Tips & Techniques

Finish nailers sure have come a long way from the old clunkers I grew up with. They even include a padded tip so that they won't dent surrounding wood. But…

I'm a finishing foreman for a large building company. One day, I walked into a house where my boss was doing a punch-list inspection. When I set my metal toolbox…

I'm repointing the foundation of our 1915 farmhouse. The mortar in the foundation is in pretty bad shape, so I'm digging out as much of it as I can. After…

When it comes time to level a lengthy piece of lumber with a spirit level, I've seen carpenters resort to all kinds of attachment methods to anchor the level to…

I install suspended ceilings from time to time. So I made the tool shown in the drawing to help me rabbet the edges of the trimmed tiles. It's made of a…

My work includes patching holes in drywall from time to time. And if the holes are in textured walls, either orange-peel or knock-down texture, I've got to set up my…

I have struggled many a time in the past to create equal, code-approved spacing between deck balusters. The method I've come to rely on -- the slant-rule technique -- has taken…

Like Sarah Susanka, I prefer to use plug mold in kitchens rather than ruin the beauty of my backsplash with a series of outlets every few feet. As Sarah explains…

One of the handiest additions to any toolbox is a 99¢ bottle of bright-red nail polish. This tough, waterproof lacquer dries quickly, comes with its own brush and is useful…

In my 30 years as a carpenter, I've watched a steady evolution in tool belts. I think the leather ones were, and still are, an improvement over the old canvas…