Table of Contents
Text 2002 by Clayton DeKorne Illustrations 2002 by The Taunton Press, Inc. All photos Andrew Kline, except: p. ii, p. vi (top and bottom two photos), p. vii (top and bottom two photos), p. 6, p. 21, p. 31, p. 32, p. 33, p. 37, p. 38, p. 41 (left), p. 43, p. 44 (right), p. 46, p. 49, p. 50, p. 51 (bottom), p. 53, p. 54 (top), p. 57 (top right), p. 58 (bottom left), p. 62 (top right), p. 63 all, pp. 64-65, p. 66, pp. 68-69, p. 70, p. 75 (top and bottom left), p. 88 (bottom), p. 91 (bottom photos), p.95, p. 97, p. 104, p. 105 (two photos on top, middle photo and right bottom photo), p. 106 (left), pp. 108-109, pp.122-123, p. 127, p. 134, p. 135 (three bottom photos), pp.136-136, pp. 139-142, pp.144-148, p. 149 (top and left photos), p. 150, p. 151 (top left and bottom photos), pp. 152-153, p. 154 (two top photos and middle photo), p. 155, p. 159, p. 160 (top, bottom right photo, and middle photo), p. 161, p. 162, pp. 164-165 Carolyn Bates; p. iii (right), p. 10 (left), p. 13, p. 20 (left), p. 29, p. 40, p. 42 (both top photos), p. 45, p. 47 (middle), p. 74, p. 76 (left), p. 89 (bottom photos), pp. 92-93, p. 94 (bottom right), p. 96, p. 103, p. 111 (bottom), p. 114 (bottom), p. 116 (left), p. 118 (bottom), p. 120, p. 121, p. 154 (left), p. 158 (left) TheTaunton Press, Inc.; p. 12 Tim Ebert; p. 52 Patrick Cudahy; p. 125 (left), p. 126 (bottom right), p. 149 (bottom right) Craig Wester; p. 125 (right) Jim Price; p. 126 (top) Louis MacKell; p. 132 (two left photos), p. 151 (right), p. 158 (right), p. 160 (left), p. 163 Chris Holden. Front cover photographs The Taunton Press, Inc. (top left and right photos); Andrew Kline (bottom left).
Back cover photographs Andrew Kline (top); Carolyn Bates (middle and bottom photos).
All rights reserved.
The Taunton Press
Inspiration for hands-on living
The Taunton Press, Inc., 63 South Main Street, P.O. Box 5506, Newtown, CT 06470-5506 e-mail: tp@taunton.com
Distributed by Publishers Group West
COVER AND INTERIOR DESIGN: Lori Wendin
LAYOUT: Jeff Potter/Potter Publishing Studio
ILLUSTRATOR: Mario Ferro
Tauntons Build Like a ProTM is a trademark of The Taunton Press, Inc., registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
The following manufacturers/names appearing in Trim Carpentry and Built-Ins are trademarks and servicemarks: Accuride 3017,Amana Tool Corporation, Andersen windows, Blum, Bondo, Bosch DWM40L Miter Finder, Cabinet Factory, CMT USA, Inc., Collins Quality Tool, Color Putty Co., DeWalt, Disston, Eagle windows, Formica, Fuller countersink bits, Georgia-Pacific Fiber Ply, Hartville Tool, Jesada Tools, Liquid Nails, Minwax, National Hardwood Lumber Association
, Phenoseal, Quik-clamp, Rockler, Roto Zip, Scotch tape, Speed Rip Square, Stanley, Surforrn plane, Titebond,Titus connector, Wilsonart, Woodcraft, Woodworkers Supply, Inc.
About Your Safety: Construction is inherently dangerous. Using hand or power tools improperly or ignoring safety practices can lead to permanent injury or even death. Dont try to perform operations you learn about here (or elsewhere) unless youre certain they are safe for you. If something about an operation doesnt feel right, dont do it. Look for another way. We want you to enjoy the craft, so please keep safety foremost in your mind whenever youre in the shop.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
DeKorne, Clayton.
Trim carpentry and built-ins : expert advice from start to finish /
Clayton DeKorne. p. cm.(Build like a pro)
Includes index.
ISBN 1-56158-478-9
1. Trim carpentryAmateursmanuals. 2. Built-in furnitureAmateursmanuals. I. Title. II. Series.
TH5695 .D45 2002
694.6--dc21 2002004331
For my daughters, Helen and Cecelia, who waited patiently while I was hunched over the computer, saying far too many times, Just a minute, Ill be right there.
Acknowledgments
TO WRITE THIS BOOK, I am indebted to both of my fathers: Jim DeKorne, who taught me to be a good mechanic in every trade Ive undertaken, including writing, and Rick McKinney whose unconditional love for me has been a constant source of renewal. I am also deeply grateful to J. Ladd, who shared his carpentry expertise and shaped my practice in the trade.
I could never have completed this book without the loving support of Robin Michals, whose partnership over the last few years has sustained me more than words can say. I also greatly appreciate the excellent friendship of David Crosby, Christopher Pierson, John Wagner, and Pete Young, as well as the inspiration to do great work, as shown by Karel Bauer, David Dobbs, Jen Mathews, and Steph Pappas.
To complete this book, special thanks goes to Carolyn Bates and Andrew Kline, whose photographs provide far more insight into the work presented than my words ever could, and to Andrew Wormer, who provided editorial guidance and supreme patience for the duration of this project.
Finally, I wish to thank the many carpenters, contractors, building suppliers, and other trade experts who shared their knowledge and never hesitated to give me their time and attention. Chief among them are Larz Allen, Tom Morse, Clark Sargent, Craig Tougas, Paul and the rest of the crew at Gregory Supply, and Dave and Bruce of Sterling Hardwoods. In addition, I owe great appreciation to a number of excellent teachers of the trades, including Sal Alfano, Charles Berliner, Butch Clark, Jed Dixon, Don Dunkley, Steve Farrell, Carl Hagstrom, Will Holladay, Mark Luzio, Craig Savage, and Dave Severance. If you ever get the chance to be on a crew with any of the characters Ive mentioned on this page, count yourself extremely lucky.
Introduction
T HIS BOOK IS WRITTEN for anyone interested in becoming a good carpenter. I have set out to provide readers with a sense of what to expect when they gather the tools and materials to undertake an interior trim job. I have poured into these pages my insights about how materials behave over time, collected design details that will look good over the long term, and disclosed many trade tips that other professional carpenters have shared with me during the past 25 years.
Carpentry books often fail, I think, when they try to cover every conceivable way to accomplish a task. The result is a mass of information that is boiled down into neat but irrelevant categories or tucked into bland generalities that wander away from the actual experience of completing a carpentry job. In this volume, I have tried to avoid giving too much general information. Instead, Ive focused on a few methods that have worked well for me as a professional trim carpenter.
Trim carpentry, as I address it here, refers to any kind of interior woodwork in a house, including door and window casings, baseboards, crown and ceiling moldings, wainscoting and other wooden wall paneling, cabinets, and built-in furniture. This book covers most types of finish woodworkthe carpentry details that are addressed before the painting and decorating begins. This book does not include specific details about the installation of doors and windows (which are better handled as part of the building envelope) or stairways (which are complex enough to comprise an entire book).
