Fortnightly 10-15 minute tool review and how-to videos.
I have an absolute passion for construction. It started when I got my own house some years ago and I began to do a few minor renovations. Looking back, I did A LOT of things wrong.
Moving on almost 10 years, I got into construction professionally. I began at the bottom as a labourer, moving up over the next few years.
Toward the end of 2021, with the encouragement of my much better half, Maria, I began a Carpentry apprenticeship. I spent most of my time with my first company working on commercial foundations.
After 10 months, I got a job with CJ Neill Construction - BEST DECISION EVER! It was about then that I decided to start sharing my journey online.
@@nakedapprentice haha. Kids are a bit like that. I try to get mine involved when I can. Your second attempt looks great. It almost seems like they had a design that most would struggle to finish in the allowed time and a few things that would take some skill not to break, like those corners. Plus it’s a challenge to not have tools you’re normally used to working with. It’s all about testing you
@Mueller_projects Yeah, absolutely. The goal was to test as many skills as possible in 2 hours. The funny thing is I asked my contact at Master Builders for a digital copy of the plans for this video and was sent a plan that was slightly different. It had all the measurements on it, but some of the check outs were different and it probably would have been a bit stronger. I suspect that may have been a draft which they later amended.
Loved it . Amazing when you have limited tools how creative you have to become . I feared that scrolled end would pop off . One of my inspirations in carpentry is The Miraculous Staircase in The Loretto Chapel . Built in the 1800's by some itinerant carpenter . No glue , no nails and a handful of chisels and planes and created a masterpiece that engineers and master carpenters still wonder about to this day . I think you'd enjoy timber framing . Work diligently on a timber and craft each piece with all the interlacing joinery . It would be fun to be in a competive build and graded on the finished product . Also caused me to remember a style of sawhorses I used to build . They were simple , beautiful ,stackable and loved by others so much , That they were always stolen within a week . Peace .
Good to hear from you! I was worried you’d taken a turn for the worst. I seem to recall you were ill. I think I know about that staircase. Perhaps he used something similar to Japanese carpenters - they work absolutely fascinates me. I would love to make some of my own saw horses. Unfortunately, I don’t have a van or truck yet, so I need collapsible ones. They’ve been great for everything until now. There’s just enough movement in them to make the finer work a bit more frustrating.
@@nakedapprentice Thanks for remembering . I am doing relatively well . Yeah . I got stage 4 melanoma and it's made me weak and clipped my carpenter wings . Considering writing a carpentry book , But one that addresses the real world of carpentry and some of the things I have discovered that I'd like to share . Yeah .. Chinese/ Japanese carpentry is absolutely fascinating , How they bracket out and build a roof with no fasteners at all . How the timbers were transported and milled thousands of years ago from far in the mountains . How thier structures have stood through time . Seen a documentary where they tested a build on shake table to simulate an earthquake of 10 on the richter scale and it stayed together because how it was allowed to sway . Seemingly if built too tight and rigid is what makes some structures fail . I have always buillt in a way that I jokingly say " It's going to take explosives to make my door go out of whack " Just watching your video here , I know the nuances of what you are doing and the procedures . Well done . Down to how to plunge a jigsaw , how to removed material , how to use a chisel . I have often said " Give two guys two pieces of wood and you'l; get two different results " and yet a complete build is exponentially more complex which few can appreciate . Some will fumble with it , others will not consider the grain ,knots and nature of the two pieces and the challenge is merely getting them to be flush and attached . Not like thier building a Swiss watch . Other elements is assessing before the build and using spatial reasoning and seeing whatever your building in the minds eye before clearly . Like when working in unison with someone else that calls out dimemsions and you have to be able to project your mind and see what they are seeing without actually seeing it yourself . Carpentry in my opinion is limitless , So many styles and crossovers , Some of the most fascinating carpentry I have ever done was triaxial ellipitcal vaults , erraticism , Mountain laurel deck railing , Live edge siding . I love the nature of wood and how to make it not only be functional but beautiful . Doing good . Love your demeanor and tenacity . Peace
That’s tough man. We know all about melanoma here in New Zealand. I think we have the highest rates in the world, largely due to the hole in the ozone layer that developed down here due to CFCs use back in the 80s. It’s mostly come right now I think, but the damage is done. I’m curious what you thought are on the jigsaw. I couldn’t get it to cut plumb though the material. I wonder if I was using to fine a blade, cutting too fast or simple that it was too thick. The timber was 32mm or 1 1/4”. It’s only a recent addition to my tool collection, so I’m far from an expert on it.
Sorry bench did not turn out as you wanted in the competition. Your 2nd attempt was good result in the end. Reading instructions/plans sometimes can be half the battle. Just put up a 2.7m x 1.6m shed on concrete pad allowing but had to allow for cladding to extend below the pad. As shed only had a top and bottom plate I ended up putting in studs and nogs to strengthen and so could line inside. Did all 4 wall builds on the drive as don't have a workshop and only limited tools. Nice music to vid.
The truth is I was probably too hard on myself immediately after the competition. I don’t think it was possible to complete correctly during the 2 hours without prior planning. From what I’ve heard, those who did ‘complete’ them made different mistakes, such at checking out the legs 90mm around the support rail, meaning the legs would provide very little lateral support. I built a shed myself during the second lockdown. Likewise, I prebuilt it on my driveway and rebuilt it around the back.
Funny you should ask that - I did do it many years ago myself. The way I did it was figure out where I wanted my joists to sit and putting packers underneath them, then screwing them into the concrete. Even though it was exterior treated timber, I still put damp proof course under the packers. If you’re raising it quite a bit and need bearers as well, the same method would apply to the bearers instead of joists, but pack them to a few mm lower, and then pack the joists up to height. That’s because the timber will vary in size slightly, and it’s a lot easier to pack the joists up than notch them down. I hope that helps
@@nakedapprentice Yep thanks for that. Yeah we live in Christchurch and have had a recent Eng report done on house. Patio has cracks in surface slab and does not meet building code as it is up against house. To save money for demo etc of patio, I thought build a deck over the top of old concrete patio and keep to same fall from house. Thanks for the advice.
@thetechnician832 I’m in Chch as well! My thoughts are that putting a deck over the patio will only hide any potential problems. Putting a strip drain in would fix that, but will probably cost more than it’s worth. But, if you have access to a large grinder or concrete cutter, you could even just cut some chases in the concrete to allow water to drain away. I’m not an experienced expert on that, but if it was my house, that’s what I would probably do. Either that of hire a big breaker and a hard fill skip and spend a day or two breaking it up. It’s hard work though! Then just cover it all with a deck.
I understand the difficulty of working under pressure, good on you for having a crack at it and it looked like the second attempt would help putting the mind to rest. I would have loved to try a build like this on the clock
The comp was fun even though I wasn’t happy with the result. Hopefully, next year’s contestants learn a bit from this for whatever their competition brings
Yeah, I’ve tried that before, but they were hard to find with a small magnet. Maybe I should get a bigger one… or just make sure the blocking is right next time.
Absolutely. I’m lucky not to have blinded myself. Even with my glasses on, I still got a decent shiner. You’ll see that on the next video, filmed a few days later.
The painters started on Wednesday and the kitchen arrived on Friday. All the other trades need to get in and do their magic and we just have a few small things to do, so it’s not that far off finished.
All for speed but your apprentices won't know what how to cut there house out when they go out on there own and and don't want to use prenailed frames . When I started my appenticeship I was cutting everything out . Good way to learn plumb , level , and straight is what I was taught . Keep up the good work we call dwangs ( nogs )on the main Island lol
Yeah, it is faster, but your right to say there is a whole skill set missing. But, with the regular stuff ups and the odd renovation, they do pick up the ability to frame in situ, just not really good at it. Mind you, if half the building stories from the US are right, even framers there don’t know how to frame 😂
I don’t think so. As long as there’s some of the groove left, the board can’t seperate from the one below. Even without it, there’s still about 30mm lap, which is the same as standard Linea boards
Hey mate, it’s the Diamondback Grande 2.0. I’ve got a full review on it here - Diamondback GRRande 2.0 Toolbelt Review ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-SEt3lOcJuvw.html
I do have one, but I can’t get into corners with it. I need to find one that is more of an axe head shape, so I can get the corners without over cutting them. I can’t take the credit for the jigsaw. Someone gave me that tip on either Instagram or the origin cladding video a couple of months ago. I don’t know how well normal timber blades go, but I’m using tungsten carbide ones, which were pretty cheap.
I’m soon done at a Norwegian construction and building school, about to be an apprentice. At that school they have most of the essential power tools, so as a student you only need a tool box and your personal hand tools and ppe. It’s a two year education, plus two years as an apprentice. At the end of year one I bought an impact driver that I could use, as the drills at school weren’t that many, and some weren’t much to speak of. During summer vac I bought a multi tool, grinder and orbital sander for some renovation back home and at my sisters house. During fall of year two I got myself a hammer drill and a jig saw. The hammer drill I bought to be used for projects while the jig saw was gifted. During winter I bought a portable vacuum cleaner, and was gifted a small leaf blower for Christmas. This spring I got a circular saw and a mitre saw. So overall my setup is quite complete before even starting my apprenticeship. Some might say that I’ve wasted my money that I’ve earned, but I think of it as and investment. I’ve invested in high end tools from makita, and I’ve bought them for exact purposes, and most of the time on sale. These tools will last for long, and I can use them for so many applications. The company that I’ll start my apprenticeship in already has tools, so I don’t need to use my private tools, but it is nice to be kitted for private projects or if I’ll start a future business.
No sir, you did right. Keep it up. As welder, invested in a lot of things - and now as a journeyman I still have them and still getting lots of use of ‘em.
Awesome man. Buying good quality tools that make you more efficient at your job is absolutely the way to go. For some tools, there is simply no effective substitute. For example, I bought my 125mm circular saw specifically so I could cut out my flooring at home to relevel it. The alternative was doing it with a multitool and probably speeding hundreds on blades and many hours. I’ve since found so many uses for it, which my other saw won’t do.
New subscriber here, I enjoyed that. Looks like a good kit of tools, maybe a 360⁰ line laser would be handy, I find them great, also a track saw but thats a bit more specific use stuff
Thank for your feedback. Yeah, I definitely need my own laser, but I am borrowing the bosses one at the moment. When I get a van, I’ll get a few more things, including a track saw
Yup, in Christchurch. I did a few trips to Wānaka for my old company, but the boss made the difficult call to close down the Chch crew early this year. Are you in Christchurch as well?
@nakedapprentice Nah, I'm based in Nelson but recognized some of the scenery as I was in Christchurch hospital for a week having surgery, got back to Nelson today.
Yup, and that confused me when I first started my apprenticeship and was looking at getting a badder. In NZ, we pretty much just use 16G bradders for carpentry. Furniture makers may use 18 and 23, and I think some factory workers may use 15 ga. We fit our doors here with screws generally, so no nail gun is needed for that.
Pretty much. It’s called Linea Oblique and it was awful to install. It would probably be ok vertically, but horizontally, we needed to cut the tongue off the bottom a lot of the boards to slot them in.
Thanks mate. Did you see the previous video where we got the vast majority of it done? It was just those flashings, which create a fire break in the cavity, that had us waiting to finish it.
Battery table saw is probably one that i use a ton. Bought it on a crazy sale from toolshed thinking i might not use it much, i was so wrong. Hope makita makes one soon so you can add it to your kit.
Absolutely. I’ll need to have a van before I can cart one around though - my car is already riding pretty low. There’s been requests for a new Makita table saw for years and rumours saying they won’t because of health and safety restrictions. I think there’s new standards coming in the US, which will make it even worse. From what I understand, sawstops are becoming a requirement there.
For finishing work, very rarely. At that point everything should already be square. Even for framing, we mark out most of our frames with chalk lines and square them using 3-4-5. For smaller walls, not worth chalking, I do use a framing square.
Loved the arsenal of tools you have . In the capable hands of a carpenter as well . Awesome !! . I was mesmerized while watching you and looking at the workmanship in the background and the surroundings . Thinking " These guys and this guy do really clean work " and then thinking about how many here in the US that claim they been doing it all their life . Can't come close to what I see here . Was also thinking how many here in the USA only become skilled in one phase of carpentry . Like only frame or only interior trim . If you take a framer and ask him to do siding , They don't have a clue or only apply the skills of a framer and " It's good enough and can't see it from my house " ..I see a well rounded carpentry here . To me that is the way it's done . Cross-trained well rounded, capable in all aspects of carpentry . Awesome .
I can’t take all the credit. There’s a lot of subcontractors all doing their bit, plus a project manager overseeing everything. Due to time constraints, there’s also a few things I would like to have fixed but couldn’t. But, all in all, I’m pretty happy I managed to pull this job out of the dire state it was in when I stated there 3 months ago. I’ve noticed that about carpentry in the states too, and then a lot of complaining from trim carpenters that framers suck. The beauty of our system is we generally do or are experienced in every aspect of carpentry and often have to deal with our own mistakes, so there more incentive to do things properly. There are plenty, though, who are smashing out units and cookie cutter houses that are well below the standards I expect.
@@nakedapprentice Absolutely correct . I guess there at times so much building here . That you can spend an entire carpentry career as a framer or a siding man , or interior trimmer . Never knowing what you built and how you might have just hurt the next guy down the line. Framers will squeal about masons begets . Drywall hangers squealing about framers, Many times , Finish carpenters act as though they are the wisest of all . That's because it all ends with them LOL . Here in The US , especially around larger cities . Even framing was cut up into smaller sub-groups . One crew only builds first floors , Another crew does only walls , another crew only does second floors , Another only does second floors walls and another only does roof or trusses . This was the a perfect recipe for end result junk and pandemonium . It kept carpenters dumb and pigeon holed , Thus pay was less per man but production in their minds increased . I tried to enter that world 35 years ago . Tested it and realized that it will take me nowhere , I guess it was based on Henry' Ford's means of production Where one guy only knows left side tires and lug nuts. But would not know what to do on the right side . Yet they were building a car !! .. Every one of your video's . I see you are going down the right path of carpentry . Not solely for the monetary gain , but the overall gain for yourself , contractors and ultimately homeowners
I guess it’s a bit like my old line of work, frame and truss production in a factory. No did respect to those guys, but they often don’t understand the implications of some of their short cuts or simply don’t care because they are pretty poorly paid. When I went out into the real world of carpentry, everything about framing really started to fall into place.
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Good question. Yup, it’s H3.1, so it can tolerate a bit of moisture over its lifetime. Even H1.2 would be ok for a while, but that not allowed for window reveals. MDF, such as the stairs, would disintegrate pretty quickly.
I haven’t noticed, but I should give it a service this weekend. I think maybe it was a result of trying to cut out the excess background noise. The young fella and subcontractors was inside making a racket when I was doing the soffit.
Love thoughtful carpentry , Screwing the deck off clean and evenly spaced , hiding end grain , picture framing borders . Yes . decks are a mix of frame, finish and cabinetry... Seen too many in my life where they built the entire deck like it was rough framing . I called them " Redneck Decks " .. One thing about decks.. For some reason you charge more per sq ft " Meter" than you can for framing an entire house.
Absolutely. One of the first things my old boss said to me about decks is that they are essentially finish carpentry. Although the framing isn’t directly seen, there is little that can be done to hide it if it’s wrong.
Yep . That's how you do it . Renovation is where I learned and integrated a lot on my skills . Sometimes peeling open a house is like opening a box of chocolates , You don't know what your'e gonna get . There comes a time for a beam laser and other times to put it away . It's the assessing and creating of a plane , The deviations and if it will cause a noticeable problem or not . Establishing a reasonable plane.. Establish a perimeter and adjust all furring / strapping to plane . Feathering walls to plumb from one plumb wall to and out of plumb wall . Makes it so much easier for wainscoting or built up panels , Chair rail or wall trim . The worst thing about renovation ? To me is " Do you have enough money allocated in the budget? " Some won't care and just want it done . Compromising the finished project . Many can't see what's involved to bring something within reason . They don't have X-ray vision and had no idea what was hidden behind those walls , in the ceiling , floor above and below . If it a cost plus job .Then you don't have a stop watch on each aspect of the job . But time allotted as well has got to be reasonable . War Story . I had built an addition on to renovation . The carpenters inside where " Renovating " and I was building the addition . Some call it an extension . We hadn't yet pierced through where the door was going to join and become one . Oh boy , when the wall was opened . It was like drilling under The English Channel and finding out that the tunnel boring machine was off by a kilometer . My side was clean , accurate , plumb , level , per plan , symmetrical. They were upset that they had to move walls for the hallway to lace together with mine. Once inside the main body renovation . It was a wonderland of carpentry . What amazed me was how simple it could have been. The entire thing was gutted . No drywall , no insulation . Simple frame with a front and back bearing wall . One solitary center bearing wall running parallel with the front and back , Two gables . Easy . But easy is not how some like it . They want to make it difficult . The thing that astonished me . The old subfloor was removed , But they framed walls on top of doubles when parallel with the joist . Framed all the walls and just sat them on the floor joist ???? and they had to customize , block in for the subfloor , Every closet , every room .. They got twisted when I said " You know you could have installed the subfloor first .. Then snapped out and built the walls" .. But they seemingly chose the hardest way possible , This is what happens going out of sequence . Make it hard . I suggested jokingly " Why don't you set up jigs to suspend the drywall. We'll come back in later gently install the studs?". About the same thought process . Now all the experts asked me how to do the ceiling . " Got to establish a plane . Find the maximums and minimums ,Lowest point generally drives the rest if you want it laser level or depending on factors , create a plane that matches the relative deviation " They chose neither ,. It was to have crown in the finish and the center bearing wall had a downward wiggle . Glad I wasn't there to touch the insides . Send my deepest condolences to the finish carpenter
You’re certainly not wrong. Fortunately at my level I don’t deal with the budget side of things. However, I do know this client was always complaining about our work being by too expensive. He wanted the bare minimum done to make it compliant and insurance, make it look nice and flick it off. He ended up getting a cheap crew to do the work instead, which was a contributing factor to James and I being made redundant a few months later.
Really like watching this young man . A lot of talent going on here . Read the bio and essentially 3 years in the field , Impressed . I like the jigging for he bolts , That's really the only way to keep them in the proper location before the epoxy sets . Loved have a concrete mixer on site , Only once have we ever had them for small pour , Either break the bag in a wheelbarrow and use a hoe , or some will dry-pack " Pour in the concrete mix and ladle in some water " . I gotta confess , I was " Taught " by bad carpenters and learned more of what not to do . Another way I learned to mix concrete was a tarp , Drop the bag in , open it, Add water and you and another carpenter create a whirlwind sloshing vortex . Like flipping pancake batter and it mixes perfect in 30 seconds and you both lift a side and sluice it in , Just like it came out a truck. Here in my corner of America " South Carolina " The dominant species of wood for framing is SYP Southern Yellow Pine , They use as well for pressure treated , It's an obnoxious wood that is used for treated nominal lumber , joist , and truss members . It's modulus of strength great . Another is SPF" Spruce Pine Fir " . But it's mostly spruce . and used for most nominal framing , Never exterior . It's stable . I like the ganging of supports with a sequential brace . Some will do everyone individually and brace in the X and Y . Off topic here . But when it came to wall bracing , I'd go bonkers and some thought I was fanatical and wasting time .Ha !! In wall framing I would look for lines of control , Vectors. I call them control cells .In the simplest terms . If you have a 100x100 square box and inside of that box were 4 -50x50 boxes , I'd try to use 2 cells as where I could control the top plates , That's where I'd concentrate my bracing and consider pathways . Some throw up braces everywhere and some duplicate the lines of force . You'd be knocking your head and cutting off passageways to work . Some would run them through door openings and you'd have to hop and jump hurdles . Then if someone drops an LVL as they are navigating through the house with that beam . Drop it on a brace and potentially shocked the brace and throw a wall out of plumb . I've seen it especially on taller braced walls and might not get caught . Until too much is already locked in above and doom awaits . I take it further yet where my fanaticism kicks in . I go scientific I will measure on the floor a distance to where the brace is anchored to a top plate . To a location that is meaty for anchorage . Like a jack / stud at a doorway . Then calculate the hypotenuse , Ascertain whether the angle is at greatest strength , Calculate the angle with inverse tangents and cut bracing top and bottom at perfect angles " Or within 2 degrees . It ain't interior trim " It gives me a firm full meaty connection , And it looks like the carpenter was thinking . The best part is . I now have open unobstructed walkways. Walls are stabilized and will take explosives to shock . Might take me 15 seconds to calculate a brace . But save 10 man-hours of being impeded . Many sling braces everywhere and looks like a forest of pixie sticks , Everyone is obstructed and has to battle to maneuver through the project and many times braces are duplicated just to enhance the clutter . The only good part to that style . It'll keep homeowners and builders out of the house and won't be able to see what shoddy workmanship that's going on . LOL . I always remember . I am not building for The Builder nor am I building for myself , I am building for the homeowner and when they are happy , The builder is happy and my value increases . It's the virtuous circle . I believe in even the simplest task , How can I improve and how can I make it better ? . Sometimes others will look at me like a guru or sage . One must become one with his work , You can feel the house talk and there is a fluid motion. Two sayings I love and mulled over for years . "Efficiency is intelligent laziness " and " Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication " Peace . . Doing great mate
Thanks for the support mate. I was lucky enough to have a great teacher for the last year and half and have just recently entered the apprenticeship of the year competition, which he thinks I have a good chance of winning. Regarding braces, I absolutely try to keep door ways clear. I put braces on every frame join and either side of the lintel(header), plus any long walls . Around exterior doors and windows I either avoid them or put them on blocks, so they can stay on when we put the joinery in. The Addington units had the braces taken off way too early and I spent two weeks trying to plumb and straighten everything. Considering what I had to work with, I think it looks ok.
@@nakedapprentice Awesome . Entering a competition , Awesome , From the videos I have watched of yours . I think you have the ability , Honestly , What I have seen and listened to , You actually have the skill set greater then carpenters here that have 25 years experience . I have a few treasured awards or plaques . One was a plaque certifying the authenticity of the flag that flew over the US capitol the day my father retired . Another was my builder's license " Which I never studied for" . Just went and took it and didn't know I needed a prep course LOL . Another I really never got handed to me but was given to the builder . But I actually led ..# 1 National Homebuilder's Award 2014 .and one that I cherish " The Mad Scientist Award " that says . Rambling E-mails of brilliance , hand's free and a passion for quality " . LOLL . Nothing wrong aspiring to being the best you can be and loving your work . .. I know about stripping braces too soon. One 3 story house was unsheathed and no metal let-in bracing . No permanent shear , They stripped the braces . On the 3rd story the house was buffeting back and forth . Guy looks at me " You ever ride a house to the ground ? " Or removing them before collar ties or the at least the roof is sheathed . Rafters blowing out the walls and no winch or come-along could ever pull back in . Trusses at least don't have those forces thrusting walls apart and can be considered a tie through the bottom chord . But not recommended !! . There are instances though whereas some trusses could not have contact on intermediate walls . Only at engineered bearing points and explained by an engineer that it could change the moments in a truss and render it unequal in thrust / tension and loading . But then again , I don't rely on trusses to keep my walls stable during construction . It's a knowing as a carpenter , When it's time to strip braces.. . War story here , Years ago , I took on a project for kicks , It was a 4 story hotel . All I had to do was swing all the trusses with a crew . I was given a crew , One I had to sign for him, Since he was on prison work release.. The trusses would sit on plates like a foundations , It was huge 25 meters up . The stairwells petrified me since it was 25 meters down on both sides . I was thinking " How the heck am I going to build this with these guys ??" .. Triple piggy-back trusses with a span of 40 meters and a building length of 120 meters .. Told I only was allowed 40 hours of crane time . There was no fall restraint at all . So I had to be a monkey . One of my workers adorned his hardhat with Metallica and graffiti . So I thought " Well that's neat " So I put on four stars and wrote" Lead Idiot "on mine . So talking with the superintendent was always a joy . Here we generally run trusses on 24" centers unless noted , So we commonly will cut 25.5" blocks to tie truss to truss when a crane is swinging . Run a few and better bracing and we advance and strip the temps and re-use . Superintendent had designed bracket's that would only work if you used duplex nails " Two heads /One nail , but we had none onsite . So I proceeded with what I knew best and he was furious " I had these made just for this , That's the whole idea "" . To which I responded " You know not all ideas are good , Does this mean you continue with a bad idea ?" . He was seething . LOL . At the time , I really didn't care what he thought . I figured I was in charge and he needs to go back down to his work trailer and eat donuts . As crane time was running out , Well I guess you gotta pay for another day . He wanted me to fly up bunks of plywood and stock them on top of the piggyback's flat .Nope . Not until I get it braced to my satisfaction . Then we can load it , Had a set of trusses that were designed to bump into the elevator shaft but they didn't match up with the common trusses span . At least 1/2 meter longer . He yelled from below , These numbers are right " Your measuring them with 200 foot tape and it's laid in curve . Of course it get's shorter and close to the right number . All this was 30 years ago LOL . When I finished he tried to insult me " I've been doing this all my life and know more than you'll ever know " Ha !! . Sometimes I used to hate inheriting a crew of 10 carpenters that didn't know me and I didn't know them . One old contractor got his reputation on everything being hand nailed . No air guns !! Told me " Nail guns are no good , They miss all the time " ... I told him " No It's the guy pulling the trigger that has poor aim " . Yeah . There are dangers of shooting yourself in the ankle and many young sports put the nail guns on automatic and shred the lumber . By packing a 100 nails per square inch !!!. There is leadership roles in carpentry , Somebody leading the project . Making the decisions and delegating out . Sometimes , Not the fun part of this trade . Some are sensitive and whine , Some you got to send a gift card " I cordially invite you " and a bouquet of roses to get them moving , Tell them to get rid of the cell phone on and on . But you got to move it . On many crews . I only wanted as many carpenters as needed for that project . Some would throw you twice as many as you need and think it'll get done twice as fast . Nope ! I tried to reason , Well if this house takes 2000 man-hours to build . I can do it with 5 carpenters working 40 hr weeks . It'll take 10 weeks .. But if you give me 2000 carpenters , By your logic , It'll take 1 hour . Every job has an optimal number needed . Too many and they'll be tripping over one another. Some don't understand . The most under my leadership was approx 100 . That's when you stop being a carpenter but a manager with carpentry knowledge . One guy called me The Rat on Acid .. Always scurrying everywhere and giving quick solutions . Closer towards the end of my career . I enjoyed working alone or with one good helper. . Had to simmer down and get back to having fun
I have probably built a few hundred in my life , Some companies are better at translating pre-fabs , Others are a nightmare.. Learned a lot . Especially speed , But .If the frame gets complex. Never seen it work out . I worked for America's #1 best-selling residential architect for sales " Donald Gardner Architect AIA " and he brought out a pre-fab manufacturer to analyze my build . Don was showing off . I told the manufacturer that I had extensive experience in pre-fab . " But you're telling me you can pre-fab this ?" .. To which he quickly responded " No .. Oh Hell No " , But they were going to pre-fab the much easier designs . Fair enough. I was told by Don to come out and watch them build a house in a day . Just happened that I had to go to the lumber supplier . They had a popcorn machine and got my entire crew popcorn . Went to watch from the curb .Ate popcorn and drank lemonade. I ended up getting paid to make repairs. When you got an undulating slab finished by the blind man with depressed sections , stem walls , multiple foundational elevations and you need a laser guided total station for layout The architect was tripping on LSD.. I have yet see someone dare . For one plane stock homes Yes .. For something like The Biltmore . At this stage in the tech , CAD and robotic assembly . Not Yet .
Even with all the tools available now, they still make basic mistakes. In my frame and truss days, detailers would constantly make mistakes and I was paid to go fix them. It baffles me that sometimes that they keep their jobs.
@@nakedapprentice I agree there . I have ran into many in my life that thought they walked on water and mistakes are out of the question. Pertaining to fixes and getting paid for it . There was a company here " Circle Trim " . They'd mill circular trim to whatever was needed . Interior/exterior trim to whatever profile was needed in the field " Never trust what the manufacturer on any curvature specs out " .. But they's fail 50% of the time and slow down a job . I saw an opportunity and offered them a deal . That if I can cut the mistake factor down , That in return we'd share in the profit differential and I'd take a lesser portion . They refused.. So they persisted in mistakes and we had to figure it into our bids . That they'll get 1/2 wrong . Oh well . Tried to help for the betterment of the whole
Love how the tools have advanced in my 43 years. Started with a mitre box , Then a steam powered / belt and pulley mitre box . Then a sliding compound , Then laser guided duel bevel slide . When I started in the 80's .Made the mistake of not allowing for a skirt when framing the stairs . I had creative liberty so I cut each piece of 1/4 rd even around the nosing . Killed me . 400 pieces vs 6 .. Came out awesome and unique .But only took 3 days and 12 miles of walking back and forth to the saw . Didn't have angle dividers . Just hoped that math we learned back in school actually worked . And we hacked it in !! . Helped me immensely before we tackled our first double helix spiral staircase and lost all remaining brain cells .
Yeah, I probably walked about that far too and spent half my time waiting for the boys to cutting their skirting. It was good to spend a few days just doing this though, and figuring it all out. I'd done some years ago and never knew why my cuts didn't consistently work. Now I've got my own little mitre saw, so I could probably do it in half the time.
Hello from South Carolina USA . One of the most impressive things .. Is the scaffolding . I couldn't imagine being provided that much safety here . That would have been a dream come true . For clinging to a wall. Running siding , cornice . The best we'd be able to get . Was pump jacks , ladder jacks , scaffold bucks at best or the dreaded " Pudlock " Which is just 2x material jerry rigged . Walkboards were anything we could find . Sometimes you might have an aluminum walkboard . LVL or a 2x10 loaded with knots. There was never a worry of a Safety Inspector on high end or even low end residential . Roofs you just wing it and hang by your fingernails. Builder's and subcontractors just want it done and couldn't care less how . Since they aren't paying for surgery or funeral arrangements . In my 43 years as a carpenter . I've been lucky and only been in the hospital for 5 days . Once for a broken hip and broken hand after a scaffold gave way . Another for sliding off a roof and fell three stories , Fortunately I landed in the snow and missed a cube of brick. I've been enjoying all the down under carpentry vids I find . The fall protection is amazing. I like patient thinking carpentry and never the wide open rush . Your plans are different than ours. Here I haven't found one set that wasn't ever riddled without mistakes Spend half the day hovering over the plans and going on an Easter egg hunt . Started in 1981 working as a pack mule and we had to slap up two houses a week , Worked my way up to building the homes that'll make most carpenter's hair fall out . Walking around with a laptop and being tracked by GPS and laser total stations telling you that you are 1mm off. In my 43 years the technology has changed a lot . My career is essentially over as a carpenter because of stage 4 cancer , My passion is alive and wish I could impart my knowledge unto the young guns . Loved the work . Followed . Peace
I'm sorry to hear about your cancer. People with your skill set are slowly disappearing, and with them, the skills that we often think we don't need. Here in NZ, most of our frames and trusses are pre-made, so learning to figure out angles for rafter etc in becoming a rare skill. I managed to get a bit of practice here on the internal gutter though, which was great. I think all the rules around fall protection only came about 10 odd years ago. I certainly remember before that seeing builder walking around on top-plates without protection. It still happens, but it's not something I'm keen on. As I'm sure you know, it only takes one tiny mistake to change or end a life. In saying that, one thing I didn't including in this videos is how many times the scaffolders got it wrong on this job. On Friday they were back for a third time because they had built the platforms in the wrong place. They actually had one platform in the way of our soffit where the gable frames were replaced. You take care of yourself. I look forward to hearing from you again.
