| Pleasing proportions, clean lines, flawless miters, and other well crafted details are all measures of excellence for finish carpentry. This book takes you to the job site to see exactly how top notch trim carpenters get interior detailing done right. All types of interior trim and built-in construction are covered, as well as essential tools and techniques.
Written by pros who actually do the work, these article will help you to:
- Install different types of door, window, baseboard, and cornice trim.
- Calculate, order, and trim installation to minimize waste.
- Compensate for out-of-square, out-of-plumb conditions.
- Make cope and miter cuts quickly and accurately.
- Use scribing techniques to get precise fits against uneven surfaces.
- Design and install a paneled wainscot.
- Use a nailgun to speed trim installation.
From the Introduction
"That gap's so big you could throw a cat through it." I had just finished trimming a window, when one of my fellow carpenters assessed the quality of a particular miter joint with that comment. It was job-site hyperbole, of course. You could barely have slipped a matchbook cover into the gap, but his point was clear. The gap was too big.
Finish carpentry is not a game of inches. It's a game of skoshes, hairs, tads, and other increments smaller than any carpenter's tape will measure. The overriding goal of frame carpentry is strength, but with finish carpentry, it's all about looks. And in order to look good, finish carpentry must be executed to very high tolerances.
In the real world, working to high tolerances is hard. Floors are never level, walls are never plumb, and the build-up of joint compound on drywall means that corners are never square. There's never a stud or joist to nail into when you need one. And then there's human nature to contend with. You know, the voice whispering in your ear that you don't really need to drill a pilot hole for that nail, which of course splits the wood as soon as you drive home the nail.
To do good finish work you need four things. First you need to care about doing good work. Then you need patience and good tools. And finally you need every trick in the book . . . which makes this a good place to start. This book is actually a collection of articles originally published in Fine Homebuilding magazine. Written by builders from all over the country, these articles contain the hard-won lessons from their real-world experience.
-Kevin Ireton
Editor-in-Chief, Fine Homebuilding Magazine
Table of Contents
Introduction —
Part 1: BASICS: Basic Scribing Techniques, Plate Joinery on the Job Site, 10 Rules for Finish Carpentry, Pneumatic Finish Nailing, A Pair of Built-In Hutches; Part 2: BASEBOARDS: Curved Baseboard Corners, Running Baseboard Efficiently, Designing and Installing Baseboards; Part 3: WINDOWS: More Than One Way to Case a Window, Making Curved Casing, Bench-Built Window Trim; Part 4: CROWN MOLDING: Crown Molding Basics, Cutting Crown Molding, Installing Two-Piece Crown, Making Curved Crown Molding, Installing Crown Moldings; Part 5: PANELING: Recycled Redwood Wainscoting, Traditional Cabinetry from a Modern Material, Installing Elegant Wainscot Paneling; Credits; Index. |
