Having been a do-all type for years now I am viewing the possibility of narrowing down the focus of my labor to trim carpentry since I derive a greater sense of satisfaction there than in the other trades. What I am hoping to receive is some input from those who are daily in the role of trim carpenter as to what gear you usually arrive with on the job. Your basic tool line up that you’d have to turn around and go back for if you forgot it. Thanks.
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horses/ply table
compound miter saw
table saw
compressor/ guns
hoses and cords/lights
levels
jig saw
belt sander
palm sander
bag of "finish tools" coping saws/blades/block planes/scribes/sanding blocks/contour gauge/files/miter gauge/
sand paper
back saw
framing square
rotozip
good chisel set
nippers
vice grips
channel locks
extra blades
In the tool belt.....speed square/chalk box/phillips'straight and square drive /rough chisel/utility knife/plumb bob/torpedo level/nail sets/cat's paw-pry bar/small combo square/pencils/tape/drywall knife/small mud knife/etc...
and more......Jeff
"That's like hypnotizing chickens........."
JEFF,
i thought that this would be going to rez . any way i'm on my way out the door as soon as i finish this , on my way to go finish or should i say try to finish my present trim job. the one thing that you didnt mention that i find very important is a couple of routers with a variety of bits
Rez,
Jeff has a very good list there, and I'm sure it's a given...don't forget the hammer.
Also some punches, drills, screws, and one of them fancy screw driving impacts , various screw drivers, utility knife, extension cords, levels, straight edges, sliding T bevel, try square, framing squares, drop light, compressor, putty knifes. Darkworksite4: When the job is to small for everyone else, Its just about right for me"
A couple of quick clamps, small rasp, and a dremel tool.
Rez,
A small portable jointer is a help, especially when doing ext. jambs, filler strips, custom mantles, etc.
Funny thing is, years ago, the tools the average trim man took on site fit in one tool box. Nowadays, we need a big truck to haul all the tools on site. I'm as guilty as anyone, I'd rather have too many tools on hand than run all the way back to the shop for that one thing I didn't think I'd need. Bish
The list of tools is great and necessary and I also find a biscuit joiner is very helpful when connecting countertop or installing stair railing. A crown stapler might also be helpful when installing underlayment. I am an all around carpenter also and have been focusing more on finish but I still love the satisfaction of actually builing the structure. Trim work is indoors and not near as much work as other trades, and it pays similiar wages for time spent so I say good luck and happy trimming!
I didn't see hinge templates or lock boring jigs, on any lists.
Phill Giles
The Unionville Woodwright
Unionville, Ontario
Phill-
Would need a few more pages to list all the crap I end up using for a myriad of finish details.
Ken Hill
I saw a guy using a hand grinder with a sanding disc for fitting crown. Is this a recommended standard practice?
Hi, Rez-
The only 'standard' practice that i know of is a coping saw and rasp(s). People have done/suggested a bunch of other ways. Do a search on this subject which was discussed a lot here not too long ago.
Ken Hill
Cell Phone
The only way I do copes is with a grinder, touch up with a few small rasps if necesary, I can do it in half the time as with coping saw and rasp.
Thanks all. - Would a 10 inch compound miter saw be plenty or go with a 12inch? Would a sliding compound be necessary?
I really haven't found much I couldn't get done with my 12 inch DeWalt cms. Think they're around $300......really can't be beat for the price. Course......if the money's burning a hole.....a big slider would be nice too. How could I forget my router?
I still use my Dad's old stanley from the 50's! Still going strong.....on the odd chance I do let someone else touch it...it becomes their new fav too. Jeff "That's like hypnotizing chickens........."
Good list so far. Consider a power plane for door work and other tasks. Lots of clamps. Collins coping foot another way to cope, plus you can scribe with it, too.
A round rasp a good addition to the file kit. Don't let them bang around together if you want them to work.
A stone for the chisels and plane.
Buy a good combination square such as a Starett. More than one t-bevel, in a few sizes. A good protractor is a helpful assistant to the bevels.
The $2.00 scribes are mighty handy. Get two sets and bend the pointy leg 90 degrees out for work against stone and other irregular surfaces.
An appropriate container. I work with a guy who is old enough to know better who carries tools in cardboard boxes.
Can't beat the 12" dewalt chop saw. Only guard I've used that really works, i.e. you can see the blade when you need to.
Ron: What is impact screw driver?
Edited 5/20/2002 8:14:51 PM ET by DCASSII
Is it just me or is there anyone else out there that feels tha carpenters have to spend way to much money on tools just to be under paid?
Mr TLayers
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Hey Mr. T
I used to think you were a dull chisel. After seeing this:
"Is it just me or is there anyone else out there that feels that carpenters have to spend way to much money on tools just to be under paid?"
I now think you are a fairly new utility knife.
Alan Jones
Edited 5/21/2002 1:06:35 AM ET by ALANSENOJ
Heck, just bring the whole shop with ya. I always wind up using most of it anyway.
Between fixing all the crap that would screw up a trim job if ya didn't, and all the oddball stuff that seems to go along with trim work, I wind up using a LOT more tools than I think I will. I keep the whole nine yards in my van, and just take the van to the job site. That way, I have everything I need with me whether I use it on a particular job or not.
I break trim work down into three phases, and have everything I need with me for each phase because each phase requires different tools, different set ups, and different techniques.
1. Repair work/shimming/prepping walls, openings, jambs, ceilings, floors, and whatever else is in the way
2. Cutting and fitting trim, doors, and whatever else
3. Painting or staining the trimwork, doors, etc...
If ya do new construction, you could probably get yourself set up after a few jobs. By then, you'll know what tools you use on a regular basis.
I do remodeling work, so each job is different. I gotta have everything with me, or make a lot of trips back to the shop to get what I need.
Just a thought...James DuHamel
J & M Home Maintenance Service
"Southeast Texas"
Did anyone mention lunch yet? I almost always bring my lunch.
Jeff, I wish I could find an old Stanley router. Have you got the plane shoe that goes with it?
If you want to start simple: brace and auger bits, push dril, chisel set, nails set, razor knife, and Yankee screw drivers, hand miter box, coping saw, low angle block plane, bench plane, scribe set, 12 and 16 oz. hammers, 2' and 4' levels, scratch awl, folding 6' rule, 16' and 25' tapes, and small flat bar.
Notice, no power tools! Learn to use these hand tools and when you forget or break one of the high priced gizmos, you won't feel like you can't get the job done. You always have you old standbys and the skill to use them.
What type of blade do you recommend for the 12inch dewalt cms? A thin 80 tooth carbide?
What type of blade would be recommended for the dewalt 12inch cms? A thin 80 tooth carbide?
I have a 60 tooth and an 80 which I switch when they get dull. Both work well on my DeWalt slider, which is the sweetest saw I have ever used. Heavy and a booger to tote around, but worth the work.
You'd like one of those old Stanley routers ? Just like those 1950's cars, I think maybe the memories are sweeter than the real thing. I got one in the mid-70's; tried it out; took it back. Maybe with modern carbide bits it would be better; but, dispite how beautifly it was finished, IMHO, it was a terribly under-powered 1/4" router, the depth-adjustment was cumbersum, and the mechanism to lock the body to the base was Rube Goldberg..
Phill Giles
The Unionville Woodwright
Unionville, Ontario
Dave,
I didn't think anyone else used hand tools nowdays. First real trim job I did was a 40 room motel. Old school boss gave me the hand miter box and said , have at it. I thought he was nuts! Trimmed the whole place with that box and a sharp block plane, coping saw and rasps. Oh yeah, nailed it by hand too. Because of that experience, I now get most of the calls for highly technical trim work in my area. You are right, you have to learn the fundamentals first. I've won many 6 pack bets, from unsuspecting tradesmen, by racing them through bottom plate cut offs in doorways. Let them use their sawsall, I take my old 8 pt hand saw. No contest. Glad to see the "old ways aren't completely dead".
Brudoggie
I would use hand tools more often but damn if I can find the power switch!
It is somewhat sad to see how far away many/most of us have come from using hand tools. Especially the younger generation of carpenters ( of which I am). How much hand nailing does anyone do anymore? Or chisel work. Last week I was putting in a door and decided to mortise the hinges by hand instead of the router and template. Must admit I was not that impressive.
Dave...try http://toolsupermarket.com ...they ship anywhere. Last time I was in the store...they still had the same one I've seen there for a while. I have the planer.....but have to get the only bit I have sharpened.....had the router for years after my Dad gave it to me.....and neither of us ever tried the planer!
The one at Hamilton was also the kit box with the planer foot. Jeff "That's like hypnotizing chickens........."
The reason I ask about the planer is that I saw something similar being used at a woodworking show for jointing. I did see the paner bits on sale at the show, but I believe they were all for 1/2 inch routers. Same spiral cutter as the old Stanely bit. The old man that tought me trim work let me plane a door with his, after I had learned to plane one with a bench plane.
Yes, the old Stanely is under powered and difficult to adjust. I guess it is a sentimental thing. The same old fellow that let me learn his trim skills also had a custom cabinet shop. We built a lot of face frame cabinets with loose tennons. That Stanely router got a lot of use cutting the mortises with a shop made fence and free hand plunge cut. The closest thing to it now is the PC 690, but it is to large for me to hold in one hand. The small trim routers out there today are to small for that kind of work. Of course with all the other "stuff" I've got I doubt if I ever cut another free hand mortise.
Flashback twenty-five years ago, before cordless anything, and you can appreciate the value of good handtools. I had a job to instal 60 entrydoor locksets in an appartment complex. Another guy had an equal number to install and we both started the same day. I used a braceand expansion bit, push drill, auger bits, chisel set, tri-sguare, 12 oz hammer, and a Yankee screwdriver. He used corded drills, boring jigs, and all the other whistles and bells you can imagine for a simple job. I would be on my second door of the day by the time he got set up. Ussualy by lunch iI was four doors ahead of him. Took me three days to finish mine with no call backs. Took him four and half days with a couple of call backs because he forgot to adjust his boring jig or something and some of his door would not seal properly when closed. I carried all my tools in my nail apron. He had a four wheel cart too drag his toys around. To put the icing on the cake, the guy was my boss and I took an extra twenty bucks from him on payday for lossing the bet we made before starting the job. I still like to install locksets, mortise hinges and fit a door by hand. I have yielded to a power plane and belt sander for fitting to my scribe. I am getting to old to wrestle entry doors up and down very many times to fine tune them. Get them close with the power tools and tune them in with the hand tools.
Joe, you are absolutely right!
Dave
Dave,
Let me guess.
The next time you asked for a raise he had some BS reson why you shouldn't make more money!Layers
Onions
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Carpenters
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No, he did better than that. He quit to work for a larger company, and reccomended a labor take his job. I wasn't qualified yet! Unfortunately the labor got busted the next weekend for appropriating pharmicuticals from a doctors office after hours. Lucky me, I got the job anyway, and didn't have to learn to do drugs.
Another good reason to be confident with hand tools is that there are some jobs where it is just not worth making the mess that power tools make; the dust and wood chips all through the house. Sharp hand tools make clean, easily swept shavings, which can be kept on the drop sheet. Keeps some customers so happy it is worth the extra time.
What does mama pack ya , mine normally gives me salad some fruit and yogurt...(shes hinting about something I think) Darkworksite4: When the job is to small for everyone else, Its just about right for me"
"What does mama pack ya,"
Viagra.
way back when I was young and dumb I started work in a meat store. The owner said, "If you decide that this is your kind of work, and you want to make a career out of it, you should buy your own knives, good set will cost you about 200 bucks"
Hell with that, I thought, my buddy's in construction, ALL he bought was a hammer, tape measure, and an apron, and he makes more than me.
That was 20 years and 10k dollars ago.
and I still bought the knives.no turn left unstoned
HAhahahahaha, If she did that Id be "all over my coworkers and wouldnt have anything left for her...:) Darkworksite4: When the job is to small for everyone else, Its just about right for me"
Bring a lunch. I'm useless when I'm on empty.
get the slider! much more versital and can handle mitre cuts on wide material used for wall caps
rez,
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Let's hope so. . .
bar of soap or bees wax,water level,stud finder(my starts beeping as soon as I get naer it...HA), band aids(ain,t nothing worse than blood stains on raw poplar)
rez
Don't forget a good assortment of colored putty. And bring glue. A dry stringline is also handy for certain layouts.
Dez
You will need a trailer to keep all the shet you need to finish a job.
We, or I (I'm usually working alone) do mostly remodeling. So I ineed to have everything from masonry to drywall to electrical to finish and everythin in between.
No one seems to be able to completely finish anything so you need to be able to wrap up the myriad loose ends that accumulate towards the end of the job.
Jim was right, bring a lunch you won't have the time or the money to go out to lunch!!!
T.
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Back-up lunch: one jar of peanutbutter, box of ritz crackers, semi clean putty knife.
Back-up ah sh*t: roll of TP in a ziplock bag.
TP definatley bring Tp.
Has anyone mentioned those darling little razor sharp tweezers in a dayglow plastic case that sells for about two bucks. Carry one in first aid kit, one in van, and sometimes one in pocket. The absolute best necessity for the well armed carpenter short of a supply of little debbies and butterfingers for pr work to keep everything running smooth.
Edited 5/25/2002 10:01:16 PM ET by rez
I had a few of those tweezers...lost them all even with the bright colored case. Never really needed them anyway...nothing beats a brand new utility knife blade for job site surgery. With a brand new blade...sometime ya don't even feel the cut till ya see the blood!
Good for corn removal too! Dig dig dig...cut cut cut....slice slice slice....Jeff "That's like hypnotizing chickens........."
All these tools nowadays is the reason I want want of those 15 passenger church buses, or vans . what have ya. Seems like I could have paid for one already with the trips to the shop. I will also mention that I dont sleep good with the tools on the job.
What might supprize some one here is my grinders I carry. Ive totally went to a grinder to fit counter tops to those crooked walls. I also plane with them if its a contour surface. Something the planer wont ride on straight.
Eagles soar
Tim Mooney
Splinter Experts?
gloves only for the rough heavies and too much PT at one time
I usually have everything in my van that I need. Just load drywall, paint gear , cement tools etc. when I am doing one of those operations. Yeah...a lunch is good. I keep a bag of "little debbies" goodies in case I get stuck without, and can't get away.
Did anyone say shims?
I couldn't work knowing there was a stash of little debbies around!
Aren't shims are for when you don't make a perfect cut? heard this some where!
I got some instant coffee for emergency porpoises.
TLayers
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I keep my Little Debbies on ice in the lunch box. There might be a couple of cold ones waiting in there for the ride home, too.
No way...shims are for fittin' your stuff to others work product! Good luck! And ya have ta use some restraint with little debbies! Otherwise ya might end up on Ripley's!
One thing I have learned from doing trim for the last twenty years is this. The smaller the job the more tools it takes to do it! Like when your doing a punch list. The things that are left over are all small tedious jobs that have been pushed to the side. I sometimes end up with half my truck in the house. Just to add to the list, one of my favorite tools for finish work is my small japanese pry bar/nail puller. I think the american version is called a shark. I use this tool each and every day. Everyone on our crew owns one. Doug