FHB Logo Facebook LinkedIn Email Pinterest Twitter X Instagram Tiktok YouTube Plus Icon Close Icon Navigation Search Icon Navigation Search Icon Arrow Down Icon Video Guide Icon Article Guide Icon Modal Close Icon Guide Search Icon Skip to content
Subscribe
Log In
  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Restoration
  • Videos
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House
  • Podcast
Log In
Great Moments in Building History

Plumb, level and square

Great moments in building history: Carpentry is not as simple as you might think

By Kevin Ireton Issue 20

The distinction between a carpenter and someone who merely does the work of a carpenter is little understood and seldom made anymore. So much has become simplified and prefabricated that the principal function of a carpenter these days is to install rather than to build. Somehow, I grew up with an antiquated notion of carpentry–an understanding incompatible with roof trusses, nailing guns and prehung doors. And so, several years ago, I set out to become a carpenter, no more and no less. I was ready to work at it until I could use that title without qualification.

When I went to work for Rus, I’d been working at it for three years, but wasn’t a carpenter yet. Rus was acting as general contractor on the conversion of two old barns into homes for this mother and sister. He started me out on simple things: shoe mold, closet shelving, window and door trim. But then be began challenging me to do things that I’d never done before, never even seen done: a dovetailed towel rack for one of the bathrooms, a paneled wall with a hidden door in it. If Rus didn’t know the full extent of my abilities, he knew at least that they were beyond my own estimation.

In one of the barns, Rus had reused an original set of stairs; they had been roughly built and bore the marks of 60 years of hard use. As the finish in the rest of the house came up, he regretted more and more his decision to save them. I had long been interested in stairwork; it is one of the few areas of the trade that has not been simplified to the point of absurdity. So I offered to tear out Rus’s old stairs and build a new set. He quickly accepted. They were a straight run between two walls, narrow and steep. But they were my first set of hardwood stairs.

At the top I built a short balustrade: newel post, level run of handrail 8 ft. long and square oak balusters. Knowing nothing of grooved handrail or fillet and shoe rail, I mortised all 18 balusters top and bottom with a drill and chisel.

Rus’s ultimate challenge came when he suggested that I could do the “other handrail,” referring to a winding oak staircase from a Stanford White mansion that he had bought, dismantled and reinstalled in one of the barns.

The stairway was 4 ft. wide. Open on one side, with a quarter-turn two-thirds of the way up. It rose from the center of the house and was the first thing anyone saw coming in the front or back door. The original newel posts and balusters had been destroyed, but Rus did have the six-piece mahogany handrail. All along he had intended to have an old master carpenter come out and build the balustrade. I had been looking forward to working with the man. I told Rus that I couldn’t possibly do it myself–I’d never done such a thing before, never seen the original, and wouldn’t know where to begin.

“I remembered an old union carpenter telling me that all there was to carpentry was “plumb, level and square” . . .”

But then I started thinking seriously about the handrail. How would I go about building it, if I had to? As with the other projects Rus had proposed, I was intimidated at first; the job seemed far beyond my skills. But after living with the idea for a few days, my mind began to break the whole thing down into its component tasks, until I no longer saw one complex problem, but rather a series of simpler ones.

I remembered an old union carpenter telling me that all there was to carpentry was “plumb, level and square.” For years, I’d been trying to reconcile my respect for that man with what had seemed a gross oversimplification. Suddenly I knew that he was right. The tolerances varied certainly–laying out and framing a wall need not be as precise as laying out and building a balustrade–but the principles involved were the same.

As soon as I began to look at Rus’s balustrade as a winding studwall, I realized that I could put the entire handrail together as it had been originally, with its hanger screws and star-shaped nut, and lay it directly on top of the stair treads to determine length and position. Then all I would have to do would be to raise it equidistant off the stairs and put in the balusters. This was the breakthrough I had needed; I knew I could do it.

And I did do it, working slowly and tentatively. Before I mitered the turnout section of handrail into the newel cap, I took the pieces home with me overnight, which somehow prepared me to cut them. I sat on the stairs and worked patiently with a rasp to shape the curved, compound angles of the balustrade around the curve in the stairs. I set up and took down the entire staircase section of balustrade several times before I was confident that I had it right. And I struggled with the assembly of newly milled handrail and balusters around the second-floor stairwell, starting at one end, aligning the balusters one at a time, slipping and having to start over. All of this caused some consternation among Rus’s family, but Rus himself understood and left me alone.

It surprises me now to realize that I can actually say at what point I became a carpenter. But when I finished the balustrade, I knew that it was so. And the difference had nothing to do with what I’d learned of stairwork; it had to do with confidence.

For years I’d looked at carpentry as though it were an exact science, a matter of right or wrong, but it isn’t. It is a pragmatic business, governed by a few, very basic principles and beyond which it is a question of what will or will not work. I understood “plumb, level and square,” and knew that I could figure out how to build just about anything. My way might not be the best way, but it will work.

Certainly there is more to becoming a carpenter than acquiring confidence, and the process is different for everyone. But for me, it was this confidence in my own ability to solve problems, ultimately to get the job done, that was the final step. This made me a carpenter–not a master by any means, but ready at least to begin earning that distinction.

Fine Homebuilding Recommended Products

Fine Homebuilding receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

8067 All-Weather Flashing Tape

Available in 2- to 12-in. widths, this is a good general-purpose flashing tape that sticks well to most things. It features a two-piece release paper, water-shedding layers, and good UV resistance.
Buy at Amazon

Affordable IR Camera

This camera is super useful for tracking down air leaks in buildings. The one-hand pistol grip arrangement frees your other hand for steadying yourself while maneuvering tricky job sites.
Buy at Amazon

Handy Heat Gun

This heat gun is great for drying joint compound, primer and paint when patching drywall and plaster walls. Plus it can soften adhesive, get a very cold small engine to start, and shrink heat-shrink tubing.
Buy at Amazon

Sign up for eletters today and get the latest how-to from Fine Homebuilding, plus special offers.

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters
×

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

New Feature

Fine Homebuilding Forums

Ask questions, offer advice, and share your work

Log in or create an account to post a comment.

Sign up Log in

Become a member and get full access to FineHomebuilding.com

More Great Moments in Building History

View All
  • The Patient in the Basement
  • The Wheelbarrow
  • The Missing Cat
  • The Builder’s Hand
View All

Up Next

Video Shorts

Featured Story

Picture-Perfect Pergola

Built from locally sawn hemlock, this functional outdoor feature uses structural screws and metal connectors for fast, sturdy construction.

Featured Video

How to Install Cable Rail Around Wood-Post Corners

Use these tips to keep cables tight and straight for a professional-looking deck-railing job.

Related Stories

  • Podcast Episode 689: Basement Garages, Compact ERVs, and Safer Paint Stripper
  • A Closer Look at Smart Water-Leak Detection Systems
  • Podcast Episode 688: Obstructed Ridge Vent, Buying Fixer-Uppers, and Flashing Ledgers
  • Podcast Episode 687: Flat Roofs, Spray Foam vs. Loose-Fill Insulation, and Building Your Own Cabinets

Discussion Forum

Recent Posts and Replies

  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
View More Create Post

Highlights

Fine Homebuilding All Access
Fine Homebuilding Podcast
Tool Tech
Plus, get an extra 20% off with code GIFT20

"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

Video

View All Videos
  • A Closer Look at Smart Water-Leak Detection Systems
  • Podcast Episode 678: Live from the Builders' Show-Part 2
  • Podcast Episode 677: Live from the Builders' Show-Part 1
  • FHB Podcast Segment: The Best of the Fine Homebuilding Podcast, Volume 8
View All

Fine Homebuilding Magazine

  • Issue 332 - July 2025
    • Custom Built-ins With Job-Site Tools
    • Fight House Fires Through Design
    • Making the Move to Multifamily
  • Issue 331 - June 2025
    • A More Resilient Roof
    • Tool Test: You Need a Drywall Sander
    • Ducted vs. Ductless Heat Pumps
  • Issue 330 - April/May 2025
    • Deck Details for Durability
    • FAQs on HPWHs
    • 10 Tips for a Long-Lasting Paint Job
  • Issue 329 - Feb/Mar 2025
    • Smart Foundation for a Small Addition
    • A Kominka Comes West
    • Making Small Kitchens Work
  • Issue 328 - Dec/Jan 2024
    • How a Pro Replaces Columns
    • Passive House 3.0
    • Tool Test: Compact Line Lasers

Fine Home Building

Newsletter Sign-up

  • Fine Homebuilding

    Home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox.

  • Green Building Advisor

    Building science and energy efficiency advice, plus special offers, in your inbox.

  • Old House Journal

    Repair, renovation, and restoration tips, plus special offers, in your inbox.

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters

Follow

  • Fine Homebuilding

    Dig into cutting-edge approaches and decades of proven solutions with total access to our experts and tradespeople.

    Start Free Trial Now
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • X
    • LinkedIn
  • GBA Prime

    Get instant access to the latest developments in green building, research, and reports from the field.

    Start Free Trial Now
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
  • Old House Journal

    Learn how to restore, repair, update, and decorate your home.

    Subscribe Now
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • X
  • Fine Homebuilding

    Dig into cutting-edge approaches and decades of proven solutions with total access to our experts and tradespeople.

    Start Free Trial Now
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • X
    • LinkedIn
  • GBA Prime

    Get instant access to the latest developments in green building, research, and reports from the field.

    Start Free Trial Now
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
  • Old House Journal

    Learn how to restore, repair, update, and decorate your home.

    Subscribe Now
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • X

Membership & Magazine

  • Online Archive
  • Start Free Trial
  • Magazine Subscription
  • Magazine Renewal
  • Gift a Subscription
  • Customer Support
  • Privacy Preferences
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Careers
  • Terms of Use
  • Site Map
  • Do not sell or share my information
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility
  • California Privacy Rights

© 2025 Active Interest Media. All rights reserved.

Fine Homebuilding receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

X
X
This is a dialog window which overlays the main content of the page. The modal window is a 'site map' of the most critical areas of the site. Pressing the Escape (ESC) button will close the modal and bring you back to where you were on the page.

Main Menu

  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Video
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Project Guides
  • Reader Projects
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House

Podcasts

  • FHB Podcast
  • ProTalk

Webinars

  • Upcoming and On-Demand

Podcasts

  • FHB Podcast
  • ProTalk

Webinars

  • Upcoming and On-Demand

Popular Topics

  • Kitchens
  • Business
  • Bedrooms
  • Roofs
  • Architecture and Design
  • Green Building
  • Decks
  • Framing
  • Safety
  • Remodeling
  • Bathrooms
  • Windows
  • Tilework
  • Ceilings
  • HVAC

Magazine

  • Current Issue
  • Past Issues
  • Magazine Index
  • Subscribe
  • Online Archive
  • Author Guidelines

All Access

  • Member Home
  • Start Free Trial
  • Gift Membership

Online Learning

  • Courses
  • Project Guides
  • Reader Projects
  • Podcast

More

  • FHB Ambassadors
  • FHB House
  • Customer Support

Account

  • Log In
  • Join

Newsletter

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

Follow

  • X
  • YouTube
  • instagram
  • facebook
  • pinterest
  • Tiktok

Join All Access

Become a member and get instant access to thousands of videos, how-tos, tool reviews, and design features.

Start Your Free Trial

Subscribe

FHB Magazine

Start your subscription today and save up to 70%

Subscribe

We hope you’ve enjoyed your free articles. To keep reading, become a member today.

Get complete site access to expert advice, how-to videos, Code Check, and more, plus the print magazine.

Start your FREE trial

Already a member? Log in