# What is Trim-Carpentry?



## Develin (Oct 1, 2012)

I'm a Carpenter-Joiner by trade but I learnt my trade in Sweden and I was just wondering what Trim Carpentry is? Is it a special kind of carpentry?

I'm just not too good on the English names sometimes. 

Thanks all!


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## rrbrown (Feb 15, 2009)

Well you have a Framer who builds the house then a Trum Carpenter would do finish work. ( Installing cabinets, mokldings, doors, and stairs etc, )

It's usually called trimming a house.


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## Develin (Oct 1, 2012)

Is that the american way of saying it? I'm working in England at the moment they call it second fix carpentry... Too many different words for the same thing!


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## jharris2 (Jul 9, 2012)

No worries Dev, a lot of times a guy from the east coast calls things differently from a west coaster.

I've worked with guys from other states and picked up their lingo.

Then the guys from my home town don't know what I'm talking about.


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## Develin (Oct 1, 2012)

Well thank you very much!


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## johnep (Apr 12, 2007)

Kreg have a video showing use of Pocket Holes in trim carpentry.
As I understand it, basic carpentry is the frame etc of a house. The trim is the interior and any wood decoration.
johnep


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## Fastback (Sep 2, 2012)

My Dad was a carpenter his specialty was framing. A couple of his brothers, while also carpenters, were into the finish side of the trade. They were called finish carpenters. Keep in mind that in those days the finish carpenters built all of the cabinets on site. I don't know where the term trim carpenter comes from. I'm on the east coast.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Fastback said:


> My Dad was a carpenter his specialty was framing. A couple of his brothers, while also carpenters, were into the finish side of the trade. They were called finish carpenters. Keep in mind that in those days the finish carpenters built all of the cabinets on site. I don't know where the term trim carpenter comes from. I'm on the east coast.


Depending on where you are from, carpenters can be called a variety of things, some might not be nice.:laughing:

For stick built, or work involving the construction with dimensional lumber, they could be called "rough carpenters", or "framing carpenters", or just "framers".

The term "trim" comes in for those that added trim to the work, like window and door casing, crown moulding, base moulding, etc.

Other work could be classified as a specialty involving general carpentry, such as staircases, decks, roofs, facades, and docks.

At one time the term "carpenter" referred to an individual that built an entire house. The term "carpenter" has become more specialized. There are ship/boat building "carpenters" known as "shipwrights". Woodwork carpenters that process lumber or work wood, can be called "millwrights". Carpenters have had the duties at times to build cabinets and furniture for homes. There wasn't always furniture stores.:laughing:











 







.


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## Develin (Oct 1, 2012)

That's cool! In Sweden carpenters are called "Timmerman", which literally translates as timber man haha xD


Which gives rise to a popular joke.... "Got wood?"


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## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

Just as a side note Finish carpenters are guys from that country beside you.


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## jharris2 (Jul 9, 2012)

Laughing!

"I have never let my schooling interfere with my education"

Mark Twain


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## DaveTTC (May 25, 2012)

In Australia we typically have 1st and 2 nd fix carpentry. 

Trim carpentry I imagine is what we call 2nd fix

I did my trade also as a carpenter and joiner thus did all of the above, joinery in a workshop and on site fixing, form work and other construction related trades.

Dave The Turning Cowboy


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## Develin (Oct 1, 2012)

Oh, Frank - that one did make me laugh I must admit xD haha


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## MNsawyergp (Jan 31, 2012)

I looked through the replies to see if anybody gave your the "Finnish" joke. I started trimming houses in 1990, having been a cabinet and furniture maker since 1968. That was in Minnesota. "Minnneeesooootaaa", as the Swedes say it here. When I moved to Wisconsin, I heard my first "finnish" joke. The guys on the worksite teased me about being from Finland, but I didn't get it. Finally, they told me that carpenters who do the trim work are "finish carpenters"...from Finland. I guess I would rather be called that than a 2nd fixer. Although, the finish carpenters do have to fix the problems that the framers create from their poor workmanship. They also have to fix the crappy corners the drywallers install, so I guess we are 2nd fixers, in a way.


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## thomask (Apr 6, 2011)

DaveTTC said:


> In Australia we typically have 1st and 2 nd fix carpentry.
> 
> Trim carpentry I imagine is what we call 2nd fix
> 
> ...


Hey Dave:

A good 2nd fix carpenter in the US is known as a painter with a knack for puttying the first trim carpenter's mistakes to make them disappear.:icon_cool:


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## DaveTTC (May 25, 2012)

thomask said:


> Hey Dave:
> 
> A good 2nd fix carpenter in the US is known as a painter with a knack for puttying the first trim carpenter's mistakes to make them disappear.:icon_cool:


Nice one 

Dave The Turning Cowboy


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## Homewright (Nov 30, 2012)

Trim carpenters are the guys who make today's excuse for construction look halfway decent. My preference is to work on old houses because the lumber was better, the workmanship was better, and design was actually the marriage of form AND function. In framing, most guys will be content with 1/4" tolerance while in trim work, you have the 'caulk and paint make it what it ain't' crowd who CALL themselves trim carpenters but are only half a step above rough carpenters. Guys working on stain grade who know how to cut compound miters with no gaps, can cope a joint, can grain match and scarf a joint so it virtually disappears, who go crazy walking into a nice restaurant and proceed to pick the place apart (in their minds) because it was built in a hurry by people who didn't care: that guy is a real trim carpenter. Unfortunately, anyone can call themselves a carpenter while the reality is, a true carpenter is going to keep learning every day he's on the job because he always wants to be better than he is now.


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## BClem (Jan 14, 2013)

Homewright said:


> Trim carpenters are the guys who make today's excuse for construction look halfway decent.


You can say that again. I painted new homes for number of years and always marveled at the skill of a good trim carpenter.


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## DaveTTC (May 25, 2012)

BClem said:


> You can say that again. I painted new homes for number of years and always marveled at the skill of a good trim carpenter.


"That again"!

Dave The Turning Cowboy


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## jstange2 (Dec 5, 2010)

So what about us guys that frame and finish?


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## DaveTTC (May 25, 2012)

jstange2 said:


> So what about us guys that frame and finish?


Just means we do both.

Dave The Turning Cowboy


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## jharris2 (Jul 9, 2012)

DaveTTC said:


> Just means we do both.
> 
> Dave The Turning Cowboy


And with a greater degree of accuracy (care).


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## jstange2 (Dec 5, 2010)

DaveTTC said:


> Just means we do both.
> 
> Dave The Turning Cowboy


The "full fix" then?


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## DaveTTC (May 25, 2012)

jstange2 said:


> The "full fix" then?


Sounds good to me.

Dave The Turning Cowboy


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## HSpencer (Jan 21, 2013)

Here in the US of A during the building boom of 1995-2008, if you had a hammer (or something close to one) you WERE a carpenter. A truck was optional, but looked good. Walking and chewing gum at the same time got you an extra dollar an hour. 
If you were young, and could carry a concrete block, you were a mason.


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## DonG1947 (Nov 14, 2012)

A fellow I knew who was probably one of the finest carpenters I ever knew liked to say, "A little putty, a little paint, makes a carpenter what he ain't."

Don


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## Ryan 4 custom (Jan 28, 2013)

If you have to use putty and u have to use paint by God a carpenter u ain't. 

The trade. Learn it love it and if u can't leave it for those who believe in the above.


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## DonG1947 (Nov 14, 2012)

Ryan 4 custom said:


> If you have to use putty and u have to use paint by God a carpenter u ain't.
> 
> Ryan,
> 
> ...


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## DaveTTC (May 25, 2012)

Ryan 4 custom said:


> If you have to use putty and u have to use paint by God a carpenter u ain't.
> 
> The trade. Learn it love it and if u can't leave it for those who believe in the above.


Didn't Noah use 'tar' on his joints 

Dave The Turning Cowboy


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## Gary0855 (Aug 3, 2010)

I was in the Union for 32 yrs. Commercial construction, Hotels, Hospitals, casinos in Atlantic City NJ. But I started out building houses on Long Beach Island, that Sandy wiped out. 
In the union we did mostly metal framing and drywall, and would be called sheetrockers. I would always say "I've never been so insulted in my life, I'm a Carpenter". Now there were some guys that could only sheetrock, that's all they ever did, couldn't frame on 16" centers to save their life. 
You could tell the guys that came from housing. I think they made better carpenters than someone that had no housing experience. It's something my Father would call "Carpenter Fashion", maybe it was old fashioned, but it was the right way to do it.

In the union, some guys got a job with a ceiling company and work their whole career with one company. Boring.

There is only the Few that build from start to finish, the way it used to be. A carpenter would do everything. My Father told me, that when he was young he had jobs that started by building the steps to the job trailer and ended with tearing them down so the trailer could be removed 2 years later. 

But now speed is King, there are some ceiling guys I could not keep up with if I tied both of their hands behind their back. And so work became "Specialized". You don't get a Rocker to put a panic bar on a door, not that he could.

Thus ends my trip down memory lane, I'll be quiet now......lol


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## thomask (Apr 6, 2011)

*How true Gary, how true*

:thumbsup:

When my mother and dad had their house built they hired three carpenters and two of their wives who ran a family construction business. They did all the framing, roofing, the electrical, all the cabinets they built right on site, the finish trim, countertops, all the paint, stain and wallpaper. 

The house was built like a battle ship.

You just don't see much of this any more.

All that talent in one family and one business.


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## Homewright (Nov 30, 2012)

I've been in remodeling and renovation work for over 30 years. I agree with Gary0855 about how everything has become so specialized. I wouldn't give you two cents for a new construction carpenter on one of my jobs. To be able to look at a situation and determine how much demo will get the job done without taking down the whole place takes a lot more than these new guys have. Finesse isn't a word a lot of guys have in their vocabulary but that's exactly what it takes to selectively attack a problem with a solution in mind the whole way. It's a different science altogether. I do all my own electrical, plumbing (when I don't have inspections etc.), framing, finish (including sheetrock), site built cabinets and built ins, and offer myself as a full service renovation pro. People I've been working for love it when they don't have to have 5 different subs in their house. If we do have subs, I'm there with them. Too many horror stories of when I needed to be gone and they'd try to pull a fast one in my absence.


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## thomask (Apr 6, 2011)

*Well said*



Homewright said:


> I've been in remodeling and renovation work for over 30 years. I agree with Gary0855 about how everything has become so specialized. I wouldn't give you two cents for a new construction carpenter on one of my jobs. To be able to look at a situation and determine how much demo will get the job done without taking down the whole place takes a lot more than these new guys have. Finesse isn't a word a lot of guys have in their vocabulary but that's exactly what it takes to selectively attack a problem with a solution in mind the whole way. It's a different science altogether. I do all my own electrical, plumbing (when I don't have inspections etc.), framing, finish (including sheetrock), site built cabinets and built ins, and offer myself as a full service renovation pro. People I've been working for love it when they don't have to have 5 different subs in their house. If we do have subs, I'm there with them. Too many horror stories of when I needed to be gone and they'd try to pull a fast one in my absence.


Well said and I may add there is not as much art in the building biusiness it seems with all these specilalties out there it seems. Kinda like the old country doctor that took care of you in the old days. More personal care so to say, it is what it is.


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## windygorge (Feb 20, 2013)

jstange2 said:


> So what about us guys that frame and finish?


US guys have the ability to cross over those lines very well. At least for me, I can frame with the fastest, then ever so gracefully cross over into finish and do it beautifully. Most people can't.


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## Gone Wood'n (Feb 4, 2013)

I usually call framers as wood butcher'ers cause being in the upper mid west I see a lot of things that truly I'd never do in framing but I'm no framer I just tinker with my own house but do know enough to think twice about buying homes that I visit when I'm out and about the area of my city. finish carpentry or trimmers or finish carpenters gets around my neiborhood. 


"Over engineering is an understatement."


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## Gone Wood'n (Feb 4, 2013)

On another note to this is this... not all framers make things nice for the sheet rockers but it takes an excellent sheet rocker to cover up the screw ups of framers and make them blend in with the house. Most sheet rockers around here also texture walls and some even paint but there again that's an entirely another specialty around here too. it usually rolls down hill like other things where the framers blame the concrete guys for not making their forms either square at the corners or level on the plane. Then the sheet rockers blame the framers for never giving enough backing to nail or screw to. Then the trimmers come in and blame the sheet rockers for blending in the corners too fat making them out of square when they should be grading them down then taping and feathering them in to make a more square corner to trim off of. There's nothing wrong with using putty none what so ever. In fact I've never in all the touring of houses new and old have seen a house built without using putty in any state I've gone to.


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## Imnukingfutz (Feb 24, 2013)

I'm a trim carpenter...my job is finishing all the wooden aspects of the job that you will see...cabinetry, moldings, handrails etc...we make the corners square when the framers cant...lol

The joke in our group is that the framers are the ones who cant read a tape measure below 1/4 inch increments.


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