Hi Leah! I am a 57 year old woman and love your videos. You are my inspiration to my new found hobby of woodworking! Because of your videos, I have taken over my husband’s garage and have been researching and buying tools of all kinds! I built two cornhole boards and caulked my bathroom. I also cancelled most of my TH-cam notifications except yours! I don’t want to miss a thing you have to teach me. You make me feel like I CAN do it and so I try! My husband hears me say all the time “ Leah says....”! Thank you so much for explaining things in a simple way I can understand!
Great video, thank you. I grew up in a home with "tools", with no differentiation between rough tools and fine tools. As a woodworker now, there is a world of difference. Well done.
I remember my dad telling me, many decades ago, that anyone can build a box out of wood. The difference, he said, is in how it's made that distinguishes the craftsman from the woodworker. He instilled into me the desire to be a craftsman and to always take pride in my work and do my best no matter how long the job may take.
Hey Leah. Been a rough start to the new year with some illness, but I am getting back in the saddle again. Keep up the good work with the videos and hope you have a very happy and prosperous 2018. God Bless.
You are a genius and heaven sent. As a single woman owning a very old colonial you have given me the confidence to handle so, so many projects without panicking and feeling helpless! Thank you for your time and all the effort you put in making quality teaching videos, wishing health , prosperity and many blessings from Connecticut!
I vividly learned the difference years ago when I commissioned a platform bed by a friend's husband. I thought he was a furniture maker, but he was a carpenter. What I got was nailed and glued together. He screwed hinges into plywood end grain! All over the bed, he tried to hide his inaccurate cuts with wood filler which, of course, didn't take stain like the wood did. I learned my lesson, and have tried to make my own work speak for itself.
Ya know, every time I get ready to watch one of your videos the feeling of "Why should I" fills my head. Then during the video the "Because" part shows up. Thank you.
If had been doing woodworking for 50 years (which of course I haven't) and I still wouldn't know all the difference in carpentry/woodworking tools. Thank goodness I have you Leah to keep me straight. Bless you Leah and hope you had wonderful New Year!
He was also an open minded good person back when many/ most wouldn’t teach women things like that. Now because of him, we get your kind an easy going ways backed with a wealth of talent and knowledge. You never cease to impress me with how vast your area of expertise is. Looking forward another year of great videos and content.
I used to work in a shipyard as a kid, and the yard workers there had to shift from carpentry to woodworking, often on the same job. Your explanation is perfect, simply a matter of what the moment needs for the work in hand. LOVE this channel, a class in a single vid!
When I did my apprenticeship I learnt how to make bespoke oak kitchens, windows, staircases, etc but also had to learn how to pitch a roof, construct a timber building etc. As for pencil lines - when cutting by hand there were three options - leave the line showing, cut half the line or completely take the line out. The joys of learning in the family business!
Always handling the perfect topics, perfectly. I have learned so much from your channel because you explain things so clearly. Thank you so much Leah. Stay safe.
Leah, you are the blessing to us. You are such a great teacher. I didn't know what the difference between carpentry and woodworking until now. Thank you!
Hey Leah! Love your show! I would like to add that a primary difference between the two is joinery. An old master woodworker/furniture/cabinet maker taught me that a true woodworker doesn’t use nails and screws but only uses wood joints, dowels and pegs. Keep the good stuff coming! Love ya!
Your videos are invaluable. You are a living treasure. Ted must be so proud to have taught you. Your powerful explanations knock the fear right out of me. When I get to the end of each video, I honestly feel confident enough to approach a similar project. It is not a small thing to learn from such an accomplished and person, who is kind enough to share. Hitting the yard sales tomorrow on a tool hunt mission. Thank you soooo much!
I’ve made a living as a carpenter in years past and want to get into woodworking now that I’m disabled... I’ve been mulling over which machine to purchase, a planer?, or a jointer?, a sander and a dust collection and so on but I haven’t made any decisions yet, I’m sorting out as many of my carpentry tools that will still be useful, and cleaning them up Keep up the good work, I enjoy your energy and overall presentation... THANKS!
thank you Leah . i take my hat off to both carpenters and woodworking ppl. i am a broke down 65 yr old with the will to lean again . i got a garage with some tools in it now . lots of fun . i have been a machinist ( navy trained made parts for sub and other things 10yrs) an electronics bench tech 20yrs and last but not least my first job where i dealt with ppl ( lol ) corrections officer 12 yr till i lost my back . how ever i still can do some things so wood working it shall be . love the info you put out bless you .
Love your videos. No nonsense, straightforward and to the point. You make videos about the subject matter, rather than some subject matter in a video that's just a vehicle for promoting you :) Thank you.
Great topic and vid. Thank you. Coming from a family of machinists, I preferred woodworking (furniture) as a hobby. All my uncles called me a butcher, as they worked with tolerances within a thousands of an inch! Just goes to show you can never win.
Leah, that is a very lesson, its well illustrated with good shots of the small detail. I have a 7 year old Son that is learning Carpentry with me, your lessons are great for Him . . . Chris . . . Norwich England
Thanks, Leah. I would've guessed that "carpentry" requires more precision than "woodworking". I would've been wrong. What you said makes sense though. Thank you for clarifying that and for showing the width differences of line making. You are right, 1/8th of an inch, in some situations, is huge.
Finish carpentry is another subset that is like woodworking where the tolerances are tight, but it's still called carpentry. Gosh you are a natural teacher. You are really remarkable in your talent for teaching.
I'm a carpenter in the US and struggle every now and then with my coworkers, because some are too dirty (too rough), I understand depending on the task or the desirable production levels an 1/8 its not a reason to fight over. When little my dad had to take me to his woodworking lessons, the class allowed me as an spectator. He was terrible at woodworking and I ended up doing his tasks. But a lot got stuck on the back of my head. Even though I'm far from Mastering Carpentry I consider myself a good one. Following the basics and some courtesy (like cleaning your work area and making it safe) will get the job done. I strongly believe that those woodworking classes made it easier for me to learn carpentry and easier for mentors to taught. Now with this Covid-19 going on its the perfect excuse to go back to zero tolerance woodworking stuff. Thank you for the video.
Leah, I like your illustration that the difference between a Carpenter and a Woodworker is "an 8th of an Inch" (in the UK 3mm) Iam a Construction Manager, in the UK building industry we are very cautious about having Shuttering (form work) carpenters come and do our Finishing Carpentry work, they are usually Butchers, hacker and bashers. Surely the "finest" Carpenters are Furniture makers, my Uncle was a Furniture Maker, I remember Him showing me how to choose a piece of Timber for its given task, i.e, center cut, quarter cut Etc and how they ought to be arranged in the built product . . . Chris . . . Norwich, England .
As a journeyman carpenter, your insights are encouraging me to be a woodworker. Your insights and knowledge are so encouraging and inspiring! God bless you!
My god, this just ripped a childhood memory of mine out, when I first attempted what I thought was carpentry when I was around 11, but now know to be woodworking, as I built a table and it wobbled due to one of the legs being an eighth inch too short. I never realized how important the distinction between the two was.
You saying you WANTED to work beside him so you could learn more than what you were generally doing says a lot for your character. Passion in what you do.
I love your videos. I was a pretty good electrician before becoming an acupuncturist. I was always a bit envious of my dad & grandfather though because they were great at carpentry & plumbing & couldn’t build a box that was truly square. Your channel is encouraging me to experiment & gain new skills. I appreciate you ending your videos with “You can do this.” What a great teacher you are!
I think your explanation of the difference between a carpenter and a woodworker is interesting and I agree with your point that some tasks require more precision than others. There is a big difference in carpentry skills between the guy who puts up stud walls and the guy who hangs a door. (maybe they don't do that any longer and buy prehung doors.) Likewise I think there is a pecking order between furniture makers and cabinet makers. So I think the point you are making is important but not sure I would categorize it the way you did. Also besides the tools and skill needed I think its worth mentioning the quality of the wood being used. I think a lot of beginners,, me being one, try using low quality wood and get frustrated that no matter how precise the work is done it doesn't look good. Final thought: besides the wood the effort expended to finish a project is significantly different too. So after all of this I wanted to end this by saying how much I enjoy your videos and how straight forward and entertaining they are. I look forward to getting a notice that a new one is available. more highly skilled
Only coming across this now, after having a eureka moment that it’s time to change career paths, and thinking I was interested in carpentry, when really it’s woodworking! This is how new and ignorant I am! I wish you were my mom Leah!
It is funny how language effect how people think about things. In Swedish we have "snickare", who is the jack of all trades when it comes to woodworking with dry wood. Some people are "only" byggnadssnickare (specialist at using wood in exteriors or interiors (like door fittings and walls) of houses), or grovsnickare (who do very rough woodworking, like scaffolding or concrete molds) and on the other end of the spectrum, we have finsnickare (who do things like jewelery boxes and other precision woodworking) and möbelsnickare (who make furniture). There's a lot of other kinds of "***snickare". What we don't have is any words that exactly match "carpenter" and "woodworker" in English. The Swedish word träarbetare literary translate to woodworker, but is an umbrella term for a person that do any kind of work with wood. The Swedish word timmerman (litterary: timberman) is sometimes (correctly) used as a translation of carpenter, if the carpenter in question do scaffolding or rough frameworks of houses. But timmerman also have an older, but still often used, meaning of someone who build structures out of timber, often timber that hasn't dried, often with an ax as the primary tool. (From how the word sounds, I'm guessing the English word carpenter originally meant someone who made carriers (carpentrius in Latin), but I've never heard it used like that in English). We also have an even larger Swedish vocabulary for people that do different kind of thing from raw (fresh) wood, as they don't count as snickare, snickare only work with dry wood. E.g. someone who do Windsor chairs out of fresh wood is a pinnstolmakare, but someone who make the same kind of chair out of dried wood is a pinnstolsnickare. Making things directly from fresh wood used to be much more common in Sweden than making things from dried wood, and you really have to think and do things very different when working in fresh wood than in dry wood.
Martin Jansson, wish my memory were better as I enjoyed your comment. In addition to learning and appreciating the cultural differences, I think it will help me to find the best people when interviewing and hiring people to build my home. Very interesting! Thank you! LEAH, always enjoy your video content in knowledge, enthusiasm, attitude, ease and love of teaching and sharing. I’m 57 and your conveyance of the depth in which you love what you do you inspires me, not only to just get in there and do it but each time, to strive for something better without being discouraged with what I’ve done. With you I’m convinced that I will always be learning and enjoying woodworking!Thank you!
Glad you'er back. I had been a "home carpenter". I enjoyed learning woodworking from a teacher that was a woodworker. Over the years I have improved and enjoyed being a woodworker much more than building large structures. I am also older and large structures are now out of the question. Paul Sellers books and videos has helped me greatly and of course your videos as well. Thank you.
Hi Leah Another great video my dear !!! As a finish carpenter who has 40 plus years at it, yes there are a wide variety of carpenters and woodworkers out there. I have worked with framing carpenters out there that make some woodworkers look like amateurs!! The crew I have worked with for the past 12 years, let’s just say we try to get pretty precise building high end homes. I have also had the pleasure ( 😮) of working with some so called finish carpenters that I wouldn’t let frame a wall !!! Have a wonderful day !!
I love you, if I had the time I would watch your videos all day. Your delivery and positivity towards the human spirit inspires me to continue messing up my projects until I finally get them right, thank you.
That is awesome. My Dad was a woodworker for a hobby. He was a true old school woodworker, hand tools. No power tools except for his jig saw and drill. Thanks for your great videos
Hi Leah, Just wanted to drop a lime thanking you for awesome explanations.... I've been in the carpentry/cabinet making trade for almost 30 years now and enjoy your videos. Thanks for your content and encouragement.
Great video. Thanks for the tip. Unfortunately I don't have that special line tool so I used a boxcutter and I have to say I immediately noticed the difference. I'm making two benches for our breakfast nook and I used your method for the second bench and the difference, too me, is VERY noticeable. I did some other things too however (like squaring off the 2x4s). Thanks for sharing.
Hi Leah! I know this is an old video, but I'm currently in school studying to become a woodcrafter (I'm about to change fields as a woodworker isn't paid well in Canada). That being said, you forgot to mention that another important knowledge is how to use a wood chisel. By that, I meant, you have to know which side does what and how to sharpen a chisel. it's long and I'm too tired to get into it, but yeah! I love using some of the tools you mentionned. I prefer hand craft than machine craft. even if it takes longer
HI LEAH! Awesome and exact! I worked with a Master Woodworker/Cabinetmaker for a year and picked up an enormous amount of knowledge I wouldn't of if I just worked as a carpenter!
You make the absolute BEST videos... I'm just now getting into woodworking and it seems quite daunting at times, but your videos give me courage to try things and cast aside any fear of failure. Thank you so much! - Adam
Thank you very much for your explanations. I have done crafting and woodworking for a number of years. I also have been collecting wooden hand planes for a few years. I'm 70 years old now and love the smell of the different boards that I run through my planer. I'm sure you have some of those same Likes. Good Luck to you and keep making sawdust. W. Fuller
I have been a woodworker for over 40 years. There are many degrees of woodworking. I will say this, I have met many real woodworkers and NONE of them used a tape measure over 16'. The only exception being finish carpenters and cabinet installers but even then it's their alternative tape that they use for rare long measurements. If someone walks into my shop and they have a 25 footer with them, they are either a carpenter or a hack.
Liked and subscribed. Leah your videos are making me smarter and I really appreciate you sharing your tips and tricks. You explain things in a way where just about anyone can understand. Keep up the good work my friend. :)
Great discussion about precision. To take precision a step further my son is a tool and die machinist. It is cultural shock when we are working together on carpentry projects. He is used to thinking in terms of 1/1000 of an inch or better. Wood moves that much just looking at it.
Oh No Ms Leah! Now I have to learn to forget “1/16 inch is close enough for government work” ;). I’ll share two things - one job I had was so the owner could prove that women could weld well. During the interview, I was asked “How many sixteenth’s are in an inch?” It’s amazing how many folks don’t know how to read a rule. The second thing I learned from a class taught by Roy U. He showed us how to take our striking knife and make a vee cut along the marking strike so the saw sits exactly where you want it. If your knife is sharp enough, it takes very little effort, but a wee bit of practice. Thank you for all the work y’all do! For the first time in 4 years, I am actually excited to go see my neurosurgeon this month. IMHO, this is in great part to you and your fantastic videographer! Have a truly blessed year!
As an Englishman trained as a furniture maker, or as I always called it, a cabinetmaker, I was taught that a carpenter used nails, while cabinetmaker was never allowed to. Mind you in those far off day screws were mostly used for hinges and little else.
I'm a woodworker! Thank goodness. Honestly your definition was on par with my thoughts. Woodworkers operate with less margin of error, or at least they should.
Wow...I am amazed about what I just learned. I must watch this video one more time and I will feel more confident about few “carpentry” crafts I want to make for myself. I am by no mean a woodworker; we will see what the future brings!! Hooa!!!!!!
I just wanted to say thanks for all your teachings ..... It has made me more knowledgable in all my projects. You're amazing and as always thanks for sharing.
This video kept popping up, so i watched it. Thank you Leah this was a very education learning point for me and I never knew the difference. I really like the 1/8 of an inch analogy. I got a feeling I’m going to be hooked on your channel now. Well worth a subscribe. Ty. Ben
When I saw your question in the title, my first response was "precision", which you then proceeded to elaborate on. I consider myself a woodworker but I have done "carpentry projects" for my home, and I knew that I did not have to be precise to a 1/32 of an inch on my carpentry but I better be close to that on my woodworking. Oh, except when it comes to baseboards or crown molding, which I guess is also called "finish carpentry".
Marking knife. Thank you so much. I have been having a lot of problems with the pencil marks with straight parts of my scroll saw patterns. With the marking knife not only is the line thinner it is a small small ditch so it will be easier to follow with the blade. Thanks again.
Would love to see you do more videos about woodworking. I’ve used your channel as a resource while renovating my house. I regularly build furniture and cabinetry so I call myself a woodworker, but those skills didn’t really translate to construction! I was clueless on certain aspects of carpentry and I knew nothing about simple plumbing skills etc. You have a really wide knowledge base across all of those areas and you really have a gift for teaching. I just wanted to express appreciation for what you do, and I’ll be checking out your patreon.
Thanks Leah! Your videos are the best. I watch a lot of videos on woodworking (especially for beginners cause that's what I am) and by far you have some of the best stuff for beginners. As you said, simple stuff that you would NEVER know until someone tells you.
Great video. I made the mistake one time of complementing a cabinet maker by telling him he was a talented carpenter. He quickly objected to the term carpenter and informed me he wasn't a carpenter but a cabinet maker. I apologized for the unintentional insult. This video puts a finer point on that discussion. I would have loved a mentor like you growing up. I'm glad I have your videos now. Have you done any longer videos on woodworking where you have built something?
Those are remarkable tools and I can understand how important they are in making furniture, and for making larger items as well whether you be a carpenter, or woodworker.
I have a very old scribe. I sharpen the metal scribe point to a very fine blade for woodworking. At the far end of the scrbe handle I drilled a hole straight thru that tightly accommodates an artists pencil, so I can reverse it to make lines for carpentry or rough work. Double duty!
Absolutely love watching your videos and learning from you. I am a visual learner and it helps that you show what you’re doing as you explain it. Keep em coming!
i call myself a carpenter, but mainly i install cabinets and cut a lot of prefinished molding. there is 0 wiggle room with that stuff. i've always got to be working to the 32nd of an inch. i dont have the patience for hand cut dovetails though. i got jigs and routers for that lol. great video leah!
In over 50 years in the building trade in the UK I would agree up to a point. Anyone who works with wood is a "woodworker". Here we use a simpler classification, Carpenters work on structural timbers, Joiners work on finishing woodwork such as doors skirting boards etc and Cabinet Makers work on furniture.
Thank you! I just start doing woodworking and you’re video just make clear for my why I make lots of mistake when I build my stuff. I’m doing wood working but thinking more like carpenter so I always have an eighth of an inch off to my project and I couldn’t figure it out. Well I’m going to buy my proper tool now.. thank you
While doing home maintenance your head has to wear both hats at different times... once in while you have to fix a kitchen cabinet, dresser, kitchen chair then move over to fix the hole in the dry wall or re-hang a door or fix molding... so knowledge of both is necessary to a degree......Great Video!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Leah, I recently discovered your channel. Thank you so much for the lessons! I'm feeling very confident heading into my weekend home project. I'm know if I get stuck, you'll have the lesson I need!
Leah is a blessing. She's like that one favorite teacher that you had in school that inspired you and made learning fun.
🙂
I'm hot for teacher!
Ikr
@@Elvo7684 you might have a difficult road getting there but, I agree she is great.
Yes, exactly. She's terrific.
Hi Leah! I am a 57 year old woman and love your videos. You are my inspiration to my new found hobby of woodworking! Because of your videos, I have taken over my husband’s garage and have been researching and buying tools of all kinds! I built two cornhole boards and caulked my bathroom. I also cancelled most of my TH-cam notifications except yours! I don’t want to miss a thing you have to teach me. You make me feel like I CAN do it and so I try! My husband hears me say all the time “ Leah says....”! Thank you so much for explaining things in a simple way I can understand!
Great video, thank you. I grew up in a home with "tools", with no differentiation between rough tools and fine tools. As a woodworker now, there is a world of difference. Well done.
thank you! 🙂
I remember my dad telling me, many decades ago, that anyone can build a box out of wood. The difference, he said, is in how it's made that distinguishes the craftsman from the woodworker. He instilled into me the desire to be a craftsman and to always take pride in my work and do my best no matter how long the job may take.
Hey Lester, nice to see you again!
Hey Leah. Been a rough start to the new year with some illness, but I am getting back in the saddle again. Keep up the good work with the videos and hope you have a very happy and prosperous 2018. God Bless.
You are a genius and heaven sent. As a single woman owning a very old colonial you have given me the confidence to handle so, so many projects without panicking and feeling helpless! Thank you for your time and all the effort you put in making quality teaching videos, wishing health , prosperity and many blessings from Connecticut!
I vividly learned the difference years ago when I commissioned a platform bed by a friend's husband. I thought he was a furniture maker, but he was a carpenter. What I got was nailed and glued together. He screwed hinges into plywood end grain! All over the bed, he tried to hide his inaccurate cuts with wood filler which, of course, didn't take stain like the wood did. I learned my lesson, and have tried to make my own work speak for itself.
A Frend
gasp! omg. poor bed
Ya know, every time I get ready to watch one of your videos the feeling of "Why should I" fills my head. Then during the video the "Because" part shows up. Thank you.
If had been doing woodworking for 50 years (which of course I haven't) and I still wouldn't know all the difference in carpentry/woodworking tools. Thank goodness I have you Leah to keep me straight. Bless you Leah and hope you had wonderful New Year!
Happy New Year, Becky!
He was also an open minded good person back when many/ most wouldn’t teach women things like that. Now because of him, we get your kind an easy going ways backed with a wealth of talent and knowledge. You never cease to impress me with how vast your area of expertise is.
Looking forward another year of great videos and content.
Thank you so much, Clint, you are very kind!
The willingness to share your knowledge with the public in a friendly manner shows the selfless and warm heart you possess.
I used to work in a shipyard as a kid, and the yard workers there had to shift from carpentry to woodworking, often on the same job. Your explanation is perfect, simply a matter of what the moment needs for the work in hand. LOVE this channel, a class in a single vid!
Thank you for sharing your journey with us! You're right! The difference between a carpenter and a woodworker is, "One eighth of an inch!" Love it.
When I did my apprenticeship I learnt how to make bespoke oak kitchens, windows, staircases, etc but also had to learn how to pitch a roof, construct a timber building etc. As for pencil lines - when cutting by hand there were three options - leave the line showing, cut half the line or completely take the line out. The joys of learning in the family business!
I've only just discovered this channel a week ago or so, but, damn, this is gold! Leah, you're an absolutely amazing teacher.
Always handling the perfect topics, perfectly. I have learned so much from your channel because you explain things so clearly. Thank you so much Leah. Stay safe.
Showing your videos to my daughter so she knows "girls" can do ANYTHING
Thanks for being you
Another great video, Leah. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge in such an understandable way!
I never really thought about the difference. But know that you bring it up, get exactly what you mean
Leah, you are the blessing to us. You are such a great teacher. I didn't know what the difference between carpentry and woodworking until now. Thank you!
Hey Leah! Love your show! I would like to add that a primary difference between the two is joinery. An old master woodworker/furniture/cabinet maker taught me that a true woodworker doesn’t use nails and screws but only uses wood joints, dowels and pegs. Keep the good stuff coming! Love ya!
Your videos are invaluable. You are a living treasure. Ted must be so proud to have taught you. Your powerful explanations knock the fear right out of me. When I get to the end of each video, I honestly feel confident enough to approach a similar project. It is not a small thing to learn from such an accomplished and person, who is kind enough to share. Hitting the yard sales tomorrow on a tool hunt mission. Thank you soooo much!
I’ve made a living as a carpenter in years past and want to get into woodworking now that I’m disabled...
I’ve been mulling over which machine to purchase, a planer?, or a jointer?, a sander and a dust collection and so on but I haven’t made any decisions yet, I’m sorting out as many of my carpentry tools that will still be useful, and cleaning them up
Keep up the good work, I enjoy your energy and overall presentation... THANKS!
thank you Leah . i take my hat off to both carpenters and woodworking ppl. i am a broke down 65 yr old with the will to lean again . i got a garage with some tools in it now . lots of fun . i have been a machinist ( navy trained made parts for sub and other things 10yrs) an electronics bench tech 20yrs and last but not least my first job where i dealt with ppl ( lol ) corrections officer 12 yr till i lost my back . how ever i still can do some things so wood working it shall be . love the info you put out bless you .
Leah you are the best. The information you share on this channel is always practical, relevant, and clear. Thank you!
Love your videos. No nonsense, straightforward and to the point. You make videos about the subject matter, rather than some subject matter in a video that's just a vehicle for promoting you :) Thank you.
you're very welcome, and thank you for your kind comment!
Great topic and vid. Thank you. Coming from a family of machinists, I preferred woodworking (furniture) as a hobby. All my uncles called me a butcher, as they worked with tolerances within a thousands of an inch! Just goes to show you can never win.
🙂
Even the videos I don't think I'm interested in at first, I can't turn them off! Loving all this information
Leah, that is a very lesson, its well illustrated with good shots of the small detail. I have a 7 year old Son that is learning Carpentry with me, your lessons are great for Him . . . Chris . . . Norwich England
Thanks, Leah. I would've guessed that "carpentry" requires more precision than "woodworking". I would've been wrong. What you said makes sense though. Thank you for clarifying that and for showing the width differences of line making. You are right, 1/8th of an inch, in some situations, is huge.
Finish carpentry is another subset that is like woodworking where the tolerances are tight, but it's still called carpentry.
Gosh you are a natural teacher. You are really remarkable in your talent for teaching.
thank you so much!
I'm a carpenter in the US and struggle every now and then with my coworkers, because some are too dirty (too rough), I understand depending on the task or the desirable production levels an 1/8 its not a reason to fight over. When little my dad had to take me to his woodworking lessons, the class allowed me as an spectator. He was terrible at woodworking and I ended up doing his tasks. But a lot got stuck on the back of my head. Even though I'm far from Mastering Carpentry I consider myself a good one. Following the basics and some courtesy (like cleaning your work area and making it safe) will get the job done. I strongly believe that those woodworking classes made it easier for me to learn carpentry and easier for mentors to taught. Now with this Covid-19 going on its the perfect excuse to go back to zero tolerance woodworking stuff.
Thank you for the video.
Your videos are awesome. Watched another and sharpened my chisel to shaving sharpness for the first time ever. Great work.
Leah, I like your illustration that the difference between a Carpenter and a Woodworker is "an 8th of an Inch" (in the UK 3mm) Iam a Construction Manager, in the UK building industry we are very cautious about having Shuttering (form work) carpenters come and do our Finishing Carpentry work, they are usually Butchers, hacker and bashers. Surely the "finest" Carpenters are Furniture makers, my Uncle was a Furniture Maker, I remember Him showing me how to choose a piece of Timber for its given task, i.e, center cut, quarter cut Etc and how they ought to be arranged in the built product . . . Chris . . . Norwich, England .
As a journeyman carpenter, your insights are encouraging me to be a woodworker. Your insights and knowledge are so encouraging and inspiring! God bless you!
thank you so much!
Thank you for explaining the difference. It helps with my confidence to know why I need to do a certain thing a specific way.
Thank you, again! For teaching me all those things that my Dad never lived long enough to teach me.
Leah... This topic was one I never thought of. Learning something new every time I watch your video. Thanks!
🙂
Very, very interesting - I love your demonstration & explanation on the "marking knife".
thanks, Paul!
I would say the greatest thing about your channel is it is not just informative but not intimidating.
My god, this just ripped a childhood memory of mine out, when I first attempted what I thought was carpentry when I was around 11, but now know to be woodworking, as I built a table and it wobbled due to one of the legs being an eighth inch too short. I never realized how important the distinction between the two was.
You saying you WANTED to work beside him so you could learn more than what you were generally doing says a lot for your character. Passion in what you do.
I love your videos. I was a pretty good electrician before becoming an acupuncturist. I was always a bit envious of my dad & grandfather though because they were great at carpentry & plumbing & couldn’t build a box that was truly square. Your channel is encouraging me to experiment & gain new skills. I appreciate you ending your videos with “You can do this.” What a great teacher you are!
I think your explanation of the difference between a carpenter and a woodworker is interesting and I agree with your point that some tasks require more precision than others. There is a big difference in carpentry skills between the guy who puts up stud walls and the guy who hangs a door. (maybe they don't do that any longer and buy prehung doors.) Likewise I think there is a pecking order between furniture makers and cabinet makers. So I think the point you are making is important but not sure I would categorize it the way you did.
Also besides the tools and skill needed I think its worth mentioning the quality of the wood being used. I think a lot of beginners,, me being one, try using low quality wood and get frustrated that no matter how precise the work is done it doesn't look good.
Final thought: besides the wood the effort expended to finish a project is significantly different too.
So after all of this I wanted to end this by saying how much I enjoy your videos and how straight forward and entertaining they are. I look forward to getting a notice that a new one is available.
more highly skilled
thanks for your comments, Jack! I appreciate you sharing your point of view
Only coming across this now, after having a eureka moment that it’s time to change career paths, and thinking I was interested in carpentry, when really it’s woodworking! This is how new and ignorant I am! I wish you were my mom Leah!
It is funny how language effect how people think about things.
In Swedish we have "snickare", who is the jack of all trades when it comes to woodworking with dry wood. Some people are "only" byggnadssnickare (specialist at using wood in exteriors or interiors (like door fittings and walls) of houses), or grovsnickare (who do very rough woodworking, like scaffolding or concrete molds) and on the other end of the spectrum, we have finsnickare (who do things like jewelery boxes and other precision woodworking) and möbelsnickare (who make furniture). There's a lot of other kinds of "***snickare". What we don't have is any words that exactly match "carpenter" and "woodworker" in English. The Swedish word träarbetare literary translate to woodworker, but is an umbrella term for a person that do any kind of work with wood.
The Swedish word timmerman (litterary: timberman) is sometimes (correctly) used as a translation of carpenter, if the carpenter in question do scaffolding or rough frameworks of houses. But timmerman also have an older, but still often used, meaning of someone who build structures out of timber, often timber that hasn't dried, often with an ax as the primary tool. (From how the word sounds, I'm guessing the English word carpenter originally meant someone who made carriers (carpentrius in Latin), but I've never heard it used like that in English).
We also have an even larger Swedish vocabulary for people that do different kind of thing from raw (fresh) wood, as they don't count as snickare, snickare only work with dry wood. E.g. someone who do Windsor chairs out of fresh wood is a pinnstolmakare, but someone who make the same kind of chair out of dried wood is a pinnstolsnickare. Making things directly from fresh wood used to be much more common in Sweden than making things from dried wood, and you really have to think and do things very different when working in fresh wood than in dry wood.
Martin Jansson, wish my memory were better as I enjoyed your comment. In addition to learning and appreciating the cultural differences, I think it will help me to find the best people when interviewing and hiring people to build my home. Very interesting! Thank you!
LEAH, always enjoy your video content in knowledge, enthusiasm, attitude, ease and love of teaching and sharing. I’m 57 and your conveyance of the depth in which you love what you do you inspires me, not only to just get in there and do it but each time, to strive for something better without being discouraged with what I’ve done. With you I’m convinced that I will always be learning and enjoying woodworking!Thank you!
Hi Martin, thanks for sharing this...this is very interesting! I like learning about how things are in other countries.
So........what. A long way to not even get to the point
Well, I found your explanation very interesting. Thanks and cheers from south Brazil!
Glad you'er back. I had been a "home carpenter". I enjoyed learning woodworking from a teacher that was a woodworker. Over the years I have improved and enjoyed being a woodworker much more than building large structures. I am also older and large structures are now out of the question. Paul Sellers books and videos has helped me greatly and of course your videos as well. Thank you.
you're very welcome!
Leah, thank you--what a great, engaging and enjoyable video! I've lived 6+ decades and never heard an explanation as clear as this one! Bless you--
Well said Leah !!!
I'm a retired carpenter/ woodworker been at it for over 50 years. Big thumbs up👍👍
thanks, Peter!
Hi Leah
Another great video my dear !!!
As a finish carpenter who has 40 plus years at it, yes there are a wide variety of carpenters and woodworkers out there. I have worked with framing carpenters out there that make some woodworkers look like amateurs!!
The crew I have worked with for the past 12 years, let’s just say we try to get pretty precise building high end homes.
I have also had the pleasure ( 😮) of working with some so called finish carpenters that I wouldn’t let frame a wall !!!
Have a wonderful day !!
You are so generous with your information and wonderfully understandable. Thank you for sharing. Hugs💜
I love you, if I had the time I would watch your videos all day. Your delivery and positivity towards the human spirit inspires me to continue messing up my projects until I finally get them right, thank you.
Joe, Thanks! Such kind words!
Great distinction. I love her teaching. Very helpful.
That is awesome. My Dad was a woodworker for a hobby. He was a true old school woodworker, hand tools. No power tools except for his jig saw and drill. Thanks for your great videos
you're welcome, Tom, and thanks for commenting!
Hi Leah,
Just wanted to drop a lime thanking you for awesome explanations.... I've been in the carpentry/cabinet making trade for almost 30 years now and enjoy your videos.
Thanks for your content and encouragement.
Hi Nathan, thank you so much! I really appreciate hearing from fellow skilled tradespeople!
Great video. Thanks for the tip. Unfortunately I don't have that special line tool so I used a boxcutter and I have to say I immediately noticed the difference. I'm making two benches for our breakfast nook and I used your method for the second bench and the difference, too me, is VERY noticeable. I did some other things too however (like squaring off the 2x4s). Thanks for sharing.
glad the video was helpful to you!
Hi Leah! I know this is an old video, but I'm currently in school studying to become a woodcrafter (I'm about to change fields as a woodworker isn't paid well in Canada). That being said, you forgot to mention that another important knowledge is how to use a wood chisel. By that, I meant, you have to know which side does what and how to sharpen a chisel. it's long and I'm too tired to get into it, but yeah! I love using some of the tools you mentionned. I prefer hand craft than machine craft. even if it takes longer
My wife tells people I'm a carpenter and I correct her and tell her I'm a woodworker.I'll be showing her this video. Thanks Leah.
HI LEAH! Awesome and exact! I worked with a Master Woodworker/Cabinetmaker for a year and picked up an enormous amount of knowledge I wouldn't of if I just worked as a carpenter!
You make the absolute BEST videos... I'm just now getting into woodworking and it seems quite daunting at times, but your videos give me courage to try things and cast aside any fear of failure. Thank you so much! - Adam
Adam, Good luck with all of your future projects. 👍
Thank you very much for your explanations. I have done crafting and woodworking for a number of years. I also have been collecting wooden hand planes for a few years. I'm 70 years old now and love the smell of the different boards that I run through my planer. I'm sure you have some of those same Likes. Good Luck to you and keep making sawdust. W. Fuller
thank you very much, Wayne!
I have been a woodworker for over 40 years. There are many degrees of woodworking. I will say this, I have met many real woodworkers and NONE of them used a tape measure over 16'. The only exception being finish carpenters and cabinet installers but even then it's their alternative tape that they use for rare long measurements. If someone walks into my shop and they have a 25 footer with them, they are either a carpenter or a hack.
Thank you Leah you are by far my favorite and it's great to see you
Liked and subscribed. Leah your videos are making me smarter and I really appreciate you sharing your tips and tricks. You explain things in a way where just about anyone can understand. Keep up the good work my friend. :)
Leah, you're the Bob Ross of Woodworking. Thanks for being awesome :)
Great discussion about precision. To take precision a step further my son is a tool and die machinist. It is cultural shock when we are working together on carpentry projects. He is used to thinking in terms of 1/1000 of an inch or better. Wood moves that much just looking at it.
Oh No Ms Leah! Now I have to learn to forget “1/16 inch is close enough for government work” ;). I’ll share two things - one job I had was so the owner could prove that women could weld well. During the interview, I was asked “How many sixteenth’s are in an inch?” It’s amazing how many folks don’t know how to read a rule.
The second thing I learned from a class taught by Roy U. He showed us how to take our striking knife and make a vee cut along the marking strike so the saw sits exactly where you want it. If your knife is sharp enough, it takes very little effort, but a wee bit of practice.
Thank you for all the work y’all do! For the first time in 4 years, I am actually excited to go see my neurosurgeon this month. IMHO, this is in great part to you and your fantastic videographer! Have a truly blessed year!
Wow, thanks, Elaine! I always love hearing from you, and your "interview question" made me and Karen chuckle. Happy New Year to you too!!
As an Englishman trained as a furniture maker, or as I always called it, a cabinetmaker, I was taught that a carpenter used nails, while cabinetmaker was never allowed to. Mind you in those far off day screws were mostly used for hinges and little else.
Leah,You're such a wonderful teacher. You make topics such easy to understand. Thank you.
I'm a woodworker! Thank goodness. Honestly your definition was on par with my thoughts. Woodworkers operate with less margin of error, or at least they should.
Wow...I am amazed about what I just learned. I must watch this video one more time and I will feel more confident about few “carpentry” crafts I want to make for myself. I am by no mean a woodworker; we will see what the future brings!! Hooa!!!!!!
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Leah that was so interesting and never realised about marking tool. I’ll be looking for one of those.
I just wanted to say thanks for all your teachings ..... It has made me more knowledgable in all my projects. You're amazing and as always thanks for sharing.
Aw, Leah! Now I have to buy a marking knife! What a great example to demonstrate! Thank you!
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This video kept popping up, so i watched it. Thank you Leah this was a very education learning point for me and I never knew the difference. I really like the 1/8 of an inch analogy. I got a feeling I’m going to be hooked on your channel now. Well worth a subscribe. Ty. Ben
I'm buying a marking knife today! Thanks Leah. Outstanding as always
Thanks for calming us all down and layin’ some knowledge on us. It sticks very well.
Leah, I have learned so much from you !!! Thank you for sharing your knowledge
measure. 1/8 you showed me how.... and now i can follow you and your videos any where . thx.
When I saw your question in the title, my first response was "precision", which you then proceeded to elaborate on. I consider myself a woodworker but I have done "carpentry projects" for my home, and I knew that I did not have to be precise to a 1/32 of an inch on my carpentry but I better be close to that on my woodworking. Oh, except when it comes to baseboards or crown molding, which I guess is also called "finish carpentry".
Love this one! As an engineer, the presicion aspect is alluring.
Marking knife. Thank you so much. I have been having a lot of problems with the pencil marks with straight parts of my scroll saw patterns. With the marking knife not only is the line thinner it is a small small ditch so it will be easier to follow with the blade. Thanks again.
Just bought one for my wifey who is a craftswoman.
Would love to see you do more videos about woodworking. I’ve used your channel as a resource while renovating my house. I regularly build furniture and cabinetry so I call myself a woodworker, but those skills didn’t really translate to construction! I was clueless on certain aspects of carpentry and I knew nothing about simple plumbing skills etc. You have a really wide knowledge base across all of those areas and you really have a gift for teaching. I just wanted to express appreciation for what you do, and I’ll be checking out your patreon.
Good video, your examples made the distinctions really clear
Leah, here is the thing... you are awesome! I like a lot your teachings !!!
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Thanks Leah! Your videos are the best. I watch a lot of videos on woodworking (especially for beginners cause that's what I am) and by far you have some of the best stuff for beginners. As you said, simple stuff that you would NEVER know until someone tells you.
My pleasure Antonio
Thank you for sharing your knowledge.... amazing!!!
Great video. I made the mistake one time of complementing a cabinet maker by telling him he was a talented carpenter. He quickly objected to the term carpenter and informed me he wasn't a carpenter but a cabinet maker. I apologized for the unintentional insult. This video puts a finer point on that discussion. I would have loved a mentor like you growing up. I'm glad I have your videos now.
Have you done any longer videos on woodworking where you have built something?
You might find this build fun to watch.
th-cam.com/video/lZSAOSG_kQM/w-d-xo.html
Those are remarkable tools and I can understand how important they are in making furniture, and for making larger items as well whether you be a carpenter, or woodworker.
Thanks, Sidney!
Hi, Lea, I was always taught to move your straight edge to the marking knife, not other way around.
Leah, please inform us on your knowledge of planes, different types of planes, etc. Thanks!
My comment: you are an amazing presenter! You are inspiring. Well done Jane!
I have a very old scribe. I sharpen the metal scribe point to a very fine blade for woodworking. At the far end of the scrbe handle I drilled a hole straight thru that tightly accommodates an artists pencil, so I can reverse it to make lines for carpentry or rough work. Double duty!
Absolutely love watching your videos and learning from you. I am a visual learner and it helps that you show what you’re doing as you explain it. Keep em coming!
glad to be of help!
Great video. All are easy to understand and very helpful. Thank you.
i call myself a carpenter, but mainly i install cabinets and cut a lot of prefinished molding. there is 0 wiggle room with that stuff. i've always got to be working to the 32nd of an inch. i dont have the patience for hand cut dovetails though. i got jigs and routers for that lol.
great video leah!
thanks, Joe!!
In over 50 years in the building trade in the UK I would agree up to a point.
Anyone who works with wood is a "woodworker". Here we use a simpler classification, Carpenters work on structural timbers, Joiners work on finishing woodwork such as doors skirting boards etc and Cabinet Makers work on furniture.
Thank you! I just start doing woodworking and you’re video just make clear for my why I make lots of mistake when I build my stuff. I’m doing wood working but thinking more like carpenter so I always have an eighth of an inch off to my project and I couldn’t figure it out. Well I’m going to buy my proper tool now.. thank you
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Great video... thanks for the great insight! Appreciate your channel.
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While doing home maintenance your head has to wear both hats at different times... once in while you have to fix a kitchen cabinet, dresser, kitchen chair then move over to fix the hole in the dry wall or re-hang a door or fix molding... so knowledge of both is necessary to a degree......Great Video!!!!!!!!!!!!!
thank you, Stan!
Leah, I recently discovered your channel. Thank you so much for the lessons! I'm feeling very confident heading into my weekend home project. I'm know if I get stuck, you'll have the lesson I need!
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