I'm a third generation carpenter have been building shop built stairs for 40 years so I could literally feel your pain!!! My dad used to say it's not if you make a mistake its how good are you at fixing them.( dad was a true Craftsman so didn't make many) we all make them and I think you're a gifted young man that can truly be called a carpenter!! Thinks for your channel and God bless
You said it perfectly, Its about how good you can fix your mistakes (or somebody else's) that makes you good at what you do. In my years of being an Autobody Refinisher (painter) I had to create an illusion so my customer couldn't see where I had painted, and Spencer I was good at it. I also had my Sunday's when I had to go to the shop and fix a problem that could not wait til Monday. I still think you're one heck of a carpenter my friend. Peace and Love from Texas and HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.
I’ve been remodeling homes for 46 years and have been a self employed contractor for 35 of them. One of my early mentors said something that I’ve never forgotten. Dwight Nelson told me that all carpenters make mistakes but a craftsman always fixes them, no matter what it costs themselves. He also told me you always have to nail on the last board before the job is done. When I have one of those ‘ Oh no ‘ moments, I remind myself I’ve finished every job I’ve started and I’ll finish this one too. Great video, thank you.
I have worked extensively with ... .. woodworkers, welders and seamstresses. Adam Savage does a great job explaining how these craftspeople are actually using the same talents. Over time you notice that these talented craftspeople have a mental toolbox that is filled with solution of how to correct errors. As my mom always says, “panicking never helps solve anything.” (When I feel panic I just let it happen, once it is over I move forward to solve the problem. Never try to solve problems while feeling panic.)
I've been doing carpentry for 20+ years everything from footings and forms to finish. The best piece of advice I have ever been given was from an old timer. " It's not a mistake if you can fix it". I find this especially helpful with sheetrock. Frame a roof with multiple hips and valleys with intersecting ridges, no problem. Sheetrock, I turn into Cletus from the Simpsons'.
You absolutely killed it. I am a 30 year cretehead, I have experienced that moment when this planet stops revolving! I have worked more than a couple Sundays:) nice work, great attitude!
As we say here in Spain "your face was a poem"(min.5:00)when you realized your mistake.Many of us know this feeling but we also know the satisfaction after fix it. By the way,congrats for the amazing job in this house
This is what good craftsmen do. They solve problems and do things in a professional manner even when they make a mistake. Oh the things I have messed up and had to work over. Way too many, but what counts is what you learn. Great video!
I know that feeling. I had a lesser version of it just watching that staircase fall into place and not reach the floor. It brought me right back to a couple of my more egregious mistakes. It's amazing how your brain just shuts down at that moment. You can't think of any way to fix the problem and you're so worried that someone will see it. I commend your resourcefulness and the way you kept your head and did what you had to do to get the job done. Thanks for sharing.
The mark of a good contractor is not that he never makes mistakes, it's how he deals with his mistakes and THAT he corrects them properly. It's impossible to be perfect every time no matter how good you are. You did the right thing and made it seamless. Outstanding. If you were my contractor and told me about your mistake and how you corrected it I would call you every time. Honesty is paramount.
I am very impressed and pleased you showed and talked about how hard the mistake was on you! I saw a mistake in the background of This Old House and in the next seen it was fixed, they missed a great opportunity to show that things happen and how to fix it. Personally I had a paint spill on new organic wool carpet and I felt sick, the contractor encouraged me and I worked hard and fast and all worked out fine.
OMG...you are human. We've all been there. I don't sleep well the night before a delivery/installation. Been in the business long enough to see both my mistakes, as well as others, that will make you shake your head. My first "rookie" mistake was overlooking a tight turn and not being able to even get the thing in the room. Thanks Spencer...I'm still in awe in what you do!
I learned this same lesson years ago ugh 😑 so now I cut 1/4 inch plywood stringers and field test my layout. Thanks for sharing your learning experience with us
That's the whole thing we deal with in commercial construction. Deadlines need to be met, and all of the custom/specialty parts are ordered weeks in advance due to long manufacturing and delivery timelines...so when mistakes are made, we need to come up with many thinking-out-of-the-box ideas to find the cheapest easiest solution to a costly mistake. You handled this situation very well.
Hey, everybody makes these over prepared activities, then on the job we discover-to our horror(!)- we got a problem & we absolutely gotta fix it ASAP! You stopped, got deep into fundamentals, reviewing & discovered the problem. You fixed it! It looks beautiful! Good job! Thx for sharing this with us! 👍👍👍🧑🔧🍺
Great video, thats what makes a good carpenter/trim guy, fix your screw ups and no one the wiser. One reason I decided to not frame anymore, just complete boredom, I felt robotic. Now I do home repair on mostly older homes and I actually have to think about work arounds on even the simple repairs. I am always working around other trades screw ups. I do not want to tell anyone my mistakes, doing this work since '79, I could write on book on my screw ups...
built a custom kitchen off a set of plans from the owner. We didn't double check the measurements. The homeowner took their measurements off of the rough framing before drywall. The cabinets were off by 1". Had to rebuild an upper/lower cabinet including 3 new drawers.
Hey man. For you to even attempt to build a staircase in your shop speaks volumes about your skill. I've been in that exact situation a time or two. It looks great now. That's all that matters.
Great video. Ive made so many through the years. One that comes to mind is when I was in my 20's and running a framing crew, I put trusses on a house backwards and had the back side sheeted before I realized it. But, It never happened again. LOL.
Mistakes happen to learn . If you dont make any your not working. We all learn how to rectify the problem , and mainly not give up . Own up to yourself its on you to make good on it and honestly. Im glad you show some of your mistakes , no one thinks bad of it atleast i wont.
I’ve been building for over 40 years. The difference between a carpenter and a good carpenter is a good carpenter can fix and hide his mistakes. There isn’t a good carpenter out there that hasn’t made mistakes. Don’t beat yourself up! Strive for perfection and accept really great. Keep up your great work and don’t get discouraged!
Nice stairs. I like the railing profile. Should have left it for Monday. Poplar is the best wood for screw ups. I can't count how many times I have glued bird mouths back on stringers. We have replaced many open stringers that had to be stain grade. you can't hide the glue line on them.
Eres un excelente maestro en la carpintería... mi admiración y mis mejores deseos para los proyectos que tengas en tu vida. Gracias por compartir tus ideas y los libros que leíste.
I’m a framer in the semi custom industry I guess you could say this is a lot more common problem then I’d like to be happy with. every third set of stairs Hass to be either sent back or we have to pad landings
Yup! One of the first things I learned about what a good carpenter was, was how fast and well you can fix your mistakes…. Didn’t understand the significance of that statement at the time but it couldn’t be truer. It is what makes a good carpenter. Mistakes happen.
Hi Spencer. I am not a carpenter but I have put myself in your situation and I think that in future on a job like this I would cut a string for each floor first and dry try them in situ for fit before crafting the rest?
I just did the same exact thing. I modeled a set of stairs in sketch up only to find that they were short up to the 2nd floor as built. I started freaking out because this 2nd floor had floor trusses which are not supposed to be modified. After "taking a step back" (which was priceless, by the way) I realized the same thing and just added 2x material across the front of the opening so the stairs could then fit.
So presently trying to correct a existing very short stairway to the garage as the original installers did account for the door lip overhang that made the first stair short for stepping on!
I've had several "what in the crap did I do" moments. Fortunately each time after a little sit down with my head in my hands they've always ended up like yours with a relatively easy fix.
I prepped a major glue-lam joint the night before the boom truck... upon arrival that next morning I measuered the beam and was sure I had mis marked it the night before... I should have left it alone.
made a 5000 dollar desk and when i delivered it , it was too big to get through the door opening, we ended up cutting it in half with the owners permission. we did such a good job you couldn't tell we did that. of course with had to knock a little off the price.
I’ve been working on cars for about 35 years. Just last week I did a transmission service and added 3.5 quarts of transmission fluid to my engine oil by stupidity pouring in the wrong dip stick hole. Started the engine and was dismayed when I checked the transmission fluid and nothing was on the dipstick. I carefully measured what I removed from the transmission was 3.5 quarts and added exactly 3.5 quart’s back in. I was just standing there with my hands on my hips and couldn’t process why the fluid wasn’t showing up on the dipstick for the transmission.. Not really complicated but my $125,000 dollar Mercedes has no dipsticks for checking the engine oil and is done by using the instrument cluster however it has a dipstick with a stupid plug in it. The actual fill tube for adding the transmission fluid is out of sight behind the engine with a cap with a lock tab on it. The car was still on jack stands and had only run for about 1 minute but obviously I was mortified when I figured out my mistake. Had to drain engine oil which was 9 quarts of oil with additional 3.5 quarts of transmission fluid. I then added 9 quarts of new oil and changed the oil filter. Then started engine and ran engine for a couple of minutes then drained out that 9 quarts of oil and changed the engine oil and filter again..🙈 I have made lots of mistakes over the years and can remember all of them, but when you are building things or trying to do your own repairs stuff happens and I could write a book. LOL! There is a certain satisfaction that comes from doing things with your own hands which is why I like to fix stuff myself. I remember the time I, ………… 😂
I totally get when a problem arises and the solution is right then and there. My typical way of dealing with a problem is to step away and go over it in my mind. Oddly, sometimes I come up with the possibility is un my sleep. Weird yes?
LOL "Just picture the home owner walking in" and in my cases < (plural) of mess ups I say to myself the owners will be here in a minute. Then when they ask how is it going I reply, not good, I screwed up but the good news is, I tell them is they have not invented anything yet in construction I can not fix.
All you have to do is pad out the bottom landing or pad out the top landing, no big deal the house is still in the rough framing… mistakes are made but it’s how you go about the next few moves that separate the men from the boys. And I always like to say “ The only person not making mistakes is the person standing there watching and not doing anything…”
As you can see I commented before finishing the video, good job man and I totally understand that feeling of panic, this is not a game out here, and sometimes there’s a lot of money involved.
These days most contractors would have nailed it down and thrown and bunch of caulk over the gap lol. Then argued with the home owner about how it’s to code. That’s why construction is so expensive now, each build requires 1,000 tubes of caulk.
happened me with windows, 4 person measured it out, i myself did it twice, build the windows, measured the build three times, and at the moment we started installing them, we realised that the windows where 20 cm to short, all windows exactly 20 cm to short.
The difference between an expert and a professional was: the expert does it right the first time-the professional knows how to hide/fix their mistakes 😉
I build a lot of custom cabins and I had 8 upper cabinets built to go between 2 walls and the drywall guys used 5/8" instead of 1/2" needless to say I was panicked and couldn't think of anything to fix the problem that day besides using trim on one side but wouldn't match other cabinets. And just wouldn't fly for this being a completely custom kitchen. I thought I was going to have to rebuild one of the cabinet's. I told the owner I had to build a new cabinet and why. He made drywall guys tear down the 5/8" and redo entire kitchen with 1/2".like I was told was being used. But that was the most stressful 24 hrs thinking he would never use me again or refer me to other investors like him.
That feeling of panic and stress. There’s not a carpenter or self employed person watching this that doesn’t know that feeling when you realise something has gone wrong. You’ve made a mistake. It’s gut wrenching. I’m not sure which is worse the at first the loss of money or the customer finding out. When things calm down and you can think more clearly you go about trying to work out where you went wrong and it’s here when you recognise your mistake you work out the solution. I love being a carpenter, I don’t like making mistakes but would I change any of them, no I wouldn’t. Getting over the problem and finding that solution is also a great feeling. Another problem solved. What you learn from it is and about yourself gives you massive confidence for the next project. Well done and thanks for sharing. From Ireland.
I am so glad to hear other people discuss things that went wrong- it takes a lot to own up to mistakes, and others can learn from them. Spencer's channel has helped me a lot, and I've been a carpenter for over thirty years. I know that feeling of stress and not being able to see the solution at first, because your brain is focused on the fact that you screwed up. Just let it go, and let your brain sort it out- I agree, it is a great feeling when you find that solution!
After 37 years, I too can so identify with you more times than I care to admit!!!! God has given me wisdom and delivered me from these"mistakes" more times than I can count(very few have resulted in remakes... But they do happen!). So glad there was a way to rework it with no appreciable compromise!!!! I have found I have to bring a stringer or skirt board for each run to verify before the build in the shop..... Great job! Do be afraid to share mistakes as they are often the best learning tools you can share for prevention of future "opportunities"!
Every craftsman or professional worth a damn will experience this panic from time to time during a lifetime career. When this occurs most of us immediately jump to the worst possible outcome: when this mistake is exposed, you will be professionally embarrassed, ruined, and bankrupt. I found that when I come to terms with that as a possibility that I can survive, I can breath and remember that (i) I have insurance for my unfixable mistakes, (ii) the worst case almost never occurs, and (iii) with hard thought and effort, in the vast majority of the cases the error can be completely fixed or at least substantially mitigated.
Retired second generation carpenter here, age 72. My father always said "It's not a mistake until you can't fix it." a mantra I needed many times in my career. Your work is astounding, your attitude the best. Thanks for posting.
MJAC: Thank you so much. My dad was also a very smart and very humble person, and I have only good memories from him, but I've looked for some words to put on a sign I'm going to make, and if you don't mind, I would like to use your dad's vise words. The is going to hang over my DIY workbench in my tiny newbie woodworker shop-/shed here in Denmark. It will be my very first attempt to make a sign, and it will certainly not look like a mass-produced one, but look as what it is (will be): My very first attempt. It will look homemade, out of square, etc. but I promise, it will be a perfect sign, as all mistakes and flaws will be intentional .... 😉 Right now one of my legs is killing me when I walk and I have to sit down a lot - which isn't easy for me, as I've always been a very active, and now, 59 years old, living alone in a house with a big garden, cats, hens, etc, and being early retired, I help neighbors taking care of their gardens, dogs, children, and I have 2 elderly people in my village I drive to the groceries, banks, etc. every month. and having a little spare time, last year I decided to take up woodworking. I did a little +30 years ago. And watching a lot of woodworking videos here on youtube made me decide it was time to be more serious about it. Another vise word is (something like) "You have to work with what you got", and always being poor, it's a mindset I'm used to, and with my leg changing my daily life right now, I've been given the opportunity to do something I haven't had the time (=patience) to learn; How to sharpen my old chisels properly! And living alone, and nobody preventing me from having, cleaning or using my tools inside my house, I can sit here at my coffee table and make my new sign: "It's not a mistake until you can't fix it" and be more serious about fixing some of my mistakes in life ... And hopefully have the sign ready for next month, when my wonderful neighbors will come and help me set up my table saw, bandsaw, etc. in my "woodshopshed" .... I just wish for one more thing: I'll be able to find a retired carpenter (wood worker) here in my small village, who would like to show me a few tips and tricks, what to do and not to do. Directly from me, PIa, here in Denmark, I wish you all the best, MJAC ❤
Anybody that does custom work knows that feeling very well, I have walked into jobs and realsied very fast that my piece of work is the wrong size. I was always taught To never report the mistake until you have a solution.
I’ve been a contractor/carpenter for 42 years and, believe me, I understand the panic you felt. I have made mistakes that put my mind into a vortex of doom. Thankfully, I’ve managed to solve the problems and did it undetected. Never was a solution dangerous , half-ass or unsightly. However, the belly aches and feeling of stupidity were epic. As you, or any crafts professional does, I shoot for perfection and hold myself to the highest achievable execution of quality. If one doesn't do this kind of work one will never know all the thinking/ foresight it takes to do projects like this. It’s very gratifying but not for the weak. And.....the time constraints...the “seeing into the future” as regards establishing an accurate estimate of time....the hours it will take....so I can be fair to myself and the customer when assigning an up-front cost/bid is, for me, the hardest part of the business. I can predict material costs very accurately. Estimating the time it will take is tough. To sell a job hourly is a rare opportunity. I can count on one hand the number of times that I have experienced the luxury of bidding hourly. I’ve taken on some ...in my mind...very complex jobs, explained the complexity to the customer, and was allowed to charge hourly. These same customers never bitched about the final costs and they hired me to to additional complex jobs for them. That all said, self employment is a maximal challenge. I can’t imagine doing anything else. I can’t imagine being an employee type. Thanks for sharing your experiences and thanks for your candid information. Merry Christmas. Dave Heitman in Omaha dba Dave the Carpenter. Semper Fidelis
Yeah, ‘Vortex of Doom’ describes it perfectly. We’ve all been sucked into that vortex unfortunately - some more than others 🙄 Too bad there isn’t a bar in the Vortex of Doom, it would make the experience a little more bearable.
I was going to comment, but cannot add to this one, it's very good. Working alone adds a level of difficulty in not having someone to talk the problem out loud with. As soon as we speak to an issue vocally, the subconscious mind starts to kick in devise solutions and alternatives, much the same way we find answers the next morning when we walk into the shop. When working with a small crew I've learned the value of having a 2nd set of eyes on a problem, but have worked alone for much of my many decades.
I’ve been a carpenter for 47 years and I could feel the sensation in your gut when you tried to place them. Like a bomb going off. But when we’re composed the simplest answers appear. Ya did good and all is well
I am a retired finish carpenter. I was smiling as I watched the video. Been there done that. It is interesting how the room can feel to hot all of a sudden. My friend and fellow carpenter and I have said a few times, “ You will never know there was anything wrong with this when I get done with it”. There have been a few nights with a lot of tossing and turning, often with an solution in my head when I woke up in the morning. My biggest scare was not a finish job. I had a sub pour a foundation on a job I was super on. The next day a city official called to tell me the porch was over the property line. I was drive when he called and I about wrecked my truck. I too am a Christian and out loud I said, “Dear God what am I going to do”? His response was, “You can’t cut the tree down”. It is hard to describe the relief. It was the city arborist for another job. He was calling to tell me that the old house, built before set backs was built on the property line and the tree belonged to the city. I had a supplier tell me of a job where they supplied iron balusters. There were two finish carpenters working on it. One started on the landing installing and one started at the bottom installing, they were almost done when they realized they were given two different types of balusters and they didn’t match. That one had to be a tough one. OK one more. A couple of my friends are master stair builders, that’s all they did was stairs. At the time it was probably a $35 - 40,000 stair case that swept up from both side with ascending volutes. They were all done and one of them had gone on vacation. I was doing the rest of the finish work. The contractor came by the job and called a couple of us down to the foyer and asked us if we saw anything wrong with the stairs. After a little bit of staring we realized that one of the newell posts was the same turning but different spacing on the flats. The guys had been short one baluster. They called and ordered it delivered. It was only off by one number on the box. The newell was set in Bondo. It was another one of those you’ll never know there’s anything wrong with it when they got done Killer job on the stairs by the way.
My Dad who was a Master Cabinet Maker Carpenter told me anyone who say’s they don’t make mistakes hasn’t worked long enough. There’s always a way out and to be humble. You can learn from the guy sweeping the floor. Keep up the good work graciously sharing your talent.
I felt some of that anxiety when you were explaining how you had discovered the mistake. I overlooked how low a veranda beam was when I started deck framing. I also felt so stressed that I couldn’t think of a solution. But, I slept on it, and came up with a solution that the client was satisfied with. It’s was a good reminder to take a step back and look at the whole job before I begin, and I’m only as good as my last mistake.
The mark of a good carpenter is how you fix your mistakes. I've learned having a helper or second carpenter helps greatly to reduce mistakes as no one sees everything.
My dear friend, my dad was a carpenter all his life. He taught me that if you can fix it, it is not a mistake. I followed in his foot steps, only after a while, I found the I liked the finish work best. I was 16 when I started, and I am now 80. I still do a lot of handrail and stair well remodeling. I admire you and your talents and ability..Watching you Is fantastic. You are like 6 of the people that I taught, they all out shined the teacher. I am very proud of each one of them. Like you, they have taken what they were taught and greatly improved and expanded and improved. I wish you well in the years ahead of you and your family.
That right there is what separates the men from the boys, so to speak. Make a mistake, fix it, and go on about your business. No blaming someone else, no quibbling, just "I messed up, so I'll make it right." Always respected you and your work, Spencer, even more so now
I was super impressed at how you were able to get all the stairs into the house by yourself, you made it look so easy. And then to think to use the winch was another brilliant idea. Work smarter, not harder. You embody that saying. I love all the work that you do on your channel. Thanks, and keep up the great work.
Man I hear ya, 100%! It's an absolute crushing blow, when all that time and effort seem to just vanish in the blink of eye. Nice save on this one man, sometimes all it takes is some deep breaths and a cup of coffee to get things lined out. The only real mistake, is one that can't be fixed.
i know the exact feeling man. im a journeyman sheetmetal worker in PDX. in my company im regarded as the "layout guy" and im usually the guy who measures the wall to order our panels and when needed i field modify the panels for penetrations. the last job we were on the panels were special custom color made and assembled in canada (10 week lead time) and THOUSANDS of dollars per panel. all the panels came out spot on but the center panel which happened to have a off-center column i had to knotch for. no big deal seeing as i had already done 6 that day. immediately when i finished the final cut in the panel i realized i mirrored my measurements and because it was offset it was exactly backwards. the amount of guilt i had was disorienting. my general forman and project manager were on site as well. i immediately owned my mistake and walked through why and how it happened. everyone was irritated but because of my reputation and the way i handled the mistake we got through it and was able to get the replacement the following week 3 days before the job got turned over to the owner. everyone makes the mistakes and regardless of your experience never be too arrogant to stand back and take a second look at your work.
Spencer, I’ve been watching your show for a couple years now and I am in awe of your abilities for someone who appears to be young. I’m 62 years old I’ve been a carpenter for 40 or 45 years. A lot of framing early on and mostly finish for the last 20 years. From 1995 till about 2005 all I did was build stairs in tract housing and apartments. Without exaggerating I can say I have built between 600 and 800 sets of stairs. Including spirals, commercial, and residential. Both rough framing and right down to finish. Your solution for this problem was perfect spot on, watching the video when you first mentioned the problem I knew what needed to be done before you explained how you fixed it. Always remember it’s easier to pad out the landing or the second floor a little bit then to have your stairs built too long. Many times I always left myself a half inch of play so all I would have to do is pad my landing or my second-floor out with a piece of half-inch plywood. I really enjoy your show and have learned a lot From all of your techniques. Also most of my career I have been a one-man band much like you, but it’s 62 years old now I need a little help. Oh well what are you gonna do. Keep up the good work.
B Wojak, I've been a cabinetmaker and involved with most trades for 40 years. But I've always stayed away from stairs. I admire guys like you that do this kind of work. I use sketchup for drawing all my projects in 3-d. Just wondering if you use any similar drawing aides?
@@tomruth9487 no I’m old-school I just use a set of plans or sometimes have them sent to me in three D. Also I would like to say that I have never built “ shop built” stairs before. I’ve always built them on site. I think Spencer is pretty impressive by building them in his shop
@@bwojak3226 I figured you might be old school. It's interest as with building and and woodworking so many ways to do a job. Good luck to you, thanks for the reply.
I was asked by a contractor friend of mine if I could install stair railing in a new construction home build he was doing. I had never done that before, however watched several episodes of tips of the trades, many here in this very Chanel. Felt confidant I could do it. Client wanted two balusters per tread so ordered all the materials and headed up to the job site. I quickly learned that I couldn’t get two balusters to work with the building code spacing of 4 inches. (Which I had to confirm with my friend) so had to first convince the client to have 3 balusters instead of desired two. Than had to order more material which stalled my install. When time came for installation round 2 every went smooth until I stepped back and realized that the two rails were not inline at the middle post. I ended up having to redo the whole bottom half to correct the alignment. Which delayed the job for a second time. Luckily this job didn’t have a concrete time line but Expensive lesson learned. I’ll be sticking to stand alone furniture and built in cabinetry from now on.
That's part of construction that a lot of people don't think about until they're in it. Anything that one trade does that has a problem automatically Cascades down to everybody behind them that's going to have to do work on that project.
Jeff Booth says intelligence is "error correction". It happens all the time.....u get 999 things out of 1000 right....but the small oversight on that 1 thing...can really ruin your day. I could feel the pit in your stomach. Thanks for posting Spencer. Keep up the good work. I've learned so much from your channel.
I have alot of respect and admiration for you Spencer! Maybe even more so now... than I did before. Once again your story comes at a perfect time. Today, I made a mistake cutting stringers. I cut the pattern wrong and never caught it. In your video when the severity of your mistake started sinking in I swear I could see you start to hyperventilate. Just as I did when I realized I had 4 stringers cut wrong. You talked about that comfort that we settle in to and how it's a dangerous place to be. True story! Anyways, I said all that to say this... Parallels in lives are not coincidence but part of God's grand design. I was feeling pretty down on myself for making such a rookie mistake till I watched this video. The timing was once again impeccable. Not only are you a great teacher of the art of fine carpentry but a true vessel of God. I wasn't surprised you teach Sunday School... I thought to myself how lucky are the children who get to spend time with such a great guy. Thank you for being you my brother in Christ.
I make mistakes all the time. It's knowing you can find a way out of it that makes you a pro. A driver for the local lumberyard came into a house I was working on and asked "What does it take to be a trim man?" My response was "You have to have the balls to cut it." Without the self confidence of knowing that, no matter what, you can make it work in the end, it's going to be a hard path to follow.
I couldn’t agree more. I’ve only been on the remodeling/carpentry/woodworking scene for a couple of years working by myself mostly, still have miles of road in my career and countless things to learn. However I have learned that lesson at this point, at some point you just have to jump in and figure it out as you go. Planning is always important, but there are some things that you can’t plan and you just have to roll with the punches so to speak. Knowing that somehow you’ll work it out is definitely an important thing to have.
I'm a third generation carpenter have been building shop built stairs for 40 years so I could literally feel your pain!!! My dad used to say it's not if you make a mistake its how good are you at fixing them.( dad was a true Craftsman so didn't make many) we all make them and I think you're a gifted young man that can truly be called a carpenter!! Thinks for your channel and God bless
Well said!
Yes , well done . And looks the business
"The difference between a Master and an Apprentice is you don't see the Master's mistakes.
Second generation carpenter as well. All through my apprenticeship I would hear “It’s not wrong if you can fix it.”
thats how i learned. a carpenters not judged on what he can build, but what he can fix.
You said it perfectly, Its about how good you can fix your mistakes (or somebody else's) that makes you good at what you do. In my years of being an Autobody Refinisher (painter) I had to create an illusion so my customer couldn't see where I had painted, and Spencer I was good at it. I also had my Sunday's when I had to go to the shop and fix a problem that could not wait til Monday.
I still think you're one heck of a carpenter my friend. Peace and Love from Texas and HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.
I’ve been remodeling homes for 46 years and have been a self employed contractor for 35 of them. One of my early mentors said something that I’ve never forgotten. Dwight Nelson told me that all carpenters make mistakes but a craftsman always fixes them, no matter what it costs themselves. He also told me you always have to nail on the last board before the job is done. When I have one of those ‘ Oh no ‘ moments, I remind myself I’ve finished every job I’ve started and I’ll finish this one too. Great video, thank you.
I have worked extensively with ...
.. woodworkers, welders and seamstresses. Adam Savage does a great job explaining how these craftspeople are actually using the same talents.
Over time you notice that these talented craftspeople have a mental toolbox that is filled with solution of how to correct errors.
As my mom always says, “panicking never helps solve anything.” (When I feel panic I just let it happen, once it is over I move forward to solve the problem. Never try to solve problems while feeling panic.)
I've been doing carpentry for 20+ years everything from footings and forms to finish. The best piece of advice I have ever been given was from an old timer. " It's not a mistake if you can fix it". I find this especially helpful with sheetrock. Frame a roof with multiple hips and valleys with intersecting ridges, no problem. Sheetrock, I turn into Cletus from the Simpsons'.
You absolutely killed it.
I am a 30 year cretehead, I have
experienced that moment when this planet stops revolving! I have worked more than a couple Sundays:) nice work, great attitude!
As we say here in Spain "your face was a poem"(min.5:00)when you realized your mistake.Many of us know this feeling but we also know the satisfaction after fix it.
By the way,congrats for the amazing job in this house
This is what good craftsmen do. They solve problems and do things in a professional manner even when they make a mistake. Oh the things I have messed up and had to work over. Way too many, but what counts is what you learn. Great video!
I know that feeling. I had a lesser version of it just watching that staircase fall into place and not reach the floor. It brought me right back to a couple of my more egregious mistakes. It's amazing how your brain just shuts down at that moment. You can't think of any way to fix the problem and you're so worried that someone will see it. I commend your resourcefulness and the way you kept your head and did what you had to do to get the job done. Thanks for sharing.
The mark of a good contractor is not that he never makes mistakes, it's how he deals with his mistakes and THAT he corrects them properly. It's impossible to be perfect every time no matter how good you are. You did the right thing and made it seamless. Outstanding. If you were my contractor and told me about your mistake and how you corrected it I would call you every time. Honesty is paramount.
I am very impressed and pleased you showed and talked about how hard the mistake was on you! I saw a mistake in the background of This Old House and in the next seen it was fixed, they missed a great opportunity to show that things happen and how to fix it. Personally I had a paint spill on new organic wool carpet and I felt sick, the contractor encouraged me and I worked hard and fast and all worked out fine.
OMG...you are human. We've all been there. I don't sleep well the night before a delivery/installation. Been in the business long enough to see both my mistakes, as well as others, that will make you shake your head. My first "rookie" mistake was overlooking a tight turn and not being able to even get the thing in the room. Thanks Spencer...I'm still in awe in what you do!
I learned this same lesson years ago ugh 😑 so now I cut 1/4 inch plywood stringers and field test my layout. Thanks for sharing your learning experience with us
You are the Payton Manning of finish carpentry. I enjoy the heck out of watching you work. God bless!
As a carpenter myself I know the pain. The one thing I’ve learned is your not a carpenter if you don’t think on your feet.
Good job! Point is you don't quit you figure it out. If carpentry was easy everyone would do it!
That's the whole thing we deal with in commercial construction. Deadlines need to be met, and all of the custom/specialty parts are ordered weeks in advance due to long manufacturing and delivery timelines...so when mistakes are made, we need to come up with many thinking-out-of-the-box ideas to find the cheapest easiest solution to a costly mistake. You handled this situation very well.
Hey, everybody makes these over prepared activities, then on the job we discover-to our horror(!)- we got a problem & we absolutely gotta fix it ASAP! You stopped, got deep into fundamentals, reviewing & discovered the problem. You fixed it! It looks beautiful! Good job! Thx for sharing this with us! 👍👍👍🧑🔧🍺
Great video, thats what makes a good carpenter/trim guy, fix your screw ups and no one the wiser. One reason I decided to not frame anymore, just complete boredom, I felt robotic. Now I do home repair on mostly older homes and I actually have to think about work arounds on even the simple repairs. I am always working around other trades screw ups. I do not want to tell anyone my mistakes, doing this work since '79, I could write on book on my screw ups...
built a custom kitchen off a set of plans from the owner. We didn't double check the measurements. The homeowner took their measurements off of the rough framing before drywall. The cabinets were off by 1". Had to rebuild an upper/lower cabinet including 3 new drawers.
Hey man. For you to even attempt to build a staircase in your shop speaks volumes about your skill. I've been in that exact situation a time or two. It looks great now. That's all that matters.
Great video. Ive made so many through the years. One that comes to mind is when I was in my 20's and running a framing crew, I put trusses on a house backwards and had the back side sheeted before I realized it. But, It never happened again. LOL.
Mistakes happen to learn . If you dont make any your not working. We all learn how to rectify the problem , and mainly not give up . Own up to yourself its on you to make good on it and honestly. Im glad you show some of your mistakes , no one thinks bad of it atleast i wont.
Thanks. Really appreciate tour honesty.
Good job buddy. You are a true craftsman.
I’ve been building for over 40 years. The difference between a carpenter and a good carpenter is a good carpenter can fix and hide his mistakes. There isn’t a good carpenter out there that hasn’t made mistakes.
Don’t beat yourself up! Strive for perfection and accept really great.
Keep up your great work and don’t get discouraged!
Nice stairs. I like the railing profile. Should have left it for Monday. Poplar is the best wood for screw ups. I can't count how many times I have glued bird mouths back on stringers. We have replaced many open stringers that had to be stain grade. you can't hide the glue line on them.
Eres un excelente maestro en la carpintería... mi admiración y mis mejores deseos para los proyectos que tengas en tu vida. Gracias por compartir tus ideas y los libros que leíste.
De nada. Es un privilegio! 👍👊
I’m a framer in the semi custom industry I guess you could say this is a lot more common problem then I’d like to be happy with. every third set of stairs Hass to be either sent back or we have to pad landings
That heart sink feeling is the worst!!! There is very rarely no way out and there are no great craftsmen who aren’t even better problem solvers!
We have all had that horrible gut feeling when you have messed something up. It takes a good tradesmen to get out of it and putting it right .
Yup!
One of the first things I learned about what a good carpenter was, was how fast and well you can fix your mistakes….
Didn’t understand the significance of that statement at the time but it couldn’t be truer.
It is what makes a good carpenter.
Mistakes happen.
Hi Spencer. I am not a carpenter but I have put myself in your situation and I think that in future on a job like this I would cut a string for each floor first and dry try them in situ for fit before crafting the rest?
I just did the same exact thing. I modeled a set of stairs in sketch up only to find that they were short up to the 2nd floor as built. I started freaking out because this 2nd floor had floor trusses which are not supposed to be modified. After "taking a step back" (which was priceless, by the way) I realized the same thing and just added 2x material across the front of the opening so the stairs could then fit.
You learn best when things go wrong, most of the time we trying to figure out what we did right when it does go well 👍
Been there. Done that. 40+years in the trade. I saw your problem and had the solution in nanosecond. How? Yep, been there. Well done young un.
So presently trying to correct a existing very short stairway to the garage as the original installers did account for the door lip overhang that made the first stair short for stepping on!
I've had several "what in the crap did I do" moments. Fortunately each time after a little sit down with my head in my hands they've always ended up like yours with a relatively easy fix.
I prepped a major glue-lam joint the night before the boom truck... upon arrival that next morning I measuered the beam and was sure I had mis marked it the night before... I should have left it alone.
made a 5000 dollar desk and when i delivered it , it was too big to get through the door opening, we ended up cutting it in half with the owners permission. we did such a good job you couldn't tell we did that. of course with had to knock a little off the price.
Those stairs are killer, just a few views of that house from this video show your masterclass talent. When are you going to get the new m18 nailers?
I'm using it now. Review will be done soon!
Great recovery
It's not about how bad you messed up it's about how quickly you recover
Love it! It’s how you recover….thx
I’ve been working on cars for about 35 years. Just last week I did a transmission service and added 3.5 quarts of transmission fluid to my engine oil by stupidity pouring in the wrong dip stick hole. Started the engine and was dismayed when I checked the transmission fluid and nothing was on the dipstick. I carefully measured what I removed from the transmission was 3.5 quarts and added exactly 3.5 quart’s back in. I was just standing there with my hands on my hips and couldn’t process why the fluid wasn’t showing up on the dipstick for the transmission.. Not really complicated but my $125,000 dollar Mercedes has no dipsticks for checking the engine oil and is done by using the instrument cluster however it has a dipstick with a stupid plug in it. The actual fill tube for adding the transmission fluid is out of sight behind the engine with a cap with a lock tab on it. The car was still on jack stands and had only run for about 1 minute but obviously I was mortified when I figured out my mistake. Had to drain engine oil which was 9 quarts of oil with additional 3.5 quarts of transmission fluid. I then added 9 quarts of new oil and changed the oil filter. Then started engine and ran engine for a couple of minutes then drained out that 9 quarts of oil and changed the engine oil and filter again..🙈 I have made lots of mistakes over the years and can remember all of them, but when you are building things or trying to do your own repairs stuff happens and I could write a book. LOL! There is a certain satisfaction that comes from doing things with your own hands which is why I like to fix stuff myself. I remember the time I, ………… 😂
i worked the trades as a wood floor man and YOU ARE DOING GREAT SON, IF you are not making mistakes then you are not producing anything! hahhahahahah
That was good. Well done.
I totally get when a problem arises and the solution is right then and there. My typical way of dealing with a problem is to step away and go over it in my mind. Oddly, sometimes I come up with the possibility is un my sleep. Weird yes?
LOL "Just picture the home owner walking in" and in my cases < (plural) of mess ups I say to myself the owners will be here in a minute. Then when they ask how is it going I reply, not good, I screwed up but the good news is, I tell them is they have not invented anything yet in construction I can not fix.
I think there is a saying about what makes a good carpenter good. He knows how to fix his mistakes.
It happens and really scary when it does but when you look back, on it yeah it was really scary.
Went through all that and they put carpet on the stairs. 🤦🏼♂️ really cool to see you are still human.
My late Uncle who was a railroad car cabinet maker says they usually hide their mistakes!
All you have to do is pad out the bottom landing or pad out the top landing, no big deal the house is still in the rough framing… mistakes are made but it’s how you go about the next few moves that separate the men from the boys. And I always like to say “ The only person not making mistakes is the person standing there watching and not doing anything…”
As you can see I commented before finishing the video, good job man and I totally understand that feeling of panic, this is not a game out here, and sometimes there’s a lot of money involved.
Oh yes, the cold sweat when something doesn't go quite right.
It’s an accomplishment to save your own ass it’s a banner day when you save the bosses ass. Good job bud.
These days most contractors would have nailed it down and thrown and bunch of caulk over the gap lol. Then argued with the home owner about how it’s to code. That’s why construction is so expensive now, each build requires 1,000 tubes of caulk.
Im a 2nd generation wood worker, and to me its not a mistake unless you walk away and dont fix it.
Lol. You can barely call that mistake. But I do appreciate your being a perfectionist :-)
happened me with windows, 4 person measured it out, i myself did it twice, build the windows, measured the build three times, and at the moment we started installing them, we realised that the windows where 20 cm to short, all windows exactly 20 cm to short.
I had to cut a floor joist to length twice and it was still too short.
Another great vid. You are a badass carpenter!
thanks for share
I lost count of the number of mistakes, mine and others, that I have fixed over 40 years of carpentry.
I love this!
The difference between an expert and a professional was: the expert does it right the first time-the professional knows how to hide/fix their mistakes 😉
I was working on a lake house in ma and shoot elevation and forgot my the height of the laser i took the stringer and threw it right in lake i was 27
amazing!
If I don't learn something new from a build, then it wasn't a real project.
After 30 years of doing this I have learned if you don't make mistakes your not doing anything
The sign of a great craftsman is to be able to fix problems without it being known. #ConfessionsOfACraftsman
I subscribed..new Smyrna beach FL
A man who makes no mistakes does nothing at all...
There is a video of someone who built an entire house on the wrong lot. STRESS! PANIC!!!!
I build a lot of custom cabins and I had 8 upper cabinets built to go between 2 walls and the drywall guys used 5/8" instead of 1/2" needless to say I was panicked and couldn't think of anything to fix the problem that day besides using trim on one side but wouldn't match other cabinets. And just wouldn't fly for this being a completely custom kitchen. I thought I was going to have to rebuild one of the cabinet's. I told the owner I had to build a new cabinet and why. He made drywall guys tear down the 5/8" and redo entire kitchen with 1/2".like I was told was being used. But that was the most stressful 24 hrs thinking he would never use me again or refer me to other investors like him.
I could never trust myself enough to do that 😂 I’d rather build it on site and text fit
As long as u have enough head room on the landing.. that would be my thought
its terrifying until you fix it then its all clear and normal
Why does stairs run into that wall? Lost 6 maybe 8 inches.why?
oh man i have been there. a mild heart attack moment.
You have always impressed me with how humble you are, this just reinforces your character. Thank you for sharing.
That feeling of panic and stress. There’s not a carpenter or self employed person watching this that doesn’t know that feeling when you realise something has gone wrong. You’ve made a mistake. It’s gut wrenching. I’m not sure which is worse the at first the loss of money or the customer finding out. When things calm down and you can think more clearly you go about trying to work out where you went wrong and it’s here when you recognise your mistake you work out the solution. I love being a carpenter, I don’t like making mistakes but would I change any of them, no I wouldn’t. Getting over the problem and finding that solution is also a great feeling. Another problem solved. What you learn from it is and about yourself gives you massive confidence for the next project.
Well done and thanks for sharing.
From Ireland.
Absolutely
I am so glad to hear other people discuss things that went wrong- it takes a lot to own up to mistakes, and others can learn from them. Spencer's channel has helped me a lot, and I've been a carpenter for over thirty years. I know that feeling of stress and not being able to see the solution at first, because your brain is focused on the fact that you screwed up. Just let it go, and let your brain sort it out- I agree, it is a great feeling when you find that solution!
After 37 years, I too can so identify with you more times than I care to admit!!!! God has given me wisdom and delivered me from these"mistakes" more times than I can count(very few have resulted in remakes... But they do happen!). So glad there was a way to rework it with no appreciable compromise!!!!
I have found I have to bring a stringer or skirt board for each run to verify before the build in the shop.....
Great job! Do be afraid to share mistakes as they are often the best learning tools you can share for prevention of future "opportunities"!
Every craftsman or professional worth a damn will experience this panic from time to time during a lifetime career. When this occurs most of us immediately jump to the worst possible outcome: when this mistake is exposed, you will be professionally embarrassed, ruined, and bankrupt. I found that when I come to terms with that as a possibility that I can survive, I can breath and remember that (i) I have insurance for my unfixable mistakes, (ii) the worst case almost never occurs, and (iii) with hard thought and effort, in the vast majority of the cases the error can be completely fixed or at least substantially mitigated.
Never forget...we are not Just contractors... we're problem solvers...
Retired second generation carpenter here, age 72. My father always said "It's not a mistake until you can't fix it." a mantra I needed many times in my career. Your work is astounding, your attitude the best. Thanks for posting.
It would have been a mistake if it was unfixable. If it only required a 2x10 to fix it qualifies as an adjustment. Nice work though!
Sounds a bit like my uncles definition of mistake = something you can't fix.
that is a great quote. hope you don't mind others using it!
There are no problems...Only solutions.
MJAC: Thank you so much.
My dad was also a very smart and very humble person, and I have only good memories from him, but I've looked for some words to put on a sign I'm going to make, and if you don't mind, I would like to use your dad's vise words.
The is going to hang over my DIY workbench in my tiny newbie woodworker shop-/shed here in Denmark.
It will be my very first attempt to make a sign, and it will certainly not look like a mass-produced one, but look as what it is (will be): My very first attempt.
It will look homemade, out of square, etc. but I promise, it will be a perfect sign, as all mistakes and flaws will be intentional .... 😉
Right now one of my legs is killing me when I walk and I have to sit down a lot - which isn't easy for me, as I've always been a very active, and now, 59 years old, living alone in a house with a big garden, cats, hens, etc, and being early retired, I help neighbors taking care of their gardens, dogs, children, and I have 2 elderly people in my village I drive to the groceries, banks, etc. every month. and having a little spare time, last year I decided to take up woodworking. I did a little +30 years ago. And watching a lot of woodworking videos here on youtube made me decide it was time to be more serious about it.
Another vise word is (something like) "You have to work with what you got", and always being poor, it's a mindset I'm used to, and with my leg changing my daily life right now, I've been given the opportunity to do something I haven't had the time (=patience) to learn; How to sharpen my old chisels properly!
And living alone, and nobody preventing me from having, cleaning or using my tools inside my house, I can sit here at my coffee table and make my new sign:
"It's not a mistake until you can't fix it" and be more serious about fixing some of my mistakes in life ...
And hopefully have the sign ready for next month, when my wonderful neighbors will come and help me set up my table saw, bandsaw, etc. in my "woodshopshed" ....
I just wish for one more thing: I'll be able to find a retired carpenter (wood worker) here in my small village, who would like to show me a few tips and tricks, what to do and not to do.
Directly from me, PIa, here in Denmark, I wish you all the best, MJAC ❤
Anybody that does custom work knows that feeling very well, I have walked into jobs and realsied very fast that my piece of work is the wrong size. I was always taught To never report the mistake until you have a solution.
I’ve been a contractor/carpenter for 42 years and, believe me, I understand the panic you felt. I have made mistakes that put my mind into a vortex of doom. Thankfully, I’ve managed to solve the problems and did it undetected. Never was a solution dangerous , half-ass or unsightly. However, the belly aches and feeling of stupidity were epic. As you, or any crafts professional does, I shoot for perfection and hold myself to the highest achievable execution of quality. If one doesn't do this kind of work one will never know all the thinking/ foresight it takes to do projects like this. It’s very gratifying but not for the weak. And.....the time constraints...the “seeing into the future” as regards establishing an accurate estimate of time....the hours it will take....so I can be fair to myself and the customer when assigning an up-front cost/bid is, for me, the hardest part of the business. I can predict material costs very accurately. Estimating the time it will take is tough. To sell a job hourly is a rare opportunity. I can count on one hand the number of times that I have experienced the luxury of bidding hourly. I’ve taken on some ...in my mind...very complex jobs, explained the complexity to the customer, and was allowed to charge hourly. These same customers never bitched about the final costs and they hired me to to additional complex jobs for them. That all said, self employment is a maximal challenge. I can’t imagine doing anything else. I can’t imagine being an employee type. Thanks for sharing your experiences and thanks for your candid information. Merry Christmas. Dave Heitman in Omaha dba Dave the Carpenter. Semper Fidelis
Vortex of doom pretty much sums things up. Nicely said.
@@emmetband4931 came here to say exactly that. Never heard it put better.
👍
Yeah, ‘Vortex of Doom’ describes it perfectly. We’ve all been sucked into that vortex unfortunately - some more than others 🙄
Too bad there isn’t a bar in the Vortex of Doom, it would make the experience a little more bearable.
I was going to comment, but cannot add to this one, it's very good.
Working alone adds a level of difficulty in not having someone to talk the problem out loud with. As soon as we speak to an issue vocally, the subconscious mind starts to kick in devise solutions and alternatives, much the same way we find answers the next morning when we walk into the shop. When working with a small crew I've learned the value of having a 2nd set of eyes on a problem, but have worked alone for much of my many decades.
I’ve been a carpenter for 47 years and I could feel the sensation in your gut when you tried to place them. Like a bomb going off. But when we’re composed the simplest answers appear. Ya did good and all is well
I am a retired finish carpenter. I was smiling as I watched the video. Been there done that. It is interesting how the room can feel to hot all of a sudden. My friend and fellow carpenter and I have said a few times, “ You will never know there was anything wrong with this when I get done with it”.
There have been a few nights with a lot of tossing and turning, often with an solution in my head when I woke up in the morning.
My biggest scare was not a finish job. I had a sub pour a foundation on a job I was super on. The next day a city official called to tell me the porch was over the property line. I was drive when he called and I about wrecked my truck. I too am a Christian and out loud I said, “Dear God what am I going to do”? His response was, “You can’t cut the tree down”. It is hard to describe the relief. It was the city arborist for another job. He was calling to tell me that the old house, built before set backs was built on the property line and the tree belonged to the city.
I had a supplier tell me of a job where they supplied iron balusters. There were two finish carpenters working on it. One started on the landing installing and one started at the bottom installing, they were almost done when they realized they were given two different types of balusters and they didn’t match. That one had to be a tough one.
OK one more. A couple of my friends are master stair builders, that’s all they did was stairs. At the time it was probably a $35 - 40,000 stair case that swept up from both side with ascending volutes. They were all done and one of them had gone on vacation. I was doing the rest of the finish work. The contractor came by the job and called a couple of us down to the foyer and asked us if we saw anything wrong with the stairs. After a little bit of staring we realized that one of the newell posts was the same turning but different spacing on the flats. The guys had been short one baluster. They called and ordered it delivered. It was only off by one number on the box. The newell was set in Bondo. It was another one of those you’ll never know there’s anything wrong with it when they got done
Killer job on the stairs by the way.
My Dad who was a Master Cabinet Maker Carpenter told me anyone who say’s they don’t make mistakes hasn’t worked long enough. There’s always a way out and to be humble. You can learn from the guy sweeping the floor. Keep up the good work graciously sharing your talent.
The guy sweeping the floor is either the newest employee or the owner of thw construction company.😊
What a stand up guy you are. always love everything you produce. this was the best cause we all have been there. thank you
I felt some of that anxiety when you were explaining how you had discovered the mistake.
I overlooked how low a veranda beam was when I started deck framing. I also felt so stressed that I couldn’t think of a solution.
But, I slept on it, and came up with a solution that the client was satisfied with.
It’s was a good reminder to take a step back and look at the whole job before I begin, and I’m only as good as my last mistake.
The mark of a good carpenter is how you fix your mistakes. I've learned having a helper or second carpenter helps greatly to reduce mistakes as no one sees everything.
For 50 yrs. The mark of FINE carpenters had never changed. How to fix your f ups
My dear friend, my dad was a carpenter all his life. He taught me that if you can fix it, it is not a mistake. I followed in his foot steps, only after a while, I found the I liked the finish work best. I was 16 when I started, and I am now 80. I still do a lot of handrail and stair well remodeling. I admire you and your talents and ability..Watching you Is fantastic. You are like 6 of the people that I taught, they all out shined the teacher. I am very proud of each one of them. Like you, they have taken what they were taught and greatly improved and expanded and improved. I wish you well in the years ahead of you and your family.
That right there is what separates the men from the boys, so to speak. Make a mistake, fix it, and go on about your business. No blaming someone else, no quibbling, just "I messed up, so I'll make it right." Always respected you and your work, Spencer, even more so now
@Ben Shell Spot on!!!
I was super impressed at how you were able to get all the stairs into the house by yourself, you made it look so easy. And then to think to use the winch was another brilliant idea. Work smarter, not harder. You embody that saying. I love all the work that you do on your channel. Thanks, and keep up the great work.
Man I hear ya, 100%! It's an absolute crushing blow, when all that time and effort seem to just vanish in the blink of eye. Nice save on this one man, sometimes all it takes is some deep breaths and a cup of coffee to get things lined out. The only real mistake, is one that can't be fixed.
i know the exact feeling man. im a journeyman sheetmetal worker in PDX. in my company im regarded as the "layout guy" and im usually the guy who measures the wall to order our panels and when needed i field modify the panels for penetrations. the last job we were on the panels were special custom color made and assembled in canada (10 week lead time) and THOUSANDS of dollars per panel. all the panels came out spot on but the center panel which happened to have a off-center column i had to knotch for. no big deal seeing as i had already done 6 that day. immediately when i finished the final cut in the panel i realized i mirrored my measurements and because it was offset it was exactly backwards. the amount of guilt i had was disorienting. my general forman and project manager were on site as well. i immediately owned my mistake and walked through why and how it happened. everyone was irritated but because of my reputation and the way i handled the mistake we got through it and was able to get the replacement the following week 3 days before the job got turned over to the owner. everyone makes the mistakes and regardless of your experience never be too arrogant to stand back and take a second look at your work.
Spencer, I’ve been watching your show for a couple years now and I am in awe of your abilities for someone who appears to be young. I’m 62 years old I’ve been a carpenter for 40 or 45 years. A lot of framing early on and mostly finish for the last 20 years. From 1995 till about 2005 all I did was build stairs in tract housing and apartments. Without exaggerating I can say I have built between 600 and 800 sets of stairs. Including spirals, commercial, and residential. Both rough framing and right down to finish. Your solution for this problem was perfect spot on, watching the video when you first mentioned the problem I knew what needed to be done before you explained how you fixed it. Always remember it’s easier to pad out the landing or the second floor a little bit then to have your stairs built too long. Many times I always left myself a half inch of play so all I would have to do is pad my landing or my second-floor out with a piece of half-inch plywood.
I really enjoy your show and have learned a lot From all of your techniques. Also most of my career I have been a one-man band much like you, but it’s 62 years old now I need a little help. Oh well what are you gonna do. Keep up the good work.
B Wojak, I've been a cabinetmaker and involved with most trades for 40 years. But I've always stayed away from stairs. I admire guys like you that do this kind of work. I use sketchup for drawing all my projects in 3-d. Just wondering if you use any similar drawing aides?
@@tomruth9487 no I’m old-school I just use a set of plans or sometimes have them sent to me in three D.
Also I would like to say that I have never built “ shop built” stairs before. I’ve always built them on site. I think Spencer is pretty impressive by building them in his shop
@@bwojak3226 I figured you might be old school. It's interest as with building and and woodworking so many ways to do a job. Good luck to you, thanks for the reply.
I was asked by a contractor friend of mine if I could install stair railing in a new construction home build he was doing. I had never done that before, however watched several episodes of tips of the trades, many here in this very Chanel. Felt confidant I could do it. Client wanted two balusters per tread so ordered all the materials and headed up to the job site. I quickly learned that I couldn’t get two balusters to work with the building code spacing of 4 inches. (Which I had to confirm with my friend) so had to first convince the client to have 3 balusters instead of desired two. Than had to order more material which stalled my install. When time came for installation round 2 every went smooth until I stepped back and realized that the two rails were not inline at the middle post. I ended up having to redo the whole bottom half to correct the alignment. Which delayed the job for a second time. Luckily this job didn’t have a concrete time line but Expensive lesson learned. I’ll be sticking to stand alone furniture and built in cabinetry from now on.
That's part of construction that a lot of people don't think about until they're in it. Anything that one trade does that has a problem automatically Cascades down to everybody behind them that's going to have to do work on that project.
Jeff Booth says intelligence is "error correction".
It happens all the time.....u get 999 things out of 1000 right....but the small oversight on that 1 thing...can really ruin your day. I could feel the pit in your stomach. Thanks for posting Spencer. Keep up the good work. I've learned so much from your channel.
I have alot of respect and admiration for you Spencer! Maybe even more so now... than I did before. Once again your story comes at a perfect time. Today, I made a mistake cutting stringers. I cut the pattern wrong and never caught it. In your video when the severity of your mistake started sinking in I swear I could see you start to hyperventilate. Just as I did when I realized I had 4 stringers cut wrong. You talked about that comfort that we settle in to and how it's a dangerous place to be. True story! Anyways, I said all that to say this... Parallels in lives are not coincidence but part of God's grand design. I was feeling pretty down on myself for making such a rookie mistake till I watched this video. The timing was once again impeccable. Not only are you a great teacher of the art of fine carpentry but a true vessel of God. I wasn't surprised you teach Sunday School... I thought to myself how lucky are the children who get to spend time with such a great guy. Thank you for being you my brother in Christ.
I make mistakes all the time. It's knowing you can find a way out of it that makes you a pro. A driver for the local lumberyard came into a house I was working on and asked "What does it take to be a trim man?" My response was "You have to have the balls to cut it." Without the self confidence of knowing that, no matter what, you can make it work in the end, it's going to be a hard path to follow.
I couldn’t agree more. I’ve only been on the remodeling/carpentry/woodworking scene for a couple of years working by myself mostly, still have miles of road in my career and countless things to learn. However I have learned that lesson at this point, at some point you just have to jump in and figure it out as you go. Planning is always important, but there are some things that you can’t plan and you just have to roll with the punches so to speak. Knowing that somehow you’ll work it out is definitely an important thing to have.
Talent , Tools & Time, baby!