I always tell my clients that my work is in the upper 2% of all craftsmen. This guy is in the upper .01%. He makes me feel like an amateur and I actually love it. Learning so much from your channel the past few days since I discovered you.
Excellent tutorial, Spencer. At 12:50 for short pieces like that I set a toolbag or some kind of soft weight on the far end. It helps avoid 13:11 😉 You are fortunate to have learned your lessons from others' mistakes. We viewers are fortunate to learn from your lessons. Thanks for sharing them.
Really outstanding video, Spencer. I'm partial to your style as an instructor. You speak clearly and you demonstrate what it is you're talking about. Your job sites are the real deal, not merely sets, which greatly enhances your credibility. And just as important to me, your demeanor is authoritative but not doctrinaire or harshly critical of others. I'm done with the know-it-all bluster of creators and trolls alike. Keep up the great work. 👍
Hey Spencer, another great video! I like like to register my biscuit slots off of the table whenever possible. As long as it's not too far off center from the thickness of the stock. Sometimes, I will set stock on shims to center it. That's just my preference. There's nothing wrong with your approach, if that's what's comfortable. If I have a lot of gluing to do. It's also nice to use 4x8 sheet of melamine for an assembly table. Glue cleans up really nicely from it, even after it's dried.
Gluing both sides of the miter seals the end grain preventing moisture from entering the wood. Also, mortising the miters, it'd be good to clamp 2 or 3 4"x6" or 8" strips of plywood along the long edge of the work table. If you put a 4"x4" piece of 1/4" mdf or 1/8" Masonite or whatever underneath each strip, it'll create space so you slide the casing underneath, that way you can press down on the casing and biscuit joiner and it won't flop around. You can quickly and easily slide the casing in and out.
I have a strong feeling that “wrong” buzzer you use will now be going off in my head anytime on the job something appears to be questionable practices 😂😂😂 Your channel has single handedly upped my game more than any other influence in the last 10years. You truly have a gift from God and I am very confident He is smiling as you share it. Nice work 👍
Your channel is my "go to" for finish carpentry for sure. After 25 years of being a ho-hum carpenter I decided to up my game. I've learned more from your channel than I have from the old timers I used to work with. Better technology, better tools, more efficient methodology these days really change the game in my opinion. I just used your "wetset" method for installing the split-jam side of a pocket door and absolutely love it. I prefinished all the trim in this job so I used the blue tape/super glue method to adhere the temporary spacer blocks. It's Saturday and the PL 375 isn't fully cured so I'll wait till Monday to finish up casing. Thanks for all your super-detailed instruction!
Like others have said almost all your content is like a master class. My favorite is Wet setting pocket doors video from a while ago, honorable mention to folding mitered corner video as well. You taught me more than my original teachers did years ago and I wish I stumbled upon your channel and methods before I I knowingly did poor work for many years
Top notch stuff Spencer! I’ve been watching your channel for years now and really appreciate your knowledge and taking the time to share it with all of us. You do a fantastic job of explaining things quick and simple
Great tip in writing measurements on your tape! You can get a much bigger palette to write if you take the label off the Stanley tapes and clean off adhesive. Pencil rubs off with your finger.
I like using a router table to make my biscuit groove consistent every time and I like to use a method called sizing up my glue joints for a perfect clamp. Nice content ! Cheers from the northwest.
Question. Spencer, why don't you take the fence off your biscuit machine and then register both the casing and the machine off of the work bench? If the height is wrong, add a shim of appropriate thickness to the biscuit machine and hold in place with double-sided tape? Then you have a solid flat surface to work / reference from and you can put some force on the biscuit unit such that it is consistently producing great results.
I have zero carpentry skills or interest in actually doing it (I can make firewood), but I have enjoyed you and your wisdom about many things and watching a master of his craft at work!
You can attach a piece to the fence of the biscuit joiner to extend its purchase and span relief cuts. You can even use a piece built up on one side in order to be able to register on the face of the trim. Great video 👍🏼
Love your style! I call an un flush miter a clicker... If your finger nail clicks it, it's not right. When it comes to glue, glue doesn't matter if the surface isn't touching each other. I see people front cut to get the miters tight which leaves a gap in the back. End result, glue is not working... I am currently trimming with 1x4 poplar casing. We are Kreg Jigging (pocket hole) all the casing together. Either system is a great way to achieve a great result. GREAT CHANNEL AND GREAT CARPENTRY
I bought a hide carpenters apron after seeing the Germans use them and I really can’t say enough good things about them! Great place to slather all that excess glue and not ruin clothes. Also, hope you got that gasoline stored out side of your primary structures in accessory dwelling! Not letting up on that.
I love how this guy says that the cut quality on a Forrest blade is "decent"! In my realm, it's the best you can buy. And here I was thinking I'm a good carpenter. Keep up the great work. One idea that would've helped with your biscuit placement, would have been to reference off the table. Clamp the casing face up to the table, and plunge away. If there was enough height/thickness in the casing, that is.
Stepped up your game! Intro music! 👍 Another great video Spencer. 👍👍 “Work flow”. Key to success. Unfortunately “work flow” in Georgia, for the most part, is simply “blow and go”. I have several people contacting me to fix their homes including general contractors thanks to some SERIOUSLY PATHETIC trim work. The last one I went to 4 days ago I simply told him he would have to replace every single door (split jam pre trimmed). Obviously he didn’t appreciate my decision. I told him he really had no one to blame but himself. $2100 to trim the home and you wonder why it’s “sub par”? And yes I know you can pay three times that and still get a poor job. But I do know if you aim for the bottom you’ll hit it every time. 🤷♂️ 2200 sf one story with bonus. Doors, windows, mantle, stairs including guards/handrails etc. I can stay home and go broke why work and go broke?
I have used dominos on casings.use the bench/table for the reference surface and wood glue on the mortise and tenon but use the high temp pur glue (75 second) for the joining surfaces of the mortise.
Be careful sanding those corners with the biscuits right away. Initially the biscuit swells and expands the wood on thin material. If you sand it in this expanded state it will knock down an area the shape of a biscuit that will be visible later when the biscuit shrinks. Something I learned from watching Norm Abram on the New Yankee Workshop many years ago. I can attest to it because I have a jewelry box top I made, about 3/8” thick, that has biscuit divots permanently in the top. Those type of defects are usually only visible after the coat of sheen is put on. A hard fix at that point in the game. Perhaps the Lamello biscuit is a superior product that isn’t suspect to this. 🤷♂️ Another solid video. What else would we expect at this point. Alongside the lines of writing on the back of a tape measure I like to put painters tape on the face side of the tape measure and just make a mark on it with the pencil for a easy way to remember the dimension. It easily rolls up in the tape and you can make notes on the location and such.
Just a side note be careful when you use the biscuit jointer on the backside of production trim it's not always the same thickness, and if there's a lot of detail..... fun fun
I used to help my father on projects when I was a kid a long time ago. Watching your videos has helped jog my memory on trim work that I’m currently doing on my house. Great info.
The job i am starting in 3 weeks has casings similar (and 8" tall base.) Already bought the box of Lamello #20's. Presently have completed half the framing walk through and already I see I should have braced the jambs on the windows before the insulation foam was applied. They showed up four days early and as expected, those sides are bowed in 1/4". Going to be a challenge to keep the reveals consistent around those windows using pre-assemblies. Dug out as much foam as i could. Cleared the protruding foam around the permiter so drywall planes to my jambs. Fun times for sure! Many thanks to you, Spencer, for sharing your knowledge here and teaching me what to look out for. Can't ever thank you enough, Sir.
You are so correct on acclimating the material, and that goes for mdf material too. Unfortunately, all of our production builders don't care. Once material shows up, start installing. They'll address any issues during warranty. Sad.
Good tip on the Lamello biscuits - they are much better. The cheap ones can have raised edges and so on and makes them a pain to insert into the slots and pull joints tight. Great video and lots of good tips!
Nice video - the only thing I do different is I mount my jointer to the job site bench and use stop blocks to align the casing. Also Lemello makes a glue bottle tip the injects glue onto both sides of the slot giving you even coverage and not over filling the slot. In my shop I have a dedicated plate joint installed in my chop saw fence with a pneumatic cylinder with a foot control. Make life a lot easier.
An oversized furnace unit was not allowing it to go into second stage which dehumidifies. That was a big part of the problem and was fixed. Past that, I'm not sure what else they all changed.
I loathe biscuit joints for the exact issue you highlighted around 14 minutes. You have to triple check all your registrations before you plunge and you can't see those registrations unless you lean over and look for gaps under the plate on both sides. You'd think a biscuit joiner would be pretty straight-forward but they're weirdly finicky even on ideal material, let alone a complex shape like your trim casing.
Spencer, I was wondering if you can share what size and brand of pinch dogs you use for this and other trim work? Didn’t see a link for it. Btw, Totally killing it with the new professional video note popups, Spencer. Makes the video ultra high-end. Thank you so much for showing us step by step how to raise our skills.
Another informative and entertaining video! Unfortunately, I’ve been sitting home for months with a broken leg. I must say I’ve watched a lot of carpentry videos. Yours are hands-down the best and seem to be getting better each time. I like the little carpentry insider tips. I’ve been doing kitchens and trimwork for decades and I always love to learn new things and new techniques. I’d like to see you do a video on wide or multi piece crown molding. Keep up the good work. God bless you and yours.✌🏻
I also pocket screw them from the back along with the biscuit, and put a two inch screws in areas where they wont be seen to pull the joints tight. I don"t believe its an AC issue. It"s garbage lumber.. Homes built 75 years ago experienced the same weather conditions and some of them still look rock solid today . No back priming or fancy glues. Just well seasoned lumber.
Got that joiner as a gift a while back. I've been busy with sheetrock and paint, but I'll finally get to use it on a built up crown. Definitely appreciate the tutorial. Great channel.
I use a band clamp around the frame and put two trim screws in to each miter on top and bottom of the frame so they are not seen after installation. Had good success so far.
very good video. I remember when those mouse style sanders came out ages ago, they weren't that popular with only a couple companies that made them. now in the past couple yrs they sure gain popularity and everyone makes one. I also still need to bite the bullet and get 4 of those clamps, only seen most likely chinese versions in canada for $100 plus a piece
Biscuits are stronger than pocket screws, but screws do better initially to draw the material in. In the trim molding in the video, there is just not enough wood real estate to make it a viable option
Spencer, another great video full of tips and tricks, using the t track on the stand to anchor your tape to measure the miter cut is MONEY ! Thank You for sharing
Great instructional video. One thing, I keep a damp rag to wipe my gluey fingers on. No way would I put all that glue on my leather pouches. You do fantastic work.
Nice!! Hey Mr Tool guy, I’m pretty sure Lamello makes a glue bottle specifically for their biscuits. At least I saw it on Norms show once. It supposedly gives a Goldilocks squirt of glue!
I assemble thick casing (5/8"+) with pocket screws and glue and install in one piece. Easy and very strong miters. I've viewed your other videos for mitered beams and suggest using a lock miter router bit. The mitered pieces pop together and after glue, they won't open up. I recently made wide column wraps with clear vertical grain cedar using lock miter routed joints and had no struggle with aligning the mitered joints. They self align like pieces of a puzzle, even if here are slight bows in the wood.
@@InsiderCarpentry Fair enough. You do this as a profession vs. my carpentry hobbies. I'd like to see you do more stain grade carpentry. We just finished our new home where I did all of the millwork from rough cut lumber - mostly rift white oak, including whole home cabinet builds in rift white oak. I think we saved a small fortune by buying from several small mills in my area (MN/WI). I couldn't stand the thought of trimming it all out in paint grade poplar where grain pattern doesn't matter and gaps get caulked. I get you're just doing the millwork install requested of you but many of us in the DYI world are doing it all. I did get some great tips from you on my stair build. I did ours in maple risers/treads and made our skirtboards in white oak. All finished just poly. I started watching all your pertinent videos 2 years before we started a year ago. Thanks for the reply and keep posting great vids!
I put a piece of 1/2 inch Birch plywood on my biscuit jointer fence as an auxiliary fence so it gives me a much larger foot print to make mortising easier. I can also make marks on the new fence to help rapidly center the mortise. Just something I have found useful over the years.
I had termite damage to my house a few years ago. I had to make new wide trim for my patio door. Strangely, or not ( I am not in the business) , I basically used all your tips and added one , based on my observation about termite likes and dislikes. I wound up priming all my trim front and back before installing it ( including Sheetrock and borate on structural lumber). The termites seemed to have avoided painted wood, equal to treated. I suspect the priming also reduces the amount of swelling in higher humidity conditions? I realize it may not be practical on a production basis though. Enjoy your videos and will consult before taking any future “ plunges” into the abyss.
I have had good luck laying the casing back side down on my work table and biscuit jointer flat down on the table as well. Move the fence out of the way or remove. No need to fumble the piece and tool as the table supports all the weight and keeps things in the same plane. Hold down casing with one hand and push the jointer with other.
If all your material is milled perfectly, then you can accurately reference off the back. But that is typically not the case, even with the most expensive millwork. If you can reference off the visible side, it's always best. That way if there are any discrepancies in the dimensions, it'll be on the backside.
@@ou8nucks630 fair point. Yes this can be an issue with crap stock, but he is already referencing off of the back and fumbling with the tool/piece. Using the worktop allows you to put your biscuit slot wherever you want and not worry about having to position the tool in a perfect spot to keep it in correct plane.
Nice work, Spencer! I was curious if the biscuit jointer could be mounted on a table. That way the casing could be indexed flat and pushed into the blade making user tilt and alignment errors less likely. I have 2 piece casings in my house that I built 20+ years ago. Glued but unreinforced yet no cracks. Chalk that up to west coast low humidity swings!
I always clamp my biscuit jointer to the work table upside down to run a batch through. It might be a little trickier to keep door legs or other long casings flat on the jointer though.
@@InsiderCarpentry Got it. I followed your technique on my big MDF casings... Worked great. I will buy poplar next time... Not forgiving to pinch dogs or pinch clamps... But the technique works if anyone ever asks. Thank you so much. I am not a pro, but I built my entire house (new build) from RUclips. You have made our project so much better. I always use affiliate link. Fyi- fast cap aught to sponsor your channel. I bought a nest fence pro4 and lots of other things from your links. Thank you.
You do amazing work, in every one of your videos I feel like you are explaining what I try to explain to my newer/younger guys all the time, but you do it better!
So youve got about $1000 worth of Clams? I love mine but i only have 2 but Im about to order 2 more. The people at Clam are terrific to work with. I put heavy 3 piece casings on everything at our home in S. Indiana on a lake with tremendous humidity changes. Nearly everything I didnt either bisquit or pocket screw has moved apart. The most difficult has been the dormer windows which were cut into the long span roof trusses, which have even more movement. I have some of the casings I installed 30 years ago that were unsupported that I am taking down and re-doing- not much fun. Always love your work.
You should give WD Quinn Saw company and their blades a shot. They are located here in St. Louis & their blades are top of the line, not to mention their sharpening is world class. Couldn't tell you the last time I bought a new blade. I take them 10-12 blades at a time to get sharpened. They come back better than new.
glad this video came up and i know im building our door casings correctly. they are simple 1x4 but joined with two dowels for alignment and glue surface and a pocket screw for clamping pressure. can’t do much about acclimatizing because assembly needs to happen in the garage. great vid, thanks!
The biscuit jointer has a center point engrave on the tool i put the two pieces together put a reference mark an line both together an will be just fine
7:04… if you don’t have a fancy stop or just don’t even like measuring short to short…. On 4.25” casing just add 8.5” (plus jam reveal) to your jam measurement
Hey Spencer great video. How much extra would you charge for this application and how would you charge? Would it be on top of your square footage price or do you itemize it as an additional straight fee?
Spencer, unrelated to casing but on the same project. I watched your 1/4” rabbeted coffer video on Instagram. Maybe you are finished already or too deep into it to switch-up but if you can avoid the miters and install the bottom cap on the beams first, before the sides and use 90 degree cuts everywhere, it would be quick and easy with less climbing. Is it possible to finish your 1/4” plow short of the end (where beams intersect) and use a square hole punch (make a jig for drill bit hole placement) or 1/4” chisel to get the inside corners perfect. The end of your plow at the intersecting beams would have to be done with the router upside down with an attached base and positive stop. Finish the intersection with hand tools. I don’t want to minimize the danger of using a router upside down but seeing you on that scaffold without side rails, somehow makes using an inverted router overhead - seem less dangerous. It appears that you are working too hard with the mitered frieze and capping the bottoms last just to achieve the crisp detail where beams intersect. Lee Valley makes a square hole punch that may work for you on this detail to hand finish the intersections. Butting 90’s instead of fitting 45’s would free up more brain power - which you can spend thinking about what the other guys are also working on. You may be too deep into the present process or it may mess with your OCD to switch-up mid stream and have a mix of fussed miters and backward-process with 90 degree cuts on this ceiling…not sure. It is paint grade, after all. But think about it, maybe on the next one you do with a similar rabbet detail at beam intersections. Great work in either case but there are always ways to improve efficiencies and out of the box processes. Capping any coffered beam assembly last, can drive you crazy - much like fitting crown with copes on both ends. Easy to crush the tips of those miters also. Always butt 90’s when you can. In any case, I have to avoid watching your videos before bed. Sometimes they keep me awake. Lol. All the best.
Another way to do this would be to plow the face of the bottom cap (both long edges) and leave 1/2” of edge meat for nailing. I’m assuming the FJ is a full 3/4” and your rabbet is 1/4” X 1/4”. You would need to rabbet a 1/2” from the backside of the intersecting piece (end grain) also the bottom cap to form a lap joint where they meet so that the front face is tight and you cover the rabbet running along the edge of the bottom cap intersection. You might be able to leave the biscuit joiner in the tool box with this method. A glued lap joint may be strong enough to sleep at night without biscuits. Install all the bottoms like with a normal coffer but with laps at the intersection where beams meet up. The frieze or sides of the beam get a plow on the back or inner side to maintain the 1/2” reveal. Just a deeper cut as this plow on the frieze has to finish above the backside of your bottom cap. If the rabbet depth is correct, you can skip the blocking. Just keep your face nails in the top (or back) 1/2” of the lower cap material so they don’t show up in your rabbet. You get to leave your saw at 90 degrees and blow and go with this method. I have not done this detail myself but thought about and done similar joinery. Let me know if either of these alternate methods makes any sense. Great job as always. Don’t miter when you don’t have to. Nice to be able to spring pieces in place and not have to look too close at interior miters. Less climbing for sure.
I think any method that allows installation of the bottom of your beam before the frieze or sides has several advantages over the way you started the install.
The more I think about it, putting the exposed rabbet on both sides of the bottom cap and a lap joint on end grain is the way to go. Similar to the factory stop mouldings that come with Andersen casement and CP windows. It could also be thought of as a 90 degree cope which the end grain makes continuous contact with and meeting the face of the adjacent piece.
Final thought…your ceiling nailers may already be ripped too wide. In that case, you would plow an additional rabbet on the backside top edge of your frieze to keep the sides plumb. In the future, consider 1/2” stock for the sides of the beam or resaw/plane down to 1/2” thickness. But I like the continuous lap joinery with 3/4”.
Thanks for communicating these thoughts. I ended up doing it with the sides first and it actually turned out really well. But I will say, it took a really high level of precision to make everything work out perfectly. I wouldn't recommend the method I used to a novice as it could get ugly really quick.
Adding a plexiglass auxiliary fence with some additional length, to the biscuit joiner will give you 100% contact with the back of the molding. Just make sure that you take the thickness of the plexiglass into account when setting up your cut.
Excellent advice. I just finished a job with 4-9/16” casing with back band. I followed NS Builders RUclips video advice using two dominos and two pocket screws and clam clamps for each miter. It creates a rock solid joint. Your approach using one #20 biscuit is simpler and I’ll try that in the future. You are so right that alignment can be tricky if you don’t hold the Domino or Biscuit Joiner just right.
NS got a lot of backlash for that video as it is just too much for one joint. Think of all the weakness you create with all those cavities. 1 biscuit or 1 Domino is all that is needed.
@@bimotahb1 Interesting, had not heard that. I used ¾” x 4-9/16” poplar with and applied back band. The two #5 dominos and two pocket screws were not too much for that long and thick a joint, worked perfectly for me.
Pocket holes aren't bad. I have never used them for casing as I think there are always better options. On the newels, if I remember right all the trims had to be removed and new trims applied. It was a disaster, but thankfully it wasn't my disaster to own.
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THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!
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I always tell my clients that my work is in the upper 2% of all craftsmen. This guy is in the upper .01%. He makes me feel like an amateur and I actually love it. Learning so much from your channel the past few days since I discovered you.
Excellent tutorial, Spencer. At 12:50 for short pieces like that I set a toolbag or some kind of soft weight on the far end. It helps avoid 13:11 😉 You are fortunate to have learned your lessons from others' mistakes. We viewers are fortunate to learn from your lessons. Thanks for sharing them.
Really outstanding video, Spencer. I'm partial to your style as an instructor. You speak clearly and you demonstrate what it is you're talking about. Your job sites are the real deal, not merely sets, which greatly enhances your credibility.
And just as important to me, your demeanor is authoritative but not doctrinaire or harshly critical of others. I'm done with the know-it-all bluster of creators and trolls alike.
Keep up the great work. 👍
I appreciate that!
Hey Spencer, another great video!
I like like to register my biscuit slots off of the table whenever possible. As long as it's not too far off center from the thickness of the stock. Sometimes, I will set stock on shims to center it. That's just my preference. There's nothing wrong with your approach, if that's what's comfortable.
If I have a lot of gluing to do. It's also nice to use 4x8 sheet of melamine for an assembly table. Glue cleans up really nicely from it, even after it's dried.
@@alrightythen1533
That 4x8 of melamine is really nice if it’s a job that you can justify hauling it too .
Cheers
Gluing both sides of the miter seals the end grain preventing moisture from entering the wood.
Also, mortising the miters, it'd be good to clamp 2 or 3 4"x6" or 8" strips of plywood along the long edge of the work table. If you put a 4"x4" piece of 1/4" mdf or 1/8" Masonite or whatever underneath each strip, it'll create space so you slide the casing underneath, that way you can press down on the casing and biscuit joiner and it won't flop around. You can quickly and easily slide the casing in and out.
Does the biscuit ever telegraph when it swells from the glue ?
I have a strong feeling that “wrong” buzzer you use will now be going off in my head anytime on the job something appears to be questionable practices 😂😂😂
Your channel has single handedly upped my game more than any other influence in the last 10years. You truly have a gift from God and I am very confident He is smiling as you share it. Nice work 👍
I appreciate that! It's a privilege to serve.
FS TOOL sawblades are amazing - cleanest cuts you can get!
Your channel is my "go to" for finish carpentry for sure. After 25 years of being a ho-hum carpenter I decided to up my game. I've learned more from your channel than I have from the old timers I used to work with. Better technology, better tools, more efficient methodology these days really change the game in my opinion.
I just used your "wetset" method for installing the split-jam side of a pocket door and absolutely love it. I prefinished all the trim in this job so I used the blue tape/super glue method to adhere the temporary spacer blocks. It's Saturday and the PL 375 isn't fully cured so I'll wait till Monday to finish up casing. Thanks for all your super-detailed instruction!
Like others have said almost all your content is like a master class. My favorite is Wet setting pocket doors video from a while ago, honorable mention to folding mitered corner video as well.
You taught me more than my original teachers did years ago and I wish I stumbled upon your channel and methods before I I knowingly did poor work for many years
Top notch stuff Spencer! I’ve been watching your channel for years now and really appreciate your knowledge and taking the time to share it with all of us.
You do a fantastic job of explaining things quick and simple
Great tip in writing measurements on your tape! You can get a much bigger palette to write if you take the label off the Stanley tapes and clean off adhesive. Pencil rubs off with your finger.
I like using a router table to make my biscuit groove consistent every time and I like to use a method called sizing up my glue joints for a perfect clamp. Nice content ! Cheers from the northwest.
Question. Spencer, why don't you take the fence off your biscuit machine and then register both the casing and the machine off of the work bench? If the height is wrong, add a shim of appropriate thickness to the biscuit machine and hold in place with double-sided tape? Then you have a solid flat surface to work / reference from and you can put some force on the biscuit unit such that it is consistently producing great results.
Im fortunate to have found you
Nice video, very well explained!
I have zero carpentry skills or interest in actually doing it (I can make firewood), but I have enjoyed you and your wisdom about many things and watching a master of his craft at work!
I appreciate that!
You can attach a piece to the fence of the biscuit joiner to extend its purchase and span relief cuts. You can even use a piece built up on one side in order to be able to register on the face of the trim. Great video 👍🏼
Magnificent video.
I use biscuits for all my miters when using 1x s and large casing.. great sense of security..keep up the good work spencer
Love your style! I call an un flush miter a clicker... If your finger nail clicks it, it's not right. When it comes to glue, glue doesn't matter if the surface isn't touching each other. I see people front cut to get the miters tight which leaves a gap in the back. End result, glue is not working... I am currently trimming with 1x4 poplar casing. We are Kreg Jigging (pocket hole) all the casing together. Either system is a great way to achieve a great result. GREAT CHANNEL AND GREAT CARPENTRY
I bought a hide carpenters apron after seeing the Germans use them and I really can’t say enough good things about them! Great place to slather all that excess glue and not ruin clothes.
Also, hope you got that gasoline stored out side of your primary structures in accessory dwelling! Not letting up on that.
Yep, we got rid of those tanks right away.
@@InsiderCarpentry blessings brother!
I love how this guy says that the cut quality on a Forrest blade is "decent"! In my realm, it's the best you can buy. And here I was thinking I'm a good carpenter. Keep up the great work.
One idea that would've helped with your biscuit placement, would have been to reference off the table. Clamp the casing face up to the table, and plunge away. If there was enough height/thickness in the casing, that is.
I'm surprised. I would've expected glue and nailing into the miter would've been enough. Obviously your work is high quality!
Thanks for the tips.
2nd time around ! Always learn a little more !
Nice! Sometimes I do biscuits and sometimes we do pocket screws and a screw through the long point of miter if there is a backband.
Stepped up your game! Intro music! 👍
Another great video Spencer. 👍👍
“Work flow”. Key to success. Unfortunately “work flow” in Georgia, for the most part, is simply “blow and go”. I have several people contacting me to fix their homes including general contractors thanks to some SERIOUSLY PATHETIC trim work. The last one I went to 4 days ago I simply told him he would have to replace every single door (split jam pre trimmed). Obviously he didn’t appreciate my decision. I told him he really had no one to blame but himself. $2100 to trim the home and you wonder why it’s “sub par”? And yes I know you can pay three times that and still get a poor job. But I do know if you aim for the bottom you’ll hit it every time. 🤷♂️ 2200 sf one story with bonus. Doors, windows, mantle, stairs including guards/handrails etc. I can stay home and go broke why work and go broke?
Would you ever use mitre springs? I can’t afford clam clamps at the moment
I have some but they are not nearly as strong.
I have had good results with that DeWalt biscuit jointer.
Not much to add, very nice, I would keep my biscuits in an air tight container for storage, I find they can swell up and fit a little tight,
I have used dominos on casings.use the bench/table for the reference surface and wood glue on the mortise and tenon but use the high temp pur glue (75 second) for the joining surfaces of the mortise.
I do it the same exact way that you do! Every little step! LoL Love your explanations and willingness to help the guys that do it differently..
Interested to know what you think of doweling those miters? Other than a little extra time.
Maybe it’s a little extra time if you only have a few openings to trim out.
I've never done much doweling. Its always been a biscuit or domino for me.
Be careful sanding those corners with the biscuits right away. Initially the biscuit swells and expands the wood on thin material. If you sand it in this expanded state it will knock down an area the shape of a biscuit that will be visible later when the biscuit shrinks. Something I learned from watching Norm Abram on the New Yankee Workshop many years ago. I can attest to it because I have a jewelry box top I made, about 3/8” thick, that has biscuit divots permanently in the top. Those type of defects are usually only visible after the coat of sheen is put on. A hard fix at that point in the game. Perhaps the Lamello biscuit is a superior product that isn’t suspect to this. 🤷♂️
Another solid video. What else would we expect at this point. Alongside the lines of writing on the back of a tape measure I like to put painters tape on the face side of the tape measure and just make a mark on it with the pencil for a easy way to remember the dimension. It easily rolls up in the tape and you can make notes on the location and such.
Just a side note be careful when you use the biscuit jointer on the backside of production trim it's not always the same thickness, and if there's a lot of detail..... fun fun
I used to help my father on projects when I was a kid a long time ago. Watching your videos has helped jog my memory on trim work that I’m currently doing on my house. Great info.
Why didn't you use Pur? Or even CA glue with activator?
Great video.. Thanks!
The job i am starting in 3 weeks has casings similar (and 8" tall base.) Already bought the box of Lamello #20's. Presently have completed half the framing walk through and already I see I should have braced the jambs on the windows before the insulation foam was applied. They showed up four days early and as expected, those sides are bowed in 1/4". Going to be a challenge to keep the reveals consistent around those windows using pre-assemblies. Dug out as much foam as i could. Cleared the protruding foam around the permiter so drywall planes to my jambs. Fun times for sure!
Many thanks to you, Spencer, for sharing your knowledge here and teaching me what to look out for. Can't ever thank you enough, Sir.
You are so correct on acclimating the material, and that goes for mdf material too. Unfortunately, all of our production builders don't care. Once material shows up, start installing. They'll address any issues during warranty. Sad.
Been trying to find the plastic gap wedge with increments shown on it, you use constantly measuring small gaps.
Throw some 2x6s or 8s in your saw horse slots. Flatter table and saves the back.
That's what I hate about those horses...way to low and no adjustable legs.
Good tip on the Lamello biscuits - they are much better. The cheap ones can have raised edges and so on and makes them a pain to insert into the slots and pull joints tight. Great video and lots of good tips!
Nice video - the only thing I do different is I mount my jointer to the job site bench and use stop blocks to align the casing. Also Lemello makes a glue bottle tip the injects glue onto both sides of the slot giving you even coverage and not over filling the slot. In my shop I have a dedicated plate joint installed in my chop saw fence with a pneumatic cylinder with a foot control. Make life a lot easier.
I'd LOVE to see a picture of that, sounds awesome!
Did you ever find out what was causing the mold growth in the New Build you made a video about a couple years ago?
An oversized furnace unit was not allowing it to go into second stage which dehumidifies. That was a big part of the problem and was fixed. Past that, I'm not sure what else they all changed.
Hi Spencer, I love your videos. Whenever I stuck at the work then I watch your videos. My productivity increases 3 times by following your advices.
I loathe biscuit joints for the exact issue you highlighted around 14 minutes. You have to triple check all your registrations before you plunge and you can't see those registrations unless you lean over and look for gaps under the plate on both sides. You'd think a biscuit joiner would be pretty straight-forward but they're weirdly finicky even on ideal material, let alone a complex shape like your trim casing.
Spencer, I was wondering if you can share what size and brand of pinch dogs you use for this and other trim work? Didn’t see a link for it.
Btw, Totally killing it with the new professional video note popups, Spencer. Makes the video ultra high-end. Thank you so much for showing us step by step how to raise our skills.
Any brand in 2". I buy them off amazon and it seems like the brand name is always changing.
I think Lee Valley sell pinch dogs. I made some by hand many years ago, from 1-1/2 flat metal stock
I very much appreciate a pro like this man taking the time to pass on information like this.
True professional my man!
Once again Spencer, you have knocked it out of the park.
Another informative and entertaining video! Unfortunately, I’ve been sitting home for months with a broken leg. I must say I’ve watched a lot of carpentry videos. Yours are hands-down the best and seem to be getting better each time. I like the little carpentry insider tips. I’ve been doing kitchens and trimwork for decades and I always love to learn new things and new techniques. I’d like to see you do a video on wide or multi piece crown molding. Keep up the good work. God bless you and yours.✌🏻
Great video ! Your casing is now perfectly square, how do you deal with getting exact reveals all the way around the window ?
I also pocket screw them from the back along with the biscuit, and put a two inch screws in areas where they wont be seen to pull the joints tight. I don"t believe its an AC issue. It"s garbage lumber.. Homes built 75 years ago experienced the same weather conditions and some of them still look rock solid today . No back priming or fancy glues. Just well seasoned lumber.
Got that joiner as a gift a while back. I've been busy with sheetrock and paint, but I'll finally get to use it on a built up crown. Definitely appreciate the tutorial. Great channel.
When you sand miters quickly before glue has set the sawdust will serve as filler for any small gaps/tear-outs as an added benifit. Ray Stormont
I use a band clamp around the frame and put two trim screws in to each miter on top and bottom of the frame so they are not seen after installation. Had good success so far.
very good video. I remember when those mouse style sanders came out ages ago, they weren't that popular with only a couple companies that made them. now in the past couple yrs they sure gain popularity and everyone makes one. I also still need to bite the bullet and get 4 of those clamps, only seen most likely chinese versions in canada for $100 plus a piece
What are your thoughts on using pocket screws instead of biscuits?
Biscuits are stronger than pocket screws, but screws do better initially to draw the material in. In the trim molding in the video, there is just not enough wood real estate to make it a viable option
Spencer, another great video full of tips and tricks, using the t track on the stand to anchor your tape to measure the miter cut is MONEY ! Thank You for sharing
Right! Been inching myself for years, this blew my mind!
Great instructional video. One thing, I keep a damp rag to wipe my gluey fingers on. No way would I put all that glue on my leather pouches. You do fantastic work.
Any additional tips for stain grade trim/molding?
Hello Spenser, would love to use the Clam Clamps. But all my material is prefinished and it leaves so many holes. Any ideas?
Great video as usual, but I think this is one of your best in the way you take the time to explain every detail and give tips along the way.
great tip! how would you feel about pocket screws in this application?
Better than nothing but I like a tenon of some kind in casing this large.
5:56 HOLY STACK OF WOOD!
Thank you for sharing these techniques
Nice!! Hey Mr Tool guy, I’m pretty sure Lamello makes a glue bottle specifically for their biscuits. At least I saw it on Norms show once. It supposedly gives a Goldilocks squirt of glue!
I usually like to clamp my casing to my work table this way I have no movement when cutting my biscuits u are the best on the internet
Spencer is the best
I assemble thick casing (5/8"+) with pocket screws and glue and install in one piece. Easy and very strong miters. I've viewed your other videos for mitered beams and suggest using a lock miter router bit. The mitered pieces pop together and after glue, they won't open up.
I recently made wide column wraps with clear vertical grain cedar using lock miter routed joints and had no struggle with aligning the mitered joints. They self align like pieces of a puzzle, even if here are slight bows in the wood.
I've got some videos from a few years ago on my lock miter setup with my shaper. I stopped using it because I feel I'm better off just miter folding.
@@InsiderCarpentry Fair enough. You do this as a profession vs. my carpentry hobbies.
I'd like to see you do more stain grade carpentry. We just finished our new home where I did all of the millwork from rough cut lumber - mostly rift white oak, including whole home cabinet builds in rift white oak. I think we saved a small fortune by buying from several small mills in my area (MN/WI). I couldn't stand the thought of trimming it all out in paint grade poplar where grain pattern doesn't matter and gaps get caulked.
I get you're just doing the millwork install requested of you but many of us in the DYI world are doing it all.
I did get some great tips from you on my stair build. I did ours in maple risers/treads and made our skirtboards in white oak. All finished just poly. I started watching all your pertinent videos 2 years before we started a year ago.
Thanks for the reply and keep posting great vids!
Best trim/millwork guy on youtube hands down. Cheers
I put a piece of 1/2 inch Birch plywood on my biscuit jointer fence as an auxiliary fence so it gives me a much larger foot print to make mortising easier. I can also make marks on the new fence to help rapidly center the mortise. Just something I have found useful over the years.
With this idea it seems like you could also add a cutout or use a camp to slide a stop block around for even easier batching
Thanks for all the extra tips!
I had termite damage to my house a few years ago. I had to make new wide trim for my patio door. Strangely, or not ( I am not in the business) , I basically used all your tips and added one , based on my observation about termite likes and dislikes. I wound up priming all my trim front and back before installing it ( including Sheetrock and borate on structural lumber). The termites seemed to have avoided painted wood, equal to treated. I suspect the priming also reduces the amount of swelling in higher humidity conditions? I realize it may not be practical on a production basis though. Enjoy your videos and will consult before taking any future “ plunges” into the abyss.
Good advice. I noticed the two holes in the fence on jointer I would see if a jig could be made to fit mitered end. 🤔
I have had good luck laying the casing back side down on my work table and biscuit jointer flat down on the table as well. Move the fence out of the way or remove. No need to fumble the piece and tool as the table supports all the weight and keeps things in the same plane. Hold down casing with one hand and push the jointer with other.
If all your material is milled perfectly, then you can accurately reference off the back. But that is typically not the case, even with the most expensive millwork. If you can reference off the visible side, it's always best. That way if there are any discrepancies in the dimensions, it'll be on the backside.
@@ou8nucks630 fair point. Yes this can be an issue with crap stock, but he is already referencing off of the back and fumbling with the tool/piece. Using the worktop allows you to put your biscuit slot wherever you want and not worry about having to position the tool in a perfect spot to keep it in correct plane.
Nice work, Spencer! I was curious if the biscuit jointer could be mounted on a table. That way the casing could be indexed flat and pushed into the blade making user tilt and alignment errors less likely. I have 2 piece casings in my house that I built 20+ years ago. Glued but unreinforced yet no cracks. Chalk that up to west coast low humidity swings!
I always clamp my biscuit jointer to the work table upside down to run a batch through. It might be a little trickier to keep door legs or other long casings flat on the jointer though.
This was satisfying to watch. Really appreciate the attention to detail and the "Lean" approach to saving steps / avoiding wasted motion. Strong work!
Love the way you explain
must say great video one if not best ever very thorough !!! thanks
very good instructional videos. you have a very clear and concise way of presenting the information. great job
Great video. Thanks.
@InsiderCarpentry any other considerations for big casings for MDF? Same process or different approach? Thank you so much.
I'm not an expert on MDF as we don't use it much in my climate.
@@InsiderCarpentry Got it. I followed your technique on my big MDF casings... Worked great. I will buy poplar next time... Not forgiving to pinch dogs or pinch clamps... But the technique works if anyone ever asks. Thank you so much. I am not a pro, but I built my entire house (new build) from RUclips. You have made our project so much better. I always use affiliate link. Fyi- fast cap aught to sponsor your channel. I bought a nest fence pro4 and lots of other things from your links. Thank you.
Good practice. I don't like glue dried on my fingers & clothes, so I use moist rag/sponge.
I guarantee the painters love seeing you pull up to the jobsite, excellent finish carpentry 👏
Forrest blades able to be re-sharpened? My local lumber supply onle sells cmt blades, all I've ever used. Love them
Yes
You do amazing work, in every one of your videos I feel like you are explaining what I try to explain to my newer/younger guys all the time, but you do it better!
So youve got about $1000 worth of Clams? I love mine but i only have 2 but Im about to order 2 more. The people at Clam are terrific to work with. I put heavy 3 piece casings on everything at our home in S. Indiana on a lake with tremendous humidity changes. Nearly everything I didnt either bisquit or pocket screw has moved apart. The most difficult has been the dormer windows which were cut into the long span roof trusses, which have even more movement. I have some of the casings I installed 30 years ago that were unsupported that I am taking down and re-doing- not much fun.
Always love your work.
Jim Chestnut still sells them great clamps he is in Florida now
Super video. Work flow is so important in doing great work!!!
You should give WD Quinn Saw company and their blades a shot. They are located here in St. Louis & their blades are top of the line, not to mention their sharpening is world class. Couldn't tell you the last time I bought a new blade. I take them 10-12 blades at a time to get sharpened. They come back better than new.
That's where I have been sending my blades for years.
glad this video came up and i know im building our door casings correctly. they are simple 1x4 but joined with two dowels for alignment and glue surface and a pocket screw for clamping pressure. can’t do much about acclimatizing because assembly needs to happen in the garage. great vid, thanks!
The biscuit jointer has a center point engrave on the tool i put the two pieces together put a reference mark an line both together an will be just fine
7:04… if you don’t have a fancy stop or just don’t even like measuring short to short…. On 4.25” casing just add 8.5” (plus jam reveal) to your jam measurement
Does your OCD require that the finger joints on adjoining pieces also line up? Love the content. Keep ‘em coming
Hey Spencer great video. How much extra would you charge for this application and how would you charge? Would it be on top of your square footage price or do you itemize it as an additional straight fee?
Thank you ,excellent explanation superb quality control
If i am doing bix beams mitered with tape.... will these joints be prone to splitting with season changes if using plywood?
Spencer, unrelated to casing but on the same project. I watched your 1/4” rabbeted coffer video on Instagram. Maybe you are finished already or too deep into it to switch-up but if you can avoid the miters and install the bottom cap on the beams first, before the sides and use 90 degree cuts everywhere, it would be quick and easy with less climbing. Is it possible to finish your 1/4” plow short of the end (where beams intersect) and use a square hole punch (make a jig for drill bit hole placement) or 1/4” chisel to get the inside corners perfect. The end of your plow at the intersecting beams would have to be done with the router upside down with an attached base and positive stop. Finish the intersection with hand tools. I don’t want to minimize the danger of using a router upside down but seeing you on that scaffold without side rails, somehow makes using an inverted router overhead - seem less dangerous. It appears that you are working too hard with the mitered frieze and capping the bottoms last just to achieve the crisp detail where beams intersect. Lee Valley makes a square hole punch that may work for you on this detail to hand finish the intersections. Butting 90’s instead of fitting 45’s would free up more brain power - which you can spend thinking about what the other guys are also working on. You may be too deep into the present process or it may mess with your OCD to switch-up mid stream and have a mix of fussed miters and backward-process with 90 degree cuts on this ceiling…not sure. It is paint grade, after all. But think about it, maybe on the next one you do with a similar rabbet detail at beam intersections. Great work in either case but there are always ways to improve efficiencies and out of the box processes. Capping any coffered beam assembly last, can drive you crazy - much like fitting crown with copes on both ends. Easy to crush the tips of those miters also. Always butt 90’s when you can. In any case, I have to avoid watching your videos before bed. Sometimes they keep me awake. Lol. All the best.
Another way to do this would be to plow the face of the bottom cap (both long edges) and leave 1/2” of edge meat for nailing. I’m assuming the FJ is a full 3/4” and your rabbet is 1/4” X 1/4”. You would need to rabbet a 1/2” from the backside of the intersecting piece (end grain) also the bottom cap to form a lap joint where they meet so that the front face is tight and you cover the rabbet running along the edge of the bottom cap intersection. You might be able to leave the biscuit joiner in the tool box with this method. A glued lap joint may be strong enough to sleep at night without biscuits. Install all the bottoms like with a normal coffer but with laps at the intersection where beams meet up. The frieze or sides of the beam get a plow on the back or inner side to maintain the 1/2” reveal. Just a deeper cut as this plow on the frieze has to finish above the backside of your bottom cap. If the rabbet depth is correct, you can skip the blocking. Just keep your face nails in the top (or back) 1/2” of the lower cap material so they don’t show up in your rabbet. You get to leave your saw at 90 degrees and blow and go with this method. I have not done this detail myself but thought about and done similar joinery. Let me know if either of these alternate methods makes any sense. Great job as always. Don’t miter when you don’t have to. Nice to be able to spring pieces in place and not have to look too close at interior miters. Less climbing for sure.
I think any method that allows installation of the bottom of your beam before the frieze or sides has several advantages over the way you started the install.
The more I think about it, putting the exposed rabbet on both sides of the bottom cap and a lap joint on end grain is the way to go. Similar to the factory stop mouldings that come with Andersen casement and CP windows. It could also be thought of as a 90 degree cope which the end grain makes continuous contact with and meeting the face of the adjacent piece.
Final thought…your ceiling nailers may already be ripped too wide. In that case, you would plow an additional rabbet on the backside top edge of your frieze to keep the sides plumb. In the future, consider 1/2” stock for the sides of the beam or resaw/plane down to 1/2” thickness. But I like the continuous lap joinery with 3/4”.
Thanks for communicating these thoughts. I ended up doing it with the sides first and it actually turned out really well. But I will say, it took a really high level of precision to make everything work out perfectly. I wouldn't recommend the method I used to a novice as it could get ugly really quick.
Another great teaching session
Adding a plexiglass auxiliary fence with some additional length, to the biscuit joiner will give you 100% contact with the back of the molding. Just make sure that you take the thickness of the plexiglass into account when setting up your cut.
Excellent advice. I just finished a job with 4-9/16” casing with back band. I followed NS Builders RUclips video advice using two dominos and two pocket screws and clam clamps for each miter. It creates a rock solid joint. Your approach using one #20 biscuit is simpler and I’ll try that in the future. You are so right that alignment can be tricky if you don’t hold the Domino or Biscuit Joiner just right.
NS got a lot of backlash for that video as it is just too much for one joint. Think of all the weakness you create with all those cavities. 1 biscuit or 1 Domino is all that is needed.
@@bimotahb1 Interesting, had not heard that. I used ¾” x 4-9/16” poplar with and applied back band. The two #5 dominos and two pocket screws were not too much for that long and thick a joint, worked perfectly for me.
@@tc9148curious if the 3/4” had a profile or not.
2 questions. Whats your thought on pre-assembly using pocket hole screws? And what would you do about that trim on the newell post that blew apart?
Pocket holes aren't bad. I have never used them for casing as I think there are always better options.
On the newels, if I remember right all the trims had to be removed and new trims applied. It was a disaster, but thankfully it wasn't my disaster to own.
You need to be careful with pockets on miters. They can easily pull things askew.