Current Conditions:
FEBRUARY 2012 
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | |||
 |  |
If you own a circular saw I strongly suggest you read these three articles. They will not only show you the safe way to use your circular saws, and if the procedures are followed to the letter, will stop the chances of you and your people getting injured by over 90%, the articles also give you some tips on how to add two attachments that will make your tools more accessible and save you time and labor on the job and will, if you make these saw procedures a law on your jobs you could and probably will save a hand, a limb and your's or someone else's life.
"Circular Saw Safety" "Frame hook""Saw Hanger"
Every saw circular saw manufacturer should add a frame hook and saw hanger onto every circular saw they manufacture.
************************************************************
"50 Years as a Carpenter"
183 page EBook, Simple, easy to read carpentry instructions and procedures.
Over 50 instructional carpentry procedures of things you absolutely need to know to get and hold a carpenter job.
90 illustrations and shop drawings. Procedures from correctly marking and cutting material, site layout, 30 pages of framing, forming concrete, cabinets and trim.
Over 20 pages of instructions on material, layout, calculating and building a staircase.
There is not a Carpentry Book on the market that covers and explains, in plain and simple carpentry language, more detailed, on site, on the job carpentry instructions than this book does, and most of them sell for $75-$125 dollars and they don't have the endorsements this book received from the carpentry officals and the Carpentry Review Board listed below.
There are several framing procedures that will save you time and money on every framing job you do, especially the sections of the book on laying out a frame and checking the slab or wood floor for square and accurate framing.
Below is what 6 of the top Officals of the Construction Industry in the US say about the book.
"It is evident that you possess tremendous skill and that you have a passion for teaching others" Seth Derner, Carpentry Review Board, Future Farmers of America
"Of the hundreds of books and CD's we have in our Library this book exceeds them all in procedural text and content of the carpentry trade". Baptist Mens Builders
"Having been a carpenter for over 30 years, I can see that you and I think alike. Enjoyed reading your book. Excellent safety procedures and carpentry instruction" Nevil Eastwood, Carpentry Review Board, Head, Habitat for Humanity
"Wonderful book, really original, the personal aspect of your writing is first class. I would love to swing a hammer with you" Andy Engal, Executive Director, (retired), Editor of Fine Homebuilding Magazine-Taunton Press USA
"Very interesting book about the carpentry profession, excellent carpentry style of presentation" Millard Fuller, founder of Habitat for Humanity
"Great book, I can tell by the information that you convey in the book it came from spending a lot of time in the trenches, I especially enjoyed your style of writing" Tim Snyder, Carpentry Review Board, Taunton Press
The Carpentry Book will be sent to you through your email then you can have it printed out for a book or keep it on your computer and print out the articles you want to use on the job.
EBook Download $25
**************************
********************************************************************************
Carpenters Forum
If any of you want to post an article or a project you have done, with or without pictures, have a problem you need help with or something you want to discuss, just email it to me bob@carpenterbooks.com and I will PDF it and post it on Carpenters Forum here for all to read. Thanks, Bob
*********************************************************
If you are making a living as a carpenter, you may want to read this article "Hammers for a Carpenter". It has some things about the hammers and the handles that you may not have realized, but I know you veteran carpenters will know them.
*********************************************************
If you are in high school or college and you really in truly want to be a carpenter or work in any type of the construction trades I would appreciate it if you would email me and I have something to show you and give you that will help you and won't cost you a dime.
bob@carpenterbooks.com
*****************************************************
The article shows from installing a simple switch/receptical correctly and goes on into some more complicated electrical construction. There are some good safety tips in here that you will want to pay close attention to whether you are a carpenter, plumber, construction worker or electrician. I recommend in this article some small handy wire connectors from Ideal Electrical Products, they are safe, code compliant and will save you money and time, you can view them at
http://www.idealindustries.com/prodDetail.do?prodId=in-sure&div=wi0&l1=push-in
*******************************************************************************
I posted a new article about "Tool size identification" using Construction colors of which I have written four articles about. Some of you will think this is a non usable/non needed procedure, but if you ever work with me I can change your mind in just a few minutes if we are doing mechanic work or carpentry work. I have been using this procedure for over 20 years, it has saved me many hours looking for wrench, socket, drill bit sizes that are worn off and usually unreadable to start with and many other sized tools you and I use. Bob
*******************************************
Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain Documentary
By Bob Johnston, US Army Contractor
I have a documentary I made while I was in the middle east for two years, Iraq, UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain and Afghanistan. It has some graphic pictures in it but it will tell you what it is like to be living and trying to work in a war zone. It is in procedures on the drop down menu above. Centcom and the US Army have approved the pictures in it. I have some I took they would not let me post and you wouldn't want to see them anyway. I am doing my best to try and forget some of the horrendous things I saw and witnessed over there. Hard thing to do, as you military vets and army contractors know. Centcom cleared all of the pictures shown. Bob
*****************************************************************************
I have had a lot of emails concerning the "Concrete Countertop article" and the finishes. Food safe finishes and heat resistant finishes are the main topics of the emails. This link below is probably the best concrete countertop finish available. I am using it on a top that I am building in a remodel. Concrete, the most versitile building product I know of, has been my choice for kitchen countertops for years. I am also plastering a 4'x5' shower with portand cement plaster over durock, staining it and then I am going to apply a coat of this sealer to it. It will look like stone when I finish. I'll let you know how it goes in some upcoming articles. Bob
http://www.vseal.com/index.php?cmp=counter_tops
********************************************************
These are two heros of mine, the American Flag and John Wayne. In the middle east the muslim jihadist burn our flag daily. It is also burned and abused right here in the USA, mostly by people who hate Christians and their beliefs in God and Jesus. As shown below our liberal congress and supreme court allows for them to do this, I, myself, believe that this is an act of war, same as in Iraq and Afghanistan, and I believe we should take action against those who burn our flag and disgrace Christians and our God given rights to worship God and our Christian beliefs and our rights as Americans.
The US Code provides that it is illegal to burn the flag, but ""the United States Supreme Court has held, several times, that burning the flag is a protected form of speech. I have to wonder how many true Americans we have in the Supreme Court and Congress. Politicians who allow this are a disgrace to all that our forefathers, Americans and our forces all over the world are fighting for and giving their lives to protect and preserve these rights and beliefs we have in America.
I am one American that will not stand by and let an American enemy (no different than the ones as in Iraq and the middle east) burn our flag, and I, not the enemy, will be the one arrested.
I pray that all construction workers have a safe day from this day on and pay attention to your foreman and especially pay attention to all of the safety meetings that you have. They are only trying to keep you from getting injured or killed.
I also pray that all of you learn to let the saw blade stop before pulling it out of a completed cut, this will drop your chances of getting cut or injured by over 90%.
If you see something that looks dangerous it probably is and pulling a running saw out of a completed cut is the most dangerouse thing done on a construction job, don't do it. Contact your foreman and tell him if you see something that you think is a danger. Bob Johnston
This is from James 3:10-12 He who would love life and see good days. Let him refrain his tongue from evil: (cussing) and his lips from speaking deceit: (lies, talking bad of others) Let him turn away from evil and do good: For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are on their prayers: But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.
Last year there were about 250,000 circular saw injuries, 250 deaths, but the fact is that there are over 70,000,000 saws in the US, so this quarter of a million injuries is a very small percentage. One injury is too many. There are about 100,000,000 homeowners in the US and nearly every one of them own a some type of a saw. I would doubt if 5% of them know how to use it properly. I have written an articles showing the proper/safe way to use saws. If the procedures in these articles are followed to the letter, your chances of getting injured using a saw are almost zero. OSHA and HSE tells me on their websites there is nothing wrong with pulling a running saw out of a cut and letting it rest on your leg, the blade guard is built into the saw to protect you. I disagree with this, I never depend on a device or safety guard to keep me from getting cut. I use common sense and never pull a running tool out of a procedure. I wait until they stop and so should you.
I mentioned an alternator stair in Stair Book 102 and had quite a few inquiries about the construction of one. They stated that the calculations would not work, they will work, as I will show you. They are somewhat hard to understand, especially for someone who has never climbed one nor built one. I had to build one recently so I wrote an article showing the procedures, calculations and the several steps of construction. An alternator shortens your run by 35 to 40%, as you stairbuilders know and the construction is basic as I show you on this one. Most of the time they are installed in construction areas, ships, yachts, basements and attic access where the amount of travel is low and the need for space is high. The article is in procedures. Bob
This is a concrete countertop that I will show you how to build, from start to finish, in the article. It's something, anyone with a little construction experience, can do. There are over 30 instructional pictures in the book and step by step instructions in the, easy to follow. Also I show you how to form, pour and finish a wood edged concrete vanity top and how to install a sink in your top and how to build a 2x4x14' header. Thanks Bob
This is what is in the Concrete Stair article. Building inverted stringers for form bracing to build a set of concrete stairs. More to it than it looks like, the article tells you exactly how saw the parts and to form it.
E-mail Us