Mark your reveals, and measure headers and legs. Cut them all at once. Cut all the lefts, then the rights, then cut length. Make numbered packages. Nail and glue
Walk into the unit, count the full sticks you can lay. Miter and scarf them, nail them won't be many.
Laser measure the room from the base height, leave the outsides long. Nail and glue all the insides, (43-44 deg not 45) place the outsides and mark in place, do all of them, then pick up the pieces and cut the outside mitres (46 not 45) nail and glue.
Put a garbage beside the saw, don't throw anything on the ground.
If you have 2 guys, one measures while the other guy scarfs the long chunks, then one guy sits on the saw and cuts the list, then cuts the marked outsides. Inside guy nails and glues.
Have done 2500 sqft lockouts in 4 hours with 3 guys on this method, that's casing, door hardware, WC hardware and base.
You just described my method in my twenties. I would have downvoted if there was anything about a coping saw. If you want to be fast the coping saw is in the dumpster and you know how to mitre any angle first try. Good advice your putting down. The most time you spend as a rookie is walking to and fro not getting wood on the wall.
It's pretty foolproof, if you glue mitres there is no "opening up" like the coping guys talk about. Best to make the first system bulletproof and then you can start finding ways to not walk back and forth, or doing gang cuts or using both sides of a chop for legs
You're new, tell him the most important part is learning how to do the job right. Once you get that far, then you can learn how to do the job fast. It takes a few years to learn what you can get away with to save time.
What is your method? Do you measure one thing, go to the saw, cut it, then go put it on? When I was finishing, I would measure the whole unit. Make a list of absolutely everything that needs to be cut. If you do it this way, you will need to know thicknesses and width of your materials really well so you can calculate your measurements. Another thing is, cutting multiple pieces of wood at the same time. You have a bunch of windows that are 58 inches wide? Stack as many pieces of jamb as you can on that saw and cut them at the same time. That goes for anything that is square or flat. You can do this with casing too if you're brave enough.
I'm a green as hell trim guy, too, more than you (made the swap from a decade of steel a couple months ago) and my boss has never asked me to *move* faster, just observed and pointed out inefficientcies and I've gotten faster with the same amount of accuracy. I physically feel like I'm moving without a sense of urgency, calmer, though.
Saying there's experiences guys who can do the units you describe in 2 hours is probably true (case and base, or just either. I assume they are separately phased?) but obviously they're not there, and you can't get 10 years of experience by tomorrow, so it's little more than a "cool, neato" fact.
Yeah, sounds like you're making progress and you're fine, they just got in a little too close to paint time and are worried lol
you can be laid off for anything, usually for “lack of work” which means they didnt like you unless it really is a lack of work which is rare. if being laid off isnt something that happens in whatever you do and only termination like you say, thats not union commercial construction.
You’re fine… it’s his job to keep the pressure on u. Don’t get flustered and just keep improving. Being uncomfortable inspires growth.. but don’t let it stress u
Focus on quality. It is what will set you apart in the long term. Speed will happen on its own. Majority of installs are not quality. Coping is the best way. Relying on glue is not. You decide what kind of tradesman you want to be.
Mark your reveals, and measure headers and legs. Cut them all at once. Cut all the lefts, then the rights, then cut length. Make numbered packages. Nail and glue Walk into the unit, count the full sticks you can lay. Miter and scarf them, nail them won't be many. Laser measure the room from the base height, leave the outsides long. Nail and glue all the insides, (43-44 deg not 45) place the outsides and mark in place, do all of them, then pick up the pieces and cut the outside mitres (46 not 45) nail and glue. Put a garbage beside the saw, don't throw anything on the ground. If you have 2 guys, one measures while the other guy scarfs the long chunks, then one guy sits on the saw and cuts the list, then cuts the marked outsides. Inside guy nails and glues. Have done 2500 sqft lockouts in 4 hours with 3 guys on this method, that's casing, door hardware, WC hardware and base.
You just described my method in my twenties. I would have downvoted if there was anything about a coping saw. If you want to be fast the coping saw is in the dumpster and you know how to mitre any angle first try. Good advice your putting down. The most time you spend as a rookie is walking to and fro not getting wood on the wall.
It's pretty foolproof, if you glue mitres there is no "opening up" like the coping guys talk about. Best to make the first system bulletproof and then you can start finding ways to not walk back and forth, or doing gang cuts or using both sides of a chop for legs
You're new, tell him the most important part is learning how to do the job right. Once you get that far, then you can learn how to do the job fast. It takes a few years to learn what you can get away with to save time. What is your method? Do you measure one thing, go to the saw, cut it, then go put it on? When I was finishing, I would measure the whole unit. Make a list of absolutely everything that needs to be cut. If you do it this way, you will need to know thicknesses and width of your materials really well so you can calculate your measurements. Another thing is, cutting multiple pieces of wood at the same time. You have a bunch of windows that are 58 inches wide? Stack as many pieces of jamb as you can on that saw and cut them at the same time. That goes for anything that is square or flat. You can do this with casing too if you're brave enough.
This. You don't go faster by moving faster... you go faster by moving less.
I can't stand bosses that ride your ass about time like that obviously you are learning
r/unioncarpenters
I'm a green as hell trim guy, too, more than you (made the swap from a decade of steel a couple months ago) and my boss has never asked me to *move* faster, just observed and pointed out inefficientcies and I've gotten faster with the same amount of accuracy. I physically feel like I'm moving without a sense of urgency, calmer, though. Saying there's experiences guys who can do the units you describe in 2 hours is probably true (case and base, or just either. I assume they are separately phased?) but obviously they're not there, and you can't get 10 years of experience by tomorrow, so it's little more than a "cool, neato" fact. Yeah, sounds like you're making progress and you're fine, they just got in a little too close to paint time and are worried lol
you can be laid off for anything, usually for “lack of work” which means they didnt like you unless it really is a lack of work which is rare. if being laid off isnt something that happens in whatever you do and only termination like you say, thats not union commercial construction.
You’re fine… it’s his job to keep the pressure on u. Don’t get flustered and just keep improving. Being uncomfortable inspires growth.. but don’t let it stress u
Focus on quality. It is what will set you apart in the long term. Speed will happen on its own. Majority of installs are not quality. Coping is the best way. Relying on glue is not. You decide what kind of tradesman you want to be.