Tips & Techniques

Pneumatic brad and pin nailers are amazingly useful tools, but running out of brads or pin nails at a crucial moment can be mighty frustrating. Problem is, some nailers have…

The idea for this trim rack occurred to me when I was asked to provide racks for a crew applying oil finish to mahogany siding and trim on a penthouse…

Install joist hangers solo and with ease using a DIY fixture for precise positioning.

While building and trimming staircases, I often run into odd angles that must have mitered trim applied. I find them simply by using a bevel gauge and a piece of…

Wrapping a strap around the bowl in a figure-8 pattern provides a sturdy handhold for pulling a toilet.

Last fall, we had a job putting new siding on a house. When we set up our pump jacks on the south side of the house, right below the eaves,…

Here’s a tip that your customers will thank you for. Before placing the light-switch plate back on the wall after painting a room, I write on the back of the…

When I see a fellow carpenter install a prehung door the old-fashioned way with layers of opposing shims, I shake my head. Why hasn’t my new and improved way caught…

I use a wood-handled California framing hammer for framing jobs. To provide better balance to the top-heavy framer, I installed a “cow magnet” in the end of the handle. Dairy…

While I was trying to finish a new house in time for the holidays, the forecast called for a wintry mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain. The house is…