Brighton Carpenter: December 2011

When I was an apprentice the carpenter I was working with gave me some words of wisdom.

1. You can take it off but you can't put it back on.
2. Never screw anything you can nail.
3. If it don't fit.. fill it with s**t.
4. Measure twice, cut once.

Now I basically agree with the above, although I have reservations about point 3. A little filling here and there is ok with work that is to be painted but it filler shrinks over time if you use too much so it should be used sparingly. Also If your going to fill then use a good two part filler, not poly filler. I also use a special resin which can be mixed with saw dust that is great for invisible mending in small areas.

The final words of wisdom he gave me was, "Anyone can make a mistake, but only a tradesman can get over it."

I totally agree with this, I make the odd mistake here and there, mostly small stuff but occasionally a big one and it's these times when you have to put the tools down, walk away and have a good think about the best way to fix it. Of course a good carpenter has a lot of tricks to use that can only be learned from experience. Here's a few basic tips that will hopefully stop you getting into trouble in the first place when doing DIY.

Use a rod. A rod is a joiners term and comes from 'rod board'. This is a 1:1 drawing, usually a plan that is used for setting out. The basic principle is that mistakes and problems should show up on the rod and if you follow it you can't go too far wrong. I've seen joiners using huge rod boards made of taped together hardboard for setting out large bars for pubs, especially curved work.

You can apply the rod principle to save time and be accurate. For example I'd alway prefer to offer a piece of timber into where it goes and mark how much to take off onto it. No using a tape, then measuring the wood. If you have hundred's of cuts, 10 seconds of time saved on each cut adds up to a lot of time. Also no mistakes and remeasuring.

When I hang doors, especially multiple ones, I always use a hinge rod to mark the hinges. It's basically a stick with the hinge placing marked on it and a pair of lines at the top to mark the gap at the top of the door. You need to overhang the rod when marking the door hinges to give a gap otherwise it will stick on the top of the frame. Ask yourself, would you rather use this method or take a heavy door, balance it in the frame with something in the top to keep the gap and try and mark the hinges with the other hand. Dropped your pencil? Never mind, take it all out, pick it up and try again.

As a carpenter you need to get into the thought process of thinking backwards. In your mind (and on paper if needed), visualize what you want to achieve then work backwards one step at a time and you will know what to do. If you watch a good carpenter they will often stop and think for a while and make a few notes then cut everything needed at the same time, fix it all together and there you go. Easy eh? Well it takes a little practice but the more you practice visualizing the job backwards or inside out the better you will get. You will also start to learn what structure is needed and what isn't serving much purpose and save yourself the time and materials.

Use a template or jig. If you have to mark the same thing repeatedly then you can save yourself a lot of time making your own little marking tools. I use them for marking locks, handles, pieces of ironmongery. Most importantly this will also increase accuracy, something you are always striving to get better and better.

My workshop is full of rods, and markers to speed up setting out.

That's the end of trade tips part 1, watch this space for more.

Matthew Legg, Brighton Carpenter