7 Basic Carpentry

The carpenter trade is one of the most well known trades in the construction industry. There many reasons why it is a very well known trade. One reason why it is so well known is because there are many people that have taken on a carpenter projects in their lives. And have named themselves jacks of this famous trade.

Lumber or timber is wood that is used in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production.

Different types of nails

• Oval wire nail
• Round wire nail
• Tack
• Round or lost head nail
• Cut floor bud
• Panel pin
• Masonary nail
• Square twisted nail
• Annular nail
• Cloat head nail
• Corrugated nail
• Spring-head roofing nail
• Hardboard nail
• Cut clasp nail Rectangular in section
• Sprig
• Upholstery nail
• Staple

Types of Hammer

• Ball Pein
• Claw Hammer
• Cross and Straight Pein
• Cross Pein Pin Hammer
• Club Hammer
• Sledge Hammer
• Joiner's Mallet
• Soft-faced Hammers

Advice for using hammers

Always use the right hammer for the job, it will make the job easier and avoid possible damage to the hammer/workpiece.

Never hit nails with the side of a check or a hammer head. The metal at these points is not hardened as the striking face and could be damaged.

When assembling delicate work, use a piece of scrap wood between the work piece and the head of the hammer. This will prevent damage to the workpiece.

When where concrete blocks first made?

Concrete blocks were first created in the early 1800s, although concrete in its many forms have been around since ancient Greek times. Find out how concrete blocks were used to build houses with help from a professional carpenter, woodworker and handyman in this free video on home construction and concrete.

Concrete Slab

A concrete slab is a common structural element of modern buildings. Horizontal slabs of steel reinforced concrete, typically between 10 and 50 centimeters thick, are most often used to construct floors and ceilings, while thinner slabs are also used for exterior paving.

How to Make Hollow Concrete Blocks

Solid concrete blocks can be made with the right molds and a little know-how. Hollow concrete blocks, however, require a considerable amount of finesse to come off correctly.

Hollow blocks made in other shapes require much more specialized equipment.

Shape/Style

• Concrete blocks are precast and hardened masonry concrete products normally used in the construction of block foundation and retaining walls. Most styles of concrete blocks are designed with hollow cavities; however, some blocks are made with smooth sides.
  

Mixture

• Concrete blocks are usually made from a mixture of sand, gravel, water and Portland cement. The manufacturing process involves a total of four stages including the mixing, molding, curing and cubing processes. Typically, the mixture used to form concrete blocks contains more sand and less gravel and water than concrete mixtures used for other construction purposes.

Lighter Weight Blocks

• Lightweight concrete blocks use crushed expanded clay, slate or shale as the raw materials instead of sand and gravel for making the block. Pumice and volcanic rock known as scoria are sometimes used as well. In the process of forming these blocks, the raw materials are heated to a temperature of 2000 degrees F.
  

Manufacturing Process

• The dry materials are blended together for several minutes before water is put into the mixture. Blades attached to a rotating shaft are used in this mixing process. Any chemicals or color pigments are added before the concrete is mixed, generally for about 8 minutes. Afterward, the mixed concrete is forced down into molds, where as many as 15 concrete blocks can be molded at one time. The concrete mixture filling the molds is then compacted by the weight of the upper mold head.