The difference between a handyman and a skilled craftsman UPDATED RESPONSE

The difference between a handyman and a skilled craftsman it is the equivalent of night and day. If anyone thinks that renting a miter box is all that needs to be done to install trim is the insane. After realizing the miter box is inaccurate from all the animals that rented it prior to you there will be the issue of tear out from the cheap Husky blade it came with.

That is only the beginning.
Are the walls flat or snake-like?
Will discrepancies be floated out with spackle like they should be or just caulked with 1/2 inch of Phenoseal?
And that is only the chair-rail.

I believe the boxes on the wall that people have mentioned are known as applied trim. I have installed thousands of them and all four sides need to be cut from the same length so the profile is identical. Next they need to be mathematically laid out based on how many go on each wall and the size they will be. They are now all to be bench built to near perfection so each one is the same size and square.

Now the install needs to be done with a fine hand so the PL does not ooze all over the place need to be cut out with a razorblade after it dries and the applied trim does not crack off the wall.

Those were the easy jobs and now we move on to the crown moulding. I have seen guys butcher inside seams (which are called copes) on many occasions because they do not know how to cut it right the first time. If it is small enough to be cut upright than all you need to do is cut the moulding upside down on a 45 degree angle then carve out the back out with a jigsaw or grinder. That is now the negative of the crown which will fit over the profile of the first piece that gets cut square on both sides and installed following a snapped chalk line. This chalk line is made by first placing a small piece of crown where it is going to go on the ceiling and wall and drawing a line on the wall at the bottom of the moulding. Do this in all the corners then snap a line to connect them and you have now established the height. By following that line straight, not level, and double coping the last piece at 1/8 inch longer than it measures you can snap it into place and be finished.

With that being said I hope that I could shed a little light onto the process that a skilled craftsman goes through and how they take pride in their work.

Message edited 11/14/2007 6:43:04 PM.

Re: The difference between a handyman and a skilled craftsman

you are preaching to the choir!

Re: The difference between a handyman and a skilled craftsman

I agree! The guy who redid our downstairs (LR/DR/kitchen) was a skilled craftsman. The perfection of the work is a joy to behold. He took such pride in making things perfect, I ended up defering to him on a number of choices bc I knew he would know what looks better. We just did our upstairs (bedrooms) and it was a DIY job. Believe me, I am really impressed with my DH but the crown moulding is no piece of cake to get perfect if you are not skilled.

Re: The difference between a handyman and a skilled craftsman

Re: The difference between a handyman and a skilled craftsman

your talking about work that looks like this.....






This ceiling took like 5 days of 8 hr days

Re: The difference between a handyman and a skilled craftsman

Everything you said is absolutely true, but the other difference between the two is $$$. Unfortunately many don't have the money to pay a skilled craftsman.

Re: The difference between a handyman and a skilled craftsman

Re: The difference between a handyman and a skilled craftsman

Re: The difference between a handyman and a skilled craftsman

Re: The difference between a handyman and a skilled craftsman

We will be needed a skilled craftsman, can anyone recommend one please. We need to put up crown molding in our whole house and after reading this post, I don't think we are doing it ourselfs. TIA!

Re: The difference between a handyman and a skilled craftsman

Thank you so much!

Re: The difference between a handyman and a skilled craftsman

Nice work. This post was merely a response I had to something I read in regards to renting a saw and hiring that guy at 7-11 to install it. I only meant it as insight upon how the job may be approached by an artisan. I agree with the money aspect but some jobs require more skill than a jack of all trades and master of none. Period.