Remember, not everyone who carries a hammer is a carpenter.
Apart from the Amish, who often are master carpenters, today's tradesmen are indebted to these advances:
- Rechargeable batteries for all those power tools.
- The Sawzall. Top of the list. Any project working on an older house requires getting through earlier construction. This chews right through the mess.
- Oscillating multitask tool. The Sawzall's little sister. Chews through the finer details. It's like the equivalent of laparoscopic surgery that doesn't leave huge scars.
- Carbide blades. They go right through nails and screws and greatly outlive their earlier incarnations. Think time of constantly replacing the blades as well as the time and cost.
- Laser-light "stick." (And before that, the retractable metal measuring tape.) Look, our contractor's working with 1/16-inch tolerances. Accuracy counts, especially when dealing with hand-hewn beams and posts from nearly two centuries earlier. He's trying to get a plumbline precision to preserve the earlier let's-hope-it-works construction.
- Laser level indicator. This one really blows me away. Place the small device where you want and it shows an appropriate line all around. I have no idea how you'd accomplish the measurements otherwise, but they can be crucial. Especially when we're dealing with everything that's overhead.
- Structural fasteners. They're engineered to be superior to earlier long screws or bolts. I guess it's kind of like those zip-ties I've come to rely on in gardening, but I'm told this is huge.
- Cell phone, including Internet access. You know, YouTube advice, as well as ordering online or by phone, calling consultants, even checking on the status of other participants in the project. Not all of those calls are personal, not that I'd begrudge a hard-worker there.
- Clear plastic sheets and zipper strips. A lot of dust and whatever goes flying around, after all. Keeping it rounded up is definitely appreciated, especially as we're trying to live in the same house. Add to that the power vac. Maybe it's a guy thing, but these are amazing. Even with water.
- Dumpster. I'm starting to see having one outside our house as a kind of status symbol.
Status symbols? We could do a whole other Tendril about those pickup trucks and trailers or the guys' preferred brands.
Source: Mostly Adam Bradbury.
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