|
Builders’ Tip: My Personal On-the-Job Hardware Store
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
Click for larger image. | When I’m working on a punch list, I often keep plenty of fasteners and related paraphernalia on hand to keep my “gofer” runs to a minimum.
The accompanying drawing illustrates my solution for toting all these items — what I call my personal hardware store.
It’s a double-decker tray for carrying assorted screws and nails and it holds almost every kind of fastener in one compact, organized ― and sometimes heavy — unit.
- I made the rig from garden variety 1x pine, with an upright member in the center that acts as a bulkhead and a carrying handle.
- The dimensions are based on an industry-accepted standard unit of measure ― a cardboard milk container.
- Since milk containers are 3 inches square, the inside dimensions of the upper trays measure 9 inches by 9 inches so I can fit each tray with nine containers.
- I made the inside dimensions of the lower trays 9 inches by 9-3/4 inches to allow for 18 more containers.
The extra 3/4 inch enables me to stack the upper trays and provides extra space for staples on one side and precut sandpaper strips for my sanding block on the other.
- Because each container lifts out, I never have to dig my fingers into the sharp points of the fasteners. I can just pour a few into my hand or onto my workbench.
I try to keep only a handful of each type of screw in each container to get me through the day. I refill the containers as needed when I get home.
I also hold assortments of similar fastners in each container, which gives me more variety and items to choose from for each job.
The key, however, is keeping everything organized. Every type of fastener has its own spot, so I know just where to find it.
— Phil Miller, Medina, N.Y.
Tips & Techniques provided by Fine Homebuilding.
©2008 The Taunton Press
To contact Fine Homebuilding, e-mail Christina Glennon.
 Set Yourself Apart With CGB Designation
Join the ranks of the nation’s top building industry professionals with the Certified Graduate Builder (CGB) designation. The “Builder Assessment Review” (BAR) is your first step towards obtaining the CGB.
This comprehensive assessment measures your expertise in the four key areas of the building industry: building technology, business and finance, project management and sales and marketing.
Your results will show the areas where your knowledge is strongest and weakest and will help determine the courses required for you to obtain your CGB.
To learn where the next BAR will be held, visit NAHB’s education listings, or call the Professional Designation Help Line at 800-368-5242 x8154.
 BuilderBooks.com Offers More Than 250 Books That Help You Build Your Business
BuilderBooks.com is your source for training and education products for the building industry. The official bookstore for NAHB, BuilderBooks.com offers award-winning publications, software, brochures and more available in both English and Spanish.
To view these publications online, click here, or call 800-223-2665.
 Free NAHB Kit Gives Builders Back-to-Basics Tips to Navigate the Slowdown
What was once expected to be a relatively mild housing slump following three years of record new home construction and sales has given way to a significant downturn.
To help members navigate the uncharted waters of this slowdown, NAHB has compiled a comprehensive “Back to Basics” online toolkit — the best of the basics, the tried and true and the truly new. To access the toolkit, click here.
To access the “Back to Basics” toolkit, you must be an NAHB member and have a login to www.nahb.org. To create a login, go to www.nahb.org/login or click on the log-in button on the main menu bar.
For assistance, call the NAHB Member Service Center at 800-368-5242.
|
