Framing Carpentry Tools

Small Tools

• Framing carpentry is a large job but there are many smaller tasks involved, such as measuring, drawing straight lines, scoring lines, checking whether joints are square, pulling out the odd nail, knocking in the odd nail and paring off small amounts of wood. For smaller tasks like these, you need a tape measure, a steel rule, a pencil, a utility knife, a square, a nail puller, nails, a small hammer and chisels. Carry these in your tool and nail belt.

Saws

• The handsaw was the principal way to saw wood until the invention of the electric saw. Now, both are used in traditional framing carpentry. You can use a circular saw to chop through substantial thicknesses of wood. You can use a beam saw to make even deeper cuts. A handsaw will often come in handy for making on-site adjustments to timber in need of slight trimming.

Chain Mortiser

• A chain mortiser is a heavy duty power tool consisting of a mounted chain made of solid or tipped tungsten carbide, with cutting blades. You clamp the frame to the work and the chain rotates, cutting into the wood in a controlled way to leave a mortise, or socket, into which fits a tenon, a projection on the end of another piece of timber, shaped for the purpose.

Nail Gun

• Include a cordless nail gun in your tool arsenal. These handy devices don't need an air compressor, as a traditional nail gun does. Instead, they use compressed gas or battery power to force the nails into the wood. Use a cordless nail gun when working out of range of an electrical outlet or when working at height, as when doing roof framing carpentry.