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Consistent reveals?

| Posted in Construction Techniques on December 10, 2005 06:37am

I like a 3/16 reveal for all interior casing work, windows and doors.

If we are painting, it is easy and quick to use a marking gage and run around and place marks everywhere, but for clearcoated work, I don’t like to mark.

Using a block gage seems tedious, and I am putting up casings by eyeballing the reveals.  I’ve got a gage in my bags, and am checking myself periodically after the fact.  I am hitting them to withing a 32nd, which seems OK to me. 

What do you do to get consistent reveals?

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Replies

  1. dustinf | Dec 10, 2005 06:43pm | #1
    I mark the reveal at a 1/4" with a 6" combination square. I only mark at the top, bottom, and middle of the jamb. Of course, if it is a tall window, or a door I use 4 or 5 marks. I use a mechanical pencil. When nailing the casing I make sure to cover the pencil mark. I end up with a reveal a hair over 3/16".

    ---------------------

    Swimming through the ashes of another life, no real reason to accept the way things have changed.  Wrapped in guilt, sealed up tight.

  2. RW | Dec 10, 2005 06:48pm | #2

    Likewise. I set the square at 3/16", mechanical pencil makes the mark go just a shave over the line, cover the line with the trim.

    "If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man." - Mark Twain

  3. davidmeiland | Dec 10, 2005 07:00pm | #3

    Same as Dustin... I use a 4" Starrett double square for marking and checking. If you're installing casing with a thin profiled edge sitting on the jamb then you need to mark and install to the line to make it consistent, or at least I do. With 1x4 it's not as hard to eyeball, but I'm still in the habit of marking at least 3 places on each jamb leg.

  4. User avater
    Heck | Dec 10, 2005 07:03pm | #4

    Eyeball all of it, mostly.

    The heck, you say?

    1. Novy | Dec 11, 2005 04:44am | #8

      What Heck said........

        

      On a hill by the harbour

      1. gordsco | Dec 11, 2005 06:51am | #9

        You can't make a flounder into a codfish.

        Or something like that.

        What the Heck you said.Gord

  5. DougU | Dec 10, 2005 07:05pm | #5

    I never used to mark anything, could do it by eye and get very close.

    Since I started wearing bifocals though I cant trust my eyes, the glasses distort and so now I use the little 6" square method.

    Doug

  6. User avater
    Sphere | Dec 10, 2005 08:37pm | #6

    I made and carry a 3-4-5 triangle of lexan at .25 thick, it has two holes drilled in it one at 3/4 dia. and one at 1'' dia. Common roundover radii..I use the edge (being .25) as a gauge for reveal..scootch the 1/16th by feel.

     

  7. CAGIV | Dec 10, 2005 09:03pm | #7

    Same as others with a 6" combo square or make my own little gauge and hold it as I nail off,   What about making a mark with a knife if you're clear coating?  Chances are it would never show unless you knew where to look after the fact, though I've never tried it.

    Team Logo

  8. IdahoDon | Dec 11, 2005 08:24am | #10

    Combination square used at the top corners of jamb, eyeball the legs, check with combination square as needed to keep the eyes honest.

    On staingrade I've used a knife to mark, but have gone to very light pencil marks with mechanical pencil or no mark at all.

     

    1. calvin | Dec 11, 2005 03:45pm | #11

      Measure the distance between the jambs, add the reveal and cut.  Gauge the reveal by eye.

      Except in a church.A great place for Information, Comraderie, and a sucker punch.

      Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.

      Quittin' Time

       

      1. MisterT | Dec 11, 2005 03:59pm | #12

        in a church the reveal will end up whatever god tihinks it should be...

        One more vote for eyeballing it.

          

        Mr. T. 

        "I YAM WHAT I YAM AND THATS ALL THAT I YAM"

                                         -U.S. Sweet Potato Council    

        1. calvin | Dec 11, 2005 04:23pm | #13

          T, to quote another carpenter.

          "it ain't a church".A great place for Information, Comraderie, and a sucker punch.

          Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.

          Quittin' Time

           

          1. dustinf | Dec 11, 2005 05:44pm | #15

            That's funny, because my grandfather always used to say, "It ain't church work."  If something was acceptable, but not perfect.---------------------

            Swimming through the ashes of another life, no real reason to accept the way things have changed.  Wrapped in guilt, sealed up tight.

          2. calvin | Dec 11, 2005 11:45pm | #16

            smooth tight mitres, yes.

            Micrometer reveals?A great place for Information, Comraderie, and a sucker punch.

            Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.

            Quittin' Time

             

      2. Danusan11 | Dec 12, 2005 02:03am | #17

        Pretty much the way I do it. Sidenote was subbing for a buddy and the doors all had pliths. Set the pliths with about1/8" reveal, now set the sides. Size of pliths and casing made the reveal on doors heavy 1/4" with case center on pliths. Trim five doors, bud comes back and starts freaking out.

        Says always always 3/16" reveal, I explain that case will not center on pliths and you'll different reveals on pliths. Rip it all off and start over, ends up with about 1/8" reveal on top of plith and 3/8" on other side. Still shake my head when I think about it, job almost complete and customer (very anile) ask me why reveals are different on top of pliths, I just shrug my shoulders and direct  him to bud down hall. All the time trying not to bust up as bud puts on the best b.s.story he can muster. If we hadn't already trimmed out 45-50 doors I think we would have started over again.

        See owners wife about 2 yrs. later and ask her about house and she says hubby still is having hard time looking at the pliths.

        1. calvin | Dec 12, 2005 02:28am | #18

          Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. 

          Sometimes you cant win.A great place for Information, Comraderie, and a sucker punch.

          Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.

          Quittin' Time

           

        2. DougU | Dec 13, 2005 06:51am | #19

          Says always always 3/16" reveal

          Just the kind of guy ya like to work with, there way is the only way! Man I dont know how many guys I've met like that.

          Doug

  9. gordsco | Dec 11, 2005 04:56pm | #14

    Most times I mark the corners with a combo and eyeball from there. On paint grade I may hold a pencil in my hand and using my finger as a guide, run a line down the jambs. Takes out all the guesswork and gives very consistent gaps.

    If I'm hanging 30-40 doors a month, my eye gets very good, but if I'm only hanging a few here and there I begin to second guess myself and check.

    Gord

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