# tricks of the trade?



## al10fred1081

see how many we can list and which are the best? 

My all-time favorite is an oldie but goodie: the index finger rip guide

heard some good ones lately, one from my partner about a router cutting holes out of sheathing for window openings. I always used a sawzall or notched the hole out before the sheathing went on, but the router gives a perfect edge with a flush cut bit. makes sense.

Alex


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## Harmoney Const

If your installing a tapcon n your hole is just slightly bigger stick a piece of wire in the whole! Also when cutting sheets the scribe trick. when settn trusses use a gage block to lock them in. when nailing off wall sheeting use your hammer to check for 16" centers. set up a gig on a miter saw when you have multiple cuts!!! Patterns!!! When installing furring strips on block walls make a gauge block @ 22" and install the furring strips on 2' centers instead of 16 centers. If your doing trusses build sets and also on gables sheet, tyvek, install overhang rakes!!!


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## neolitic

This is *such* a good idea that.....:whistling
http://www.contractortalk.com/showthread.php?t=18131&highlight=share
:laughing:


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## curapa

al10fred1081 said:


> see how many we can list and which are the best?
> 
> My all-time favorite is an oldie but goodie: the index finger rip guide
> 
> heard some good ones lately, one from my partner about a router cutting holes out of sheathing for window openings. I always used a sawzall or notched the hole out before the sheathing went on, but the router gives a perfect edge with a flush cut bit. makes sense.
> 
> Alex


I use the router when possible, makes a perfect cut.


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## neolitic

al10fred1081 said:


> one from my partner about a router cutting holes out of sheathing for window openings. I always used a sawzall or notched the hole out before the sheathing went on, but the router gives a perfect edge with a flush cut bit. makes sense.
> 
> Alex


So much more quiet with steel studs too!


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## oldfrt

al10fred1081 said:


> see how many we can list and which are the best?
> 
> My all-time favorite is an oldie but goodie: the index finger rip guide
> 
> heard some good ones lately, one from my partner about *a router cutting holes out of sheathing for window openings*. I always used a sawzall or notched the hole out before the sheathing went on, but the router gives a perfect edge with a flush cut bit. makes sense.
> 
> Alex


 We had a local framing crew a few years back that insisted on using chain saws for cutting in the window openings.
There's nothing like the sound of a chain saw on new construction to give the impression of a precision job.
I think this is where the term "rough framing" was introduced into the trades.

* My all-time favorite is an oldie but goodie: the index finger rip guide

* Great in a pinch,but Good for a few slivers too.


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## FramingFanatic

Chainsaws are a great way to cut out a window opening. As long as you know how to use it. No need to chalk lines or anything. All you have to do is tilt the bar slightly and feel your way through. I can promise you that if you know what your doing you will never cut your studs, and your cuts will be perfect... All in 10-20 seconds.

Also when cutting large amounts of blocks, make your self jigs, so that way all you need is your jig and a pencil, no need to keep meauring. Works like a charm. 
When cutting jacks for your windows instead of measuring, take a sawn off piece of whatever you header will be and nail a 2x4 on the side of it, perfect jack everytime.


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## al10fred1081

how bout the sledgehammer handle prybar against the block when framing a basement, just stick the handle against the block/crete to pull em back in when you knock the wall ahead of plumb...

Alex


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## Norrrrrrrrrrrrm

When installing paint-grade trim I cut my outside corners 46 degrees or 23 degrees to make sure my points match if the wall is a little funny.


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## Tin Cup

1) always stand on an full bucket of mud when reaching instead of an empty one turned upside down !

2) if you fall while standing on an empty bucket, jump up real quick an act like nothing happened.

3) get the tall guy on your crew to reach instead of having to stand on any bucket.

4) never let your guys eat fries with their burger lunch, they'll be worthless the rest of the day.

5) when you cut your hand on the job, used duct tape instead of electrician's tape. duct tape is more absorbent.


Tin Cup


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## dlcj

Tin Cup said:


> 1)
> .
> 
> 5) when you cut your hand on the job, used duct tape instead of electrician's tape. duct tape is more absorbent.
> 
> 
> Tin Cup


I shot my leg with nail gun once and my buddies tryed to talk me into putting pvc pipe cleaner on it for dissinfectant . I did not do it but ive heard it again from differnt people, maybe true. Use super glue to seal a cut especially on the palm of your hand where tape will not stay.


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## oldfrt

FramingFanatic said:


> Chainsaws are a great way to cut out a window opening. As long as you know how to use it. No need to chalk lines or anything. All you have to do is tilt the bar slightly and feel your way through. I can promise you that if you know what your doing you will never cut your studs, and your cuts will be perfect... All in 10-20 seconds.


 I'm sure most Canadians can handle a chain saw with the skills of a surgeon,probably have one behind every truck seat and carve out toothpicks for your after lunch flossing.
The local crew I saw doing it,took away half the jacks and were known for using 3/8" plywood for wall sheathing ,and roof decking,24" OC.
Seeing this gave me the willies about all their techniques.

I believe they were Irishmen(no offense to ya now),and we all know how many forests there are in Ireland.


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## neolitic

*It wasn't a bullet that laid him to rest,just the low spark of high heeled boys.*
:notworthy
OMG!
"Little Stevie Winwood"
Spencer Davis Group
Hair spray and English Leather
Was *anybody* ever
that young?


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## FramingFanatic

Hairspray made me think of another one. When chalking lines before an expected rainfall. Spray hairspray over them before you leave they will stay put and wont smudge.


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## deckman22

al10fred1081 said:


> see how many we can list and which are the best?
> 
> My all-time favorite is an oldie but goodie: the index finger rip guide
> 
> heard some good ones lately, one from my partner about a router cutting holes out of sheathing for window openings. I always used a sawzall or notched the hole out before the sheathing went on, but the router gives a perfect edge with a flush cut bit. makes sense.
> 
> Alex


 
Since I work with a lot of rough cedar I quit using the finger for a rip guide. I now use one of those clips that screw on framing squares for cutting stairs, works like a champ & no slivers!


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## cleveman

*subfloor adhesive*

Get a quart caulking gun with a guide to ride along the floor joists and a very long handle to apply adhesive to floor joists.


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## Cashking63

When you absolutly have to paint to a tape line, lightly brush a very , very little bit of paint on the tape edge and let it dry. it will seal out those pain in the [email protected]# bleed throughs


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## mikezap

When you get a real deep splinter, take a Sharpie, circle it , and pull it out later.
Get back to work, pussie!


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## 2ndGen

Trying to nail a tac nail in a corner or tight place? 

Grab a piece of cardboard 1"X8" or so, split it, place the nail in the split, then you can hammer it without worrying about hitting your fingers. 

Once almost in, slide the cardboard holder out, send the tac home.


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## easy sider

mikezap said:


> When you get a real deep splinter, take a Sharpie, circle it , and pull it out later.
> Get back to work, pussie!


Nice,,,, I like it.


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## neolitic

dlcj said:


> I like the bow string wax idea. but a good ol bar of soap works well too.





MALCO.New.York said:


> Ivory soap is as good!


Soap (even bar soap) has moisture in it
screws will tend to rust.
Wax will let you turn a screw out pristine
after a hundred years.


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## dlcj

neolitic said:


> Soap (even bar soap) has moisture in it
> screws will tend to rust.
> Wax will let you turn a screw out pristine
> after a hundred years.


yea yea i get your point but im only concerned with screwing not unscrewing


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## pfloyd

I've found that being too "concerned with screwing" just causes accidents. Especially in the early 20's.


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## jumbocactar

mikezap said:


> When you get a real deep splinter, take a Sharpie, circle it , and pull it out later.
> Get back to work, pussie!



im gonna be laughing all day!!!:clap:


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## buletbob

when hammering finish nails into hard wood just rub the nail in your hair, it will drive easier. Gee! that's why I'm going bald


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## wyoming 1

When installing T&G horizontaly and you have a bow in it use a pair of c-clamp welders vice grips pinch the stud and pry down works better than driving in a chisel and prying down. Also another good source for wax is a damaged wax ring from the plumber


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## supermike

gouda cheese wax covering is the best...great for holding a screw on a screwdriver in tight places.


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## neolitic

Maybe not new to anyone else,
but I was pretty proud.
Had an Azek deck with a radius-ed
end, and vertical bead board skirt.
Wanted to use a bottom bearing
flush-cut router bit to trim the 
deck boards, but all of the little
grooves in the bead board....
I ran double sided tape around
the b/b and stuck a strip of coil
stock on...smooth as silk, slick
as a used car salesman! :thumbsup:


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## dmw4322

cut cross sections of bicycle intertubes for rubberbands. they're hard to break and don't rot.


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## toolwiz93

If you need to drill a hole for a finish nail and don't have a the right drill bit or don't want to get a bit just use the nail as the bit. It is the perfect size and will drill fairly easy. You might have to cut off the head depending on what size nail you use. Caution if you use the nail you drilled with it will be hot.


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## MBS

homework said:


> Some wax on hard to drive screws works well.
> Being a hunter, I found it easy to do with Bow String Wax.
> You can get it at hunting and archery stores, the wax stays in its own
> tube and pushes up like Chapstick. Makes it easy to carry in tool bag.


Ear wax! I carry enough in both ears to trim out an entire kitchen.


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## comp

MBS said:


> Ear wax! I carry enough in both ears to trim out an entire kitchen.


:laughing::laughing::laughing:


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## mdshunk

MBS said:


> Ear wax! I carry enough in both ears to trim out an entire kitchen.


That's just gross. (although electricians have been known to use nose grease to lubricate a light bulb before installing it)


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## comp

mdshunk said:


> That's just gross. (although electricians have been known to use nose grease to lubricate a light bulb before installing it)


 :laughing:


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## Winchester

When fishing wire and you can't get a fish tape through or anything else (getting stuck up on something) You can unbend a metal coathanger and put it in your drill. A lot of times this will work (if the distance you are going is not far).

You can also cut the tip of the hanger to make it a sharp point. Drills through wood and drywall without too much difficulty like if you wanted to go through a floor and into a ceiling and see downstairs where it would come through. The hole the hanger makes is easy to fill in


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## novicepro

When you're doing a lot of skim coating it gets hard to see where you've already coated. So to make sure you don't miss a spot mix some chalkline chalk into the mud- blue or red.


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## neolitic

novicepro said:


> When you're doing a lot of skim coating it gets hard to see where you've already coated. So to make sure you don't miss a spot mix some chalkline chalk into the mud- blue or red.


Never red!
Bleeds through too easily.


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## essrmo

when cutting drywall with a straight edge, use a strong spring clamp to hold one end.


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## Marky Stone

When cutting a masonary opening to install a door buck I tapcon a strait edge to keep the emergency saw from drifting out of level..

When working with metal studs for headers lay a picece of track in front of the opening mark your opening and the outside of the king stud square marks across saves you from useing a tape measure if time is a issue.

When installing white boards in a school loose your level! always pull your measurments from the drop ceiling on each end then strike a level line.


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## Marky Stone

When setting steel door bucks for your mason put a 2x4 in the header, when you go to install your door closure you wont smoke your drill bit or break a very important screw!

Also rember to tape off the back of hinges and strike before the mason gets to it, architects hate to see grout ooozing through a buck there client is paying a arm and a leg for.. :thumbsup:

Always baby sit the electricians and plumbers on commercial jobs they have no problem running stuff outside your wall you buil so it totally screws you for your fire rock inspection.


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## Marky Stone

novicepro said:


> When you're doing a lot of skim coating it gets hard to see where you've already coated. So to make sure you don't miss a spot mix some chalkline chalk into the mud- blue or red.


 
Im gonna do this to our painter I wanna see what he really does all day! lol


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## CurtLee

Take a piece of steel wool and rub it together next to a wall and the dust will stick to every screw in the sheetrock. Works great for doing cabinets. Quicker and more accurate than a stud finder.


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## AnthonyRichard

one of my all time favorites- 
when installing base boards, use 1 1/2 inch roofing nails behind the base to get it plumb. Nail it in and leave it out a little further than needed. Nail base onto wall, than fine tune it when completing the inside corner with the next peice of base. Ask me if you don't understand.


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## dlcj

AnthonyRichard said:


> one of my all time favorites-
> when installing base boards, use 1 1/2 inch roofing nails behind the base to get it plumb. Nail it in and leave it out a little further than needed. Nail base onto wall, than fine tune it when completing the inside corner with the next peice of base. Ask me if you don't understand.


I know what you mean. I do it too. Can be done in other situations too like if something is going to take a little more weight than base board use dry wall screws. U just have to have drill handy to fine tune.


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## ACTRenovator

CurtLee said:


> Take a piece of steel wool and rub it together next to a wall and the dust will stick to every screw in the sheetrock. Works great for doing cabinets. Quicker and more accurate than a stud finder.


Very good, I like that one!! So how do you get the metal dust off the wall?? It becomes magnetic and fairly hard to remove??


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## masterj

*Never do work for your friends brother without a contract*

or you will loose both your shirt and your friend


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## SethHoldren

> Hairspray made me think of another one. When chalking lines before an expected rainfall. Spray hairspray over them before you leave they will stay put and wont smudge.


Lacquer works great for this purpose too. Especially in spots that will get dirtier. 



> when hammering finish nails into hard wood just rub the nail in your hair, it will drive easier. Gee! that's why I'm going bald


They call this "Carpenter's Grease". lol

The side of your nose works well too :thumbsup:


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## Tom R

Use your pencil to stir your coffee, - - and it will also stick to your ear better . . . :laughing:


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## detroit687

Cow magnets to find studs there small powerfull used to pull old metal into one of the stomachs of a cow. they stick right to the drywall where the screws are and have a plastic coating that doesnt mar or mark up the paint. And I love my home made door dolly


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## nailman

*like it*



mikezap said:


> When you get a real deep splinter, take a Sharpie, circle it , and pull it out later.
> Get back to work, pussie!


I told that to a guy at work this week, Draw and circle around it and pull it out on your own time. The look he gave me was priceless.


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## woodbutchr

nailman said:


> I told that to a guy at work this week, Draw and circle around it and pull it out on your own time. The look he gave me was priceless.


I did the same thing the other day, it was funny! He didn't circle it but he did go back to work, lol.


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## SethHoldren

> Draw a circle around it and pull it out on your own time


Lol.

I had an old boss once who would've said something like that.

One time when the lead foreman came back to him to say the carpenters were asking about getting reimbursed for gas due to increasing prices, he said,

"Tell them if they're worried about fuel costs, we'll load 'em up in the back of the flatbed and take 'em to the job like a bunch of migrant workers."

No more talk of reimbursements after that.


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## BSConstruction

When installing a toilet on uneven floor, use the hard plastic (white) mini tile wedges to shim it up at the low spots. Won't crush like cedar and blends beautifully with a bead of translucent. Be sure to not silicon the whole way around the toilet in case a wax ring fails.


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## BSConstruction

Sharpie can be easily erased. Mark any sealed surface with sharpie, once dry, use the sharpie itself to roughly scribble over the mark, then wipe off. The ink re-liquefies the dry ink and the abrasive tip scrubs it away, you can wipe clean with your finger. 

Works great on tile, finished hardwoods, vinyl, though I've yet to try on any painted surface.


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## hdavis

Run your hole hog left handed so you can't get your trigger hand busted if it catches.


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## mgb

When running mitered base board. I'll glue and place 3 or 4 pcs to see how the miters line up.

If open at the bottom I pull the base away from the wall while leaving it tucked into the corner still. Then nail the bottom about 5" from the corner.

When you push the base back against the wall it acts as a pivot point and springs the base towards the corner.


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## Yankee Framer

al10fred1081 said:


> see how many we can list and which are the best?
> 
> My all-time favorite is an oldie but goodie: the index finger rip guide
> 
> heard some good ones lately, one from my partner about a router cutting holes out of sheathing for window openings. I always used a sawzall or notched the hole out before the sheathing went on, but the router gives a perfect edge with a flush cut bit. makes sense.
> 
> Alex



Index finger rip guide I know well.....











Believe it or not I also know you should have electrical tape in your pouch if you are gonna do it on OSB as a saw guide or tape guide to measure your rips.  I am not the normal cut man though so I never have it handy. 

I did have a cut man for a bit who carried a 1" long piece of 1" PVC pipe in his pouch to put on his finger when he used it as a guide. :thumbsup:

Do as I say not as I do. :thumbsup:

As for the router to cut out window rough openings. I use a sawzall too and wonder how much of the corner does the router leave in? Some of the windows we set can have "ears" on them from cheap ass vinyl frames and I can't help but think I would have to persuade the window in instead of placing it in.


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## tham

A Hilti pin for a center punch.

Tham


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## Ninjaframer

Yankee Framer said:


> Index finger rip guide I know well.....
> 
> Believe it or not I also know you should have electrical tape in your pouch if you are gonna do it on OSB as a saw guide or tape guide to measure your rips.  I am not the normal cut man though so I never have it handy.
> 
> I did have a cut man for a bit who carried a 1" long piece of 1" PVC pipe in his pouch to put on his finger when he used it as a guide. :thumbsup:
> 
> Do as I say not as I do. :thumbsup:
> 
> As for the router to cut out window rough openings. I use a sawzall too and wonder how much of the corner does the router leave in? Some of the windows we set can have "ears" on them from cheap ass vinyl frames and I can't help but think I would have to persuade the window in instead of placing it in.


Even the 1/2" router bit takes the corner out enough. They do make a 1/4" pilot bit that takes it out completely though.


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## FullerFramer

Ninjaframer said:


> Even the 1/2" router bit takes the corner out enough. They do make a 1/4" pilot bit that takes it out completely though.


Yep never had a problem with it. Router is by far the best method in terms of speed and accuracy.


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