For years I stuck with my heavy corded DeWalt miter saw, thinking cordless tools were just for drills. Last month, my buddy let me use his new Makita 36V on a deck job. The difference was insane. Not having to drag a 100 foot extension cord across the yard and untangle it every five minutes saved me at least an hour a day. The cut quality was just as good, and the thing had plenty of power for all the 2x6 pressure treated we were using. I felt like an idiot for clinging to the cord for so long. It's not just about the tool, it's about the whole work flow. Has anyone else made the switch and found it changed how you set up for a job?
Last month in Tampa, I built a deck with what looked like good wood from a local yard. Two weeks later, the posts started to twist and split like crazy. The supplier admitted the batch wasn't fully dried before treatment. I had to tear it all out and start over, losing a full week of work. Has anyone else gotten burned by green PT wood lately?
Now it's my favorite part of the room.
In my early years, we measured a carpenter by how straight and clean their hand saw cuts were. Today, I rarely see a handsaw outside of a trim job, with everyone defaulting to power saws for everything. That method taught control and respect for the material in a way that feels lost. I'm curious if any of you still practice or teach hand saw techniques to newcomers.
Lots of people in this trade say the only way forward is to stop working with your hands. I'm not buying that. My old boss kept pushing me to become a project manager because I have years of experience. But I turned it down to keep building frames on site. Just last week, I spotted a load bearing issue the plans missed because I was right there with the crew. If I was in an office, that could have led to a costly fix later. I believe staying where you make things is a real career too.
I made them flush in humid weather, and they swelled shut when it dried out. Now I leave a tiny gap for peace of mind.
We were putting on shingles in the rain, and she brought out a big pot of chili for the crew. It turned a miserable day into a pretty good one. Anybody else have clients who feed you on site?