.ln this case, the left sideis coped and the fit ischecked before the miteris marked.

t

Coped jo int

DON'T BE FUSSYWHERE YOU DON'THAVE TO BELearn to think ahead to see i f what you're

working on will be covered later, which is

often the function of moldings. If the floor

or wall undulates, you might be tempted to

scribe or fill behind the baseboard to follow

the contours. In older houses, where walls

and floors always undulated, you often see

three-piece baseboards, with the thin base-

cap molding attached to the wall and follow-

ing its contour while the shoe does the sameon the floor. The thicker baseboard installs

quickly and easily because it doesn't have to

conform; that's what the shoe and cap do.

Some joints don'tneed to be perfect,Baseboard will hidethe ugliness wherethe drywall meetsthe floor.

Baseboard

The baseboard spanshollows in the wall andfloor. The cap and shoe areflexible and confonn to insand outs, hiding them.

Base-capmo ld ing

G R E A T B U I L D I N G T I P S 2 0 0 6

Page 50: 215 Great Building Tips

Trimming a room with baseboard and a minimum of perfed cuts.By following the numerical seguence in the drawing below, onlypieces 2 and 3 require pertect cuts on both ends. The chance oferror is reduced by first coping them and then holding them in placeto mark their lengths. rhe copes are planned so that any cracks willbe less obvious to people entering the room.

coped ioints. The first piece is butted to the wall. The second pieceis mitered as for an inside corner, but the mitered end is cut off whereit meets the molding face, leaving a negative of the profile that fitsperfealy over the butted piece.

Butt thisll end to

the wall.

PLAN THE SEOUENCETO AVOID PERFECTCUTS AT BOTH ENDSThere is usually a sequence of trim installa-tion that requires the fewest perfect cuts. Forexample, with my method of casing doorsand windows, only the last cut on the headneed be perfect. Cut this end slightly long,and shave it with a chopsaw unril it fits just

r ight . One neat t r ick here: Push the cas-ing up to the lowered, idie chopsaw blade.Raise the blade without moving the casing,then make the cut. The teeth are ser slightlywider than the body of the b lade, so thecut wi l l take off Vtz in.I f you had instal ledthe head first, you then would have had tomake an exact miter cut on each casing legto make the joint turn out r ight.

The sequence of installation also is impor-tant when running t r im around a room,whether i t 's baseboard, chair rai l , or crownmolding. I prefer to work from right to leftaround a room because I 'm r ight-handedand generally do a faster, nearer job of cop-ing the right end of a board.

Working my way around a room, I oftenend up with a piece that needs to be coped onboth ends, a challenge for even the best car-penters. I try to plan my installation so thatthis last piece of trim is in the least conspicu-ous place. I f a coped joint isn't perfect or i fit opens up over time, the crack is most visi-ble when viewed at right angles ro rhe copedpiece. Wherever possible, I orient the copedpieces so that people entering or using theroom won't have right-angle views of them.

\

IMiter

,r-al{' ^ " , /

Lines

8

of s ight

Gaps show alongcoped end.

Coped joints lookdifferent from differ-ent angles. lf a copedjoint opens up, thecrack will be obviouswhen viewed parallelto the uncoped pieceand nearly invisibleviewed parallelto thecoped piece. Plan thecoping seguence sothat cracks will be lessobvious along likelylines of sight. Cracksalso will be less obvi-ous if the uncopedpiece is stained orpainted beforeinstallation; rawwood sticks out.

Butt this endto wall.

F I N E H O M E B U I L D I N G

Page 51: 215 Great Building Tips

PARALLEL IS MOREIMPORTANT THANLEVEL OR SQUARESome rules of carpentry change from fram-

ing to finish work. Instead of keeping track

of plumb, level, and square, you now must

keep f inish materials paral lel to the walls

and floors. The eye sees diverging lines more

readily than it sees plumb and level.

The only exceptions are cabinets and doors,

which must hang plumb to work properly.

If the floor isn't level, trim the door bottoms

parallel to the floor rather than leave them

level with a tapered gap. If the deck framing

is out of squaie, run the decking parallel to

the house wall. If for some reason two lines

must diverge, separate them as widely as pos-

sible so that the difference is harder to see.

But I hung it plumb.A level door bottomover an out-of-levelfloor has a tapered,eye-catching gap atthe bottom. Trim thedoor bottom so thatit's parallel to the floor.It won't be level, butit'll look good.

Trimmed paralleto the floor, thedoor looks right

Unfevel floo, --/

i i r i i i l i

ti, I .=,1,,[ kI Scrib e the door bottom

/:

parallelto the floor.

NOTHING IS RANDOMWhenever I f ind myself saying, "I t doesn't

matter," the red flag goes up. Which end of

the board you cut f i rst, which face is out,

where you put the nai ls-this al l matters,

and the care you put into the details shows

up as craftsmanship in the entire job. "God

lives in the detai ls," said architect Ludwig

Mies van der Rohe, and th is is espec ia l ly

t rue in f in ish carpent ry . Occas ional ly , i t

won't matter, but you first should consider

whether it does. As your experience increases

and your eye becomes more efficient, it will

becorne second nature to line up nails in an

attract ive pattern and to look cri t ical ly at

each board as you carry it to the saw.

Nothing is random. Even something as simple as decking benefits from thoughtful lay-out. The randomness (left) looks sloppy compared with careful layout (right).

r lII

t '

\i

i ti l. t

t 1r litI

i-

III

I

i

I!t

fI

t

F IN ISH TH E JOBA contractor usually has to complete a punch

list before finalpayment is issued, but some-

t imes, gett ing al l the detai ls wrapped up

is like pulling teeth. The clean-slate attrac-

tion of starting a new job can overpower the

drudgery of completing the old. This temp-

tation can sour good clients and lose referrals.

Owner-bui lders doing their own work

often are tempted to move in to a house

before the finish work is done, thinking it

will be easier to do when it's close at hand.

After a while , they don't notice the lack of

tr im, and i t becomes harder and messier

to set up the tools and work around the

obstacles. It can be a strain on a marriage if

the bathroom doors aren't hung after a few

years of residence. I advise owner-builders

to get everything done before they move in,

and contractors to finish all work before they

move on. They'll be glad they did.

G R E A T B U I L D I N G T I P S 2 0 0 6

Page 52: 215 Great Building Tips

Cutting & Coping

Coping tableAs much as I appreciate the delicate craft

of coping moldings by hand, a jigsaw

is faster. To hold the foot of the saw in

plane with the 45o bevel on the end of the

workpiece while following the lines of

the molding profile,I use the coping table

shown in the drawing at right.

The table is a pyramidal box with slots

cut into both sides for the molding stock.

After beveling a piece of molding on the

miter saw,I slide the stock into the cop-

ing table. The box's dimensions allow

ample hand room for holding the work

steady, while my fingers remain clear of

the blade. The saw rides on the angled

side of the coping table. I made the table

out of the sink cutout from a plastic-

laminate countertop, so the saw glides

easily over the surface. The jigsaw should

have a roller guide and a fine-tooth scroll-

cutting blade.-GRAFTON H. COOK Dowagiac, Mich.

Molding stock extends throughslots in coping table.

-<==l*1i--,r;-_7_

Jigsaw base rides on- ' J - - - -

angled table.

Height of mi ter-saw table

Easier coping with the jigsaw

Coping crown molding with an electric jigsaw is much easier when

you attach a radiused auxiliary base to the jigsawt standard flat base.

I was stumped about making this modification until I spotted a golf

ball on my shop bench.

As shown in the drawing below,I started by cutting the ball into

unequal parts. I did the cutting on my bandsaw after driving a

couple of 3-in. drywall screws into opposite sides of the ball to act as

handles. The screws kept my fingers a safe distance from the blade.

Then I made a perpendicular cut in the larger portion of the ball.

Still at the bandsaw,I cut a slot to accommodate the jigsaw's blade.

Next,I drilled a couple of r/e-in. holes in the saw's base, on opposite

sides of the blade, for a pair of screws. I positioned the slotted golf

ball as shown in the right-hand drawing and affixed it to the base

with a couple of small screws.

This jig provides a pivot point right where the blade enters the

back side of the molding. As a result,I have the control to make

exact relief cuts. I have found that longer blades are useful for cut-

ting big crowns. Different configurations could be obtained by

cutting the ball into segments of various sizes.-J lM DELVIN Des Moines, Wash.

Cut alongdotted lines.

Drilllh-in. hole inboth sides.

J igsawScrew golf balltojigsaw base forcoping angled cuts.

Cut slot for blade.

F I N E H O M E B U I L D I N G

saw base,

Drawings: Charles Miller

Page 53: 215 Great Building Tips

220 -grit sa nd pa per contact-cemented to identical molding

Molding wi thcoped jo int

Touching up coped jointsThe drawing above shows a trick that I teach my students

for making perfect coped joints. We use water-based

contact cement to glue a sheet of 220-grit sandpaper to

a piece of molding that has the same profile as the work-

piece. Result: a custom-made, contoured sanding block.

Using the block to make a few back-and-forth strokes

on the coped end of the workpiece smooths out unsightly

irregularities.-DAVID JOHNSON Cl in ton, lowa

Acute angles on the chopsawA couple of years ago, I was doing some trim with my

friend Marcos Bradley. He was running base around a

series of odd angles-2ngles he couldn't readily cut with

his chopsaw. After some thought, he assembled a jig simi-

lar to the one shown in the drawing below.

Use clamps or screws to

secure one of the jig's

fences to the saw's fence.

Clamp the workpiece

to the jig (block under

the far end of the long

pieces), and you're

all set to cut accurare

acute angles._ F E L I X M A R T I

Ridgway, Colo.

PLAN VIEWOF J IG

Jig c lampedor screwedto saw'sfence

1x2 fences

Coping quarter-round trimI recently had to install alot of 3/+-in. quarter-round trim. I prefer coped corners to miteredcorners, but given the amount of trim required by this job, I had to find an expedientway to cut the stuff. As shown in the drawing,I devised a fixture that yieldsaccurate results with a minimum of effort.

I started with a scrap piece of 2x6 about 14 in. long. Using my tablesaw,I plowed a3/q-in.by 3/+-in. groove the length of the 2x6 to accommodate

quarter-round trim. This groove holds the trim as it is cur by a

lr/z-in.-dia. hole saw from above. As shown in the drawing, the

hole saw is guided by a 1x4 guide block. I made this block out

3/+-in. by 3/a-in.

groove

1x4 oak gu ide b lock(\

1|/z-in.-dia. hole saw

of oak because it holds up well after repetitive cuts.

Using this rig makes coping quarter-round trim a

breeze. For quarter-rounds of a different radius, simply

cut a groove to fit the trim, and use a hole saw that is

twice the radius of the trim.-M.P. WHIPPLE Af ton, N.Y.

G R E A T B U I L D I N G T I P S 2 0 0 6

Page 54: 215 Great Building Tips

lnstalling Trim

Protecting stain-grade trimEvery carpenter knows that it pays to have the painters in a

position of feeling happily indebted to you. To that end, here's

my tip.

Whenever you are applying window casing, base, or any

other woodwork that is not going to be painted, staple strips of

plastic sheeting to the surface that will end up behind the trim,as shown in the drawing below. Thin plastic is fine for this;Iuse 1-mil or Z-rr'il drop cloths from the paint store. The plasticshould extend a foot or so beyond the trim.

The painter now can wrap the plastic over the trim and fasten

any additional masking

tape to it. This step elimi-

nates the painter's need to

mask the trim painstak-

ingly. Having saved a lot

of time, said painter will

likely see to it that your job

looks its very best.

When the paint has

dried, the painter simply

runs a sharp utility-knife

blade along the crease

between the wall and

the casing to cut away

the plastic._ J E F F R E Y S . H I L L

North Bend, Wash.

Stain-gradewindowcasing

/// t

t

t t

t:"

Wrap plastic aroundcasing, then trim awayafter painting walls.

Baseboard shimsIt can be frustrating to install precisely fit baseboards over an uneven substrate likedrywall. Baseboards often sit atop tapered drywall edges, causing the wood to tilt abit out of plane with the wall. This can cause an unsightly gap at a corner where acoped baseboard intersects a square-cut baseboard.

I avoid this problem by driving |3/s-in. drywall screws into the bottom plates ateach inside corner. The screws need to be installed only under the square-cut piecesof baseboard. As shown in the drawing, the screws work as adjustable shims, allow-ing me to run them in or back them out as needed to put the baseboard into planewith the wall. I use a short piece of baseboard with a coped end on it to test thecorner joints for fit as I install the square-cut pieces. That way, I don't have to keeprunning back to my saw to adjust the coped cut. For outside corners, I put a screwon each wall.

Crown molding

Finger-grip notch atins ide corner

Finger-grip notch for fine-tuningcrown molding in placeWhen I install crown molding,I cope the inside corners.

Consequently, most pieces have one end that butts into

a corner. I like nice, tight joints, so I generally cut the

crown a little long. Because of this tight fit, the butt end

sometimes jams into the corner, which means I need a pry

bar to move it around when the time comes to fit the nexr

piece's coped end to the butt end. Even if I have a pry bar

on hand, wielding it without marring the wall is difficult.

A better way is to nip the upper corner off the butt end

before putting the piece on the wall. You gain a handy

finger-grip notch, which the coped end of the next piece

covers, as shown in the drawing above.-ANDY ENGEL Roxbury Conn.

Drywallscrewworks asadjustableshim.

Staple plastic to wallprior to installing trim.

68 F I N E H O M E B U I L D I N G

-RALPH W. BROME Greensboro , Md .

baseboard

Page 55: 215 Great Building Tips

A base hook fortight baseboardsA homemade tool called a base hook elimi-nates the need for a bevel square in someapplications. Similar in concept to a sidinggauge, it's simply an L-shaped piece of a sta-ble, split-resistant wood used primarily forlaying out the end cut of baseboard where itbutts against standing moldings such as doorcasings. To use the hook, lap it over the base-board and hold it hard against the standingmolding while scribing a cutline across thebaseboard. Be sure the faces of your basehook are perfgcdy square to ttre edges, oryou'll introduce a margin of error.

_ J I M T O L P I N

Port Townsend, Wash.

Baseboard angle blocksI do the finish trimwork for a small builder of moderately pricedhomes in Norfolk, Va. He has found that it is actually less expen-sive to have the walls plastered than to have drywall hung, hped,sanded, and painted. Because plaster is a hand-tooled product,the walls are a litde uneven, and the base moldings rarely endup plumb. As a consequence,I've learned that to keep the coped

ioints tight, the 45" bevel needs to be cut at a small angle offsquare, usually between 88o and 92".

When I first started coping these joints, I used a bevel gaugeto measure each angle, and then I'd adiust the compound-mitersaw accordingly. That iusttook too long. I now cut fivetest blocks of base moldingwith miter angles rangingbetween 88o and 92",in1"increments. As shown in thedrEwing to the right,I test-fita couple of blocks to get thecorrect angle. Then I read theangle marked on the block,setthe saw to that number,and I'm ready to cut. No morefussy fiddling.

-DENNIS SMITH Suffolk, Va.

Two hardwood blocks,2 in. by 2in. by thin.

Base molding

Gap causedby unevenwall surface

Tight fit indicatesthe proper angle.

Casing-reveal gaugeWhen I install door or window cas-ings, I use the jig shown above tofnake sure that I get an accurate r/+-in.

reveal. It's made of two square piecesof hardwood,rAin. thick, that areglued together with a Yc-in.offset.This jig has so many corners that halfthe time I grab it out of my nail bag,it's in the right t':l:lf'rl'*'"r,*o"

Fort Dodge, lowa

Photo: Patrick Cudahy

Test blocks

8s

GREAT BUILDING TIPS 2006

Page 56: 215 Great Building Tips

ConstructionThis dimension isequalto the width ofthe block minus thethickness of the blade.Trimming cabinet doors

Here's a useful tablesaw setup for trimming the horns

off small frame-and-panel doors.

First, cut a piece of stock that fits between the horns,

then rip the stock to about 2 in. wide. This piece is thealignment block. Now move the saw fence toward the

blade a distance equal to the thickness of the blade, about% in. With the saw running, just barely put the block into

the blade to make sure the fence has been moved a dis-

tance exactly equal to the blade's thickness.

Now put the block between the horns, and hold the

door and block against the fence as you cut off the horn. Ifyou've set it up correctly, the cut will be exactly flush withthe stile.

Lift the door up and away as soon as you've cut throughthe horn, and repeat the process for all the other cornersof the door. Be sure to clear the horn offcuts from theblade as you proceed.

-BRIAN EVEREST Nelson, 8 .C. , Canada

late

III

Router temp

Frame-and-panel door

Affixing a router template to aI've see some carpenters use double-face

foam tape to hold a template in place for

routing. However, itb so sticky that I've

found it to be a do-or-die situation when

positioning the template. Plus, double-face

tape can damage finished surfaces. For

holding templates, I use ordinary hot glue

and masking tape (drawing left).

I cover the area under the template with

a layer of 3M blue masking tape. Then I

squeeze a line of hot glue around the

perimeter of the template and stick it to thetape. The router template in the drawing

Hot-meltg lue gun )

Mask ing tape

,/gnment block, /

crosscut to fitbetween horns

finished surfaceis made for outlet boxes that frequently

need to be installed in kitchen-island cabi-

nets; it beats trying to run a sabersaw on

a lacquered surface right at the edge of a

raised panel.

I have used this method on all kinds of

materials, finished and unfinished, vertical,

horizontal, and upside down. The tape pre-vents damage to finishes, and on raw wood,

it keeps the glue out of the grain. If the tem-

plate isn't positioned correctly, I simply pull

it off, scrape off the glue, then try again.-GREGG ROOS San Franc isco

Drawings: Charles Mil ler. Photo this page: Daniel S. Morrison.F I N E H O M E B U I L D I N G

Page 57: 215 Great Building Tips

Raising panels with a routerRaising cabinet-door panels with a traditional under-mount router table can produce wavy cuts because it's dif-ficult to hold the panel absolutely flat ro a vertical fence.

To regain the advantage of a horizontal worksurface,I mounted my router at 90o to the conven-tional setup. As shown in the drawing,I affixed the router to a piece of Yz-in.hardwood plywood. The base of therouter rests in a shallow recess routed

into the plywood. The plywood

mounting plate attaches to a2-in.-thick top by way of two

Yc-in.-dia. machine screws driveninto threaded inserts embedded in

the top. One screw acts as a pivotpoint. The other projects through

a slot in the mounting plate. Awasher and a large knob on rhis

screw allow the mounting plate tobe clamped at the desired height relativeto the worksurface.

With the router bit below the work as the panel is passedover it, raise the panel with a series of shallow passes.Notice that the locking point is twice as far from the pivotpoint as the center of the router bit. At this relationship,raising the plate r/+in. atthe locking point lifts the bit % in.

-DONALD C. BROWN Ruckersv i l le ,Va.

Miter clampsMiter clamps (known as

pinchdogs in our part of the

Southwest) are mighty use-

ful for putting pressure ona mitered frame during a

glue-up or nailing session.

But miter clamps are not

always easy to locate. As

shown in the drawing,I

make my own pinchdogs

out of two components

that can be obtained easily:

spring clamps and drywall screws.I first center-punch and drrllVa-in.

holes in the jaws of a spring clamp. I putthe holes a bit off-center. This placement

permits the clamp to

reach a bit farther and

to grab the work at

odd angles. The offset

placement also allows

me to use a couple of

clamps at the same

time if I need to apply

extra pressure.

I run a #6 drywall

screw into the holes

in the spring-clamp

iaws. The sharp points of the drywallscrews will bite into almost any

_ S V E N H A N S O N

Albuquerque, N.M.

Accurate staplingfor drawer assemblyI had a stack of melamine drawer bor-

toms and sides that had to be stapled

together, and if the stapler's nosepiece

was slightly off-center or out of plumb,I ran the risk of a staple blowing out

the face of a drawer side.

To ensure perfect alignment,I tacked

together a wooden sole with a regis-

Wood nosepiece registersagainst drawer side.

Drawer sideBlocks screwed toworksurface

Opposing wedges holddrawer side snug toblocks.

tration nosepiece for the stapler. Thesole, made of 3/q-in. plywood, envelops

the stapler's magazine. A piece ofsolid stock planed ro rhe width of themagazine fits between rhe plywood

sides, creating a flat, stable base for thestapler. At the business end of the tool,I put a wood nosepiece that extendsan inch below the sole. This nosepiece

registers against the drawer side andthe edge of the drawer bottom, hold-ing them flush as the staple is driven.

-RICH VAN RHEEN West L inn, Ore.

Directionof feed

l/z-in.plywoodmountingplate

Vertical panel-raising bit

Adjustmentknob

1/a-in.-dia.

threaded inserts

#6

screwdrywal l

material.

GREAT BUILDING T IPS 2006

Page 58: 215 Great Building Tips

lnstallation

Holes for

Jug

\

))lrlly,i

Mult ipurpose door-pul l j igThe drawing below shows a jig I use for quickly locating the screw holes for cabi-

net pulls. In the application illustrated here, the jig is being used on a drawer

front. The notch at the top of the jig is aligned with a pencil mark on a piece of

tape that indicates the center of the drawer. Drawers of different depths require

their pulls to be placed at dif-

ferent distances from their

top edges-hence the series

of holes.

To use the jig for locating

pulls on cabinet doors, I rotate

the jig 90" and align its edge

with the door's top edge or

some molded detail in the

door. The jig is laid out with

equal distances from its sides

to the pull holes, allowing it to

be flipped to do right-hand or

left-hand doors.- M A R K H A L L O C K

Capitola, Calif.

Low-budget water levelAn inexpensive water level can be made out of a clear plastic l-gal.jug, a tubeless-tire valve stem (with guts and cap removed), and an

appropriate length of clear vinyl tubing, as shown in the drawing below.

First, drill a hole that is sized to accept the valve stem approximately

2 in. up from the bottom of the jug. Insert the valve stem in the hole,

fit one end of the tubing over the stem, and tape a ruler to the free end

of the tubing to be used as a reference stick. Finally, fill the jug with

water, and add a few drops of food coloring to make the level easier

to read, as shown in the photo.

Before using the level, be sure

to bleed any air bubbles out of

the tubing. And during use,

keep the free end of the tub-

ing above the level of the water

in the jug to keep water from

draining out the free end of the

tube. Water levels are very accu-

rate, and this one can be just the

ticket for someone who doesn't

need a water level often enough

to justify buying a commercially

manufactured one.

Clear v inyl tape

_ J E F F J O R G E N S E N

Tonopah, Nev. V iny l t ub ing

Ruler

zer level- \

Al igning cup hingesEuropean cup hinges can be adjusted in

three different directions to get a pro-

fessional fit on a cabinet door, but the

hinge arm must be exactly 90o to the

door's edge.

Fortunately, the shape of the hinge

makes it easy even if you have only a

handheld drill. Simply press a straight-

edge against the backs of the hinges. As

shown in the drawing, they will rotate

in their mortises and become perfectly

aligned to the door edge.-DAVID BORcRt t l Seat t le

Straightedge

Center ingnotch -

door pu l ls FenceHoles fordrawer pu l ls

Cup h inges Iprior to Ia l ignment

i

F I N E H O M E B U I L D I N G Photo this pagc: Andv Engel

Page 59: 215 Great Building Tips

CABINET JACKS, 3 WAYS

1 ll Scissorslnstalling wall cabinets by yourself can be a dangerous juggling act.To keep them plumb and level long enough to install them, use ascissors jack. A scrap of plywood atop the base cabinets provides asurface for cranking the cabinet into position. A 12-in.-sq. piece of3/+-in. plyrood covered with carpet and attached to the bottom andtop of the jack protects the casework. | fitted my jack sleeve with anold hole-saw arbor to raise and lower it with my electric drill.

RON DeLAURENTIS North Aurora, l l l .

2 // LegsI use thesejacks to installupper cabinetsby myself. Thejacks have a 2x2frame coveredwith %-in. ply-wood and arebraced with2x3 legs. I linethe backs andtops of thejacks with car-pet to keepthem from

2x3 legs

Zx2 frame K- t O in. ->l

scratching the walls. Rubber feet keep thelegs from slipping as I adjust cabinet height.

To use the jacks, I mark a level line on thewall to show the bottom of the cabinet. Iplace the jacks about 6 in. inside each endof the cabinet and set the cabinet on them.Moving the legs in or out adjusts theheight. When itt right, lfasten the cabinetto the wallthrough holes in the hang-rail.

-DARRYL B . WEISER Dah lonega , Ga .

Wall cabinet

Scissors jack \

Hole-saw arbor

-a-.........c':-- *

3 // Pipe clampsAs shown in the drawing to the right, my rig consists of trryo 5-ft.pieces of 7c-in. iron pipe attached to a 2x4 frame by way of threadedpipe flanges. The movable part of a pipe clamp rides on each pipe,working side up, to support the arm assemblies. I place the frameon the floor, butt it up to a wall, and slide a cabinet onto the arms. Iraise the cabinet either by grabbing the clamps and pulling upwardwhile standing on the frame or by raising the cabinet by hand andholding it up with one arm while raising the clamps one at a time.This may sound a little awhrard, but it's not in practice.

ROY L. SAMUELSON Alameda, Cal i f .

ilIJ I

i

%-in. pipec lamp

\._-4

%-in. pipen ipp le , 10 in .long

1- in . by1/z-in.bushing

%-in. pipec lamp

ARM ASSEMBLY DETAIL

GREAT BUILD ING T IPS 2006

tz-,n. p,p"nipp le

- _ UPPe, cabinet'" '1

1- in . T

73

Page 60: 215 Great Building Tips

Efficienc Guidelines

BY SVEN HANSON n my years as a cab inetmaker , I ' ve found

tha t i t ' s r a re l y t he b ig s r roke o f gen iusthat makes the dif ference; rather, i t 's theavoidance of dumb mistakes. Simpli fying

cabinet des igns and s tandard izrngconst ruct ion

have made me feel a whole lot smarter. By mak-ing f rameless cab inets , order ing the doors anddrawer fronts from an outside vendor, and usingproduct ion-or iented j igs , I ' ve e l iminated a lo t o f

expensive router bits and stock preparation. Fol-

low these guidelines, and you'll be able to go from

shop drawings to f in ished cabinets qu ick ly andaccurate ly , w i th a min imal number o f expens ive

tools and mistakes.

Sven Hanson i s a cab ine tmake r i n Mar i e t t a , Ga . ,a n d A l b u q u e r q u e , N . M . P h o t o s b y D a n i e l S .Mor r i son , excep t whe re no ted .

7 4 F I N E H O N 4 E B U I L D I N G Photo this page; Robert Rcck

Page 61: 215 Great Building Tips

BUILD THE BOXES, BUT BUY THE DOORS Makins cabinet doors doublesthe amount of t ime needed to bui ld a k i tchen, so I let someone else do i t . Before I start bui ld-ing cabinets, I order doors and drawer f ronts f rom an outside suppl ier . They're usual ly ready( including sanding and f in ishing, i f speci f ied) by the t ime l 've bui l t the cabinet cases. l t 's hardfor me to meet the quality/price ratio that a shop delivers; two such suppliers are www.scherrs.com and www.lakesidemoulding.com. Some other smart character ist ics are shown below.

Upper cab inetDoors and drawer fronts canbe ordered in any size andin a wide variety of styles.Factory-applied finishes arean option, but may be hardto match to cabinet boxes.

Use concealed hinges. Theyare complex-looking andmore expensive than othertypes of hinges, but they'readjustable in three direc-t ions, making the doorseasier to instal l .

Base cabinet'l-"' :&o-.1 iqa;

tr,i ;i.. ^: *

Simpli fy the joinery. Cabi-net cases are made from3/c-in. veneered plywood.Assembly is done with glueand 17a-in. tr im screws.Use %-in. plywood backsto square the cases.

The toe kick isn't part of the cabinet. Simplify caseconstruction (and cabinet installation) by setting thecabinet box on a platform framed in 2x material.

Eliminate fixed shelves inbase cabinets. Drawersand roll-out shelves makebase cabinets more use-ful. With a dri l l ing j ig,

drawer-slide hardware iseasy to instal l .

Use full-extension drawer slides, Forsticky drawers, trim the drawer widthwhere the slides attach by moving thedrawer box through a tablesaw withthe blade height set at about 2 in.

flUse applied end panels.Exposed screws in case sideswil l be hidden when cabinetsare joined together. Forend-of-run cabinet sides, usefinished plywood panels.

O N L I N E E X T R ATo see a v ideo of Sven Hanson making story poles for a

ki tchen-cabinet job, go to www.f inehomebui ld ing.com.

G R E A T B U I L D I N G T I P S 2 0 0 6

Page 62: 215 Great Building Tips

FINISH BEFORE YOU START Edgebanding and apply ing a f in ish are best doneto b ig p ieces, but not too b ig . My usual s t ra tegy is to r ip 4x8 sheets o f p lywood in to 2x8pieces, a s ize that 's easy to f in ish and move. You ' l l have to go back and add a l i t t le edgeband-ing af ter a l l the par ts are cut , but work ing on 2x8 sheets f i rs t w i l l get the work done faster .

Iron on the edging. Usingthe plywood as a ruler, Isnap off a bunch of 97-in.-long strips. With the helpof a spring clamp, I bal-ance a strip on the topedge of the plywood sheetso that it overhangs eachend. With the iron on a hot(linen) setting, I tack downone end of the edgeband,then iron toward the otherend. To ensure goodadhesion, scuff theplywood edgebef orehandwith 9)-gritsandpaper, ithen c/eanthe dustfrom thesurf ace.

s,

Trim one edge at a time.Edge trimmers normally trimboth sides at once. That'sfine for vinyl edging, butyou'll get smoother resu/tswith wood if you show somerespect for the grain. Pullthe tool apart, and work oneside at a time to avoid sp/its(www.vi r utex. co m ; 800 -8 68-9663).

When the varnish has dried,I knock down the bumpsbefore applying a secondcoat. Sandpaper works fine,but I like to smooth the finishwith a cabinet scraper.

Tip: Singte-edge razorblades make great scrap-ers for the edgebanding.

::::-:-'{*tclrff'! t l

Page 63: 215 Great Building Tips

STICK WITH BASICDIMENSIONS tbes inthe process by making a cut-l is t of a l l the parts l ' l l need(sides, tops, bottoms, backs,etc.) and note the dimensionsboth on the cutl ist and on anunfinished end of the part(bal lpoint ink wi l l last) . I usebasic dimensions that div idewell into a plywood panel.To account for the sawkerf,subtract 1/a in. from the follow-ing sizes: 6 in. and 9 in. workwell for drawers and toe-kicks tock ; 12 in . ,16 in . , and 18 in .work well for varying depthsof upper-cabinet sides, tops,and bottoms; 24 in. is goodfor base cabinets.

SPEED ASSEMBLY WITH SIMPLE JOINERY AND A LOW TABLEI rarely rabbet cabinet backs or dado drawer bottoms. Instead, I fasten backs and bottoms directlyto the edge of the plywood with polyurethane construction adhesive and nails or screws. Whenassembling, I use homemade corner blocks and a low assembly table to keep things square and ata comfortable working height.

Corner blocksare made withshop scraps. Ply-wood cutoffs withsquare cornersand lipped sideswork well forclamping cabinetsides togetheror, as shown, fordrawer assembly.I use a drawerside as a gauge tospace the blocksproperly. Then,with front andback standing,I wedge a sidebetween to keepthem steady whilefastening theother side.

Corner blocks

Tip: Sand off the finr'sh that willbe glued. A rabbeted sandingblock allows me to do this quicklyand neatly. With a piece of A0-gritsandpaper glued in the rabbet, Irough up the varnished surtace thatreceives the butt joint.

Cut plywoodefficiently. To avoidmaking crosscuts infull-size sheets ofplywood,l rrp sheetslengthwise, thenturn to crosscutting.My shopmade cross-cut sled rides in thetablesaw's miter-gauge slots, makingprecise crosscuttingeasy to do.

The bottom isstructural. Withthe drawer sidesassembled, use thedrawer bottomsto rack and holdthe boxes square.I prefer plywoodover hardboard ormedium-densityfiberboard for thebottoms (and cabi-net backs) becauseof its light weight,durability, and abilityto hold fasteners.

",ll/G R E A T B U I L D I N G T I P S 2 0 0 6

Page 64: 215 Great Building Tips

USE DRILLING TEMPLATES Because Ith ink that base cabinets wi th f ixed shelves are a s in

against common sense, I f i l l them wi th drawers or

ro l l -out upgrades. But ins ta l l ing a l l that drawer

hardware can be f in icky bus iness. I avo id a lo t o f

mis takes by us ing a fu l l -s ize template made f roml/q-in. plywood or melamine. My template defines the

pos i t ions o f the ho les for drawer s l ides in k i tchen

base cabinets (three- and four-drawer type), van-

i ty cabinets, and f i le drawers, too. I s imply color-code the holes to minimize mistakes.

For upper cab inets wi th ad justab le she lves, I

ensure accurate ho le spac ing by us ing a dr i l l ing

template , which I made wi th a p iece of melamine

on a f r iend 's l ine-bor ing machine. You a lso can

buy a template from most woodworking storesfor around $25. Th is template 's spac ing ensures

consistency and lets you take advantage of theEuropean cabinetmaking system, with holes every16 mm (% in . ) that a l ign she lves and hardware.

Notch f or 3/ t - in. fastening str ip

( , i ,^.,1 T.p -I" r ,Je-

i .^\ , . . . t L. ir Tr?

r : i i i r ' , . . i , t i ; . ' r . i : . - ' 1 . . , . ' i " i '

@@)

R.r/G*... i.. {}.--'*' 6.r,^J:

7a- in. notchfor facef rames

l\

;;

l ) r r l l Tx , , P . 'w ^ - l l l t l

C I o @) O

0l l l Th i ' R .ou * l / l t l 9 l " e f . t

o o oJ Ptrwar 61, ial. Glc- C"b.

Don't crawl into acabinet to installdrawer hardware.Do it on a benchinstead. With thecabinet on its sideand the templatewedged in place, Idrillthe holes forthe drawer slideswith a cordless drill.Flip over the cabi-net and template,align the {ront edge,and drillholes in theother side.

Use a cordlessdrill to placeshelf holesaccurately. Setthis templateagainst thebottom of thecabinet, andwork your wayup. The templateis symmetrical,but working fromthe bottom upavoids any prob-lems caused by acabinet side thatmay have beencut a bit shorterthan the other.

,r Dr,ll TLls Kew o-l Art R./e* t.'- riD**€ '-'L"f,3

f 0 @ @ o -it t1.,€

3, > . " t ] ri$ tso$

$F-

' i Bolfer'l / c'Li"t ?"{^lt"'Ll

' ! 1 1.\^ |i l - , t tT ! , r rRouAr l { " . l Js L l ,

eg30: ^rtl. ts rr F/.qcr,J ?i,- Cu."{e ,{ {Dtaq th.h.'I.{ srlo- _

{*a*r:r:.:^, ,"r,.,ii"

t- A 20-in. width allows the templar. ._-------->l

to be used for a vanity cabinet,too. Place the template so that it isflush with the front of the cabinet.

17ho in . 21/z in.

11/a in.

Off-centerholesallow thetemplateto beused forf ramelessor face-f ramecabinets.

*.

a

; * ' . *t. ",t

& . . . i. g - i

fr€]\. ' -.,,*"

. : ' *:

/*.+,eFi '{ i .r .

. * J

e . ' : ' - * 'i a$ i .

#it'I+'i *, - . i"., , '}i'l.i{*. ',,1

Tip: lnstall the cabinetbacks last after drillingholes and installing'thehardware. This approachboosts your screw-drivingcomfort zone by allowingaccess from front or back.

'ti:ri

l!ii*r:

113/d in.

7 8 F I N E H O M E T J U I L D I N G

Page 65: 215 Great Building Tips

INSHLL DOORSWITH A HINGE STICK European-styte hinses comein two piecesi a cup and a baseplate. The cup mounts to thedoor, and the baseplate mounts to the cabinet side. The twoparts then snap or screw together. Because they're two-parthinges, it's crucial that the corresponding pieces line up, or theywont snap together. My hinge stick keeps the distance betweenbaseplates and the setback from cabinet front consistent. Touse it, insert cup hinges into the holes, and with hinges in the

closed position, screw the baseplates to the cabinet side.Test the operation of the hinge stick. lf all's well, adjust thebumpered screws to the distance between the open door

and the cabinet. Now you can install all the baseplates with thestick in the open position.

The cup hole mustbe close to theedge of the doolor the door will rubagainst the cabinetwhen opened andclosed. You almostcan't be too close,but you certainlycan be too far.About Ve in. willallow the door tooverlay the cabinetframe fully withoutrubbing.With thecup hinge squarelyin the hole, setone screw. Ihiswill ensure that allhinges are installedconsistently.

Set the adjustablebumpers after thefirst set of hingesis in place andworking well.

Drill holes all theway through sothat the stfck canbe used for left-or right-hingingand as a drillingguide.

Cup holes are drilledan equal distancefrom the end sothat the stick can beflipped top or bottom.

Baseplaternounts tocabinet.

Adjustmentscrews

Align the hinge stickwith the top of thecabinet, drill pilot holes,and drive the baseplatescrews. The bumpersensure consistent setbackon all the hinges.

The best way to borethe cup holes is to use d13h-in. Forstner bit witha depth stop in a bench-top drillpress. Set upa fence with referencemarks to ensure consis-tent alignment. Without abenchtop drill press, thehinge stick can make agood drilling template ifclamped to the door.

GREAT BUILDING TIPS 2006

Page 66: 215 Great Building Tips

Electrical

hole

5\vtew \

Site-built wire spinnerWorkmanlike wiring is easier to achieve with a wire spinner. The site-built version shown below was whipped up by electrician Phil Clementsin 15 minutes, using a handful of wire staples, a few l6d nails, a fenderwasher, assorted 2x4 offcuts, and short lengths of Romex cable. Philfirst nailed together a pair of 2x4s to make a post about 24 in. tall,then attached the 24-in.-long base pieces. He stapled short lengthsof Romex to create a loose cradle that holds a coil of wire as it comesfrom the box. Hung from a nail in a ceiling joist or door header, Philbwire spinner rotates on the washer as he pulls and uncoils flat lengthsof wire without twists or kinks.

M. SCOTT WATKINS Arl ington,Va.

Wire-nut 1

wrenchWhen wiring the 800-sq.-ft. addition to myhome,I had to installabout 100 duplexoutlets and switches.Halfway through thejob, my fingers wereblistered from twist-ing wire nuts. That'swhen I got the ideafor this device.

I made my little wrench out of lxl maple scraps. The holein its business end has slots on both sides to accommodate thewings on the sides of the wire nuts. The wrench's wide handlelets me get a firm grip to apply plenty of torque to the wire nuts.

-RICHARD N ELSON San Leandro, Cal i f .

Clamp-nai l ingSometimes an elecffic oudet or switch box has to go betweena couple of studs that are so close together, there's no roomfor a hammer or a drill bit. In this case,I reach for a C-clamp.As shown in the drawing, a clamp can be used to squeeze anail into the stud. For goodbearing, I use roofing nailsduring this operation. Occa-sionally,I have to drill holesin the side of the box forthe nails.

_ D A V E K O H L E R

Clarks Summit, Pa.

When space is tight, pull nailinto stud with a C-clamp.

1/z-in.-dia.

Bottom

Sawkerf slot for wire-nut wings

Bent 16d nai l hanger

2x4 base

\1l i , l

\\i/i\ \ / ,\ v !

A I

80 FINE HOMEBUILDING Drawings: Charles Miller. Photo this page: Charles Bickford

Page 67: 215 Great Building Tips

Electrician's stickThe next time you have to affix electrical boxes tostud framing for switches or outlets, try using the jigshown in the drawing at right to position the boxesconsistendy. I make the jig out of a strip of 3/+-in. by3/+-in. pine. Two pairs of 4d nails driven through thestick correspond to the threaded holes in the boxes.To use the stick, position the boxes over the nails andplace the stick on the floor adjacent to the stud. Nowyou can nail the box to the stud, and the height willbe right every time.

-SANTO A. INSERRA James town, N .Y .

, I \ [

Sectionfromplasticwaterbottle

4d nai ls

3/+-in. by %-in. pine

Clean cuts for recessed cansElectrician Mel Minor installs a lot ofrecessed light fixtures in ceilings. In somecases, he has to cut a hole in the drywallas well as mount a fixture in the ceilingjoists. To keep the mess to a minimum, hemakes the circular cutouts with the clevercontraption in the drawing at left.

Although it looks like a harpoon, thistool is actually a jumbo hole saw affixedto a pipe extension. Mel made the rigout of sections of Yz-in. galvanized pipe,joined with couplings, and a threadedshaft at one end that fits into the chuck ofhis %-in. drill.

Beneath his hand is a hefty section froma plastic 5-gal. water botde. The waterbotde is glued to a sleeve made of PVCpipe. When the shaft turns, the botderemains stationary as it catches the dust.

_GARY M. KATZ

Reseda, Calif.

Outletbox

\

\

Infi

\)

PVCsleeve

1/z-in.

galvanized

,rfl

w

Planning for unknownwiring alterationsAdding a new electrical oudet,

a switch, computer-qetwork

wiring, or a cable-TV jack is

pretty simple in single-story

homes. You have attack points

from the basement and./or the

attic to route wires through

walls. But I build and remodel

a lot of two-story homes. Run-

ning wires from a basement

service panel to the second floor

means punching holes in walls

and ceilings.

As a result,I've gotten into

the habit of installing at least

two 2-in. conduits from the

basement or service panel up

to the attic when I build a new

house. In houses that I remodel,

I try to incorporate conduits for

future alterations while I have

walls open. Two conduits are

important because household-

current wires aren't supposed

to commingle with cable-TV,

phone, network, or other low-

voltage/communications wir-

ing. I flag the conduits in the

attic with fluorescent orange

surveyors'tape so that future

installers can locate them. I also

label the conduits at the service

panel so that the homeowners

know what they are for. And

if I'm feeling especially gen-

erous,I pull a few strings

through the conduits to make

wire-pulling easier. My electri- :

cian has even had to use the

conduits right away while

installing the finish on a project

when he forgot a home run for

a lighting circuit._ M I K E G U E R T I N

East Greenwich, R.l.

GREAT BUILDING T IPS 2006 81

Page 68: 215 Great Building Tips

Adjusting recessed-can bulb socketsOn a recent job, I installed a row of recessed-light fixtures in akitchen ceiling. These fixtures have adjustable bulb sockets.Generally, by the time a fixture is installed and the trim is attached,the socket is almost always out of position. If the bulb positionsare not the same, the whole installation lookssloppy, so it's important to get them uniform.

The first time I did this, I spent a lot of timeinstall ing the first bulb, removing it to adjustthe position of the socket to my best guess,reinstalling the bulb, and so forth. None ofthis was helped by the fact that the R-40flood-lamp bulbs requested by -y clientvirtually filled the light-fixture's cavity,making it necessary to use only my fingertipsto screw the bulbs in and out. As you mightimagine, several of these expensive bulbs

were casualt ies of this awkward handling. By the t ime I

finished, I was convinced that there had to be a better way

to do this job.

The solution was simple. As shown in the drawing at left,I made

a Tlshaped depth gauge that registers on thelight-fixture's trim ring. The vertical leg of theT is equal to the distance from the socket tothe face of the lightbulb.

To set the depth of a socket,I loosen itsbracket's wing nut enough so that the socketwill slide up and down, yet will stay put with-out support. Then I hold the gauge against thetrim ring and either raise or lower the socketas necessary. Tighten the wing nut, and you'rein business.

-BERT DAWKINS Northport , N.Y.

Rotary fishing rodWhen fishing a wire for a doorbell, I ran into a seem-ingly impossible situation. I'd drilled the hole for thebell push, and an angled hole through the wall plate

into the proper stud bay from the eellar. But try asI might I couldn't get a wire from one to the other.Itried fish tape, a weighted string, bell wire, beadchain, profanitlr, hooks, and probes. I couldn't findany obstruction, but I couldn't find the wire either.

As my last attempt before ripping off clapboards, Imade the fishing rod shown at left. Starting with apiece of l/r-in. dowel about a foot long. I drilled a%e-in. hole acrqss the diameter about 7a in. from oneend. Through this hole I inserted a 15-in. piece of bellwire that I secured with a squane knot, leaving the trroends equal. I then chucked the other end of the dowelinto an electric drill. Folding the ends of the wite sothat they stuck out ahead of the dowel like antennae,I shoved the contraption into the hole in the plate asfar as it would go, and turned on the drill. At 1200rpm, the ends of the wire whipped out centrifugally,.lashing around inside the wall and entangling theweighted string left dangling from the bell-push hole.When I pulled the drill back through the hole in theprate' r found

":'J::il'::::f[Ti'H":::*".

EleCtriCal (continued)

R-40 bulb

Socketadjusts upand down.

face

ICeil ing

Cardboardgau9e

Hold gauge againsttrim ring to setsocket depth.

I neMoDELTNG TrP

Recessed-can light fixture

F I N E H O M E B U I L D I N G

Page 69: 215 Great Building Tips

,(s i l i

Plumbing

cRossSECTION

Rotate blocks to raise sink.

This unit will fit snugly between theforms, and it can be wired to the rebar

and spreaders at the top of the forms tostay in place during the pour. When theforms are pulled awa\tyou have a cou-pling embedded on each side, flushwith the wall and ready for another

length of pipe.-D.A. FLEURy Cur lew, Wash.

Pipe-soldering blast shieldAnybody who has ever sweat-soldered copper

pipes at close quarters in a wooden house knows

the feeling: The torch flame dances around the fit-ting, glancing off an old floor joist, and some wood

smoke fills the air. Will this solder ever meltlI don't take any chances when it comes to solder-

ing in a wooden building. I keep an extinguisheron hand, and even more important,I don't let theflame get anywhere near something flammable.

As shown in the drawing above, I use a pair ofbrackets to support an old cookie sheet when I'mworking overhead. The cookie sheet shields theceiling, the brackets protect the joists, and the sol-der can melt whenever it wants without me wor-rying about it.

_ J O H N C A R R O L L

Durham, N.C.

Couplings at both ends

Cookie sheet rests on brackets,

\ d iscarded galvanized- ' . \

s teel ducts, both s ides i

Caulking an undermountsink in placeI needed to affix a stainless-steel undermount sink to agranite counter that was already installed on its cabinetbases. One of the problems presented by the situation washow to get a good silicone-caulk seal between the undersideof the counter and the rim of the sink. Rather than rely on abunch of braces and shims to wedge the sink in place, I usedrope and a couple of wood blocks.

As shown in the drawing below,I placed a wood crossbrace over each bowl of the sink. Then I threaded a lengthof small-diameter rope through a hole in each brace andthrough the drain holes. On the underside of the sink, therope runs through a wood block under each drain tailpiece.After running a bead of silicone around the rim of the sink,I rotated each block, short-

ening the ropes and drawing

the sink upward with even

pressure exerted around the

entire rim. The resultingjoint is so strong it almost

makes the mechanical fas-

teners redundant._ A N D R E W S H E P P A R D

Madison, Conn.

Wood block

Through-wall pipe couplingsRunning pipe or conduit through apoured-concrete foundation wall with nogaps to patch and without cutring holes inthe forms sounds too good to be true, untilyou've tried this trick. Cut a piece of thepipe you need, and attach couplings to bothends so that the total length of pipe pluscouplings exactly matches the thickness ofyour wall, as shown in the drawing.

Photo this page: Tom O'Brien

Wood cross braces

G R E A T B U I L D I N G T I P S 2 0 0 6

Page 70: 215 Great Building Tips

Seal a drain penetrationin a foundation wallI've been searching for a better way

to seal the gap around a drainpipe

where it exits a foundation wall.

The standard technique that most

builders in my area use is to pack

the gap with mortar or hydraulic

cement. But lately, plumbing

inspectors have been frowning on

this practice because any shift in the

soil during frost cycles can crack a

rigidly installed pipe.

Instead of mortar,I now use low-

expansion urethane foam to fill the

gap around the pipe. This is the

Foundation wall

Hole in foundat ion

Soi l l ine

Roof vent-stack f lashing Urethane

foam

same stuff I use to seal cracks and

crevices throughout the house to

reduce air leaks. Once the foam

has cured,I apply a layer of roof

cement to the outside of the wall.

This is the thick stuff, the kind of

roof cement that you spread with

a trowel. Then I slip a roof vent-

stack flashing over the pipe and bed

the flashing in a %-in.-thick layer

of roof tar.I lap the tar over the

edges of the flashing to promote a

better seal.

At backfill time, care must be

taken to prevent damage to the

flashing. This extra care has pre-

sented no problems, and I've had

great luck with the results._ M I K E G U E R T I N

East Greenwich, R.l.

t a r

84 FINE HOMEBUILDING

Plumbing (continued)

Trimming pipes in placeAs I set the plastic shower pan into its mortarbed,I saw the problem. The drainpipe was % in.too long, the pipe was glued in place, and theplumber was long gone. Because the clearancearound the drainpipe amounted to no more thanabout % in. on each side, no saw of mine wouldbe able to trim the drain below the surface of the

shower pan.To solve the problem of

cutting the pipe,I made atubing cutter that worksfrom the inside of thepipe. For a cutter,I used adrywall screw. As shownin the drawing above,Iran a 2-in. drvwall screw

through a small block of wood. To this piece ofwood,I affixed a small handle, which also func-tioned as a depth stop. In use, the handle restsatop the end of the pipe. Then I turned the devicewith the point of the drywall screw bearingagainst the inside surface of the pipe. After a fewturns, I pulled out the cutter and set the screw alittle deeper. In no time,I'd cut through the pipe.

-WALTER GORR Pittsburgh, Pa.Drainpipe

Cutting plastic pipeWhile on one of my daily inspection tours of the job site,I saw out of the corner ofmy eye a plumber doing what looked like an aerobic exercise while standing shoulderdeep in a narrow ditch. With sweat running down his face, he was rapidly pulling backand forth on a piece of nylon mason's line. When I asked him what he was doing, hegave me one of those you-ignorant-dweeb looks and replied that he was cutting a pieceof 4-in. ABS plastic drainpipe.

Sure enough, he just had made a perfectly straight cut through the piece of pipe. Thepipe was almost totally buried in the narrow ditch, in a position that would have beentough to reach with even a reciprocal saw. The plumberhad threaded the line under the pipe, as shownin the drawing. Then he used a quick saw-ing motion to cut-maybe burn is a betterlsyrn-ths pipe in half. The trick to doingit right is to use enough line so that you canmake long passes, pumping back and forth,or up and down as the case may be. Don'tstop, or the line will seize in the melted kerf.

It turns out that mason's line will cut ABSand PVC pipe, schedule 40 or 80. The methodis equally useful for flush-cutting a pipewhere it emerges from a wall or a slab.

_ C R A I G S A V A G E

Carpinteria, Calif.

2-in. drywall-screw cutter

Nylonmason'sl ine

A3A-in. by %-in. handle also fundionsasa.depthstop. ^

handle to cut pipeinside.

erYrTwistfrom

\

)

A4 ' )I

\

\ :

Plast

Pipe.

\

Page 71: 215 Great Building Tips

UNHEATED GARAGE

12-in. frostproof sill cocksZ--

HOUSE S IDE

Shared wallFreezeproofing a garage sinkEvery shop needs a slop sink, so I decided to install one in my attached

garage workshop. Because I live in a cold climate and wanted to use the

sink year-round, frost protection was mandatory.My solution was tolocate a plastic laundry sink on the wall shared with the house and to usefrostproof sill cocks for the hot and cold water supplies. These valves

normally are used for outdoor faucets and are available in both 8-in.

and l2-in. lengths. The supply lines run up from the basement inside

the shared wall, protected from the cold by the warm interior of the

house and its insulation.

The tailpiece from the sinkt drain takes a 90o turn by way of a lVz-in.

horizontal PVC drainpipe, which penetrates the rim joist before joining

a P-trap in the basement. Putting the P-trap in the basement keeps its

contents frorn fr eezing.

Whether it be for washing paintbrushes or just for scrubbing my dirtyhands, the slop sink has been a satisfying addition to the workshop.

-KARL JUUL Glenmont , N.Y.

Hot and coldsupply l ines

Trap

To bui ldingdra in

Garagef loor

Dri l l ing holes in EPSI needed to drill an 8-ft.-long hole in the EPS (foam)core of a stress-skin panel in order to install a vent pipefor a kitchen sink. I don't know of any off-the-shelf bitsor hole saws designed for a task like this, so I made myown, using a piece of the same pipe that would end up inthe hole. With my coping saw, I cut teeth in the end of apiece of ABS pipe. A coworker used a Surform plane tosharpen the teeth.

I mounted the other end of the 2-in. pipe in a2%-in.-dia. hole saw. It fit perfectly. Three drywallscrews through the slots in the side of the hole sawsecured the ABS. Presto! I had a hole saw 8 ft.longattached to my Yz-in. Hole Hawg drill. It easily cut a holein the foam that was the exact sizel needed.

Ho le saw

- J l M F R A N D E E N S o q u e l , C a l i f .

Screws

I REMoDELTNG TrP

2. Cutsection away y'

from halved coupling.

PVC-pipe patchTo fix a leaking joint in a PVC water-supply line, I start by cut-ting a coupling in half, making sure to remove the stop in themiddle. I then cut one of the halves in two. The ratio shouldbe about 600lo to 40o/o, with the larger piece just big enoughnot to break as it is pushed onto the pipe like a C-clip.

I shut off the water and drain the line to let the joint dry out.Then I apply multipurpose glue, made for ABS and PVC pipe,to both the pipe joint and the patch. With the factory-edgeside of the modified coupling toward the leak, I snap thepatch over the pipe and slide it hard against the leaky joint.Some glue should squeeze out. Let it dry overnight, and thewater l ine is ready for use. -BRUCE CALDERWOOD via email

I3. Coat with glue,then snap modifiedcoupling onto pipeand slide against leak.

cutting teeth(

\

Leaking PVC water pipe1. Cut coupling in half .

G R E A T B U I L D I N G T I P S 2 0 0 6 85

Page 72: 215 Great Building Tips

Roofi ng

Shingle cut tableOn a recent roofing job, my brother asked me tocut several bundles of shingles into starter stripsto use along the eave and rake edges. As shown inthe drawing below,I made a simple cut table bynailing a lx3 along the bottom edge of a 2-ft.by3-ft. scrap of 3A-in. oriented strand board (OSB). Bysetting the cut table on a pair of sawhorses,I couldwork with it at a comfortable height. A lx4 propon the underside tilted the table to a better position,and I cut a 3-ft.-long by 7-in.-wide strip of %-in.OSB as a rip guide for cutting shingles.

I set a pile of inverted shingles against the lx3stop. Then I adjusted the blade on my utiliry knifeso that it just scribed the surface of one shinglewhen I ran it along the 7-in. guide. I was donecutting the starters in half the time it ordinarilytakes me.-I found othershingle-cutting usesfor the table, too. Byresting al2-in. trian-gular framing square(sometimes called aSpeed Square) againstthe stop,I couldmake accuraterepetitive crosscutsfor rake starters ortrim shingles for end-ing courses at walls.

_ B R U C E G U E R T I N

Coventry, R.l.

3-ft. by 7-in.r ip guide

1x3 stop

Roof sheathing

Waterproof membrane

Drip edge

Membranecovers gaP.

\.. tt',

" \

Fascia

lce-dam preventionThe drawing above shows how to modify the typical roof-edge detailto seal the gap between the fascia and the roof sheathing from ice ,dams. I run waterproof membrane a couple of inches down the fasciato a point below the top of the gutters. Because waterproof membranesaren't rated for exposure to sunlight,I cover the membrane'with apiece of flashing that runs from the edge of the roof sheathing to themiddle of the fascia. With this detail, ice buildups forming up fromthe gutter might get under the drip edge, but they can't get through

CHUCK GREEN Ashland, Mass.

Drawings, cxccpt whcre notcd: Charlcs Millcr. Photo this page: Roe A. Osborn.

Starterstrips

1x4 prop

FINE HOMEBUILDING

Z-ft. by 3-ft. scrapof plywood or OSB

the gap.

Page 73: 215 Great Building Tips

Shingl ing from the top downA lot of people think I'm kidding whenI sing the praises of shingling a housefrom the ridge down. Quite to thecontrary, shingling a roof from the topdown (we're talking asphalt shingleshere) can be faster than going from theeaves up, and it always gives a betterroof. For example, starting at the ridgeand working down saves you fromwalking over the materials you just

applied. On a hot day, the wear and tearon an asphalt roof can be considerable.

On roofs requiring staging, you canfasten the duckboards and scaffold sup-ports directly to the deck without specialbrackets. They'll also be convenient roremove on your way down, without fearof damaging the roof.

In reroofing, there is an additional

advantage: Because debris slides downover only the old roof, you can redo onlyas many courses at a time as you feelcomfortable removing.

The trick is to have several startercourses and initially to nail these shin-gles at the top only. As shown in thedrawing abbve, snap a line below theridge that gives you a comfortable reach.The line should be an exact number of

Photo this page: Bill Phillips

Start first course with nails only

Tuck lowercourse underthis row.

)

Second starting course beginsan equal number of exposuresbelow the first row of shingles.

courses from the eave, as defined by the

shingle exposure. Now nail your first

course of shingles with the lower edgesfollowing the line, but tacked along

the top only. Shingle upward from thiscourse to the ridge in normal fashion.

Move your staging down, if need be,and snap another line an exact number

of courses below your first one, againwithin a comfortable reach. As you

prepare to nail down this second srarter

course, don't forget to start with a full

tab or a half tab at the rake, depending

on whether you have an odd or evennumber of courses to lay. Shingle

upward to the initial starting course,which you will lift out of your way toallow the lower course to tuck under

it. With the lower course safely nailedin place, you can nail the initial srarter

course of shingles in the normal fashion.

Repeat this sequence as often as neces-sary to reach the eave. This technique issimpler to do than it is to describe, andin my experience, this method becomes

part of the permanent repertoire of allwho try it.

E M A N U E L J A N N A S C H

Halifax, N.S., Canada

I nEMoDELTNG TrPAsphalt-sh in g le reroofingHave you ever noticed the wavy patternon a roof with two layers of asphalt orfiberglass shingles? This is due to theuneven thickness of the shingles wherethey overlap, which can create as manyas six thicknesses.

To prevent shingle buildup on the typi-cal 5-in. exposure roof, trim the first rowof new shingles to 5 in. and the secondrow to 10 in., and butt them against thebottom edge of the old courses above.These shingles will work as spacers thatallow the new roof to start a differentoverlap pattern that misses the oldbumps, with a 3-in. exposure on the firstrow and a normal 5-in. exposure fromthere on. This method lets you butt thenew shingles against the bottoms of theold. First, though, make sure the cours-es on the old roof are straight.

Your new roof now will lie flat.-JACK McGHIE Tucson , A r i z .

Original

- nias"r@

==FTHE WRONG WAY

roof\

G R E A T B U I L D I N G T I P S 2 0 0 6

Page 74: 215 Great Building Tips

ROOfing (continued)

Removing a damaged shingleSome roof repairs-nail pops, for example-require replac-ing single shingles. Removing the damaged shingle withoutdamaging the surrounding shingles is the tricky part. Thisprocess is best done while shingles are cool enough not tomelt underfoot and warm enough not to crack. In the sum-mer,I handle this part of the repair before 8 a.m. In the win-ter, I do only emergency repairs.

1 First, break the bond created by the seal-down stripsbelow and on the two courses abovethe shingle you want to remove. Thisstep may'be difficult with some newerlaminated shingles: A 5O-year shinglewith a 110-mph wind warranty hasan aggressive adhesive bond. In thesecases,I cut the adhesive strip with apry bar.

2 With the bonds broken,I canremove the four nails holding thedamaged shingle.

3 Before I remove the shingle,though,I have to remove four morenails driven through the course above.

4 Now I can pull out the damaged shingle, slip in a newshingle, and renail all the loosened shingles.

When refastening shingles, don't pur new nails in the old nailholes; they'll pop right out. Insread, nail nexr ro the holes, andput a dab of sealant over the old holes. While your caulk gunis handy, seal down all the loosened shingle tabs with a dabof sealant. -STEPHEN HAZLETT Akron, Ohio

1- in . -wide s top b lock,4 in .long by % in. thick

Exposure plus 1 in.

Cedar-roof shingling guideA few years ago at a cedar-shingle manufactur-er's seminar, the local rep showed a film of a realprofessional installing shingles. This guy wasnailing so fast that the entire room burst outlaughing. Roofing is only part of my repertoire,and that level of skill isn't in the cards for me.

When I do install wood shingles,I set thecourses to a pencil line that I mark using a simpleguide made out of a 4-ft. to 5-ft. length of %-in.plywood. To make the guide,I rip the plywoodto a width equal to the exposure of the shingles,plus I in. I affix l-in.-wide,4-in.Jong,Vz-in.-thick stop blocks to the underside of the plywoodat each end as shown in the drawing at left.

I position the guide so that the stop blocks catchthe butts of the previous course of shingles, andI draw a line along the top of the guide to locatethe butts of the next course. Next,I move the .guide up,lay its bottom edge along this line, andmark another line along the top of the guide. Ofcourse, the shingles cover this line as they're laiddown, but the guide provides a reference line fornailing on the leading edge. As a control,I snap achalkline every few courses.

-ARNE WALDSTETN Great Barrington, Mass.

Marking guide

FINE HOMEBUILDING88 Photos this page: Daniel S. Morrison

Page 75: 215 Great Building Tips

Shingle holderRoofs with a 5-in-12 to a 7-in-12 pitch can be walked, but shinglesawaiting installation tend to slide. To keep shingles within reach as they

are installed, I use a shingle holder made up of a strip of lx4 about 8 ft.long and a2x4 block and two 4x4 blocks,3r/zin.long.

Attach the blocks to the strip by nails driven through the back of thelx4. A 40-in. space between the blocks accommodates either 36-in. or

lm shingles. At the top of the 1x4,I drilled aVz-in.-dia. hole, which I

thread over a roofing nail driven halfway into the roof. I place this nailjust above the top of the groove

of the shingle I've alreadyinstalled in the previous

course. When I movethe shingle holder,Ijust pound in that nailall the way, and the

,.... next course overlaps it,

r r ' : . . - J O H N C A R R O L L

: " ' Durham, N.C.

Shingles rest on4x4 blocks.

I REMoDELTNG TIPS

Shingle cleanupStripping the old shingles off a house is a messy job by any-body's standards. The accumulated pieces of cedar or asphalttend to rain down around the house, often damaging fragilelandscaping. To prevent this problem, I use a sheet of 6-milpoly to act as a combination protective barrier and tarpaulin, asshown in the drawing below. I staple the poly to the top piece

of a 2x4 frame, making surethat the top edge of thepoly is doubled andwrapped aroundthe horizontal 2x4.This arrangementsaves a lot ofcleanup timeand leaves myclients smiling.

- C H A R L I E

W O O D H O U S E

Kensington, Calif.

Holder issecured by apartially drivenroofing nail.

--\.:i

-- ,/' --a-' .-/

-

a

Exposure plushalf of doublecovera9e

Wirehook

Centerl ineof holes

Lengthequals halfof doublecoverage.Wire hook

made of 1O-ga.copper wire

Slate-roof repairThe drawing above shows my method forreplacing a broken roof slate withoutexposed wire.

After removing the broken slate, drill a pairof holes in the new slate. The distance fromthe bottom edge of the slate to the center-line of the holes equals the exposure of theslate plus half its double coverage (that por-tion of the course where three slates over-lap one another). The bent ends of a 1O-ga.copper-wire hook pass through the holes.The rest of the wire hook passes under thereplacement slate and hangs on the top edgeof the slate directly beneath it.

-RANDY E. MEDLIN Laur inburg, N.C.

'(/.

GREAT BUILD ING T IPS 2006

Page 76: 215 Great Building Tips

Siding

Nail assafety stop

a-- -/-'.,7----- ----?

7

A site-made saw guidefor cutting vinyl

-

Cutting vinyl soffit and siding marerial canbe done quickly and accurately with a sawguide.I usually have a commercially avail-able guide on site. Once in a while, though,it goes missing, and I have to improvise.

In one such instance,I noticed a fewscraps of 1x6 shiplap siding on the burn pile.As shown in the drawingr l cut two pieces33 in. long and, with their rabbeted edgesfacing one another,laid them upside downatop a couple of 2x6s. With the 1x6 piecesset at a distance equal to the width of mysaw's base,I screwed them to the 2x6s. Thissetup made a nifty little slide guide for cut-ting vinyl siding or squaring lx or 2x stock.

The sawkerf in the far 2x6 indicares rhecutline. In the near 2x6,a nail acts as asafety stop to keep the saw from acciden-tally backing out of the guide.

_ W I L L R U T T E N C U T T E R

Valdosta, Ga.

Kert markscutline.

V.inyl soffit orsiding material

1x sh ip lap s id ing

S5w base ridessiding rabbets.

2

)

2Vz in:

Clean corners for manufactured sidingI've been installing a lot of nonwood siding over the past few years, such as cement-based and hardboard lap siding. To complement their clean look, I've taken toinstalling custom-made steel corners. As shown in the drawing below, the cornershave flanges that are nailed to the wall and act as integral flashings in case anymoisture gets behind the siding. The siding abuts the projecting corner of the metaltrim details.

A local metal shop makes the corners from steel gutter stock. This material isi-nexpensive and comes in brown, white, or primer. The steel corners hold paintbeautifully. Before I started using these corners,I used cedar corner boards. Theywould shrink eventually,leaving a cracked caulk joint. With steel corners, rharproblem is a thing of the past.

RICHARD DARBY Mer l in , Ore.

1 i n . r r , r r t

1 - in . fo lds

Shingle TLCI had to replace windows in a 30-year-oldhouse that was covered with cedar shingles,and try as I might,I found it impossible notto scar some of the shingles with my ladder.Also,I had to remove some shingles to trimthem, which further damaged their faces.

After thinking about the problem,Idecided to try reviving the shingles witha very soft wire brush. I brushed with thegrain, starting at the top and workingdown. I first tried a small spot in an unob-trusive place and found that the shingleshad a nap like suede or velvet. Brushingwith the grain pushed all the fibers backinto the grain lines that emerge as theshingles weather with age.I brushed all theshingles around each window about a footout from the casings, and then I spraysdthem lightly with a hose to clean the wall.of fine particles. When everything dried,evidence that any work had been done was

_ R I C H A R D E . R E E D

Doylestown, Pa.

Outside corner Inside cornerInside corner

at bay windowOutside cornerat bay window

90 F I N E H O M E B U I L D I N G

barely noticeable.

Page 77: 215 Great Building Tips

CLAPBOARD SIDING

Scribing curved clapboard endsI had to apply clapboards to the side of a garage that hasarched doors, which meant that I had to cut the ends of theclapboards to match the changing arc of the trim around thedoors. I think the method I came up with to mark the curveworked out better than the typical scribing technique. As shownin the drawing, I cut a piece of scrap sheet metal into a stripabout 8 in. long and % in.wider than the curved trim.I laid the metal tight againstthe trim and held it with a fewfinishing nails. Then I rubbeda pencil along the edge of themetal, held a clapboard againstit, and pressed firmly. The backof the clapboard now had aperfectly curved cutline to fol-low with my jigsaw.

_ R I C K B O I S V E R T

North Dartmouth, Mass.

Tar-paper splines ensure aleakproof jointPlaced under each butt joint and at thewindows, the splines lap the lower courseby th in. and guide any water that entersthe joint to the outside of the clapboards.

-MIKE GUERTIN East Greenwich, R. l .

Finishing nai ls

Gang-cutting angled clapboardsThe next time you're cutting clapboards that run from a vertical windowor sidewall to a rake board, try this trick. Cut the roof angle on one endof five clapboards (l stack them and cut them all at once with an 8%-in.circular saw).

While the points of the clapboards still are lined up, slide a square alongthe bottom edge of the top clapboard. As shown in the drawing, align the-exposure mark (in this case 4 in.) with the edge of the clapboard end.Now, mark the edge of the top clapboard, flip the square, and extend themark across all the clapboards. Slide the boards so that the pointed endsline up with the marks above them, as shown in the drawing. Measure the

Problem: Lay out and

first clapboard, and you'reready to make the cut (l

gang-cut the clapboardsbetween the window

suggest a 1O-in. powermiter saw for this).

After about 15 clap-boards, it's a goodidea to remeasurebecause errors havea tendency toaccumulate.

_ R A N D A L L S M I T H

Barrington, N.H.

and the rake board. Rake board

First, find theexposure witha square.

/- 4-in' exPosure

p-Roof angle

Markthe bottomedge of the topclapboard.

Next, extend the markacross all the clapboards.

-*t4fif \..4t:.-47--

'l'z'Z::V ,

/Now, spread the boards so

Photo this page: Andy Engel GREAT BUILDING T IPS 2006

Page 78: 215 Great Building Tips

Siding (continued)

Shingle shelfWhen wood-shingling a roof or a sidewall, keeping a ready supply of shinglesclose at hand can be a problem. The simple shelf shown here can be securedby tucking the tapered tab under an already nailed course of shingles. In thisway, shingles can be kept conveniently closeto the height at which you are working,instead of down by your feet on the stag-ing. A bunch of these shelves can be madefrom rejected shingles and scraps of lx6s orlx8s. Cutting the top corners off the shingle

nr",""jl. shelf makes it easy to slip under

-KENDALL GtFFoRD Putney, Vt.

WORKI NG ALONE

2 in. to 3 in .

Taper shingle foreasy insertionunder installedcourses.

3d shingle nai ls

Solo housewrappingCarpenters end up doing a lot of four-handed oper-ations with only two hands. Here's how I use a stickand a C-clamp to install housewrap by myself. Typi-cally, one person staples the housewrap to the wallwhile another penion stays out front, unrolling theroll and keeping the housewrap smooth and level.In this case, the other person is a 1x3 with a smallcrossbar to act as a shelf for the roll of housewrap.I clamp the shelf at a point that corresponds to thebottom of the housewrap with the 1x3 resting onthe ground and leaningagainst the wall.

To use the setup, Iunroll a couple of feet tostaft. Then lstaple it inplace, unroll about 15 ft.,and lean the rig againstthe wall. I use lumberoffcuts to prop up thething when I hit some lowspots. The 54-in. rolls ofhousewrap are ideal forsolo work.

_ L A W R E N C E E . P R Y K A N

Garfield Heights, Ohio

1x shelf set toappropriate height

Hanging clapboards by yourselfWith several site-madehangers like the one inthe drawing at right, I canhandle unwieldy lengths ofclapboard by myself.

I attach the hangers verti-cally on the wall, aligningthe marks with the bottomedges of the last course ofclapboards. Two short deckscrews run through finishingwashers will keep a hangerfrom pivoting and jamming

as I position a clapboard onthe house.

I install a clapboard from

joint l6talledhere. clapboard

Deck screwswith f inishingwashers

Check

Z-in.overlap

Cedar shingleswith 1-in. offset

Al ignment mark

below, lifting it until the bottom of the clapboard reachesthe lip formed by the butt of the bottom shingle. At thatpoint, the springiness of the shingle pops the hangerunder the clapboard, holding it in place. Now l'm free to

'.

slide the clapboard as needed to determine cut marks. Toremove a clapboard, ljust give it an outward twist at thetop edge. This springs the shingle away from the wall,allowing me to drop the clapboard out of the hanger fromany distance on the wall.

-CHRIS ELLIS Brewster, Mass.

F I N E H O M E B U I L D I N G Photo this page: Randy O'Rourke

Page 79: 215 Great Building Tips

Spl ined s id ingI sheathed my workshop with 1x6 boards joinedwith galvanized splines. This method getsthe most out of the width of a board. For thesplines,I used 2-in.-wide galvanized steel, com-monly used to strap together shipments of bulkygoods (thin strips of nylon or plastic also couldbe used). My wall framing consists of 4x4s on

2-in. galvanized-steel spline

1x6 s id ing

8-ft. centers, with plates at top and bottom anda midrail. I ran each piece of siding over mytablesaw to cut a l-in.-deep kerf in each edge.Once I had a board in place,I inserted a full-length spline in the kerf. The neighboring boardaccepts the protruding spline. I kept nails awayfrom the splines and left a little play betweenadjacent boards to allow for wood expansion.

-J O NATHAN DAVI ES Queensland, Australia

Router-scribed shinglesf've seen a number of tips for cutting outsidecorners on shingled walls, but none is as simpleor as foolproof as the method shown in thedrawing above. As illustrated, I use a bearing-guided flush-trimming bit in a small router totrim the overlapping shingle as the bearing fol-lows the profile of the guide shingle.

W I L L H E S C H

Atascadero, Calif.

Guide shingle

Birdhouse vent boxI often remodel or add on toolder wood-clapboard houses.When I'm faced with unsightlyholes in the walls, such as thedryer vent pictured here, Ioffer to conceal them with thissimple bit of craftsmanship. The"birdhouse" is made from scrapclapboards and trim stock, takeslittle time to fabricate, and reallyimpresses clients.

I position it so that the roofnestles direcdy under a clap-board or flash it with a thin stripof copper if needed, then size thebox to allow the vent flap toopen, or whatever else I'm cov-ering to function. The sides aretrim stock ,5/4 cedar in this case,scribed to the profile of the clap-boards. The roof is a clapboardsized appropriately, and thefront is clapboards with halfthe reveal of the wall they'remounted on. Hidden cedarcleats are used for attachment.

These boxes not only solvelittle problems but also are a lotof fun to build.

-ED WEBER Locustv i l le , Va.

4

3 Scribebirdhouse sidesto clapboardprofile.

5 Afirsides and top to cleats. Finishsiding scraps. Leave bottom open.

GREAT BUILDING TIPS 2006

5 rri^ birdhousesides to scribemarks.

_-__z_

7 o$r-*nt hole has been cutin clapboard siding.

2 hstatlvent flap.

---")

4 etti" cleats aboveand to sides of vent flap.

with

Page 80: 215 Great Building Tips

Trim

Marking a square cut on a round columnRecently,I had to cut an 8-in.-dia. wood column to length.

Because the column was too big for my miter box andneeded to be cut exactly square,I mulled over my options.

A colleague recommended using a piece of rosin paperto encircle the column at the required length. When the

edges of the paper were aligned,I marked my cut and

used a jigsaw to lop off the unwanted portion of the col-umn. Note in the section of the column how I angled thejigsaw a'bit to create a slight back cut, ensuring a tight fit

where the column sits on its base.-PATRICK A . MoLZAHN Oregon ,Wis .

Roof sheathing --\

Blocking for crown

. , r t '

, ' ' t " ' '

Rafter tail Soff i t nai ler block

Bed mold ing

Spacer blocks on

Soffit

Corrugated vent strip

tb-in. centers .1

Frieze //

Circulating air ---------v Z

Siding tucts --//

Column sect ion

behind frieze.

Framed and sheathed wall

Stealth venting for a traditional boxed eaveOrdinary strip or button-type soffit venrs can ruin the look of acomplex eave detail, such as the one shown above. Instead,I holdthe frieze board off the wall sheathing with spacer blocks; a hid-den vent strip allows air to enter and circulate into the rafter bays.Special blocking attached to the rafter tails provides nailing for theinside edge of the soffit and for the flat crown molding.

-ROBERT WEATHERALL lpswich, Mass.

8- in.-d ia. wood column

Hanging fascia boardsEven with two people, it can be prettyprecarious out there on the end of arafter, straining to support a heavy fas-cia board with one hand while tryingto line up a mitered corner and sink.agalvanized 16d nail with the other hand.With the help of a simple jig, one personcan do it comfortably.

I tack one jig near each end of thefascia, driving the nails just far enoughto support the fascia. Then I lower the

fascia into the slots in the jigs (cut the

slots a little oversize to prevent binding).

The jigs hold the fascia in approximately

the right place while I adjust it for align-

ment and nail it in place.-NEAL BAHRMAN Ventura, Cal i f ,

F I N E H O M E B U I L D I N G Drawing top right: Rick Daskam

Page 81: 215 Great Building Tips

Plastic container with lid keepsprimer from drying out.

smaller container.

Extend the life of exterior trimby priming the end-grain cutsFor maximum durability,I back-prime exterior components such asfascia boards wirh 100% acrylic primer.But what about the ends of theseboardsl If they also are primed andcaulked together, end-grain spliceswill last over the long haul. Withourpriming, end-grain cuts will soak upmoisture quickly and begin ro rot.The problem is rhar end-grain cutscan't be painted until they are cut andfitted by the carpenrers.

Priming boards can be a potentialheadache for carpenters, so I devised asimple system to make the process goas smoothly as possible. As shown inthe drawing above, I keep the primerin a clear plastic container with a lid

on it. A paint pad also lives in the con-tainer, resting in a smaller plastic boxto keep the pad's handle out of the poolof primer.

Now when the carpenters are run-ning exterior trim, they can easilyswab the ends of the boards with apass from the paint pad (a paint padis much faster than a brush becauseit carries more paint). I used thistechnique on the last spec house thatI built, and it worked grear. The car-penters billed me for only a couple ofextra hours of work because primingthe end-grain cuts barely made a dentin their speed.

_ B Y R O N P A P A

Durham, N.C.

\._

Prime end-graincuts duringconstrudion.

WRONG WAY

RIGHT WAY

Backerboard

Caulk

;_j=)Backerboard

Trim board

Caulk needs help tostay flexibleCaulk that is allowed to bondto all sides of a joint cannotexpand and contract withoutbecoming unstuck. A foambacker rod enables caulk tobehave like an accordion inresponse to seasonal expansionand contraction.

_ J O H N M I C H A E L D A V I S

Drawing bottom left: Christophe r Clapp

Caulk

Trim board

New Orleans

95

Zero-maintenancecrown moldingI recently enclosed the porch on ourhouse, and in doing so,I needed acrown molding for the gable-endbargeboards. I didn't have to look far.

By ripping some lengths of alumi-num gutter, as shown in the drawingbelow,I was able to fashion'inexpen-

sive, zero-maintenance crown mold-ings that match the gutrers. I rippedthe gutter into two portions,leaving a

Save thispiecefor dripedge.

1. Ril

| ( " '

N2. Fold flapupward. 3. Drill nail holes

on 12-in. centers.

Aluminum fascia

l-in.-wide flap on rhe crown-moldingpieces. I bent this flap by hand overa piece of Vz-in. stock. Then I drilledthrough this folded edge on l2-in.centers for nails. The rest of the gut-terl I'll use it for drip edges on mynext project.

_ J A C K M U R P H Y

Pittsburgh, Pa.

GREAT BUILD ING T IPS 2006

Roof sheathing

1- in . a luminum na i l

Page 82: 215 Great Building Tips

StringersA fast, accurate way to makemortised stairsThe typical approach to stair-building is to cut

bird's-mouth notches in a pair of stringers, then

affix the treads to the tops of the bird's mouths.

Cutting mortises in the sides of the stringers to

accept the treads is far stronger, so I devised a jig

to lay out and cut mortised stringers quickly.

First, lay out the stair's rise and run on a piece

of Yz-in. plywood. The plywood (1) should be big

enough to work as both a router template and as

a layout tool for the next mortise.

Next, cut a slot in the plywood deep enough to

accommodate the depth of the treads. The slot's

width should equal the thickness of the treads,

plus a bit of wiggle room. Align the plywood iig

Rise

Guide slot {or mortiseequals depth of treads.

4. Secure treadswith three corrosion-resistant screwsor nails.

clamps can come in handy at this point for drawing the opposing

stringers toward one another. They should not be so snug that you

have to pound things together, and not be so loose that the assembly

wil l rack.

I prefer screwing the stringers to the treads (4) as insurance against

the stringers'warping and pulling the nails out of the end grain.-R ICHARD WASH BURN Penobsco t . Ma ine

1. Clamp jig tostringer.

Guide c leats,both s ides

Room for router tomaneuver w i th indot ted l ines

Mark herefor topof nextmortise.

2. Router withbearing-guidedbit follows slotcontour, cuttingtread mortise.

:\

3. Cut treads to equallengths, and snugthem togetherwith pipe clampsor a block andhammer.

on the stringer, and affix a pair of guide cleats to each side of thejig. The cleats register the jig on the stringer and give you purchase

to clamp the jig. Clamp the jig to the stringer, and use a router with

a bearing-guided bit to cut a3/q-in.-deep mortise (2). Make more

than one pass to cut the full depth. Before moving the jig, draw a

line across its top edge to mark the edge of the next mortise. Cleats

on both sides let you flip the yig and rout the other stringer.

Cut all the treads to equal lengths (3). Set one end of the first

tread in the first mortise of one stringer. Bring the other stringer

to it. and set the tread in its first mortise. Continue from one end

to the other, getting all the treads started in their mortises. Pipe

Stable stringers and an accurate layoutA few years ago,I read a Fine Homebuilding article by a carpenter who laminated 3/q-rn.

plywood for stringer stock because 2x stock tends to shrink, which makes treads sag. It

occurred to me that an LVL (laminated-veneer lumber) would be even better. Although

LVL stringers remain stable, LVLs aren't always straight, so check for crown before lay-

ing them out. LVLs come in standard l3/c-in. thickness, in standard widths, and in almost

any length.

LVLs cost more than 2x stock, so be extra sure of your layout before cutting. I prefer

to use locking pliers with a framing square when marking the layout because they have

more surface riding on the stringer stock and are more accurate than stair-gauge stops.

Also, they're easier to find in your toolbox.

F I N E H O M E B U I L D I N G

- J O H N S P I E R B l o c k l s l a n d , R . l .

Page 83: 215 Great Building Tips

Sx-in. upper anchor bolts hookthrough sides of 2x4s.

s/e-in.

ho le

2x4 bending form

2x remjaw

Balconysubfloor

Anchor-bolt clampsTo build a circular staircase on site,I needed about 100 clamps.

C-clamps were too slow to install and tighten, too valuable to leave

on a job site, and too heavy to lug around, so I devised two kinds of

clamps that use Yz-in. anchor bolts and 2x framing lumber.

To laminate a stringer, I start by laying out the stair plan on the

subfloor. Then I make a bending form by securingZx4s to the lay-

out lines. The 2x4s become part of the clamp. The top of each remov-

able jaw is secured to its 2x4 with a 6-in. anchor bolt. The bolt's hook

fits througha%-in. hole in the side of the 2x4;aspacer block of suit-

able thickness takes up the bolt's unthreaded portion. The bottom

of the jaw is secured to the form by an 8-in. anchor bolt through the

2x4.In use,I insert the top bolt first, snug it to keep the assembly

together, then run the bottom bolt through. I use an electric impact

wrench with a deep socket to tighten and remove the nuts quickly.

For handrails,I use a series of clamp brackets, as shown in the

drawing. Here, they are screwed to a balcony subfloor to laminate

a simple curved handrail, but they also can be affixed to stair treads

to laminate spiral handrails. -ROBERT J . D ICK Love t t sv i l l e ,Va .

frame

Handra i lclampsscrewed tosubfloor

va>Laminated

Eight-in. bottomanchor bolts runthrough 2x4s.

Plywood gusset

Stair-stringer stress reliefExperience has taught me to cut stringers out of 2x stock carefully. If

the sawcut goes even a litde bit beyond the intersection of the rise and

run, it can create a weak spot that either can weaken the stringer or can

cause one of the ears that support the treads to fall off if it's bumped

during installation. The drawing below shows how I avoid the problem.After marking the layout for rise and run,I bore Yz-in.-dia. keyholes

where the backs of the treads and the bottoms of the risers are ro meer.Then I use a circular saw to make the bulk of the cuts, stopping short

of theholes and finishing the cuts with a jigsaw.

The keyholes provide stress relief, minimizing the

chances of a sawcut-induced crack weakening the

stringers. I've been using this technique for the

past 12 or so years, and the method hasn't failed

me yet. _ M I C H A E L S T A N D I S H

West Roxbury Mass.

Plywoodgusset

2x4 cleat

Reinforcing the first stepThe bottom of a stringer can be weakened if you have '.

to cut the first step shorter rhan the unit rise to allow

for tread thickness (usually I in.)and if the stringer is

notched for a2x4 floor cleat. Because the wood wants to

split along the weak diagonal grain,I always beef up the

carriages by screwing and gluing a piece of plywood to

the sides.-M ICHAEL vo r . r DECKBAR-FRABBIELE New Or leans

Strengthening the roughstringer's first step withglued and nailed plywoodgussets ensures that thestringer won't breakacross the weakdiagonal grain.

Finish cutouts,taking care notto overcut.

Bore 1/z-in.-dia.holes at insideintersection ofrise and run.

w,',!,1

/Lay out riseand run intypical manner.

2x stair stringer

Drawings, except where noted: Robert Goodfellow. Photos: Roe A. Osborn.Drawings facing page, this page top and bottom left: Charles Miller.

Rough str inger\

Y--li t r ' i il i , / i l

//" L'1'i . {

f

/GREAT BUILDING T IPS 2006

Page 84: 215 Great Building Tips

Treads & RisersGauge measures shim thicknessIn many cases, stair stringers are built by the framing carpenter,

who is long gone by the time you come along to make a silk purse out

of an old sow's ear. Although many framers do a great job, it's in your

best interest to build the rough stringers yourself,, or at least check

them with a level and rule before you bid on finishing the stairs.

A tapered shim gauge, cut froma scrap of wood and calibratedby the 16th of an inch, makesa handy gauge fordetermining shimthickness.

Leveling across the width ofa tread rs easier with a 10-in.Ievel cut from a larger level.Extension caps screwedto each end of the levelaccommodate cupped treads.

hffi{ lu'll ru*,Y)block

I make a shim gauge out of a scrap of wood. I measure along both

edges of the shim and make marks every Vrcin. in thickness. I then

color in every other segment with a marker. After I've got the gauge

made, I rip shims of different thicknesses and keep them on hand.

Some people use shingles as shims, but their tapered profile gives

them uneven bearing; the surface to be shimmed only hits the high

point of the shingle.

To use the gauge,I simply slip it under the tread or behind the

riser (inset drawing at left) that needs shimming and tap it in until

the tread is level or the riser is plumb. I note the mark on the gauge,

remove the gauge, and replace it with one of my precut shims. Once

you have the shim in place, the difficult work is done. Then it's just

a matter of fastening the tread or riser to the stringer.

The whole process of shimming treads is slowed or voided if the

center stringer is too high. When cutting my own stringers,I elimi-

nate the possibility by overcutting both the treads and risers of the

center stringer by %in. to3/sin. When I install the treads, I level

and shim the two outside stringers. Then it is simply a matter of

gluing and screwing a lYz-in. cleat to the center carriage, which is

brought into contact with the finished tread. I use the same process

for the risers.- M I C H A E L v o r . r D E C K B A R - F R A B B I E L E N e w O r l e a n s

colored markerfor easyreference.

Fitting stair treadsCobbled together out of scrap plywood, the jig shown in the

drawing below makes it easy to fit stair treads between a pair of

walls or skirtboards. To use the jig,loosen the wing nuts and lay

it across the tread cuts of the stair stringers with its back tight

against the riser cuts. Then extend the legs so that they're snug

against the walls

or skirtboards.

and tighten all the

nuts. Remove thejig carefully, place

it onto the tread

stock, and scribe

the end cuts on the

stock. When cut-

ting, leave just a

trace of the cutline

for a perfect fit._ R O B E R T

P L O U R D E

Atlanta

* \

Fill in with /

Woodlevel cutt o 10 i n .

Cuppedtread

Shoftened level fits on treadWhen leveling treads from front to back, it's handy to have a small

level. For years,I used a2-ft.level, but I was constantly knoiking it

off the step because it hung off the end of the tread. I've also never

found a small bullet level that didn't seem like a toy. To solve the

problem,I cut down a larger wood level to 10 in. and screwed small

extension blocks of wood on the ends. The blocks extend past the

bottom of the level and give me an accurate read on cupped treads.- M I C H A E L v o r , r D E C K B A R - F R A B B I E L E

New Orleans

Drawing bottom left: Charles Miller

1/+in. by 1/+in. carriage bolts

Extend legs for asnug fit against wallor skirtboard.

98 F I N E H O M E B U I L D I N G

Page 85: 215 Great Building Tips

RailingsCovering newel-post boltsSometimes the only way to fasten the newel post is toanchor it to the stringer. Often, the bolt holes you have todrill are at an angle other than square to the face of thenewel. Off-angle holes can be hard to plug, and when youdo plug them, they usually don't look right. Instead ofplugging holes, I saw %in. off the face of the newel with abandsaw, drill and install the bolts, and then glue the pieceover the holes. The bandsaw limits the loss of stock toabout Ytzin.-hardly noticeable<r you can plane offr/+in. and make a new faceplate to glue over the holes.

- M I C H A E L v o r ' r D E C K B A R - F R A B B I E L E

Cutting a 1/e-in.slice off the edgeof the newel witha bandsaw, andgluing it back onafter running inthe bolts, coversthe holes andmakes for a neat,finished look.

New Orleans

Newel post

1. Make plumb cut at endof handrail.

l *! [

\ t r j " '

Hidden handrailconnectionI recently needed to fasten

a handrail to a wall and

didn't have room for a

rosette to secure the hand-

rail because of the minimal

clearance to the outside

corner. So I devised an

invisible bolted connection

through the rail into the

wall framing. As shown in

the drawing, the lag bolt is

hidden beneath a wedge-

shaped cap taken off the

top of the handrail.

The first step is to make

the plumb cut on the end

3. Lag-bolthandrailto wallframing.

,.u.,..1

The 1/a-in.

slice ofnewel isglued on.

of the handrail (1). But don't cut the handrail to length yet. Now

rotate the miter saw's table to make about a70" cut, and take off the

wedge-shaped cap that will cover the lag bolt (2). Thp. the cap back

onto the handrail so that it is flush with the radiused top of the rail.

Notice that it's a little short because of the material removed by the

sawblade. Recut the end of the rail so that the cap and the rail end in

a flush plumb cut.

Next, drill the necessary holes to receive a lag bolt and washer, and

the shank hole (3). Cut the handrail to length, run home the bolt,

and glue the cap in place (4). Sanded and stained, the cap seam is

nearly invisible.-WALTER D. COLTON Wellsboro, Pa.

Lag bolts

F,:*,*\"\.l;

4. Conceal bolt

Circular-rail center finderFor finding the center on oval or round handrails that have beenfit and either permanently or temporarily fastened,I modified amarking gauge by letting a level vial into the gauget beam andreplacing the metal scribe with a pencil held in place by a woodwedge. An auxiliary fence provides the additional height that isneeded to compensate for the increased length of the pencil. Bywatching the level vial,I can keep the beam horizontal as I run thegauge down the length of the handrail, and I make a pencil linealong its bottom center.

On a similar note,I've found that one of the most useful tools forboth shop work and work in the field is a regular marking gaugewith the metal scribe replaced with a mechanical pencil.

- M I C H A E L v o r . r D E C K B A R - F R A B B I E L E

Modifying amarking gaugeeases the processof finding thecenter of a circularor ellipticalhandrail.

Pencil with

into beam

N wedge\- replaces

metalscribe.

Drawing top right: Charles Miller

New Orleans

GREAT BUILDING T IPS 2006 99

Page 86: 215 Great Building Tips

Railings (continued)

Pinpoint stair-rail accuracyIn my experience, the joints in the handrailare what peoplereally scrutinize. They are easy to see, and if a misalignedjoint doesn't catch your eye, your hand eventually will find itinstead. Here's a tip to help keep those joints between handrailsections, such as the intersection between the easing and therail, aligned properly.

As shown in the drawing, I set two little brads into therail, then clip off their heads, leavingpointed brad ends above

the rail bolt. Now

when I draw the two

pieces together by

tightening the nut

on the rail bolt, the

handrail sections

won't twist._ S T E P H E N R . T O B I N

Ridgefield, Conn.

Spindle-hole sizing gaugeThe diameter of the top, or thin end, of a tapered spindle candecrease as the spindle gets longer. Therefore, the hole drilled intothe handrail for the back spindle on a tread can be smaller than thehole for the front baluster.

I take a block of wood and drill a series of different-diameter holesin it. The holes are drilled at the same angle that the spindles meerthe handrail. After I cut a tapered spindle to length, I plug it intothe sizing gauge to determine which size hole fits best; then I borethe hole in the rail. To save time, it's best to have rwo or three drillschucked up with the bits you mostlikely will need.

- M I C H A E L v o r . r D E C K B A R - /F R A B B T E L E

. r . . . " 'New Orleanr

\

Plumbing balustersWhen laying out a handrail to drill holes for balusters, I use aplumb bob to get a vertical line from the marks I've laid our on rhetreads. Rather than fiddling with the plumb bob's string length oneach tread and waiting for the bob to stop swinging, I mark thestring at the height of the front baluster and the rear one. When I goup to the next tread, all I have to do is hold the line on the mark forthe particular baluster location and hold it on the rail. The referencemarks mean I don't have to fumble with string length.

Here's another hint: I've found that using braided string, asopposed to the more common twisted-strand string, helps to keepmy plumb bob from spinning and swinging around when the bob ishang ing f ree . -MICHAEL von DECKBAR-FRABBTELE New Or leans

Marking the plumbline with a felt-tippen makes a quickreference for plumbingsuccessive sets ofbalusters.

Markline withcoloredpen.

Distance A is theapproximate heightof the front baluster;distance B is the rearbaluster.

\ . "1, J . - \

\\I

Rail bolt

Testing the fit of a taperedspindle in a block withdifferent-size holes drilled init determines what size holeto drill in the handrail.

Handrai l sect ions

Clipped brads

Holes dri l led in1/sz-in. incrementsat angle of handrai l

1OO F INE HOMEBUILDING Drawing top Ieft: Charles Millcr

Page 87: 215 Great Building Tips

Judicious grindingof spade bitsmakes them boreholes in diametersbetween stocksizes. Beveledcorners preventtearout.

Paintindicatesmodifiedbits.

Reground spade bitswork betterThe worst thing in

the entire world that

can befall a stair-

builder is to hear hisjust-installed treads

squeak. The second-

worst thing is to

have the spindles rattle.

For spindles not to rattle,

they have to fit perfectly in

their holes. To make a per-

fect fit,I modifv common

spade bits. Itt easy to grind downthe bits by %z in. (or Yain. on eachside). So, for example, instead of jumping

from'A in. to rVrc rn..vou'll have a bit that's 2Vtz rn.Another hint: Because the newly modified bits will have their former

sizes stamped on them, it's important to paint new numbers on the sides

of each bit. One time, a carpenter who was setting a balustrade went

into my toolbox without my knowledge and bored 35 holes with what

he thought was a3/+-in.bir.

Another thing about spade bits: When boring at an angle, say, into an

oak handrail, a spade bitb 90" corners tend to tear out chunks of wood

as the bit starts a hole. Grinding off the corners makes a clean cut by

producing a scraping action as the bit spins into the wood. I grind a long

lead on some bits to make them useful for grinding holes in steep hand-

rails. The long lead establishes the bit in its hole before the shoulder

engages wood.- M I C H A E L v o x D E C K B A R - F R A B B I E L E N e w O r l e a n s

Beveled corner

Grind 1/ce in.off each side.

Grind aIongerIead forangleddrilling.

Capping a pipe rai lI occasionally use lVz-in.-dia.

steel pipe for handrails. It is

plenty sturdy and easy to grip,

but it needs something other

than a lYz-in.-dia. cap threaded

on its ends to look presentable.

As shown in the drawing,I use

a 1-in.-dia. cap threaded onto a

1-in.-dia. nipple instead. I wrap

the nipple with a couple of turns

of electrical tape to ensure a

tight fit. The nipple is held in

place by a3Ae-in -dia. stove bolt

that is run into a hole drilled

and tapped into the pipe and

nipple from below._WALTER D . COLTON

Wellsboro, Pa.

Baluster gaugeSome staircases call for square-ended balusters that fit

into a groove plowed into the underside of the handrail.

Because baluster lengths can vary as much as3Ae in. for a

given position on each tread,I made a baluster gauge that

employs the sliding metal ruler taken from the end of a

folding rule.

As shown in the drawing below,I let the thin metal ruler

into a piece of wood a couple of inches shorter than the

shortest baluster. Small wood straps hold the ruler in place.

A level vial secured with Bondo makes plumbing easy.-M ICHAEL vo r , r DECKBAR-FRABBIELE New Or leans

Baluster lengths can vary.On rails with a grooveplowed on the underside,this gauge makesquick work of findingthe proper length.

Grooveplowed inhandra i l

Gauge lengthis shorterthan shortestbaluster. extension from

fold ing ru le

11/z-in. pipera i l i ng

\ l - in . n ipp le

Elearic|ro" \*c-in. stove bolt

Level viallet in andsecured wi thBondo

101Drawins bottom left: Charles Mille r G R E A T B U I L D I N G T I P S 2 0 0 6

Page 88: 215 Great Building Tips

Hl=height ofinstrument

Masking tape

Z-\Grade stick

Mark Hook tapemeasure insawkerf, thenwrap the tapeover and downthe grade stick.

Decks

Measuring posts on uneven groundWhenever I build decks,I place the piers and then cur poststo carry the girders that will support the deck framing. Thebottoms of the girders are in the same plane, but all the piersare at slightly different elevations. The problem becomes howto calculate the length of each post efficiendy. As shown in thedrawing to the right, the method I've devised eliminatesalmost all the calculations. I simply read the length of eachpost off the scale on the grade stick. Flere's how my system works.

To start, calculate the height of a post needed for one of the piers,for example, pier No. 2. Suppose its post needs tobe l2%in. fromthe top of the pier to the bottom of the girder. Have a helper holda lxZ grade stick atop the pier, and shoot it with a builder's level.(Note: The grade stick must be long enough to shoot the lowestpier.) Mark your HI (height of instrument) on the grade stick andmeasure down 123/ain. Now use a handsaw to make ar/t-in.-deepsawkerf at this line.

Insert the hook of a tape measure into the sawkerf, and wrap apiece of masking tape around the blade of the tape measure so tharit's secured to the grade stick. Now run the tape measure over the

\rr, ld.r 's level

Pieril; --'----

s_Pier No. 3

Pier No. 1

top of the grade stick and back down past the sawkerf. Lock thetape measure, and wrap a couple more pieces of tape around thestick and the tape-measure blade to hold things together.

Return to pier No. 2 and shoot the grade stick once again with thebuildert level. The crosshairs should line up with the 123/t-in.mark.You are now ready to shoot all the remaining piers. What you readin the level is the length of each post.

This procedure may seem like a lot of trouble, but it goes morequickly than reading this tip. And you can apply the same methodto all kinds of post- and stud-lengrh calculations.

WIL GORDON PotterVal ley, Cal i f .

Masking tape<14

iSr

Gypboard concrete formsWe recently did a foundation iob in very crumbly, sandy soil. The first task was toset27 pier blocks in pier holes that were 18 in. on a side and12 in. deep. But by thetime we had dug down a foot, we often had a hole that was more than2ft. across atthe top and growing. Faced with filling these craters with concrete, we calculatedthat we would waste more than a cubic yard.

Instead of ordering extra concrete, we transformed four sheets of gypboard into.form boxes. We cut the sheets into 6-ft. lengths and scored them along their lengthat 18 in. on center,leaving the face paper intact. Perpendicular to these scored lines,we cut the board into l2-in.-wide strips. These strips then were folded into squareboxes, placed in the oversize holes, and backfilled. The forms not only saved con-crete, but also gave us an accurate way to calculate our ready-mix order.

-SUNRISE BUTLDERS Santa Cruz, Cal i f .

1O2 F INE HOMEBUILDING

Gypboard form foldedwith facing intact

Drawings, cxcept where nored: Charles Miller. Photo this page: Charles Bickford.

Page 89: 215 Great Building Tips

Another angle on spacingdeck-railing balustersI have struggled many times to create equal, code-approved spacing between deck balusters. Themethod I now rely on-the slant-rule technique-has taken all the frustration out of the problem.

With one baluster installed at each end of therailing, I start by measuring the distance betweentheir centers. Next,I divide this number by thedesired spacing between the centers of the balus-ters. Around here, the space can be no more than4 in. With 2x2 balusters,I divide the railing lengthby 5Yz in. That's because SYz-in. centers on2x2 balus-ters result in a 4-in. space between them.

Let's say, for example, the length is 1583/a in. I divideitby 5Yz,which equals about 283/t.I round up to thenext highest whole number: 29. Now I multiply5Yzby 29, which equals 159y2. At one end of the deck,I drive a nail into the center of the first baluster. Atthe other end of the deck,I place my framing squarewith the long blade parallel to the rim joist and theshort blade aligned with the center of the last balus-ter. With my tape hooked to the nail,I find the pointon the short blade of the square where l59y2in. falls.

Baluster centerline

The tape is now at a slight angle to the rim joist,and I can measure off 5Yz-in. increments with myframing square and mark them on the rim joist tolocate the center of each baluster (drawing left). Bythe way, a calculator that has an add-on functionspeeds up the layout sequence.

Once I began using this method,I was surprisedby how fast and effortless it is. With a little inge-nuity,I think this technique could be applied to astaircase as well.

_ M I K E H O F F M A N

Portland, Ore.

Baluster layoutHere's a fast way tolay out railing balus-ters. Get a length ofthe kind of elastic thatis used for waistbands,and stretch it so thatitt fairly taut. Markyour center spacingon the elastic. Nowattach the elastic toone end of the railingrun and stretch it out.Move the elastic backand forth until you'vegot it just right. Markyour centers, roll upthe elastic, and headfor the next railing.

- T O N Y S C T S S O N S

Meadow Lake,

Sask., Canada

Deck-railing balusters

Take St/z-in. spacings fromangled tape and transferthem to baluster layout.

Straightening warped deck boardsIf you build decks, sooner or later you'll have to develop amethod for straightening stubborn deck boards. After strug-gling-with a number of techniques with varying degrees ofsuccess, I discovered that I could combine two tools that Ialways have on site to coax any board into place. As shownin the drawing, I place the short end of a pry bar in the

gap between two boardsthat already had beeninstalled. The long endof the pry bar pointstoward the board beinginstalled. Then I placethe tail stop of a pipeclamp over the pry barand the clamp's head onthe workpiece. With acouple of turns of thecrank, the deck board isready to nail off. Too easy.

_ B R I A N S I M M O N S

Oakland, Calif.

Post cutoff jigTo simpli$' leveling thetops ofdeck and fenceposts,I devised this jig.

It's a four-sided box withinside dimension s Vre in.larger each way than thecross section of the posts.Two of the sides shouldhang down l0 in. for aclamping surface.

First,I plumb and st4-bilize all the posts,lettingtheir tops run wild. ThenI mark the desired heighton one post and transferthat height to the rest using a water level. Below each mark,I measure

down and scribe a second mark equal to the distance from the sawblade

to the edge of the saw's shoe.

Now I drop the jig over the post, clamp it so that the top edge is on the

lower mark, and use the top of the jig to guide the saw along all four-TIMOTHY PELTON Fair f ie ld, lowa

GREAT BUILDING T IPS 2006 103

Line of cut

Distance from sawblade tothe edge of the saw's shoq ' i

Two sidesof the jigrun long for.

sides of the post.

Page 90: 215 Great Building Tips

PorchesStan with clamp open,then close it to applypressure to the decking.

webbing to makea bearing point.

Clamping tongue-and-groove boardsA clever method for clamping deck boards uses a pry bar as a bearing point for a

pipe clamp (p. 103). Simply insert the pry bar into the gaps between deck boards,

then hook the clamp to the pry bar; repeat as necessary. But what if there are no

gaps between the deck boardsl

I installed tongue-and-groove decking on my porch, and as a consequence,I had

to use other clamping methods to draw the boards together. I used the rim joist as

the bearing point for one end of the clamp until the 12 ft. of pipe could no longer

reach the boards. So I came at the problem from the other side.

As shown in the drawing at left, I turned the clamp's tail stop around so that

it was positioned to push on the workpiece. Then I used a grinder to remove

a bit of the webbing from the back of the screw clamp. This step created a flat

bearing spot that gave me some purchase on the opposite rim joist. Now I

could screw the clamp to its full open position, then turn it toward its closed posi-

tion to push on the deck boards. This trick made getting the boards into position

easy and fast._ B E R N A R D H . D E R B Y S H I R E N e w t o w n , C o n n .

Tongue-and-groove blockwith tongueremoved

->

Rim joist Grind away

RAILING DETAILS THAT KEEP ROT AT BAY // 5:ilJI,K#AHONEY

781/z-in. by 81/z-in.

/ *:*d pine cap

Mold ing

iB locks toregisternewel

%-in. b locks

Moistureproofrailingslbuild porch rail ingsthat prevent waterfrom collecting. Beforeassembly, the spindlesare sealed, sanded,and primed. Two coatsof marine epoxy sealthe top rail.

The spindles (1% in.sq. at each end) areheld together at thetop with a %-in. by1%-in. subtop railand on the sides withstepped molding. Thetop rail is fastenedfrom below to elimi-nate exposed fasten-ers. At the bottom of

the railing, the spindles are sandwiched between 272-in. byrYrc-in. shingle molding. I install the railing sections 4 in.off the porch deck and toenail them to the posts with 8dgalvanized nails. Long sections of railing are supported withpressure-treated blocks wedged underneath.

Weather-resistant newel postsThe trick to this long-lasting newel post is the ventedplinth. The base is made from shaped 5/4 by 21h-in. clearpine, and the corners are mitered, biscuited, and gluedtogether with epory. I glued four 2%-in.-sq. by %-in.-thickblocks to the bottom corners for feet. Two wood blocks

that slide into thehollow post and pre-vent lateral move-ment are glued tothe top of the plinth.The entire assemblygets two coats ofmarine epoxy.

To vent the top,a %-in. plyloodsubcap overhangsthe post by %e in.on each side (ogee

molding hides theedges). Semicircular3-in. cutouts:allowairflow. Secure thebeveled top capwith constructionadhesive.

Subtop rail

\-z

1 0 4 F I N E H O M E B U I L D I N G Bottom drawings: Robert Goodfellow

Page 91: 215 Great Building Tips

Alignment marksregister balusters.

3/+in.

plywoodbase \

5/4deckingsPacers

2x2baluster

1x4bottomrai l

=J

Production setup for porch railingsThe drawing above shows a simple indexing fixture tolay out sections of porch railing. In this example,I assem-bled railings that had 3l-in. balusters, a2x4 top rail, anda lx4 bottom rail. The key to the system is a pair of 5/4-in.spacers made out of a couple of 8-ft. lengths of decking.

Set a sheet of 3/t-in. plywood on a pair of sawhorses,and affix a couple of pieces of straight,5/4-in. deckingto the plywood. In this case,I placed them 3l in. apart.Next, mark the baluster spacing on the two pieces ofdecking. Flere, the balusters were on 5-in. centers with3Yz-in. spaces between them. Now place the top and bot-tom rails against the outside edges ofthe decking, spreadthe balusters, and align their edges with the spacingmarks. Finally, nail everything off and affix the trim.

It takes me about 15 minutes to assemble 8-ft. sectionsof railing using this method, and the balusters are allperfe_cdy plumb. -MtcHAEL FoRTUNA Orting, Wash.

Gazeb o- | ayo ut te m p lateDuring the construction of an eight-sided gaze|.cr.,I came up with a simplelayout template to set the eight posts in the ground at equal measurements.

In this gazebo,the inside faces of the opposite posts are l0 ft. apart, so Ibegan there. As shown in the drawing below, I first lapped a pair of l0-ft.2x4s atright angles to one another. Then I drilled aYz-in.-dia. hole throughthe exact center of the lap joint.

I used al2-in.length of Vz-in. dowel as a stake to pin the center of thetemplate to the center of the gazebo site and marked the positions of thefirst four posts at the end of each 2x4.I rotated the template temporarily to

dig the first four holes, then

I put the template back in

place to set the posts (they

should be touching the

ends of the template as they

are set in concrete). Once

the first four posts were

set,I rotated the template

45o, with equal measure-

ments between all posts,

and repeated the process._ K E N M A C K L I N

Sarnia, Ont., Canada

ll

Locate first four posts,then rotate the template45o to locate the secondgroup of posts.

I

2x4f r"p

V, rail

4x4 gazebo post

Layout template/made of 10-ft. 2x4s

lt,,'

W(. \-a ,1rP+

' - l '

/ - ^

.11it

Half- lap joint,Q, screwed tggether

Stretching screensIt can be more than difficult to stretch screening evenly across a frame without bags,

sags, and zigzags. With the help of a stretcher board, though,I can get professional

results every time. As shown in the drawing,I run the screening a few inches long

in both directions. After stapling the screen to one of the short sides of the frame,

I staple the other edge of the screen to a stretcher board. With the screen attached

to the stretcher board,I hang the end of the frame that I'm working on over the

end of a table and press down on the stretcher board to tension the screen. I staple

the screen to the frame with my free hand. After removing the staples from the

stretcher board,I repeat the process on the unstapled sides of the frame. The bcreen

comes out straight and taut.

Wood frameframe on twosides.

Temp6rary staples

Stretcher board

I-DAVID TOUSAIN Coon Rapids, lowa

GREAT BUILDING TIPS 2006 105

Page 92: 215 Great Building Tips

PatiosLine of cut

Brick chisel

1x6 chiselgu ide

4-in. by 4-in.by 1/+-in. angleiron, 6 in. long

2x4 stock cut at45" holds angleiron in place.

Cutting patio curvesThe thought of having to cut curves in concrete pav-ers can be intimidating, but it shouldn't limit thedesign of a patio. To cut curves in paver patios for ourclients, we use a cutoff saw with a diamond blade,3/+-in, braided rope, and a pencil. (In our area,acutoffsaw with a diamond blade rents for about $90 a day.)

First,lay out the pavers so that they run beyondthe curve you wish to cut, as shown in the left photoabove. Then use a lengthof 3/q-in. braided rope,which bends and holds a curve well, to lay out theradius, and mark it with a pencil.

Finally, after lighdy scoring the pavers in place withthe saw to make a smooth curve, remove each paverand complete the cut (photo above right).

_ D I C K H E N R Y

Chapel Hill, N.C.

Brick cutterThe device shown at left is a simple but effective brick cutter thar works by shearing abrick between a fixed angle iron and a brick chisel. Using the brick cutter is not as fast asbreaking bricks with a masont hammer, but you will get more accurate cuts and a lot lesswaste. To make the cutter, file a true edge on the outside corner of a short piece of angleiron and place it on a heavy base, such as a beam offcut, with the outside corner facing up.Secure the angle iron by placing the mitered end of a2xtight against each side.

On one side of the angle iron, position a lx6 on a thick block to acr as a guide for thebrick chisel. Be sure to set the guide high enough to clear the thickest brick you plan tocut. Adjust the guide's length so that when the bevel side of the brick chisel is held tightagainst the guide, the point of the chisel is directly over the edge of the angle iron. On theopposite side of the angle iron, place a support block to cradle the brick.

To use the cutter, place the brick on top of the angle iron with your mark centered overits edge. Position the chisel on top of the brick, bevel side tight against the guide. One ortwo blows with a heavy hammer should do the job. For face brick, cut the brick Ysin. tothe waste side of the mark, and clean up the exposed edge with short, controlled paringstrokes of the chisel. -wl LL FOSTER Aberdeen, Wash.

Bumpers simplifystair constructionSome clients asked me to improve

the steps that led from the street totheir front door. The old steps con-sisted of crushed stone held in placeby some decaying railroad ties. Wewanted to follow the same arcingpath around bushes and trees, butwith materials that would hold up tothe elements. Steps of cobblestones

and bricks seemed right, but thethought of all the complicated form-ing that it would take to fashion con-crete footings for the steps concernedus. A trip to a masonry-supply yardled to the more affordable solutionillustrated in the drawing.

I happened upon a stack ofcon-

crete parkingJot bumpers. They

were straight, with flat tops andbottoms, and about 5 ft. long. Perhaps

best of all, they were light enough for me ro maneuver by myself.I arranged a dozen of the bumpers in the required arc, adjusting their

height and spacing until I had the layout right. Then I secured eachbumper by driving 2Vz-ft.lengths of rebar through the holes cast into rheends of the bumpers for that purpose.

After painting the tops of the bumpers with concrete conditioner,I .

mortared rows of cobblestones atop each bumper to create the risers.Then I filled in the spaces between adjacent risers with tamped earth anda layer of bricks arranged in a running bond patrern for treads. Thesesteps have been in place for years now and are none the worse for weardespite our wicked New England winters.

-BOB JEPSON JR. M i l t on , Mass .

Base , . \iN

Cobblestones mortaredto concrete bumpers

21/z-ft.lengthsof #4 rebar

106 FINE HOMEBUILDING Photos this page, facing page: Chris Green

Page 93: 215 Great Building Tips

A GOOD PATIO STARTS BELOWTHE SURFACE

I

For a lasting patio, nothing is more important than getting the stonebase firm and flat. I excavate the site 9 in. to 10 in, below finiehedgrade to make room for the base, To engure prop€r drainage, slopethe excavation about th in. per foot. I extend the excavation and thestone base 10 in. to 12in, beyond the perimeter of the final patio

to allow for minor adjustments in patio gize and to provide stabilityat the edge. Once the excavation is complete, begin spreading thestone, ABC stone, which includes all gradations from dust to 1'h-3n,-dia. gravel, can be packed flat and dense without losing its drainageproperties. Apply the base in several 2-in. to 3-in. layers, wettingit down to aid compaction. To pack and flatten the layers, I rent apfate compactor (about $75 a day). Repeat the layering process

untilthe base is 3 in. from the finished elevation.I generally use concrete pavers for patios, so my next layer is a

maximum of 1 in, clean, coarse gand. Initially, I start with a littlemore sand than it appears I need. After running the plate compac-tor, l'm close to the target elevation.

-DICK HENRY ChapelHi l l , N.C.

b__g

Fine tethered friendRunning a plate compactor is a boring job(photo below), but it mugt be done beforepouring a concrete slab. The last time Iwas faced with a day behind the bouncinghandlebars, I decided to automate the job.

Plate compactors are designed to creepslowly forward in a straight line. My job

was to get it to turn without me. As shownin the drawing above, I tied it to a gtake

driven in the center of the excavation. Eachrevolution of the compactor shortened theleash, resulting in circles of everdecreasingdiameter. This left me free to take care olother tasks on the site as I kept track ofthe machine out of the corner of my eye.I still had to finish up the cornerc by hand,

but the tricksaved me a lotof time, andwear and tearon the wristsand elbows.

-MARK WHITEKodiak, Alaska

Brick-path screedAll walks, drives, and patios should be constructed to ensure proper drainage.Concrete sidewalks are normally flat, but walks made of brick, tile, or pavingblocks should have a slight crown built into them. The crown promotes drainage,minimizing the effects of the freeze-thaw cycle, and eliminates puddling.

Before laying a brick path, I use a wood screed with a slight arch to contour thesand bed. The screed has a notch cut into each end, as shown in the drawing. Thenotches, which areV+ in. shallower than the thickness of the brick I'm using, rideon the path's wood borders. Before I use the screed, I moisten and tamp the sandto minimize settl ing

RoD G.ETTELMANN Mncentown, N.J.

- f ' , . .

Drawing top left: Dan Thornton GREAT BUILDING TIPS 2006 , .O7

Page 94: 215 Great Building Tips

tilingtechniques

Accurate diagonal tile cutsFor a bathroom remodel, my client requested a horizontal row of

square, dark tiles oriented vertically, like diamonds, as a decorative

border. As shown in the drawing, two rows of white triangular tiles

flank the diamonds. The challenge: cutting the white tiles at a 45o

angle, as accurately as possible, into two equal portions. Any

error would create an installation nightmare because it would be

doubled. lf I cut a piece %r in. off center, for example, one side

would be % in. bigger than the other. To cut precisely but efficiently, I

rigged up the jig shown in the foreground of the drawing.

My first step was to buy two inexpensive triangular plastic squares

($3 each). Next, I made two identical cuts on the squares. To do

this, I hooked the fence of the square over the right side of the

sliding table on my tile saw, making sure that the other side of the

square butted against the saw fence. Wth each square in this posi-

tion, I made the cuts with the tile saw. Because the blade on the tile

saw is designed to grind through ceramic material and not the composite material of the

squanes, I made these cuts in several passes, taking off a little each time. When done, both

squares wene cut precisely the same, with the cut parallel to the fence of the square.

Next, I clamped one of these cut squares on the sliding table to the right of the saw-

blade. As before, I hooked the fence of the square over the right edge of the sliding table

and butted the edge of the square against the saw fence. I used a 1-in. C-clamp threaded

through one of the holes in the sliding table to hold the square in place. In this position,

the cut edge just kissed the right side of the sawblade.

After clamping down the first square, I used another 1-in. C-clamp to affix the other

squane to the left of the sawblade. But first I had to cut away half of the fence on the

square so that it would lie flat on the table. I used a coping saw followed by a belt sander

for this task. After sliding the edge of the square against the fence of the saw and

positioning it so that the cut end just kissed the left side of the sawblade, I clamped the

square to the table. The space between the two squares equaled the width of the kerf

created by the sawblade.

When using the jig, I slid a tile into the V-shaped space formed by the two plastic

squares. As the drawing above shows, this space held the tile at a 45" angle, with the cor-

ner of the tile in line with the sawblade. After a few trial-and-error cuts and minute adjust-

ments to the position of the squane on the left, I achieved precise, uniform results. I was

able to cut the 100 triangular pieces that I needed in about 20 minutes.-JOHN CARROLL Durham, N .C .

Simple iig forcutting small tileCut with a wet saw, small

glass tiles often are difficult

to hold and cut accurately.

I make an L-shaped cut in

a larger piece of tile and

use it as a jig to hold the

smaller tiles in line with

the sawblade.

_ T O M M E E H A N

Harwich, Mass.

'F: .P'^>4

108 F INE HOMEBUILDING Drawings: Charles Miller. Photos: Charles BicHord.

Page 95: 215 Great Building Tips

C O N T I N U E D

Removing a broken tileWhen I'm called on to replace a broken orchipped tile,I prefer to remove the offend-ing tile using an angle grinder outfittedwith a 4-in. diamond blade made by PearlAbrasive ($42; www.pearlabrasive.com).This approach is good for thick, soft-bodiedtiles such as saltillo, but it works on othersas well. The tile must be larger than 4 in., orthere won't be room for the grinder blade.

If the tile is smaller than 4 in., I use ahole saw to cut out the center portion ofthe cracked tile. Although it's a slow pro-cess, I'm left with a hole in the tile thatis pried easily with the tip of a chisel ora screwdriver.

1. lsolate the victim.To keep the neighboring tiles intact,the first step is to score the groutlines with a utility knife. A few lightpasses do the trick.

2. Protection is prevention.Before cutting, it's a good ideato mask off any nearby cabinetsor furniture with plastic and tape.On the floor, angle brackets tapedto the surrounding tiles protectthem from inadvertent slips of thegrinder's blade.

3. Diagonal cuts open up the tile.With both hands firmly holdingthe grinder, I carefully plunge theblade into the tile's center and cutdiagonally, then along the tile's sides.A helper holds the vacuum hose to'catch the dusty exhaust. (Editor'snote: A two-sided guard, such asthe DeWalt DW4705, provides muchbetter protection when cutting with adiamond wheel.)

4. A junky tool still has its uses.Using a hammer and an old chisel or.putty knife, I work from the outsidetoward the tile's center, carefullyprying out the pieces.

Before starting,I make sure to mask offany surrounding cabinet faces or furniture.I also use metal angle brackets to protectneighboring tiles from possible overcutting(photo 2). Following the four steps shown inthe photos below, I use the grinder to cut anX in the tile to be removed. I use a Dremeltool fitted with a small #7134 diamond-point bit (www.dremel.com) in the corners

where the grinder can't reach. Once thetile is removed,I scrape out any remainingthinset with a putty knife and an old chisel,and I vacuum the substrate. I then makesure the replacement tile fits, mix a smallbatch of thinset, trowel it into the space, andset the tile. Once the thinset has dried.I cangrout the tile'

-JANE AE.N Berkerey, carif.

. I 1O F INE HOMEBUILDING

Page 96: 215 Great Building Tips

C O N T I N U E D

The dust-isolation borSometimes I have to make a lot of dust in finished

spaces---{utting tile in a kitchen, for example.

In these situations, I control dust with a dust-

isolation work chamber made from a translucent-

plastic storage box.

I cut the bottom off the storage container, then

use duct tape to secure a sweatshirt over the open-

ing. The arms of the sweatshirt are the openings

for my hands to reach the tools I need. Tools and a

worklight pass through the neck opening, which

then is clamped shut around the power cords. A

hole in the box side accepts the nozzle of my shop

vacuum. To keep dust from leaking out around

the edges of the box, I affix strips of stick-on foam

weatherstripping to the lip of the container.

To use it,I turn on the tool and the vacuum,

and look through the translucent sides of the con-

tainer to chart my progress. Be sure to empty the

vacuum o[any potentially flammable contents,

such as sawdust, before trying this operation.-DON MATHIS v i a ema i l

r ' t '1

.'ot,iE --i

Translucent storage boxwith bottom removed

Corded tools are fedthrough sweatshirtneck opening.

Workl ight

Cutt ing tool

Vacuumhose

)

/

Foam weatherstr ipping

websitelately?

finehomebuilding.com

The Thunton PressInspirat ion ferr hands-on l ivingo

READER SERVICE NO. 32

1 1 2 F I N E H O M E B U I L D I N G

Page 97: 215 Great Building Tips

techniC O N T I N U E D

Applying latex grouVcaulkwhen it came time to fill the gap between our tile counter and itsbacksplash,I picked up a couple of tubes of latex grou/caulk ina matching color. The stuff comes in big toothpaste-rype tubes,and once it has warmed up a bit, the grout flows pretty well----orat least it does until the tube has been reduced to about one-thirdfull. At that point, the tube becomes so small that it's hard tocompress enough to squeeze out the remaining grout.

To get a better grip on the diminishing tube, I turned to acouple of spring clamps. I used one to clamp off the bottom ofthe rolled-up tube and the other to compress theremaining wad of grout. Ifound that by vary-ing the pressureapplied by theclamps,I could regu-late the flow of thegrout, right down tothe last little bit._ C H A R L E S M I L L E R

Newtown, Conn.

2x4 frame

l : lj r

Installing large ceiling tilesBefore this job,I had never installed l2-in.-sq.'by %-in.-thicktiles over my head. I proceeded to bed them in thinset andsqueeze them to the concrere board above my head, iust as I hadeasily done with 4x4 ceramic tiles. I had three of them in placewhen a tile whizzed past my ear and shaftered on the edge ofthe tub. At that point,I realized, "This technique doesn't work."

A colleague who is a highly skilled tile installer gave me theadvice I needed to get the iob done. I built the2x4 frame shownin the drawing above. It nearly reaches the ceiling, with aboutVz-in. clearance between the thickness of a tile and the top of theframe. I pieced together the puzzle this way: Trowel thinset on atile, slide it above the frame, and shim it in place. Two days later,I removed the frame, and the tiles stayed put.

-B ILL PHILL IPS Durham, N .C .

Marble cei l ingti les

Spring clamps coaxthe last bit of groutfrom its tube.

f ' - Str;ms'Uearing-on' .n' , i' ' '-frarnework sippon ,! :. .

):*, tnortar cures., r<4-

/. Marble tlUltn-aL"tenclosure

READER SERVICE NO.61

114 FINE HOMEBUILDING

Page 98: 215 Great Building Tips

math&measuring

Adjustable story stickFor those of us plain'vanilla boys and girls who don't fike to remember numbers on tapes or whichside of the mark to use, story sticks can simplify a number ol measuring situations. you can buycommercially availabfe gadgets that do the same thing {they are called bar gauges}, butl'd rather make my own, Here's how.

I start with a piece of garden-variety 3/e-in. copper pipe about 4 in. long.As shown in the drawing, I drill a hole in its side and solder a1/*in,

brass nut to the pipe, centered over the hole. A l-in.-long r/a-in.

machine screw with a knob on one end screws into the nut. The

screw acts as a clamp, bearing against a?/e-in. dowel that has been

split in half. To use this device, simply loosen the screw and let

the dowel halves slide past one another untilthey bear against

the surface of the target. Let's say it's an inside meaEurement fora window jamb: Extend the dowels against the opening, clamp,

transfer to workpiece, and cut. No numbers required.

Another option is to add nail points to each dowel hall, as

shown in the drawing. Th.y can be used to transfer outside mea-

surements. For measuring diagonals, as in drawer boxes or pic-

ture frames, bevelthe ends of the dowels so that they tuck into90o corners.

%-in. dowel,spl i t in half

%-in. nut soldered

Optionalnai l pointsfor outsidemeasurements

Optionalbeveledtips formeasuringd iagonals

' l6d nai l

Cap affixed tomachine screw

1x3 stock

)Loosen screw,slide dowels apartto desired length,and tighten screw

Clamped squareregisters short pointof miter.

-PAUL K. KINCAID Lawrence, Kan.

Short-pointmeasurementAny piece of mitered trim hastwo points on its end. Theacute angle at the very tip ofthe workpiece is called the longpoint; the short point is the

obtuse angle on the inside edgeof the trim piece. Measuringfrom the short point is arecurring problem: There is noplace to hook your tape.

The next time you need to

finding circle centersWhen you must find dead cenrer on a circle, this tool can helpyou to get spot on. To make it, dado a couple of lx3s to fashiona 90o half-lap joint. Then glue and screw the pieces together.Pick one edge of the longer arm as your scribing edge, anddrive two l6d nails through the short arm. The distance of thenails, A and B, should be equidistant from the scribing edge.

To use this center-finding

tool, set the nails against

the circumference of yourcircular object, and scribe

a line down the long arm.Now rotate the tool a

quarter-turn or so, andrepeat the process. Where

the two scribed lines crossis dead center.

This gizmo can be anysize, but the two nails

should be no less than a

quarter of the diameter

apart, and no more than

three-quarters of the diam-eter apart. -T.H. RtcHARDS

Mont-Tremblant, Q,ue., Canada

Miteredend oft r im

Hook tape oit

measure from a short point, try rhis trick. As shown in the drawing,use a spring clamp to affix a square to the end of the workpiece. Itcan be a Speed Square, a combo square, or a tri square; just makesure to align the blade of the square with the short point. Now youcan hook your tape measure to the square's blade and rest assuredthat yoir are measuring from the right point.

-BRUCE GUERTIN Coven t r y R . l .

116 FINE HOMEBUILDING

square's blade.Center atintersedion ofscribed lines.

Half- lapjoint, gluedand screwed

Scr ib ingedge

Scribe theseedges.

7n-in. copper ---\

Drawings: Charles Mil ler

Page 99: 215 Great Building Tips

math&measuringC O N T I N U E D

Calculating the radiusof an archSometimes it's useful to know the radius of

an arch or head casing long before the shop

work takes place. I have found that the fol-

lowing formula provides precise dimensions

96 in.

and takes advantage of the simple calculators

on the market. Even calculators without a

square-root function can handle this one:

Rise2 + (Span/2)2

2 x Rise

For instance, lett assume that an archedopening leading from a dining room to agreat room has 84-in.-tall sides, the span is96in.,and the center of the arch is to be 96 in.above the floor. The rise is then 12 in. asshown in the drawing above. When you sub-stitute the numbers and reduce the formula.you get:

Rise2 + (Span/2)2

2 x Rise

122 + (96/2)2

2 x 1 2

144 + 48224

144 + 2,30424

2,44824

102

The radius is 102 in., with no errors result-ing from inadvertent stretching of chalklinesor other mechanical limitations, such as try-ing to lay out a curve with a 102-in. radius ona piece of plywood that's only 96 in. long.

-CHARLES W. DAVIS Watsonvi l le , Cal i f .

1 1 8 F T N E H O M E B U I L D I N G

End height

Use tape toscribe archwith a pencil.

Pivot point

Center height

Tape #1

Chalk l ine

Arch layoutHere's a way to lay out arches that need to

have specific heights at the ends or center,

even though the spans vary. First, snap a

long chalkline on the floor (drawing left).

Lay your material at one end, square to

the line. After determining the span, end

height, and center height, put the end of

tape measure #l at the center height, and

stretch it out next to the chalkline. Hook

tape measure#2 on a nail located at the end

height, and stretch it out at an angle so that

it intersects tape #1. Now move tapelt2

until the numbers on both tapes match at

the chalkline. Put a nail in the chalkline at

this point. This is your pivot point. Hook

one of your tapes over it and use it as a

giant compass to trace your arch. For huge

arches, you can make one half and use it as

a pattern._ S P E N C E R T H O M P S O N

Santa Monica, Calif.

Arch trammelI discovered this technique for laying out wide, shallow arches at a shipyard.

On a clear, flat, wood surface, such as a subfloor, draw a straight line as long as thearch will be wide, as shown below. Drive a finish nail at each end of this baselineso that about I in. of the nail's shank projects above the floor. Find the center of thebaseline, and draw a perpendicular line extending up from the center, making aninverted T. Decide the height of your arch, measure along the perpendicular linefrom the baseline, and drive a third finish nail at the apex.

Now find two straight lx boards, each one a litde longer than the length of thebaseline. Snug one board against one base nail and the apex nail, and lay the otherboard against the other base nail and the apex nail. Where the boards overlap, markthem for a half-lap joint. Then cut the joint and screw the boards together.

Pull out the apex nail, and hold a pencil in its place. Now slide the boards alongthe baseline nail guides from right to left to mark the arch. As a variation, you canmount a router at the apex and cut or mold arches of any size.

rERRY AZEVEDO Corvall is, Ore.

Half- lap jointsecured with screws

Nail m.arks apex.

Nail guide Baseline'L__

Replace nail at apex with a pencil, and slide trammelalong, pivoting on nail guides, to describe arch.

Page 100: 215 Great Building Tips

math&measuringC O N T I N U E D

lrregular sheathingpiece goes here.

Measuring odd shapesOne day when I was trying to figure out

how to cut an irregular six-sided piece of

roof sheathing, another carpenter showed

me a trick used by boatbuilders to mark

the outline of oddball workpieces quickly.

The method is called tick-sticking. To do

it, all you need is a scrap of plywood and a

pointed stick.

As shown in the drawing, begin by

affixing a plywood scrap to a point along

the edge of the hole in need of sheathing.

It's handy but not necessary for the scrap

to be near a corner. It will give you a ready

point of reference.

Now take the stick and lay it across the

plywood scrap so that the point of the stick

touches one of the corners of the hole. Draw

a line along the edge of the stick, then mark

a "tick" on the stick and a corresponding

tick on the plywood scrap. Mark them both

#1. Do this for each corner, assigning each

one numbers.

I work from left to right as I make my

marks, but you can use any order that

suits you.

Once all the marks have been recorded,

place the scrap of plywood next to the

material you are going to cut and reverse

the process. Lay the stick on the lines, align

the ticks, and note the positions of the

corners. Connect the corner marks, and

you've got the outline of the workpiece.

This method is accurate, easy, cheap, and

low-tech.

Plywoodsc raP

- P H I L L I P C A R P E N D A L E

Nelson, B.C., Canada

plywood scrap. . ' ; . .\<o--../

Transfer marksto workpiece.

Drawline

' ; . ,- Mark reglstrdtion

SN|El50/0-5096| 00Us of ap quality entry,inndorandpotiodoorc.

Shi pped di realy b your iobsite.

Wholesa leDoorSou rce.com

As Low As

As Low As

Eqs$'*ffi'

6-Lite Craftsman Door r'

FRSDeliveredln

ContiguousU,S,ffifilr999

802167-AD20 Pre-HungDbl. 3/0 8'0" 3/4-Lite

Unfin. Mahogany,4-9116 Jamb Std.

Wholesale Door Soureet

'# (888) 651-l9508ftil-fr ot ttholesaleDoorsource.comQuantitics o,rc iimited to ttock on hand.

READER SERVICE NO.7

You NeedTLee City USA

iry nees add thesoft touch of

nature to our busy lives.Support Tree City

USA where you live:For your free booklet,write: Tree Ciry USA,The National ArborDay Foundation,Nebraska City, NE68410.

TtrlhtinalerbanayFurdatin

1 2 O F I N E H O M E B U I L D I N G

Page 101: 215 Great Building Tips