Tips of the Trades Vol. 2
CPT sends out a big thanks to these folks who are willing to help out their fellow brothers and sisters in arms by sharing these brilliant nuggets of wisdom they picked up along the way.
Protect your lungs
Sometimes the best tips are the simple ones! Here’s a simple effective way to save your lungs!! When mixing any product that’s gonna throw dust at you, pull out the vacuum!! I know most of you guys do this, but I still see guys that just throw material in a bucket and a cloud of dust smacks there face!
Submitted by Mike Di Martino (@creatixcontracting)
Stay sharp
I always keep a piece of sandpaper under my chopsaw to keep a fine point on my pencil. As everyone knows, fine lines make for fine cuts!
Submitted by Jeff West (@westcowoodworks)
Solder on
Just a plumbing 101 tip. This is really helpful whenever you have to solder a union on a pipe. It may be elementary but I think this could really help someone coming up in the trade.
Submitted by Eric Aune (@mechanicalhub)
Sink install
Some fun time lapse footage of a sink Install in laminate countertop.We used our Dewalt jigsaw padded with g-tape and ran with a laminate blade from @boschtoolsna – cuts like butter. Here’s a tip: use a downcut blade to prevent visible chipout when cutting laminate. Plus, the Pica pencil makes easy work of marking taps.
Submitted by @hollyhockconstruction
Slippery screws
Here’s a little tip that I knew about for a long time, but took forever to take advantage of…. WAX. Paraffin Wax to be exact. Helps to lubricate the screw/lag to make the drive MUCH easier. I use is primarily when attaching lag screws for stair rails etc, but will work in any application. You can pick it up super cheap in the canning area of your local grocery store.
Submitted by Andy Moore (@modern_oak)
Mass produced plugs
Just making some 1″ plugs out of balau for our benches. This is by far the easiest method we’ve found for making a bunch all at once.
Submitted by Zack Dettmore (@dettmore101)
Stud screw tip
I had to screw down this stud into a 1-1/2” plate. Rather than trying to guesstimate the needed angle for my screw, I just sent the screw through the bottom out the face. Now I’m guaranteed to hit the plate in the center.
Submitted by @beeman_contracting
Mark the fence
Sometimes when I’m making a lot of the same cuts it’s easy to just make a mark on the fence of your saw with a pencil for a quick line up.
Submitted by Seth (@nwbuilder)
Non-slip guarantee
Here’s a simple way to guarantee your ladder won’t slip out on you on slippery decks… slide a 5 in 1 painters tool between the deck boards.
Submitted by @borderline_painting
We’d Love to Hear From You
Do you have a jobsite or tool tip that makes your work-life easier, safer, or just more fun? Why not share it with your construction comrades? Plus, you can show off your professional prowess to your family and friends.
Click the image below to send us your Pro Tips! Please include an image if you can. We will contact you if we run your submission on the site.
