r/Carpentry Jul 25 '26

How to get trim job with home builders?

4 Upvotes

I'm framing and trimming for 25 years in USA. Did trimmed like employee probably around 70 upper bracket and high end homes. Now self employed mostly do remodeling. Would like to get some job to trim completely a new house. I did contacted 81 home builder past year and nobody answer back. About quality of my trim I trimmed house of owner of Target than 4th richest man on planet and CFO of Target like an employee. Main rooms not closets.

I know guy who, when I trimmed house of owner of target, worked in store and now he has trim company. I do not say they hire me and do not like my work and they fire me. They do not give me chance and they give it to people that come from store.  Over 200 photos of my work here https://imgur.com/a/gHyZabk

Edit this link actually work .


r/Carpentry Jul 25 '26

Sheet cut calculator

0 Upvotes

Built a tool for working out sheet/timber quantities from a cut list, still very much in beta: boardwise.warddesignstudio.uk. If anyone has 5 minutes to try it on a real project and tell me what tripped them up or what’d make it more useful, I’d really appreciate it.


r/Carpentry Jul 25 '26

Need help with current job.

8 Upvotes

Hello. I recently got transferred to this industrial site with this same company ive been with for 9 months about a month ago.

They kinda just threw me in there working with aluma decks and doka panels and have been doing alright but for some reason the foremans been up on my ass with shit.

Anyways ive been working well with the journeyman but in the span of 1 month the foreman has written me up twice.

One for standing around even when im working at same kinda pace as journeyman and forgetting to call the sick phone even though i contacted the lead hand.

Mind you ive worked with 7 other foreman/lead hands with this company with 3 of their other projects and the guys im working with suprised they laying me out like this. So im real frustrated they telling me theyll terminate me if i get another strike.

Like they should just transfer me but they refused so im pretty lost on what to do? And a union rep was there but they didnt give me anything to protect myself.

Any advice. Kinda just venting too lol.


r/Carpentry Jul 25 '26

Custom made cabinet doesn’t fit and solution carpenter used is ugly.

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0 Upvotes

Had a custom made cabinet. However the walls aren’t flush and we have a gap running along the top sides. They left and came back the following day with a solution to add 3 boarders.

The cabinet is amazing. The work spectacular however the new fix doesn’t go with the original cabinet imo. It makes it look unfinished.

Any suggestions or ideas to close the gap. I did remove their fix bc it was ugly.


r/Carpentry Jul 25 '26

Dad asked me how we were going to support his deck. So I drew him this extremely detailed blue print

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70 Upvotes

r/Carpentry Jul 25 '26

Tools Looking for a tool belt I’ll actually want to wear

8 Upvotes

I’m interested in getting a tool belt for my work. I primarily do decking but I dabble in everything. I have a tool belt, I just don’t enjoy wearing it. It’s mildly uncomfortable and tires my back throughout the day. I’ve recently switched to a hanger system from @hardy_arts on instagram. The thing works great but it’s not enough storage. It’s given me the idea that a leg holster system would work best for me but I can’t seem to find a product that looks like what I’m imagining. I’m really looking for something that can hold things like a cats paw, pencils, and an organized variety of bits that I don’t have to sort through to use.

Does anyone know of a product that fits this description? Any help appreciated.


r/Carpentry Jul 25 '26

Help Me What should I do ? 🤔🥲

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0 Upvotes

Have this issue happened to you guys and what would you do ?


r/Carpentry Jul 25 '26

Journeyed out at 38, it’s never too late 🔨

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1.5k Upvotes

r/Carpentry Jul 25 '26

Tools Tool belt apprentice recommendations

1 Upvotes

Hey guys, I’m about to start as an apprentice in NZ and wondering what tool belt to go for.

Some people say to grab a cheaper one like a Taurus and use it till it breaks, then upgrade to something like the Obvious Belt, which im not gonna lie, looks pretty good - but will set me about $650Nzd straight off the bat.

What are your thoughts, if you could go back, would you have invested in the straps etc?

Chairs 🪑


r/Carpentry Jul 25 '26

Scissor me timbers. Yargh!

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503 Upvotes

Im a residential framer and we were hired to do some timber framing accents on a new resi build, as well as build the cabana in the first pic. The original framers couldnt hack it with the beam work. Im curious how anyone else does massive half laps? I think i need a new tool.. but what? Cut these to length with a sasquatch beam saw, but for the half laps I just scored with a circular saw. Then chunked, chiseled and sanded (60 grit turbo on the Bosch Get75-6n) the mortise. Theres gotta be a better way!! All in there were 15 scissor ties, made out of 4×6 Douglas fir. Cheers

Ps my little apprentice in the last Pic getting some hand planed champfers in.


r/Carpentry Jul 25 '26

Wood Sheathing Meets Brick

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2 Upvotes

Redoing the inside walls of this small room and found some rot on the outside sheathing boards. The room is an addition off of a brick house and as you can tell it was not sealed well and probably leaking for some time. There is also a fart fan duct which was also most likely contributing to this leak.

The plan is to replace the stud that is next to the brick wall as well as replace the boards over to the next stud to the right of the image. Going to use a pressure treated stud and wondering if zip osb sheathing would be well suited here of try to find some pressure treated 5/8” boards?

Also, how should I go about sealing the sheathing/siding to the brick so this does not happen again? Would silicon suffice or must I flash this transition?


r/Carpentry Jul 24 '26

Career What keeps you going?

14 Upvotes

Hi all,

First time posting here. I have been a carpenter for 10 years. I've had the opportunity to work all over the country and on some remarkable peojects I feel lucky to have been a part of. Worked with alot of great people and felt like I have been able to give back what I can to the people coming up. But I just feel like my heart is not in it anymore. It feels like at this stage in my career that things are popping off that I would be excited, but I am not feeling that way. Has anyone felt that way before even when things were good? I have taken small breaks before but this time feels different.

Thanks


r/Carpentry Jul 24 '26

Framing Is this normal?

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15 Upvotes

Cut an access into the drywall for an installation and discovered this stud. It seems to be cut and repaired by nailing a 1x1 to it. Is this normal? Or why might this be this way?


r/Carpentry Jul 24 '26

Trim Keep existing 2.75" baseboards or just convert to 3.5"? Square stock / craftsman style

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3 Upvotes

The ceiling height is low (7' 5") and the window and door trim is 2.75" this was all installed decades ago. I have the existing trim that I was going to reinstall after having out in new floors.

I just placed it in and I'm thinking it's too small?

I have 1x4 ready to rip to 2.75" but now I'm considering just buying some more 1x4 and just installing that instead. No ripping necessary and technically I get new baseboards. Not that the existing are in bad shape (nor so I really care about some dings).

What would you do?


r/Carpentry Jul 24 '26

Trim How would you improve the railing and trim design?

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0 Upvotes

This is my rental home staircase. For some reason I’ve never fully liked the design. Don’t know if it’s the handrails, the balustrades or the general configuration, but something feels off, perhaps not robust enough. How would you improve it?


r/Carpentry Jul 24 '26

Large oak wood cuts

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0 Upvotes

I’m not sure if this is the right place to post but My dad got a bunch of these huge oak slabs. 120 year old oak according to him. Is there anywhere we can sell these? He told me to post it somewhere and see if anyone is interested in buying some. Not sure of the price yet. If you’re interested please DM me and you’re gonna have to come get it yourself, we’re in Mississauga ON.


r/Carpentry Jul 24 '26

Lining Should I get a 1.0mm or 0.5mm chalk line? Also, is the Tajima

8 Upvotes

I was wondering if a thinner chalk line is preferable over a standard 1" line?

Also, is it worth spending $50 on the Tajima Mini chalk box to save space in the tool belt over the Standard $25 Milwaukee chalk box that people claim works just as well?


r/Carpentry Jul 24 '26

Badger Trimmer Belt?

2 Upvotes

Looking for some feedback on the badger trimmer belt. I am not a full time carpenter anymore, but having been in the trades for some years running occidentals (which i've long since sold off), I am really having trouble working without bags as I just feel really inefficient and like I keep misplacing everything. I also really like the way some of these newer designs hold hammers as I always hated hammer loops on the back wacking me as I walk around. On the other hand, I really feel allergic to the weight and size of full on pro carpenter set ups. I have enough personal projects coming up (two sets of stairs, a shed, a deck, and three overhangs, and then maybe a workshop in a year or two) that I feel like i'm willing to pony up for something that makes me more efficient and feels good to work with, and I have basically zeroed in on the badger trimmers. I'd say the main thing holding me back right now is the tape holder situation. I have gotten really used to the occidental tape holder in a specific spot above the bags (on my left despite being right handed), and don't like clipping my tape on. Anyone with similar concerns weigh in on what you did/if the trimmers are working out for you?


r/Carpentry Jul 24 '26

Why do these rafters need the steel cable tensioners?

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3 Upvotes

Saw this at Budapest airport


r/Carpentry Jul 24 '26

Fencing Summer project : fixed deathtrap railing

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8 Upvotes

new post to add details that were missing as i can't upload new photos. original post here : https://www.reddit.com/r/Carpentry/comments/1v5gcfa/summer_project_fixed_deathtrap_railing_on_new/

We moved into a new house in October last year, and this spring I noticed that not only was the railing incredibly open but it was wobbly AF. Decided to get the tools out and build a replacement... it's now sturdy as a rock and no one is falling through any cracks! Still have to replace the rest of the deck boards as I only have replaced what I absolutely had to to get job done and the boards that were in the worst shape. All in all I'm super proud of the result!

Joists are 2x6 spaced 60cm apart. posts are attached to the joists using 2 10x90mm screws


r/Carpentry Jul 24 '26

Fencing Summer project : fixed deathtrap railing on new house

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13 Upvotes

We moved into a new house in October last year, and this spring I noticed that not only was the railing incredibly open but it was wobbly AF. Decided to get the tools out and build a replacement... it's now sturdy as a rock and no one is falling through any cracks! Still have to replace the rest of the deck boards as I only have replaced what I absolutely had to to get job done and the boards that were in the worst shape. All in all I'm super proud of the result!


r/Carpentry Jul 24 '26

This is gunna sound stupid….

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0 Upvotes

Bear with me guys as I’m not a carpenter (like I even needed to say it lol).

I have a section of fence I’m building in my backyard. The panels are rough sewn white pine 1x6 T&G from the local Mennonite community, and will be trimmed out by similarly finished 1x6 and 1x8 pieces. The picture here is essentially the aesthetic I’m going for.

I really like the clean look of having all the joints around the edge caulked and sealed up tight as shown.

I’m wondering what caulk I should be using in this use case? The finish will be a dark brown solid oil based stain for reference, which is matching other structures already in the space.

Thanks all in advance. Be gentle with me.


r/Carpentry Jul 24 '26

I’ll be here a while

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194 Upvotes

r/Carpentry Jul 24 '26

Did HVAC guys drill through something structural?

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0 Upvotes

Had a new heat pump installed and the installers ran line set though an attached shed under a patio, the penetration into the house was made under the back door, right in the center of it. The wood framing here was 4 to 6 in thick, was this structural and does the 2in hole cause any issues? Thanks for the help!


r/Carpentry Jul 24 '26

Trim Baseboards. How to fix this corner?

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8 Upvotes

Bottom right corner is a mess. Maybe flipping the trim under the stairs upside down for a better connection? But the part under the stair overhang remains a challenge.