We have been very busy this year....houses are selling alot faster than we can build them. Problem is when I come to start the finish work customers are telling me that their house was supposed to be done months ago.
So I say to them, I am not responsible for all of the delays up to now, and it is not a good idea to rush the work that requires the most skill and patience.
Completion dates are complete Bull@&^t, as far as I'm concerned.

A few more

Sounds like you should hire more help.
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The problem really isn't a lack of help though. It is the unrealistic completion dates that are the main problem....sales department tells customers what they want to hear.
I have worked creating "realistic" schedules for the building sequences of these houses....and after meetings to review them I am told to move my completion date back two months...and when they are not complete on time, management wants to know why. I have to laugh it off and remind them that my original schedule was correct.

Any guess how long it takes to build a decent quality 3000 sq. ft. house these days?...not prefabbed ....start to finish?

I have done stair work for many years and know its not fast work. It takes time to fit everything tight and gap-free. Especially if there is a lot of rail work. Putting the fittings together and making sure they are all pitch cut properly takes time. Nice looking work, stick to your guns and don't rush quality.

Beautiful job Bob, as usual

Six months use to work, tight but doable,,,, lots of variables :err:

Not sure I like the idea of no newel on that starting step, code ?

Beautiful job Bob, as usual

Six months use to work, tight but doable,,,, lots of variables :err:

Not sure I like the idea of no newel on that starting step, code ?

Thanks Gup...I discussed the code aspects of doing it this way with my boss before I started, and he said this is how he wanted it done. He felt that because it is less than 30" above finished floor it will pass.
We shall see...and I'll let you know if it becomes an issue.

Six months is reasonable, but like you said lots of variables.
It works when we are building a model or spec....but once a customer is involved things slow down, changes...added work not in contract. Customers are given deadlines for making selections of finishes but are always late with decisions and it delays ordering materials. Last winters snow storms delayed several jobs in various stages, no changes were made to completion dates.

When i did commercial work it was the same...I would arrive at a job to install, job super would tell me I was two weeks behind schedule.
I would laugh and tell him that I cant install cabinets/millwork if the joint compound isn't even dry yet. It can be total chaos on some of these jobs.
I never let it get to me, I know what my capabilities are and bulls%$#t doesn't work on me.

magic wand syndrome lives on

magic wand syndrome lives on

Magic wand would come in handy today.....came in to job this morning and learned that $18000 worth of prefinished brazillion chestnut hardwood put down on friday is wrong color!!#
Nothing to do with me but will def affect schedule.
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Bob, all I can say is "GONE FISHING" LOL
some times I think I miss all that and then come to my senses 😄😀 :)

Bob, all I can say is "GONE FISHING" LOL
some times I think I miss all that and then come to my senses 😄😀 :)


The truth is that I love my job... the company I work for is great.....customers appreciate my efforts....and I dont ever get stressed about anything work related. Been at this for over forty years now so nothing really phases me.

Now retirement worries me a little ....I am used to having a heavy workload and not sure what I would do during the non fishing months to keep occupied. I am considering another boat building project in the 20-25' range... that would keep my head and hands busy for a year or two at least.:uhuh:

Just started some more stairs...straight run this time

yes it would .... after that ....a sail boat perhaps. But consider how many years
you've been inhaling dust (sheet rock, wood, fiber glass ect.)

Might be time to start a huge vegetable garden .Plenty of hard work (fresh air) there
and you'd be your own Boss again.... I make sure everything is well watered
then i go fish....and the nicest thing is having fresh veggies to go with your catch.
No pesticides on your food. Flowers are pretty but i don't eat them.

yes it would .... after that ....a sail boat perhaps. But consider how many years
you've been inhaling dust (sheet rock, wood, fiber glass ect.)

Might be time to start a huge vegetable garden .Plenty of hard work (fresh air) there
and you'd be your own Boss again.... I make sure everything is well watered
then i go fish....and the nicest thing is having fresh veggies to go with your catch.
No pesticides on your food. Flowers are pretty but i don't eat them.


Thanks Raven ....when i bought my land back in 1975...i planted fruit trees, blueberries and a big garden even before i built the house..kinda got away from that with other things...maybe time to go back.
I have an inground pool to fill in first....kids have grown up and dont use it.....its a maintemance issue

True about the dust....cant be good
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Newel posts ready to install and second floor balcony view before railing installation.

Nice, I've got to ask, how are those newels fastened (handsome look)

Nice, I've got to ask, how are those newels fastened (handsome look)

Look like they're just glued :devil2:
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Nice, I've got to ask, how are those newels fastened (handsome look)

They arent installed yet ..I'll take pics of how i do it when i get back to it....
Right now i have to shift gears and install kitchen so granite templates can be done
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Todays work...I did the vent work for a fan unit over the cooktop during the rough

Look like they're just glued :devil2:
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Now c'mon spence. I take pride in my work....did my first finish stairs in 1977 and hundreds since.....and those posts will be rock solid when I'm done.:fishslap:

Newel posts ready to install and second floor balcony view before railing installation.

Looks good
I love fine craftsmanship

I did a set of stairs similar recently for a member here, and also his custom cabinetry

Now c'mon spence. I take pride in my work....did my first finish stairs in 1977 and hundreds since.....and those posts will be rock solid when I'm done.:fishslap:

I thought you'd appreciate that :hihi:
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I thought this was going to be a thread about the fine people of Finland. :huh:
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Looks good
I love fine craftsmanship

I did a set of stairs similar recently for a member here, and also his custom cabinetry

Wow,,, and u guys catch fish too?

Wow,,, and u guys catch fish too?

Nice work Slip. Cool part about our work is admiring the job when it's done....

Hey Gup....Now that you mention it...there are quite a few craftsmen on this site who also love to fish. Blue collar guys rule!!!!:cheers2:

I've always drilled my balluster holes plumb by eye....but this drill jig does a much better job...

I thought this was going to be a thread about the fine people of Finland. :huh:
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HaHa..... Finnish carpenter wanted...must be fluent in all nordic languages.:buds:

Assembly of the island cabinets. Festool tracksaw makes this so easy..... it feels like cheating. There is a lot more to do ....angled corners of the island are getting fluted columns with a corbel, and fixed door panels applied on all sides... it is ready to be templated for granite tops.....now I can resume work on the stair railings.

Customer was still asking if house will be done by Christmas:jester:
"Not my department" I tell them (NO chance whatsoever)

Nice work, all. Love the Festools too.

Just confused how you do the newel last... I usually have the structural newel done during framing and facing. It appears that you are attaching after finish treads....

Thanks Ross...i'm sure that I don't have to tell you that there are many different ways to do things...and I've tried most of them.

Strength is the main issue and my method is not lacking in that aspect. I will put up photos of the process instead of words to describe how.

Our current development of 75 house lots is nearly completely sold out...I've done every stairway...zero issues with stairs.

I will look forward to seeing that. Always room to learn. And speaking to the many ways of doing things, just look how many different ways there are to clean a fish......

I've probably posted some of these before....I don't always do things the same way myself...like to try different ways.....:hee: just to keep it interesting.

On winders I like a sloping skirt board and drop the newel post below the skirt...but sometimes keep them level with verticle drops like the stairs with the panel moulding on the walls.

Beautiful work!
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Inside newel on winders always present a problem for the handrail. I like what you did on the left side picture for continuous rail code consideration. I am assuming the right side pic would have a 14.5 inch break between upper and lower rails?
I use the picture framing a lot too. Usually in dining rooms. Also dresses up bland long hallways.

This is what happens with a 35 mph wind gust

Be thankful you weren't sitting in it.

Be thankful you weren't sitting in it.
Haha
If it's gusting like yesterday...I don't chance it.
Here's another...not yesterday......
Yup... 35 mph is all they can handle.

Inside newel on winders always present a problem for the handrail. I like what you did on the left side picture for continuous rail code consideration. I am assuming the right side pic would have a 14.5 inch break between upper and lower rails?
I use the picture framing a lot too. Usually in dining rooms. Also dresses up bland long hallways.


Thanks Ross..I'm not expecting any problems regarding the continuous rail code.....the picture framing is an inexpensive way to add detail and our customers can't get enough... they love it!

A few more..

These picture framing clamps work great on this large crown moulding.
That's glue squeezing out from the pressure of the clamps....wiped clean right away of course. They leave a very tiny hole to fill after removal.

I have completed the stairs and railings on this job...sorry I couldn't get pictures of the newel fastening process as I promised. Accidentaly destroyed my Samsung Galaxy S6 and had to wait for a replacement.:fury:

Started to fabricate four 10' high columns for the great room. Customer wants them to match the newel post.
I'm working back at my shop....gets a little cluttered at times.

Super beautiful work!

Thanks Bigfish....I like to get away from the jobsite and do work like this in my shop. No plumbers, electricians, painters, tile setters....
I'll go back in a few days to install the columns which will cover structural 6x6 posts in the great room.

Thanks Bigfish....I like to get away from the jobsite and do work like this in my shop. No plumbers, electricians, painters, tile setters....
I'll go back in a few days to install the columns which will cover structural 6x6 posts in the great room.
nice work my friend. Having been in the housing industry most of my life due to my dad I know nice work when I see it.

Thanks Trevier....I am enjoying my work more than ever, even with the early stages of arthritis starting to make it painful.
Nothing I do ever comes out perfect......I always see something that could have been better.

having done houses from 2k sqr ft all the up to 8k sqr ft I've seen alot of trimmed out houses. I always liked doing trim, always inside, heat is one. But it can get crazy with people in the way, especially doing stairs.

having done houses from 2k sqr ft all the up to 8k sqr ft I've seen alot of trimmed out houses. I always liked doing trim, always inside, heat is one. But it can get crazy with people in the way, especially doing stairs.

I started out my career framing condos on the cape back in the early seventies. Worked outside every winter, and very close to the water, so wind was a big factor too. The guys I worked for were some real hard ass rednecks, we still worked when all the other crews pulled the job when it got too cold for them.

My cousins LOL

My cousins LOL
Ha hah gup...Boss didn't like my long hair so much, and when i had it tied back....he would ask me "what do you find under a pony tail"? then answer his own question with..... "a horses a**" and a big grin on his face. Actually got along good with those guys.
I have a lot of redneck friends nowadays......not that there's anything wrong with that.:btu:

Columns are almost finished.... just need to trim the last three ....only a mantel left to build on this house and i'm done. The kitchen came out great but too messy to get good pictures now.

Columns are almost finished.... just need to trim the last three ....only a mantel left to build on this house and i'm done. The kitchen came out great but too messy to get good pictures now.
That would have looked better with half walls with the post built into them. Not a big fan of that design.

Stone guys started their work on the fireplace wall.

I have put a lot of pictures of the interior work.... here is a picture of what one of our typical houses looks on the exterior.

Is that the 1st house on the right as u drive into forest park that they just finished?
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Is that the 1st house on the right as u drive into forest park that they just finished?
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yes.....its not sold yet...supposed to be a model to show...gonna be an open house soon.

Kitchen is finished....it's my job to install all the appliances too.

Customer was very happy with how the columns came out.
They asked me to try and match the newel post we used on the stairs.
I like them too...... about 40 hrs. of my labor to build and install the four of them.
I take a lot of pictures now because it is very likely that after next week I will never be in that house again.

Finally.....only a month overdue on this one. Looks real good after the final cleanup.

Fireplace and stonework.

Balcony railing

Wind was gusting to 40 mph yesterday...I knew it was just a matter of time before the porta-potty would go down. Jobsite was a real mess too...... melting snow and ice changing the ground into mud.:eek:
We have eight more houses being framed up....but none are ready for finish work yet. Going to be another very busy year!

New construction is nice....
I am drawing and figuring how to rework some basement stairs in an old Marblehead house. Avg 10" rise with 7-7.5" runs..... Approx 70x 70" totals, which includes the winder.... No way I have code headroom.... Sucks. I figure it is close to 56 degrees currently. Cutting back the top landing 7" (accounted for in the total run) should allow me to get close to 45 degrees, I hope.
7.78" rise 9x
8.75" run 8x
That look right to you RMarsh?

Still sucks. Not gonna be cheap, especially considering limitations on what they can get out of it. But ten inch rise will kill someone eventually. Butt ugly space too.....

Still sucks. Not gonna be cheap, especially considering limitations on what they can get out of it. But ten inch rise will kill someone eventually. Butt ugly space too.....
Our basement stairs used to be 9/7. It was like being on a ship. The drunks that did the addition before we owned the house clearly just left a hole in the floor, pulled up the ladder and did what they could. Deadly...

New construction is nice....
I am drawing and figuring how to rework some basement stairs in an old Marblehead house. Avg 10" rise with 7-7.5" runs..... Approx 70x 70" totals, which includes the winder.... No way I have code headroom.... Sucks. I figure it is close to 56 degrees currently. Cutting back the top landing 7" (accounted for in the total run) should allow me to get close to 45 degrees, I hope.
7.78" rise 9x
8.75" run 8x
That look right to you RMarsh?

Still sucks. Not gonna be cheap, especially considering limitations on what they can get out of it. But ten inch rise will kill someone eventually. Butt ugly space too.....



That will be a big improvement Ross. In most old houses basement stairs were considered service entrances or access and not built to same standards. Check out this link ....its a calculator app that I use for triangles (stairs). Using your rise and run would give you 42 degrees. Set to side angle side with angle set to 90

http://www.calculatorsoup.com/calculators/geometry-plane/triangle-theorems.php

Just started a stairway on another new home. This house will be for sale with a price upwards of $700,000. Crazy amount of money!!!
I built my own home back in 77' for a total cost of $25,000 on a 1 1/2 acre lot that I paid $6,700 for! I think I was making less than $5 an hour though.

When I started working as a carpenter my boss was selling 2 story colonials on 3/4 acre lots for $39,900! Seemed like a lot of money at the time!?

Funny,,, my total was 30 and payed 7 for the lot.... Early 70's
Wow,,, 5 BUCKS,,, I'm thinking it was around 3.50.... LOL :btu:

Funny,,, my total was 30 and payed 7 for the lot.... Early 70's
Wow,,, 5 BUCKS,,, I'm thinking it was around 3.50.... LOL :btu:
My first job at 16 yrs. old was working at a sawmill... early 70's... my take home for 40 hrs was $44. Boss was a miserable pr*** too.
In 73' I was getting $2.50 framing condos on the cape.
By 77' got up to almost $5. A lot of hard work went into getting better at my job, a lot of blood, sweat and tears.:o

Stairway progress and kitchen cabinets going in. The cabinets in the foreground, will form an angled peninsula. I'm going to build a 40" high wall on the backside of them to support a bar height granite top.

Angled peninsula in progress....electrician will install 2 receptacles in the backsplash. The halfwall will support a granite top with a 12" overhang for bar stool seating.

Newel posts installed. The starting tread and riser are left unfastened until I am ready to install the newels. The tenon is glued, screwed and blocked to the stair framing.

Ready for granite templates. I still need to add crown moulding and light valance to the wall cabinets.

Finishing up the stair railings. No other workers on site for the last few days helps a lot.

nice work.

My work is just about finished on this house. Another is ready to start in a few days.

Nice job,hope to see you on the river soon
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Nice job,hope to see you on the river soon
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Thanks.....The boat is ready to go...the weather looks to be improving...so might be getting out there this coming week.
You have an Onslow Bay right?..Serious fishing machine!! See you out there soon.

Next house wont be ready for finish for a week or so. Boss asked me to build some Lantern Posts, seven in all, for some houses we are building in Dover. Lantern fixture will be mounted on top. They are 7' tall, made of all PVC.
Still need to make bases and caps for these. Personally not my taste....but it keeps me busy in my (very cluttered) shop.

They are going to need a pretty big lantern fixture on top of these to look proportional. The pvc is easy to work with. Nice to know these wont be rotting away like wood does.
Tops are removable to do electrical connections.

A good friend who builds custom kitchens from scratch...just told me that this factory cherry kitchen that I installed just a few years ago, was rejected by the new owners of the home. He removed all of it and installed his new custom job of $30,000 worth of just the cabinets.
Painted cabinets... the new norm ....for now.
I just think it was a shame. He said he would send me a few pics of the new one.


http://www.striped-bass.com/Stripertalk/attachment.php?attachmentid=62362&d=1452944116http://www.striped-bass.com/Stripertalk/attachment.php?attachmentid=62363&d=1452944116

Some people just have more money than sense....

Some people just have more money than sense....


Agreed.....It was her mothers house....said she never liked it.....doesnt like the stairs I did either.

Ive told him many times... that I dont know how he copes with all these nutty rich people.

We painted our cabinets (which are all custom made) 20 years ago. Realtor told us we have a "traditional Frech Country kitchen". I painted them to brighten the kitchen. :)