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 by John Carroll
Chapter : Introduction
The idea for this book grew out of a casual remark. Several years ago I took a break on a job to chat with the homeowner. "You know," he remarked, "it's really interesting to ,watch you work. I'm fascinated by the way you manage to hold boards and make measurements by yourself." I'd never given it much thought, but I had, by that time, developed a fairly comprehensive system for working alone.
This system involves a lot of tools and techniques that are not common on building sites and are rarely discussed in books and magazine articles. These methods may be unusual but they are very valuable. Being able to do common building chores alone makes life easier for all kinds of builders-not just self-employed contractors. “Weekend warriors" can do a project without lining up neighbors or in-Iaws. Professional builders can keep working when some or all of the crew is out. Or they can leave the crew on one job and take care of a small task on another without dragging along a helper. Even when all hands are present, builders can save time by doing little tasks alone rather than involving a second crew member.
Yet, while the advantages of being able to work alone are easy to see, the techniques themselves are seldom obvious. They sometimes require tools that you're not accustomed to using, and they often require you to alter the pace and the sequence you're used to following. The fact that these techniques aren't immediately apparent, however, doesn't necessarily mean that they're difficult to do. Typically, they only require a different way of approaching your work. I wrote this book to provide that different way of looking at common building problems.
This book is essentially a compilation of the techniques I've developed in my years of working alone. The organization of the chapters follows the schedule of a typical residential building project, but the discussion is not comprehensive by any means. If you're new to this kind of work, use this book in conjunction with a good basic guide (I recommend several at the end of this book). Instead of step-by-step instructions for a specific project, I single out those tasks that are difficult to do alone, then I explain how I approach those tasks by myself. Most of the techniques I describe are fairly easy to under- stand and accomplish, but some will take time to learn.
Learning any building skill is an active process. To use this book effectively, look carefully at the drawings; think through each problem and try to visualize the solution; and, when you get out on your job, finagle and experiment. Your hands and eyes will teach you the details of these methods. As you work, feel free to disagree with me. The approaches I suggest are, by no means, the last word. On my jobs, I often improvise and experiment, either to solve new problems or to streamline the solutions to old problems. Working alone is a creative process. So, if you see an opportunity to improve a jig or technique I describe, go for it!
You may wonder at times why in the world I don't just hire an assistant. On many occasions, I do just that. In chapter 8, I describe the jobs that I can't or won't do by myself. In lining up subcontractors and temporary helpers, however, I don't take on the responsibility of having a payroll. This simplifies the business end of my company enormously. I do the books for the entire year in one or two days and see an accountant once a year.
Without a crew to keep busy, I always have more work than I can handle. This means I can turn down work that I don't want. Furthermore, by working alone and using a few trusted subcontractors, I'm able to keep a tight lid on my jobs. I work at a manageable pace, make very few mistakes, and don't have to worry about the quality of someone else's work. I rarely get out of sequence or have to redo things. My jobs may not move as quickly as a crew's, but they always move forward. This orderly progress is very satisfying, both to my customers and to me.
I'll never know for sure whether I would make a better living if I had a crew of employees. I do know that I enjoy working alone more. I'm also certain it has made me a better builder. Working alone forces you to set up your jobs more thoroughly and to understand the geometry that your layouts are based on. Because you have to think ahead and schedule tasks more precisely, it hones your planning and management skills. These are valuable skills whether you're working on your own house or running a construction company.
Machines are not only clumsy but also expensive and time-consuming. Over the long haul, time and money invested in complex, highly specialized machinery can be recovered on farms and in factories. But on construction sites, which are temporary and eyer-changing, it is often impossible to use this kind of equipment effectively or to recover such large capital outlays.
For example, a machine that lays bricks has been around for decades, but it costs hundreds of thousands of dollars and takes days to set up. ( Such a machine is sometimes used in a factory setting to produce the prefabricated brick panels that go on commercial buildings. But this complex machine is not practical on residential projects where the scale is small, access to the site is often limited, and most of the work can be rapidly completed by skilled craftsmen.
It may seem odd in this age of orchestrated electrons and engineered genes, but the fastest and most cost-effective way to build a house or addition is usually for crews of skilled workers to roll up their sleeves and have at it with portable equipment and handheld tools.
Here's where working alone can get difficult. Those of us in this business cut our eyeteeth as the low man in a crew. We haul boards and bricks, run errands, and get yelled at when we move too slowly. Our principal assets are our hands, and we're reminded of this in the language that's used all through the day. Our bosses tell us to "give me a hand here," "hand me that block," "hold this," "lift that." We grow into our trades in a climate where simple, direct methods are taught and relentless forward progress is demanded.
When you're alone on a job, of course, you don't have the luxury of a helper's hands, so many of the standard techniques are useless. To work alone you develop a different mind-set and work at a different pace. You can no longer attack your work as you did when you worked in a crew. This adjustment from a brisk, sometimes frantic pace to a deliberate, measured pace is the first and most important step in becoming an effective solo builder. It's an adjustment that many seasoned builders have a. hard time making.
The Principal Challenges of Working Alone
When you decide to take on a project by yourself, you're confronted with two fundamental challenges. First, how do you measure and mark alone? Measuring and marking by yourself may seem like a daunting challenge. When a helper is on hand, he holds one end of the tape measure or chalkline. But when you're by yourself, you either devise some mechanical means of holding the other end of the tape or line, or you come up with an alternate technique---0ne that obviates the need for those tools. These methods have to be precise because close measurements are basic to good workmanship. And they have to be fast because you use them often.
The second major challenge is to figure out ways to lift, carry, hold, and align the materials that go into the building. These tasks can be awkward and difficult in some circumstances and dangerous in others. But they don't have to be. In most automotive shops, a single mechanic thinks nothing of removing and replacing an engine that weighs 800 Ib. or so. By taking a page or two out of his book, borrowing a couple more from woodworking shops, and stealing the occasional trick from other groups (movers, riggers, sailors, post-and-beam builders, etc.), you can learn to lift and secure just about anything that goes into a house by yourself.
Three Ways to Overcome the Challenges
Back in the days when I worked in a crew, I sometimes ended up, for one reason or another, alone on a job. In those days I found the situation extremely frustrating. Routine tasks with a helper became slapstick comedies when I was alone, and, true to form, I often took on the role of an exasperated Ollie Hardy or a volcanic Ralph Kramden. I was usually grateful that there were no witnesses to these grim and, no doubt, ridiculous performances.
Today, I'm happy to report, I routinely do all the things by myself that made me look so ridiculous when I was 20 years younger. Although I made this transition gradually (often without consciously thinking about it), I can now identify the three basic ways I was able to do so. First of all, I've learned to plan and organize my jobs more thoroughly than; I did when I had coworkers. Second, I've acquired numerous manufactured tools that help me do without that second pair of hands. And, third, I've become adept at making and using jigs, templates, brackets, and other site-built devices. Although I'll be discussing these approaches separately here, I often use them in combination with each other, as the drawing that shows how I might install a fascia board demonstrates (see p. 7).
Planning to Work Alone
All builders worth their salt develop a well-thought-out master plan at the beginning of a project and a series of battle plans for each phase along the way. Then, as the project gets under way, they come up with modifications in the plan to cover unexpected developments and changes in the design. If you're working alone, you have to do all this planning-and more. You have to include provisions in every phase of the plan for the special problems of doing things with just two hands.
One of the basic planning considerations is the sequence in which you build. As you'll see when we get into specific techniques, there are many instances when you can make your life a lot easier by thinking ahead, anticipating how you're going to do things by yourself, and then coming up with an appropriate order of assembly.
In addition to fine-tuning the sequence of the job, you have to plan just about every step along the way. Often you even have to plan how you're going to do minor chores Iike safely sawing sheets of plywood or installing long boards. Sometimes these plans require a careful setup or some clever sitebuilt rig. At other times, the plans are focused on subtle aspects of your technique. Starting a nail before you pick up a board, for instance, can make installing that board a lot easier.
The process of anticipating problems and then visualizing smooth, effective ways to overcome them is at the heart of working alone. I'll return again and again to this theme as I discuss specific techniques in the chapters that follow.
Using Manufactured Tools
Many of the solutions that I've come up with involve tools and techniques that I rarely, if ever, used when I worked in a crew. Some of the tools are common items that are either ignored or poorly exploited by production crews as they attack their work; others are special-purpose tools that are seldom seen on construction sites (see the sidebar on p. 9).
Clamps and spreaders
I couldn't imagine taking on
most of the jobs I do without my large and growing-collection of clamps. Clamps hold things for me, some- times for days, and never complain. They serve as handles for carrying sheets of plywood and other unwieldy materials. They provide muscle to push and pull things into place. And they help make my job sites safe.
C-clamps make the best handles, and they take the place of screws and nails for temporary setups. They're cheap, and they provide plenty of torque, but they're limited in size and aren't good for quick setups. When I need to clamp something larger than 8 in. (the size of my largest C-clamp) I use either a bar clamp or a pipe clamp. My longest bar clamp is 48 in., and my longest pipe clamp is about 72 in. By threading sections of pipe together, however, I've been able to use my pipe clamp for distances of 10 ft. or greater.
When I do a repetative task, like clamping material at the saw table, I avoid C-clamps. They're frustratingly slow because the only way to adjust them is to turn the threaded bolt. Bar clamps, in contrast, slide quickly into adjustment -the treaded portion is only to apply pressure. Sometimes very little pressure is required, though, and a simple spring clamp, which looks and works like a big clothes pin, speeds the process. Another clamp that call be set up and released in a few seconds is the "locking" C-clamp, which uses a cam to apply pressure. These clamps take a minute or so to adjust but provide a lot more pressure than spring clamps and, once adjusted, are quicker than bar clamps. (Unlike bar clamps, which have to be screwed tight each time they're used, locking C-clamps can be tightened with a squeeze of the hand.)
One of the handiest clamps for a solo builder is the one-hand bar clamp. With this kind of clamp, I can position a board with one hand and immediately clamp it in place with the other. One-hand bar clamps aren't cheap, but they're worth the extra expense for the times when you really need them.
By tightening the jaws of a clamp, you can apply hundreds, sometimes thousands, of pounds of squeezing force to the workpiece. Turn the working parts around, and you can apply the same force in the opposite direction. I have two pipe clamps that can be reversed and made into spreaders; and I've also acquired one-hand bar spreaders. I use them mainly for forcing crooked lumber into line.
Sawhorses, scaffolding, and ladders
Large production framing crews often have next to nothing to work off. On many occasions, I've seen carpentry crews spend the day cut- ting lumber cradled on their foot and working off a single, rickety stepladder and some jerry-built scaffolds. They do a lot of climbing, take unnecessary risks, and squander man-hours, but they usually achieve their primary objective, which is to move rapidly through the project.
A solitary carpenter can't work that way. Because he doesn't have another person to hold boards when he's ripping them or cutting them at an angle, a lone carpenter has to set up a secure sawing station and use clamps (see "Building a Job-Site Sawhorse" on p. 53). And when he starts getting off the ground he needs good, sturdy ladders and scaffolding.
The best all-purpose scaffolding system is pipe scaffolding (the kind bricklayers use). Pipe scaffolding is not terribly expensive, and I've found the six sections I bought years ago to be an excellent investment. If you don't want to buy them, sections of pipe scaffolding can be rented for next to nothing. They're very stable and strong, and, with a little practice, you'll find it easy to set them up and take them down by yourself. (For more on scaffolding, see p. 33-35.)
When it comes to ladders, I buy only commercial-grade. Factor in the day-to-day aggravation of working with a ladder that doesn't operate smoothly, not to mention the cost of a single visit to the emergency room and a cheap ladder is a very bad investment.
Fastening Options
Holding a board with one hand and nailing it with the other presents a singular challenge. To start the nail, you need two hands one for the nail and the other for the hammer. If you've got one hand on the board, you've got a problem. In some circumstances, you can get around this problem by using a clamp to hold the board; in others, you can start the nail before you pick up the board. A third option is to have a drill set up with a bit the same diameter as the nails you're using. As you hold the board with one hand, drill a pilot hole with the other (see the drawing on p. 13). Set the drill aside and, using your free hand, slip a nail in the hole. Now grab your hammer and drive the nail home. To do this smoothly, a well-designed tool belt with drill holster and a good cordless drill are highly recommended.
If you're willing to invest a few hundred dollars, there are also two mechanical solutions available. The first is the nail or staple gun. Most of these tools use compressed air to drive the fasteners. Because they can be operated with one hand, holding and fastening a board is a piece of cake. The other one-handed fastening tool is the screw gun.
These are now available with belts of collated screws that feed automatically into the tip of the driver.
Measuring sticks
The standard measuring tool on construction sites is the tape mea- sure. It's accurate, compact, convenient and, as a result, hangs from nearly every tool belt. For the solo builder, however, the tape measure can be a maddening device. It's designed to be pulled, and, as long as it can be hooked or clamped to the work surface, it works great. But when it can't be hooked or affixed at one end, frustration quickly sets in. On Rat surfaces, the hook gets in the way and the case repeatedly flops on its side. Over open spaces, the tape collapses.
For a solo worker, it's often a lot easier to use a 6-ft. folding ruler or a measuring stick. I prefer the latter and keep three inexpensive, aluminum rulers, a 24 in., a 48 in., and a 72 in.-on my jobs. Because these lie flat. and stay secure on roof decks! floors, and walls, I can effortlessly hold them with one hand while I mark with the other. They're great for measuring across open spaces, and they come in handy as straightedges. I think they're one of the best kept secrets in building.
Using Special-Purpose Tools
Special purpose tools are made to do one or two things very well. Usually these tools are superbly designed, and they can substantially expand the capabilities and power of the solo builder. In the chapters that follow we'll examine a lift designed specifically for hoisting sheets of drywall, a stand for supporting kitchen cabinets, and a jack for raising framed walls. We'll also look at several special purpose levers and jacks devoted solely to straightening out crooked lumber. And we'll examine a new breed of builder's level that uses a laser beam and is easily operated by one person. Special purpose tools are often expensive, but they can clear frustrating, time devouring obstacles out of the path of a solo builder. The ones I've bought are worth every cent I spent.
However, you can also build your own site-built tools and jigs. Imagine you're working in a 2-ft.-high crawl space, trying to measure the length of each of the bays between the floor joists as you install insulation batts. You're lying on your back, in the dirt, wearing a respirator and working with a very unpleasant material. You definitely don't want this job to drag on any longer than necessary. But every time you extend your tape measure overhead it collapses, which gets frustrating in a hurry.
In such cases, do yourself a favor and leave your tape measure in your toolbox. Instead of fooling with a floppy tape, cut a rigid strip of wood exactly 100 in. long and bring it, along with your store bought measuring sticks, under the house. To measure a span that's, say, 146-1\2in. long, jam the 100 in. stick against one end of the bay and mark the joist at the end of the stick (see the drawing below). Then measure the remaining 46-\12in. by jamming a store bought measuring stick against the other end. You can use the same tools to measure and then to cut the insulation.  They also make
good weapons if you're approached by unfriendly vermin.
The 100 in. measuring stick is but one of dozens of site-built tools and jigs I use to work safely and smoothly by myself. Most of these are easy to put together, can be saved for future projects, and-this is the part I really like, cost nothing but the little time I put into them.
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