Fireplaces

Wall-Building Tools

Building a wall is a comparatively straightforward endeavor. In the simplest terms, a wooden-framed wall contains vertical studs extending between flat top and bottom plates. Framing the wall takes several distinct steps: quantifying the lumber, cutting the timber and nailing the timber together to form the wall. Each measure can be accomplished with the most basic tools, but contemporary power tools and creative homemade tools could make the construction process much easier.

Measuring

The process of framing a wall begins with quantifying; nothing may be cut or nailed before it is measured. The simplest measuring tools include tape measures, straightedges and speed squares, but homemade measuring guides can help make fast work of repetitive framing tasks. For example, a strip of plywood with brief, vertical strips nailed to it at regular intervals may be used to quickly mark the place of studs along top and bottom plates, and two scrap, two-by-four pieces nailed together at a “T” shape may be used to move guidelines for station cutting and fireplace positioning in corners.

Cutting

The large number of accurate cuts a contractor should create when framing walls are most easily and precisely made with a secure, accurate saw like a table saw, radial arm saw or heavy miter saw. These saws provide a stable surface on which to cut timber, and they’re able to cut quickly and consistently to precise dimensions. When required, though, a handheld circular saw will suffice for some areas of the job, especially with the aid of homemade tools like a cutting seat made from scrap timber.

Nailing

When it comes to nailing, the simplest tool for your job would be once again the very traditional: a hammer. On the other hand, the sheer number of nails that a contractor must drive during a wall-building job makes a power nailer a very handy tool. The most frequent nailers are powered by a pneumatic mechanism; air pressure from an air compressor forces a piston in the nailer to drive the nails, which are loaded into the nailer via a strip of fingernails held together by wire or paper. Framing nailers are particularly designed to drive nails fast and firmly — the principal conditions for nailing together framing timber on big jobs.

Jigs and Guides

Jigs and guides make laying out and construction wall framing easier by simplifying repetitive tasks. For example, a framing jig made from two-by-four lumber will speed up the positioning of studs, allowing the contractor to quickly lay out a wall without quantifying. The jig is created by notching a board at regular periods that match the desirable stud spacing; the notches are only large enough the studs may fit into them. The contractor then fits the studs into two jig planks, one at each of the studs; the jigs align the studs at the proper spacing, and the contractor can only nail the top and bottom plates in place without having to measure the stud spacing.

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