DIY Carpentry Essentials

Do it yourself carpentry is one way to beat this recession and helps you beat the cost of home maintenance.  To do this one must have at least a basic knowledge of carpentry.  It would also pay you to know the most popular types of wood, and what power and hand tools you would need to do whatever project you are contemplating.

In writing this article I am going to assume that you are like me.  In our lifetimes we have been back yard mechanics,  plumbers, electricians and carpenters.  We have become jacks of all trades but master’s of none.

I remember the first few projects I did by trial and error.  It was frustrating  so I am going to do what I wish someone had done for me.  This is  do it yourself carpentry for the novice.  This is where you start now that you have decided you can no longer foot the bill to hire someone to come in and do the home maintenance for you.

Ten Tool Box necessities:

The first question anyone would have is what do I need for tools.  There are several good large stores that specialize in home maintenance.  The store personnel can help you find the tools you need.

There is one rule of thumb when buying tools and that is to get the best tool you can afford.  Your tools are an investment.  Buying good tools will save you money in the long run because they last longer.  Price is also not the best guide for tool quality.  So ask the store personnel what you  should buy.

In general there are ten tools the do it yourself homeowner will need:

1.) Hammer– when selecting one try a few practice swings It should feel good.

2.) Tape measure– 25ft by 1 inch will suffice in most cases

3.)  Utility knife–  good for trimming small pieces of wood or wood chips

4,)  T-square– not just for drawing straight lines

5.)  level–  essential for making sure the project is level

6.)  chalk box– for drawing straight lines

7.)  chisel–  just one decent 1 inch chisel should be sufficient 

8.)  screw drivers–  essential in any tool box

9.)  circular saw–  one of two essential power tools in anyone’s tool box

10.) power drill/driver–  the other essential power tool

Getting Started

To begin a project, accurate measurement is essential.  A good selection of measurement tools is needed for measuring lengths, widths, and depths in addition to angles is a must in any tool box.

Grades of Wood

This aspect of carpentry can be confusing if you don’t know or you have not bought

wood before.

Lumber is graded by the amount of clear wood, without a defect such as a knot, and other flaws it has.

Most wood that is measured in dimensions such as the 2×4 is made of softwood.  The highest grade of soft wood is select grade.  This grade may be free of all defects or contain just a few.

The next grade is finish grade.  This grade is often free of knots and is usually suitable for most projects.

Common grade is the lowest grade.  This grade has visible knots and other defects.

Pressure treated lumber is lumber that is treated under pressure with chemicals that are used to resist decay.

Hardwoods

Most hardwoods used in wood work fall into three categories:

1.)  FAS ( firsts and seconds )

2.)  Select

3.)   #1 common

FAS has the highest percentage of clear wood.  It may have faults on up to 20% of the wood.  Select boards have the same amount of clear wood as FAS boards on one face but on the back face may have small defects.  Number One ( #1 ) common boards have more defects and up to 30% of the board may be waste.

Experts tell me that when buying lumber have it planed to 1/16 ths of an inch thicker than what you need.  This will protect the wood when you are ready to use it. You can plane it down to its final dimension.  This will keep it dent and stain free.

Screws and Nails

If you go to the hardware store there is a dizzying array of nails to chose from.  There are common nails ( large flat headed nails ) used in rough carpentry. Then there are box nails which are similar to common nails but have a smaller diameter.  These are used in light carpentry such as packing cases.

The casing nail is a nail with a small head but a rather heavy nail  used in some finishing.  Then there is the finishing nail used in all cabinet and finishing work like crown molding.

Nail sizes are indicated by the term penny number.  This number originally was about the price per pound but now relates to length.  

There are also a wide variety of screws. It would be advisable to ask what screw you need for your project.

Design and Planning

We are now to the final stage before doing and completing your do it yourself carpentry project.

This is design and planning the project.  In planning a project you should follow these basic steps:

1. Find out what materials you need

1. Determine what tools and equipment you need

1. List the steps to follow

Conclusion

You are now ready to begin your project.  As many people who have already taken these steps can tell you, there is nothing more satisfying than standing back and looking at a completed do it yourself carpentry project and knowing I did it.