Haun_Larry_-_The_very_efficient_carpenter

Nailers and air compressors have become standard equipment on

framing jobs.

Another very useful, but expensive, tool is the forklift, which can be used to place loads of lumber exactly where you want them, saving many hours of hard work by human woodpackers. Some of these have masts that will go three stories high with booms that can set lumber loads in from the edge of the building. On larger framing jobs, cranes of various kinds are now often used, serving all trades, positioning loads anywhere they are needed on multiple-story buildings.

Safety equipment Safety is a serious issue. There is too much involved not to make it part of your daily routine. Safe, pro­ tective clothing goes with the territory. Tank tops, shorts and sandals are nice and cool to wear, but a framing job calls for a little more protection for the body. Good shoes or boots, jeans and a long-sleeved shirt not only protect your body on a daily basis, but also lessen the risk of skin cancer in later years.

Safety devices should be as much a part of a framer's toolkit as a hammer. Whenever you or the people near you are hammering, sawing or using a nailer, you should be wearing protective eyeglasses. Those available today are lightweight and not un­ comfortable to wear. The alternative isn't any fun to contemplate. Ear protection comes in various shapes and sizes. Small, soft pieces of sponge are available that are easy to stuff into the ears, are not bulky or uncom­ fortable and yet give good protection from loud construction noises. Leather gloves, hard hats and knee pads may not have to be worn all day, every day, but there are times when they can give you the protection you need. When you are doing a lot of sawing, especial­ ly in an enclosed place, wearing a good dust mask will help keep the sawdust out of your lungs. Meet an old carpenter with emphysema and let him tell you what he wished he had done when he was young. If you have to work around toxic fumes or sprays, then use a better-quality respirator.

Tools

9

A good carpenter is a safe carpenter. Always protect your eyes, ears, head, feet, hands and lungs, and carry first-aid equipment so that injuries can be treated on the spot.

Stay cool! Framing on a plywood deck in the hot sun can rapidly raise the body temperature. It is fair­ ly easy for the body to run out of water on a hot day, leading to hyperthermia and heat exhaustion. Avoid overheating by drinking a lot of water.

Stay aware! Turning up a radio to full volume or wearing one with headphones can distract you at a time when your full attention is needed. And be doubly careful as the workday progresses. Injuries seem to happen more often as you tire later in the day.

It makes good sense to carry a well-equipped first­ aid kit in your car or pickup. It doesn't have to be a traveling pharmacy, but should contain basic items such as Band-Aids and bandages, including a stretch bandage, sterile pads and cotton, a roll of gauze and adhesive tape, scissors and tweezers, an instant cold pack, a tourniquet and splint, iodine, sterile anti­ septic wipes, antibiotic cream, an ammonia inhalant and aspirin. It's also smart to take a first-aid course from your local Red Cross chapter so you will know what to do in case someone gets injured.

SAFETY TIPS

Use your head

Anyone who has worked around construction knows from experience that it can be dangerous. People do get hurt, and accidents don't always happen to "someone else." Most construction sites can be safe places to work if you make them so, and it's not just a matter of luck. It's important that you keep your work area clean and all tools and equipment sharp and in good repair, but safety is more than just brooms and new saws. Working safely has a lot to do with good training, attitude and presence of mind, meaning that you are actively concerned about your well­ being and the well-being of those working with you.

They say that drinking and driving don't mix. Well, neither do drinking, or doing drugs, and driving nails, especially if you are working two or three stories off the ground. Slips and falls from work areas, especially from high places and ladders, account for more than one-fourth of all construction injuries. Work with a clear head and pay attention to what you, and those around you, are doing. Most jobs are only as safe as the person performing them.

Improper scaffolding is a particular problem on framing jobs and is the source of many injuries. Framers seldom need scaffolding except for a few minutes to raise a beam, sheathe a high wall or nail an otherwise unreachable spot. The temptation is to spike a block to the wall, nail on a crosspiece with a leg under it, throw on a plank and hop on. Most of the time this is cheap, fast and dangerous. Just be­ cause you work fast doesn't mean you can't work safely. People are more important than profits. In the final analysis, production should always take a back seat to safety.

1 0 Getting Started

Plan scales and dimensions

Plans (or "prints" -the term "blueprint" is no longer commonly used), like maps, are drawn to scale, and this scale is noted at the bottom of the page. The most common plan scale is Y4 in. to 1 ft., which means that each Y4 in. of line on a plan represents 1 ft. of the actual house. One inch, then, represents 4 ft. You must know the scale because not every di­ mension is given on every set of plans. An unmarked wall section, for example, may measure 1Ys in. If the plans have a scale of Y4 in. to the foot, then the ac­ tual length of the wall will be 4 ft. 6 in.

Scales can be other than % in. Sometimes the scale may vary on a single page, as with a detail drawing that has been blown up for greater clarity. Plans for large buildings may be drawn at Ys-in. scale to keep them to a manageable size. Big mistakes can be made by assuming that the scale is always the same, so be sure to check it. A triangular architect's scale will come in handy when reading plans.

As shown in the drawing below, dimensions are given in several ways, depending on the custom of the architect. The full-size measurement of a build­ ing is usually given from outside to outside of the plates. The distance between an exterior and an in­ terior wall is usually marked from the outside to the center. The distance between interior walls is fre-

Marking Dimensions

Outside to outside

Outside to center

Wall to wall

Center to center

Dimensions can be indicated in several ways.

quently marked from wall edge to wall edge, or center to center. The lines drawn by the architect should clearly indicate the starting and ending pOints of every dimension.

Types of plans

A normal set of house plans for carpenters consists of a plot (or site) plan, a foundation plan, a floor plan, a framing (or structural) plan and elevations. Additional components include sections, details, specifications and schedules.

The plot plan (see the top drawing on the facing page) gives an overall view from above, showing the shape and dimensions of the property and the size and location of the building to go on it. It might also include compass direction, contours, existing streets, utilities and sometimes even the location of trees. It is used mainly by the general contractor to make sure that the house is located properly on the lot.

Foundation footings, walls and piers are shown on the foundation plan (see the bottom drawing on the facing page). A concrete contractor, for example, will use this plan along with detail (see p. 18) to learn the depth and width of footings. Framers of­ ten use the foundation plan to determine the ele­ ments of a wood floor system, such as the size, di­ rection and spacing of girders and joists. If the house is going to be built over a basement, this is where to find the location and size of the stairway. Once the floor has been sheathed, carpenters turn their attention to the floor and framing plans.

The floor plan (see the drawing on p. 16) gives a bird's-eye view of a horizontal surface. A lot of in­ formation can be crammed onto this plan. The size and arrangement of all the rooms can be deter­ mined by a quick look at the floor plan. Sometimes the architect will draw separate pages detailing elec­ trical, plumbing and heating, structural and other elements, but often much of that information will be found on the floor plan. If the house is going to be two or more stories, a separate floor plan will be drawn for each level. The floor plan may indicate the size of lumber needed for headers, posts and beams. The size and spacing of ceiling jOists and roof rafters can be found here, and the direction they will run should be indicated by a line with an

1 4 Getting Started