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February 26, 2009

The Incredible Shrinking Tool

You could say one of the biggest trends in the world of new tools is how small they're becoming.

It's hardly new, of course, and hardly tools-only. Everything gets smaller and more efficient (except perhaps the US auto industry, but that's something else entirely isn't it?) -- but tools have been on this course for years.

For me it started with impact drivers: they're smaller and more powerful than cordless drills. Another tool I use much more than I thought is a "miniature" tool that isn't new at all, just updated: the trim router.

Way back when, these were called laminate trimmers but Bosch and Ridgid, most recently, tweaked this category and I love them for 90-100% of my jobsite routing tasks. I'm sure if I looked I could find my old 1 hp router, but I almost never use it any more.

Not all "tools" benefit -- at least directly -- from miniaturization. I drive a small crew cab truck and it works but along with the benefits of decent mileage it has its limitations. Next time around, I'll be looking for an even bigger truck to house, move and stage everything from tools to office stuff to jobsite debris.

Posted by Mark Clement at 4:18 PM

February 25, 2009

Build It or Buy It -- Managing and Moving Stuff

Managing and moving stuff on site I something I spend a lot of time on. I mean, who doesn't?

One of the things I looooooooaaaaaathe moving is my sheet metal brake. It's an indispensible tool, but good-gravy it is heavy. And it hurts to pick it up... whine, whine, whimper.

Lo-and-behold, I saw a guy on a window-replacement job who had a fold-down "table" for his. It's awesome! He had the unit custom-fabricated and fixed to his square-tube ladder racks. It folds down along the side of his truck and levels out just lower than the truck's rail. No more does he have to drag the unit around, set it up on sawhorses or otherwise deal with it. I love it. What a time saver.

For me, I make what I call carpenter's carts. They're basically moving carts with solid decks. I purloined this idea from my wife who made these carts for a storage area in our home. No more are boxes inextricably shoved on top of one another. If you need to move the beach stuff to get to the Christmas decorations, you simply roll a cart out of the way. Heavenly.

Efficient materials management is a HUUUGE consumer of time and labor in our world. I'd love to know what ideas, techniques, and measures you take—custom or store-bought—to make the moving and management as easy as possible.

Posted by Mark Clement at 4:15 PM

February 13, 2009

Build It or Buy It -- Sawhorses and Miter Saws

I just got my hands on a pair of knock-down sawhorses. They're Crawford horses purchased at Sears. They're steel with adjustable legs that fold up. All told, each one takes up about the same amount of space (collapsed) as a 2x4 about 3 feet long. They even have a carry handle enabling you to lug them like a suitcase. Pretty cool. One downside, however, is that the legs are kind of sharp and sank pretty fast in soft ground when I stacked up a few sheets O' plywood on there. Surprise!

However, after 15 plus years in this game, this is the first pair (at least the first ones I recall; it has been 15 years after all) that I haven't made from 2-by-4 stock. The sawhorses I use, you probably use -- all you do is nail three together in an I-beam, then nail four legs on it. They're cheap and bulletproof. (Note: if this design is new to you, check out page 185 of my book for a drawing.)

As for my miter saw, I have another site made solution. Basically it is a plywood box. I notch it out in the center and drop the miter saw into the notch. Now I have just about all the in-feed and out-feed support I can use. It's the center of my shop and most jobsites. All it takes is a little time, careful measuring, and a sheet of 3/4 inch birch plywood. I also share the design for this on page 171 of my book. All the majors make a steel or aluminum set-up that costs more than mine, but is ready to roll out of the box.

Carpenters and DIYers are a creative bunch. Heck, we wouldn't tackle something as complicated as a house if we weren't. So my question is the title of this blog: do you build it or buy it? What do you build, what do you buy? Why? I'd love to know what your site solutions are... maybe I can copy them.

Posted by Mark Clement at 2:22 PM

February 9, 2009

Get the Lead Out... Or Else!

"Beginning in April 2010, Federal law will require contractors that disturb lead-based paint in homes, child care facilities, and schools built before 1978 to be certified (emphasis mine) and follow specific work practices to prevent lead contamination."

That comes from the new Environmental Protection Agency's Renovate Right, Important Lead Information for Families, Child Care Providers, and Schools.

There's some good stuff in it too. Here's a couple that jumped out at me:

• The EPA has a handbook contractors are (or will be, depends on which one you read first) called Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home and Keep it Clean: An Insider's Guide to Lead-Safe Painting and Home Improvement. I found this pamphlet at my local Sherwin Williams paint store and while it has most of the stuff that's pretty much common knowledge about lead, it does indicate that this pamphlet should be handed to the homeowner by the contractor if lead is present.
• Renovate Right states contractors disturbing lead paint should shut off the HVAC system and seal the ducts with 6 mil plastic. This is good practice, lead or not.
• Renovate Right goes on to say that surfaces should be wetted down and then sanded (I've never been able to sand anything wet, but OK).
• Here's a really good one: For surfaces you (or your painter) plan to cook off (one of my painters likes to use a torch to boil, then scrape, the bubbling paint from contoured surfaces such as doors and banisters). Renovate Right says that's a no-no. Instead, use a heat gun that operates under 700 degrees Fahrenheit.

The other items that caught my eye are...

The main hazard , according to both these pamphlets, from lead is not as I had learned before -- kids eating large amounts of paint chips. Sadly, an article I read years ago reported,that large numbers of lead poisonings occurred in neighborhoods that had two things: old, poorly maintained homes and children with poor diets. Even more sadly, it and other research said that lead paint tastes sweet. I'm not sure what changed, but now they're saying lead-containing dust is the villain. So when you demo old plaster or sand paint applied pre-1978, you're opening Pandora's Box, one especially hazardous to children under 6 years of age.

While it's a good start , "this pamphlet is NOT for: abatement projects, do-it-yourself projects, [or] contractor education." For information with teeth, the EPA wants you to call 800-424-LEAD.

Finally , contractors working in lead-containing homes will need to be certified for such work.

So while I strive to "renovate right" no matter what I build, there's now a potential liability issue to deal with -- and a new certification. Have you heard about this? Have you made moves to protect yourself already? What's the deal?

Posted by Mark Clement at 2:54 PM | Comments (2)

February 2, 2009

Build It or Buy It?

Variety appears to be the spice of site solutions. Whether they're based on
maximizing efficiency, saving money -- or both -- they take on all shapes
and sizes. In this batch the buy-or-builds focus on hauling everything from
heavy loads to small tools.

Tie-Downs. I've seen everything from ladders to sheets of plywood and tarps tied down with bungee cords. To me, these are death on a string. One friend of mine nearly lost his eye when one snapped back in his face. Another did lose one. Blind. Forever.

Lots of guys like those ratcheting nylon strap deals and they look like they work, but they also look complicated and heavy and like you can lodge a rock in there pretty easily.

I use 1/8-inch nylon line and a few knots you can learn from the ingenious Klutz Book of Knots . My mainstays (pun intended) are the trucker's hitch, bowline and half hitch http://www.animatedknots.com/truckers/index.php . I learned these in my marine construction days and since then I've tied down mega-loads, used them as a come-along, and otherwise secured all the things that want to fly off the back of a truck. Simple and sweet. And rope is cheap.

Ladder Racks. I don't see it much where I live now (Philadelphia) but where I grew up (Cape Cod) there were a few carpenters who made their own pick-up truck racks, usually from hardwoods. And these weren't jalopy slap-ups, these were primo carpentry. Once guy even had his spar-urethaned with his company name engraved on it. I've gone the other direction, however, and use Trac-Rac's T-Rac. It's terrific and worth every penny.

Toolboxes. It used to be the mark of a fine carpenter -- back in the day as they say -- to carry his tools in a toolbox he made himself. And by toolbox I mean furniture-grade chest with full dovetails and lift-out trays for chisels, hammers, and saws. A more manageable box can be zapped together (see page 35 of my book) with 1-by and drywall screws that works just great for carrying all kinds of hand tools. I also use a Veto-Pro-Pac and riggers bags from Duluth Trading .

I'm hungry for more built-it-buy-its from you. Send photos if you can.

Posted by Mark Clement at 5:51 PM