|
What's new at Concord Carpenter?
It's that time of the year when folks reach out to friends and family with cards wishing them seasons greetings, happy holidays, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
I sent my personal Christmas cards out but I always use the holidays as an opportunity to say hello to my past customers. It's one time of the year where I can reach out ans say thanks as well ass get a bit of face time - in the form of a card!
Not all of us have a marketing or advertising budget. Many times it's tough to make your small business stand out. I wrote a short article on how a well timed card, a holiday card, a postcard or simply a seasonal email can help market your busines.
I spent the day in the work shop today making a built in bookcase that will be installed next to an older, existing bookcase in a clients library. The BEST TIP I was ever taught when making bookcases was to learn how to use and rely on a story pole.
A story pole is a length of narrow board, often a 1×2. It was used before long tape measures were available and was usually cut to the height of a house floor height or a "story." It was the quintessential layout tool for measuring, marking and transferring accurate measurements years ago.
Early carpenters relied on story poles for building all sorts of things and used it to measure and mark heights from the floor platform of a building and up to the roof. Measurements for windowsill heights, window top heights, headers), exterior door heights (or headers), interior door heights, etc., were all recorded on the story pole.
I was taught to use a story pole when building custom bookcases and built ins as a permanent way to mark and layout for easy, quick and accurate measurement recall.
Using a story pole eliminates the need for a tape measure, is more accurate than paper and once marked can be used throughout the project to continually check your progress.
TIP: I typically use scrap rips of wood from past projects or Birch plywood strips as a story pole - make sure your story pole is straight.
TIP: Depending on the size of the area to be measured I sometimes use different story poles for width and heights. I also use small c-clamp to join the two story pole boards together to make them the length I need. Once I'm done I remove the c-clamps for easier transport.
Looking For Tool Gifts?
If your looking for GREAT tools for your PRO contractor or serious DIY enthusiasts then you need to take a peek at my Holiday Tool Gift Guide.
Tool Give Away Just In time For Christmas!
This giveaway ends December 14th and the winner will receive this tool before Christmas!!
Dumpster Bags Save Me Time And Money!
I discovered reusable dumpster bags about two years ago. Before using reusable dumpster bags I had two options for trash removal:
Rent and bring a metal dumpster on site, if space was available. The down side was that a metal dumpster can be costly and is sometimes too big for small jobs.
Pile up the trash debris and have a local trash man pick it up later.
The pile of debris option was always messy looking and in my opinion unprofessional. Plus the materials had to be "handled" twice; once to dump it and another time to pick it up and throw it in a truck to go to the dump.
Shortly after discovering reusable dumpster bags I found a local waste and recycling company GreenBagPickUp.com that handled picking up these bags. At the time GreenBagPickUp.com did not have their own bags BUT would pick up any dumpster bag, even their competitors, at a better price!
I now use GreenBagPickUp.com for several reasons:
-
They're a local company
-
Their removal fee is less than the competitor for dumpster bags.
-
They pickup competitor dumpster bags
-
they have exceptional customer service and scheduling.
Dumpster bags have saved me time and money on my remodeling jobs. It's a perfect solution for small renovations or clean up jobs that are too small for a dumpster or where the location or the budget sustain a steel dumpster and its long term rental costs.
Recent ACC Articles Of Interest
COAST HP 14 Flashlight Review:
The last time I have the pleasure of testing a CoastPortland flashlight was a year ago when I fell in love with their Coast HP7 Flashlight. Coast makes professional grade, impact and water resistant flashlights that can stand up to the demands of public safety, and construction professionals. Because I had enjoyed the HP7 so much I could only hope that the HP14 [twice the number 7] would prove be twice the flashlight. Coast HP14 Review
FISH Wave Cutter Forstner Bit Review:
The FISH Wave Cutter Forstner Bits are pretty well known amongst woodworkers and carpenters in my neck of the woods. I've always found them to be outrageously sharp out of the box, and if cared for they stay sharp.
Holiday Decorating Safety Tips:
According to the Comsumer Public Safety Commission approximately 11,000 people are treated for decoration-related injuries associated with falls, cuts, shocks and burns.
The National Fire Protection Association estimates a yearly average of 240 fires involving dried-out Christmas trees result in 16 deaths and $13 million in property damage. An average of 13,000 candle-related fires result in 170 deaths and $390 million in property damage.
Reinforcing A Half Wall:
Whether you call it a half wall, knee wall or Pony wall the issue is the same. What is the best way to go about reinforcing a half wall? No one likes a wobbly wall or the cracked plaster and tile that result from it.
| 
![photo: Country Living [Lucas Allen]](http://www.aconcordcarpenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Holiday-decorating-safety-tips-300x300.jpg)
