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Carpentry |
• Carpentry Overview
Finish carpentry is about making things look right - cutting the molding so the joints are tight and each part is the right length. Installing crown molding can look "right" to the eye even if the wall and ceiling aren't exactly square. It's a matter of tricks, practice, and patience ...
• Cutting Cope Joints
Crown only touches the wall at two points--the top and the bottom--so the vast majority of the joint is floating in midair, making it impossible to get a tight seam ...
• Cutting Mitered Returns
A mitered return is another approach that gives you a more finished look. On a mitered return you put a small piece of trim on the end of the board so that the end appears to be molted to match the face. Cutting the joint is pretty easy ... |
• Cutting Outside Miters
Most people like to install molding working from the left side of a wall to the right, and these directions assume that you will, too. It's hard to get a miter exactly where you want it to be on a board. When you're mitering, cut the miter ...
• Making Square Cuts
Most of the time you'll want cuts that are square, but there are situations, such as an inside or outside corner of a wall, that are out of square. If that's the case, you'll need to make adjustments in the cut to accommodate the problem ...
• Mitering Corners
A molding that has a difficult miter on one end often has a simple butt joint on the other end. If so, cut the miter first (and keep cutting until you get it right). Once the miter is ready ... |
Miter Saws |
• Miter Saws Overview
Power miter saws are designed to cut precise angles in molding, trim work, rafters, and in general carpentry. They can be set to any angle and have stops that make it simple to set the saw to angles you'll cut most often. The cuts are precise, clean, and quick, and miter saws have become as important to the professional carpenter as the circular saw, hammer, and drill. It's a simple tool to operate, but there are a few things that are immediately obvious ...
• Changing the Blade
Unplug the saw and move the blade guard out of the way. On many saws the guard mechanism partially covers the bolt that holds the blade in place. Loosen and move the part out of the way as recommended by the manufacturer. On this saw you loosen a screw and then slide the mechanism up and towards the rear ...
• Checking the Miter for Accuracy
First, make a test cut. No square is as accurate as an actual cut. Cut the widest board the saw can handle. Put the pieces on the saw table. Flip one over and look for a gap in the seam. (Any gap will be twice the error in the saw.) If you see a gap, make the adjustments that follow to correct the problem ... |
Circular Saws |
Routers |
• Circular Saws Overview
The circular saw is the carpenter's all-around tool. You can use it for crosscutting, ripping, and cutting plywood, hardwood, and softwood. Unlike a table saw or miter saw, however, there are no built-in guides to ensure a straight cut. You'll either need to follow a line you've drawn or, for more accurate cuts, clamp a straightedge to guide the cut ...
• Adjusting for the Cut
Unplug the saw and loosen the depth adjustment lever. Hold the baseplate flat on the surface you're cutting, and raise or lower the saw by its handle. Adjust it so that the blade is exposed by the length of a saw tooth, and then adjust the lever to lock the baseplate in position ...
• Cutting and Ripping
Assemble the Jig. Make the jig from two strips of 3/4-inch plywood, each 8 feet long. One piece should be about 5 inches wide; the other should be as wide as the saw base plus 5 inches. Have the home center or lumberyard cut them so you'll get straight cuts, then screw them together so that the edges align ... |
• Routers Overview
In simplest terms, a router is a motor that spins a specialized drill bit at 20,000 rpm. In real terms, it is one of the more versatile tools you’ll use. It can cut grooves and joints, rout countless shapes on the edge of a board, and can even make raised panels for doors or wainscoting. This versatility is due to the wide variety of bits ...
• Router Tables
Mounting a router in a table makes the router even more versatile. To begin with it, is more stable because the work surface is much larger and you won´t have to worry about the router tipping when you are cutting a narrow piece of stock. If you´re routing a groove ...
• Using the Router
Protect your hands, eyes, and ears. Hold onto both handles when operating a router, and always plan a cut so that you won't be standing in the way when the router leaves the wood. Make several shallow passes instead of a single deep pass, and wear eye protection, ear protection, and dust mask. Do not wear ... |
Everyday Hardware |
• Hanging and Arranging Pictures
There is an art to hanging art. First, you have the challenge of placing objects on a wall in a pleasing way. It's similar to arranging furniture. Even hanging a single picture on a bare wall can be difficult. Experiment by taping up pieces of paper cut to the size of your pictures. Arrange them in rows, in a circle or randomly until you find a pleasing combination. Generally, larger and darker pictures look better placed ... |
• Replacing Cabinet Hardware
Cabinet knobs enhance drawers like the right jewelry dresses up an outfit. Replacing hardware can create a new look immediately and can help focus the overall design of the room. You'll find literally thousands of choices in home centers and hardware stores, online and through mail order. You can also create your own pulls from found materials like old silverware, alphabet blocks, yo-yos or even copper plumbing fittings. Your choices are limited only by your imagination and interests ... |
Table Saws |
• Table Saws Overview
You can use other saws for many of the cuts you make with a table saw but the table saw will do most of them better. It cuts straighter lines, larger pieces, smaller pieces, and it makes smoother cuts. Cutting perpendicular to the grain is called crosscutting ... |
• Changing the Blade
Unplug the saw before changing the blade. To loosen the blade, first unplug the saw, then stand on the operator's side of the machine. Put a wrench on the arbor nut and grab the blade while wearing work gloves. Hold the blade and pull the wrench forward to loosen the nut ... |
• Checking Table Alignment
When you first get your saw, plan on checking all the settings to make sure they are accurate. The easiest way to check is to make some sample cuts and check their accuracy. All cuts, however, depend in one way or another on the blade and the miter gauge slot being parallel. Before you make any test cuts, check to make sure the blade and slot are parallel. Start by measuring the distance ... |
• Cutting and Ripping
Cutting perpendicular to the grain is called crosscutting. The key to getting the cut you want is the miter gauge, which travels in a groove on the tabletop. When properly aligned, you can set the gauge to cut a 90-degree angle, and anything up to 60 degrees on either side of 90 (depending on the saw). Before you start making cuts, however, it pays to check the alignment of the miter gauge ... |
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