Accurate Carpentry - fun to see.

[Brian Kent]

I am looking out my window at work and watching the framing work on a new multi-purpose building. The main framer is doing wonderfully accurate work. I don't even know his name, but I would be happy with his joinery on furniture, let alone framing.

[Will Boulware]

Simply amazing! Thanks for posting!

[Brian Kent]

I guess this is also a stealth weather gloat.

[John Coloccia]

I guess this is also a stealth weather gloat.

Weather? What weather?

[Bruce Page]

Very cool! And he's a Dale Earnhardt Jr. fan too (#8).

[hank dekeyser]

Good framers are hard to find. At least good framers that will actually build plumb and square. Heck , up in Wisconsin it's getting harder and harder to get work since alot of guys are cutting each others throats just so they can have work. (They make a profit by going fast and sloppy) There are guys that dont even use levels. Then the home broker complains that nothing is "right" - The crew of guys I'm with are just the opposite - Do it right, no matter what ! - If you don't take pride in what you do, you should maybe just stay home and watch TV

if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck -

[George Bregar]

Why I appreciate timber framing...even more impressive than this.

[Larry Edgerton]

Good framers are hard to find. At least good framers that will actually build plumb and square. Heck , up in Wisconsin it's getting harder and harder to get work since alot of guys are cutting each others throats just so they can have work. (They make a profit by going fast and sloppy) There are guys that dont even use levels. Then the home broker complains that nothing is "right" - The crew of guys I'm with are just the opposite - Do it right, no matter what ! - If you don't take pride in what you do, you should maybe just stay home and watch TV

if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck -

Same problem I am running into here in Michigan. Some of my technics actually end up being faster, but overall, bad framing can be done in less time. The problem as I see is that all the time that you save in the framing is lost + some in the finish. I work my homes from start to finish, so I make it easier on myself later.

I routinely cut all of my studs, headers, cripples, sills and so forth in the shop ahead of time, label then in sets, and take to the jobsite. I even put my headers together and run them through the planer. I have even cut all of the rafters for roofs in the shop when the weather was too cold to do a good job outside. But I am a dinosaur. I find customers that know the difference, but not many. If I ever am forced to work like much of what I see, I will call it quits.

Notice those headers over the window? That wouldn't fly here. Nice work those fellows are doing. Its zero here this morning and those T shirts sure look comfy.......

[Scott T Smith]

I'll bet that guy has a timber framing background...

[Kevin Stockwell]

Why aren't you quality-conscious framers here in Chicagoland??? I have a shop to build this spring!

[David Helm]

People who build as though it mattered are still around. You just don't find them by asking for competitive bids. Quality work costs and quality builders still find work.

[hank dekeyser]

Same problem I am running into here in Michigan. Some of my technics actually end up being faster, but overall, bad framing can be done in less time. The problem as I see is that all the time that you save in the framing is lost + some in the finish. I work my homes from start to finish, so I make it easier on myself later.

I routinely cut all of my studs, headers, cripples, sills and so forth in the shop ahead of time, label then in sets, and take to the jobsite. I even put my headers together and run them through the planer. I have even cut all of the rafters for roofs in the shop when the weather was too cold to do a good job outside. But I am a dinosaur. I find customers that know the difference, but not many. If I ever am forced to work like much of what I see, I will call it quits.

Notice those headers over the window? That wouldn't fly here. Nice work those fellows are doing. Its zero here this morning and those T shirts sure look comfy.......



WOW, and I thought we were anal ! BUt I couldnt agree more, good framing makes everyones job easier.

Sad but true is that the "homebrokers" are allowing poor quality in the homes they "sell" (homebroker, meaning they scmooze the customer , then farm out ALL the work, and make big profits just because they inked the deal) Greedy buggers !
It won't be long before everyone nationwide needs to adhere to the same building code - hurricane clips in the midwest, and snowloads in the south - dumb - oh yeah lets not forget the "shear panels" criminy

[Caleb Larru]

People who build as though it mattered are still around. You just don't find them by asking for competitive bids. Quality work costs and quality builders still find work.

Not around here. If you can't offer quality at $4 a foot not only do you not work, you don't eat.

[Larry Edgerton]

WOW, and I thought we were anal ! BUt I couldnt agree more, good framing makes everyones job easier.

Sad but true is that the "homebrokers" are allowing poor quality in the homes they "sell" (homebroker, meaning they scmooze the customer , then farm out ALL the work, and make big profits just because they inked the deal) Greedy buggers !
It won't be long before everyone nationwide needs to adhere to the same building code - hurricane clips in the midwest, and snowloads in the south - dumb - oh yeah lets not forget the "shear panels" criminy

We call those guys paper contractors......

You guys in Wisconsin have it made. In Michigan we have to adhere to the national codes already. I had to put hurricane clips on my house up North here in an area that has never seen a tornado let alone a hurricane. We have to tyvek every house, which I refuse to do on my own home. We have to put that Bitutane crap around the windows, another thing I refuse to do. The list goes on and on. They raised our roofload 50% a bit ago, but we are seeing less snow than ever recorded, and I can not remember in my 50 years having a house fall down around here.

Then there is the new lead laws, BS passed down by a bunch of people that have no idea what it is like to work on a house. Gotta love the EPA, nevermind the DEQ.


I am so glad that I am at the end of my career, and not at the beginning. I haven't even touched on all the things that the federal government has done to make it impossible to have hourly employees. Thats a whole nuther forum....

[Van Huskey]

Not around here. If you can't offer quality at $4 a foot not only do you not work, you don't eat.

The break point here is about 4.50 a square. I paid 5.25 a square 4 1/2 years ago but it was after a bunch of new post-Katrina requirements came in and Katrina damage still had a lot of contractors tied up. My framers did a solid job (not exceptional) and the house had a lot of odd angles and architectural interest so I was happy.

Brian, they are doing a great job.

[David Helm]

WOW, and I thought we were anal ! BUt I couldnt agree more, good framing makes everyones job easier.

Sad but true is that the "homebrokers" are allowing poor quality in the homes they "sell" (homebroker, meaning they scmooze the customer , then farm out ALL the work, and make big profits just because they inked the deal) Greedy buggers !
It won't be long before everyone nationwide needs to adhere to the same building code - hurricane clips in the midwest, and snowloads in the south - dumb - oh yeah lets not forget the "shear panels" criminy

Given this winter's snows I think snow load codes in the southwest might be a good idea!

[Brian Kent]

I talked to the framer today. Just to give due credit, his name is Caleb Kasching and our general contractor who hired him is Mark Miller from Ramona, CA.

[Michael Van Voorhis]

Holy crap. Even though I just started in this hobby sometimes I can't even get my finished projects looking that good. Kudos to Caleb!