Tick Sticking, a Carpentry HACK (few people know) 

I made a free masterclass on how to create your dream home in 90 days DIY - check it out! www.seejanedrillcourse.com/register-home-masterclass

I like that at the start of the videos she doesn’t say “if you’re new here be sure to subscribe” she just says “if you’re new here, I just wanna say welcome” such a nice way to start a video

Ma’am, I’m no carpenter, but I’m sure as hell I would learn and understand carpentry properly with an instructor like you. Keep on keeping on, you’re great!

My grandfather was a master carpenter and boat builder. I'm sure he must've known about something like this. He passed away when I was only 9 years old before I could learn much from him. I feel like your lesson has brought me closer to him. Thank you.

Wow! My husband was a sailboat builder. I'm wondering if he ever used one of these. His work was gorgeous. He passed away in 2014, so this will remain a mystery. Thank you so much for your lessons!

My father passed away when I was a child. He loved working with wood and built a couple boats himself. I grew up going through his tools and remember seeing one of these but never knew what it was! Thankyou so much for giving me this information to be a little closer to my father. Take care!

You explain things really slow and thoroughly without sounding condescending. I guess that why you have so many viewers. Thanks.

Leah, this is the second video of yours that I've watched. I'm a mechanic, an instructor and advanced education administrator now...I really enjoy your teaching style and subject matter. You just gained another subscriber!

Nearly 50 years doing carpentry and woodworking… I had never seen one used or explained SO WELL.. LEAH YOU ARE AWESOME! THANKS

When you held up the stick and showed the odd shape you were going to copy, I thought "How the hell is she going to do that?" Then, when you drew the first outline, it clicked into place. An absolutely ingenius tool. I hope you get a show on PBS. You have such a personable way about you and you have a knack for teaching.

Freaking genius. It embodies my carpentry rule of "if at all possible, avoid math or measuring" Subscribed!

I showed this to my stagecraft teacher, he said he'd never heard of a ticking stick but he was amazed by it and immediately made one for use in the shop.

Came across this video by chance, have no knowledge or even real interest in carpentry but was curious enough to watch. Hands down, one of the best instructional videos I've ever seen!! Clear, logical, incredibly well-spoken, and obviously extremely knowledgeable. Well done!

I was about half way through this video and went all "mind blown!" This is exactly the kind of old-world knowledge I love to learn about. Thank you!

It's not even noon and I learned something today. I'm going to take the rest of the day off.

"You can do this!" With such a wonderful teacher, yes I can! Thank you for all that you do

I have been a carpenter for 38 years. And a general contractor for 8 years and I still love learning new trick for my trade! Well.....new to me anyway. I just finished a flooring job where this would have been very useful. Thank you. I see myself using this quite often.

Hey LEAH, I followed your instructions and made a 3 foot ticking stick. I had only ONE big piece of drywall to line the sides of my skylight. It was a large, and complicated shape, containing unknown angles, tapering dimensions and SIX sides. It came out perfectly, thanks to the BRILLIANT ticking stick. I had never seen it before. Thank you for sharing this old technology that costs almost nothing to make. You are a great person, and an excellent, humble teacher. Kudos to you, dear lady.

I’ve been a commercial carpenter for 18 years never heard of this. Incredible. I have high respect for your knowledge and you are a great teacher👍👍

This is quite possibly the best/coolest carpentry demonstration I've ever seen. I will definitely be making one of these for some of the more complex builds I encounter. Thanks Little! You ROCK!

I watched this video for the first time. The lady is not full of herself and explains things in a simple and effective way. Bless her. Sean.

I've been doing carpentry for over twenty five years, professionally for eighteen years and you just taught me something new. Thank you.

You're not only very good at your trade, you're about the best presenter I've ever watched, with a soothing voice to boot. Well done, the ticking stick is genius, amazing minds in the past.

Well that is frankly brilliant! I use story sticks to position ceiling joists when rebuilding vintage campers, but this is the first time I've heard of a ticking stick. I'm not sure when I'll use this, but I'm glad for the knowledge!

Thanks so much for this. I used it to perfectly size replacement steps in our 1940s home. With cardboard and you instructions each step was different and each replacement fit perfectly. You are a treasure!

Retired carpenter with an abundance of "trade tricks" under my belt... How the hell did I miss this? There's more than one way to skin a cat, but this one should definitely be in the arsenal.

For everyone just now coming across this method, some tips to make it as accurate as possible... -Use a sharp pencil to outline your ticking stick, the closer you can get to the edge, the more repeatable it is. -Use either a thin metal sheet or sand your wood sheet to a very sharp edge to make you ticking stick, this allows your lines to be more precisely aligned. Just make sure to use something that's stiff enough and won't bend or deform while you're tracing it out. -Consider drilling a small hole just large enough for a scribe to fit through, rather than a point. This precisely locates the point of measure as opposed to marking a point you think is close. Drop the scribe in and touch the corner you're measuring. When it comes time to transfer to your piece, all you need to do is push the scribe in and make a mark with it. -The more unique shape your ticking stick is, the better you can align it. Rather than long gentle curves, make lots of sharp edges and cuts that make it harder to inadvertently misalign later. -Results are more repeatable the larger your ticking stick is. It needs to be small enough to fit your template/guide, but don't make it too small for the piece you're replicating or you're throwing away the advantage of more precision. -If you find yourself in need of a ticking stick and don't have one handy, it is possible to use a dowel rod/ruler. Use only one side of the straight edge and align the corner with your point. Mark your edge on that side and the end of the dowel rod/ruler. It is repeatable enough to make a functional template, but it won't be super precise. -If you want the piece to fit without any gaps, give yourself some room. After you've marked and drawn out your shape to cut, leave a tiny bit extra on the outside of your marks and don't cut all the way to your lines. This allows you to slowly and incrementally remove the edges by sanding/planing/filing until you get just the right amount for it to have a tight fit and no gap. Have fun with your projects!

I really enjoy your videos so much. You are truly like a teacher who has been teaching for years and loves it. Even experienced tradespeople can still learn from you. Please keep it going!!

Information sharing like this is why we have the Internet.

I'm a lady do-it-yourselfer and since I was a child I have always loved the built environment. Jane, you are a joy to watch. And at 76 I'm still learning. I'm a retired designer/drafter.

Years ago I had an old timer make a template to have a desk top fit into a closet. He put it in took it out put it in took it out shaved it maneuvered it around eventually got it to fit perfectly but it was very time consuming! I see you have some boat builders remarking to this it appears to be an old trick but I will keep one? Once again you keep it simple and concise in your explanations the job gets done looks good and MoveOn! My hat is off to you and I bow to you! Thank you!

I love your channel. My dad was a jack of all trades, an amateur carpenter. There wasn't anything he couldn't fix or figure out how to correct. He was also a leftie like you (actually, he was ambi). He passed 25+ years ago but built many pieces I still own and love. Since his death I run into so many instances when I wish I still had him and his skills, his carpenter's eye and creativity. All I needed to do was call him up and say, "Dad I have a problem..." and he would be at my door with his tools and his love in two shakes of a lamb's tail. He taught me a lot and did so in the same kind, patient way you do. You have shown me new ways I can fix and repair things that I know would make my dad proud. My dad would have loved you and your channel. Thank you Jane and God bless you.

I saw one of these sticks in my grandads shop as a kid, like 30 years ago, and only now do I find out it wasn't just a weird piece of scrap wood.

I am a boat builder and we call these sticks "spiling sticks" very similar principle, and it works beautifully, whoever designed this method should be sainted...:)

I saw this video years ago and now that I’m rebuilding some old wooden boat seats, am SO glad I found it again. Thanks for the great informative video!

A boat builder friend of mine taught me this trick a few years ago - but he called it a joggle stick. It helped me accurately measure and cut a very complicated shape for a timber bulkhead on a boat. Excellent video! Thank you.

I don't ever do carpentry but I clicked anyway and learned something new.

I have no idea why this was recommended to me. But I couldn’t stop watching! Great video! Very well explained.

Currently in the process of building out the back of my van. This video (and tool) was immensely helpful with mapping out my floorboard to be be flush with the interior paneling. Thank you so much!!!

WOW! You learn something new every day! never knew this and I am 70, and my brother in-law is a /was a Shipwright! Thank you Jane.

Just when you think you've seen everything. Very interesting and neat tool.

I was just watching saying to myself “heck is going on”. It’s a primitive tool, but it works flawlessly. Somebody need to make a book with all the tools like this! Great job!!!

Jane, you are such a genuine person and I appreciate you. Thank you so much, I look forward to showing my young kids this trick!

I was a trim carpenter for many years in my younger days and wish I had known this then... and a lot of other things like it that were common knowledge in the ancient world. Great video! I’m looking forward to more.

Ok, this is the second time I happened to come across one of Lea's videos and I'm always impressed. What I truly love, is how she explains how to do highly technical things as if she talking to children. It's Sesame Street for craftsman.

I came across after ages, a functional and simplest tool... Standing ovation for Leah. Regards from Karachi 💐

You are my HERO… I have always figured things out because I had too.. You have opened up a whole new world of making it easy.. Not just this video but many of yours.

THAT JUST BEATS ALL !!! The artisans of yesteryear were pretty darn smart, for coming up with things to do their mapping and figuring, and this Lady has re-captured it and re-introduced us to it. THANK YOU !!!

Spilling sticks my late father was a boat builder and taught me this trick in around 1974. You just brought back a flood of memories. X

Leah, this is my first time viewing your channel today. I’ve been doing basic woodwork for 50 years and never saw this. I like your straightforward style a demonstrated skills. You’ve got a subscriber for life! Wicked excellent! Thanks!

I've watched this video about 5 times over the years and enjoy it every time. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

Thanks Leah! Videos like yours are the reason why I keep on watching videos on RU-vid and paying my internet bills!

I started my career a long time ago as a draftsman back in the seventies. We used this method to design things that couldn't be measured like a wind shield of a car. We used dividers which were more accurate for small features. Leah, you again are polluting the world with knowledge and that's why I love you! Carry on soldier!!

I feel like she personally told me “you can do this” and I felt every part of it 🙏🏾🙂

That was simply lovely. I'd heard about ticking sticks but hadn't a glimmer as to how they worked, but about halfway through - when she had just finished tracing out all the positions, and was starting to lay it out for transfer- I had a real "aha!" moment. Beautifully done. Thank you thank you thank you!

This type of teaching is what makes me confident in tackling complex tasks. Great teacher here! 👏

Friend of mine was considering restoring an old wood boat. He was concerned, "I can't saw a straight line." Told him "No problem. No straight lines on a boat."

My jaw is still on the floor Leah...that was awesome, and such a simple tool when you think about it. Thank you so much for the info.

This is probably the 3rd time I have come back to watch this video since I first saw it. So cool and I know I'm gonna need to use this some day in my career to save the day. Thanks again Leah. You are very very skilled

So simple and elegant and the presentation was great. I wasn’t sure where this was going until.. voila it all came together. Thanks

Videos like this make me miss Dad. He'd have loved this and RU-vid generally did problem solving.

The most impressive part of this video? The fact that she could free hand cut a straight line with a utility knife. Big props

Very informative video, learn something new every day. That is a most amazing tool that I had absolutely no idea existed nor would I have known how to use it without your illustrated example. You're a clever lady indeed!!!!

This will really come in handy. Great tip, Thanks. Your videos are very well done and interesting. Your are a skilled instructor with great delivery. I spent 25+ years as an operations instructor in the nuclear power business. Your presentations are professional, well prepared, efficient and interesting. I rate your presentations as "Exceeds Expectations." This is the top category when rating job skills and job performance. Your presentation skills are exceeds, your subject design is an exceeds and shows you are a true professional at the top of your class. I especially like the way you break the instruction down into small bite sized pieces. No information overload, no excess verbiage. Your speech is clear and to the point. The video is excellent, clear, clean and effective. No camera shaking or moving. Visibility is excellent. This is how professional videos are designed and implemented. Leah, you are an excellent presenter and instructor. I only wish I could have seen some of your presentations 20+ years 30+ years ago when I entered the training world. Well done. ✌❤🖖 Thank you.

I’ve been a carpenter for 15 years. You just blew my mind. Thank you

I've been a builder all my life and never heard of this thing. I used it today and had 100% success the first try! This is great info. I will never be without the ticking stick again. Thank you!

40 years in the trades and I've never seen this before. Thank you for sharing!

Leah - WOW, UNBELIEVABLE explanation - thank you for taking the time and effort to produce this excellent, easy to follow and understand video tutorial on the use of a ticking stick for complicated angles. I can't wait to try it out! Keep up the good work!

Wow! That was an amazingly simple demonstration of a pretty complex principal. I love how well you explain how to use tools. Thank you!!!

After Wintr3rsmith: 70 years old, 36 years in engineering, and now I find this out lol

As a welder/fabricator, I see this as another tool in my bag. Thanks for teaching me something new. I can think of many times when this would have made my job easier. (Welders don't have to fit that tight. We can weld up the difference, but it looks SOOO much better to the client to see a nice fit like that.

I've tried to use this method before a couple of times and failed 😟. Now I know why, the shape of the stick is so important, the curve and the V really make it work . You are a star Jane, I cannot thank you enough 😊.

Just reviewing some of your older videos, and I adore this one, Miss Leah. You truly are a wonderful human being for sharing your trade with us. Thank you, and a warm hello from Mexico.

This demonstration was like a Bob Ross painting - I had no idea how this could possibly turn into anything until the end- and then it’s brilliant. 🤯

Leah I don’t know how many hours I’ve wasted in my years measuring, trimming and starting over again to reproduce odd shapes. Thanks so much for this video and as my old mum used to say, you’re worth your weight in gold!

Thank you I’ve been in the trades for over thirty-five years and never heard of this until a friend told me about this. Thank you for demonstrating!! God bless!!

This is great Jane. At first I had no idea what you were doing and couldn't see how this helps at all and then when you explained that you take your template and the notch helps you line up exactly it clicked! What a neat way to transfer complex shapes. Saving this to try for later.

The fact that someone thought of this idea centuries ago is amazing, then again we always underestimate the genius of people years way back

The light bulb 💡 "OHHHHH" moment hit me at 4:04... I haven't had that feeling in a long time. Thanks very much!

Another well done video. As an avid amateur woodworker and old house owner I have known and used this many times. But your video is one of the easiest and best explanations on how to use one that I have seen.

I was lost in the beginning but once seeing it how it's used and seeing the end result, its awesome, also I've been reading lots of comments from boat people and I gotta say, it's like you took them back to a wonderful memory from their childhood and that's awesome too

My dad was a carpenter-cabinetmaker. He used to tell us about the cabinetmaker he learned from that could lay out an entire kitchen with a stick. He never showed me this though.

You’re an amazing teacher! More people need to see your talent, time for a TV show! 😊

Well I never. ! I used to be a floor layer and always loved cutting in and scribing, but i love this. Why has it taken me 45 years to find out about it. Thanks for sharing, in a wonderful easy to follow video. Brilliant.

Love this woman!! 40yr in the biz and she's still teaching me!!

This is the best construction trick I've learned all year.

I truly enjoy her lessons 😌. Watching this, I looked like a child being shown how to do a magic trick. My eyes wide, fully attentive, and filled with joy. Always easy to understand and comprehend. That encouragement at the end just makes my heart smile and fills me with so much confidence. I'm definitely accomplishing my tasks today.

Ive been working with wood over 30 years and never seen this method. Its briliant. Thanks for this video 👌

I come from a family of shipbuilders going back centuries and I don't remember ever hearing of this, or even seeing on in my Grandfather & Uncle's sheds. I'm going to ask my Mum when I speak to her later. She used to love being with her Dad in his shed. Thank you very much for sharing this simple wisdom.

I follow loads of building and carpentery channels, and have never seen or heard of this technique before. Quite ingenious method and well explained!

Fun fact: It's called a ticking stick because it ticks off all of us who wish we knew about this 20 years ago.

This is the first time I’ve seen or heard of a ticking stick. Thank you Leah so much for the clear teaching and explanation. ❤

That was amazing. You are a treasure trove of information. I wish I could have studied under you when I was younger. Much love Mrs. Leah.

As a lifelong woodworker and and part time teacher, I just learned something new! Love it! Thank you Lea! 👍❤️

When i tell someone where i learned this from, I will say i spent a year in a Chinese fishing village where an elder trained me on all the ancient secrets. Then just when they start believing me, I will tell them about you and your youtube channel!! Great information! I just subscribed!

Really, this makes SO much sense ! Many years ago you would have workman that were not necessarily able to read, or do basic physics. But, they could trace a stick ! The best solutions are normally the most simple !

I’m going to make several different sizes so I have small , 6” to maybe 3’ long. I love watching your channel as I learn something every time. Many many thanks and God bless!!

As an engineer, i can say ive never thought of this before, this is a very clever idea!

i love how this is the second time on this channel I was “How does that work” to “It’s that easy?” in 15 seconds. Great work and amazingly helpful videos.

I’ve watched two or three of your videos over the years. Probably have gotten way more useful info from yours than dozens of others. Thank you!