Index of Finish Carpentry, Interior Trim, Millwork Installation and Wood Finishing Articles

Finish Carpentry Projects

On This Page: Basic Trim Carpentry... Decorative Trim... Tips & Techniques...
Basic Woodworking... Furniture Refinishing & Spray Finishing...

Basic Trim Carpentry:

Installing Simple Window Casing

To trim out a window with basic 2-1/4" casing, four pieces of casing are mitered and joined at the corners to make a box. Then the entire unit is nailed in place.

Hardwood casing around an interior door.

Trimming A Door With Hardwood Casing

Three pieces of colonial casing are joined in a U-shape and nailed around the door jambs. Dealing with warped wood poses some minor problems.

Installing extension jambs for Andersen windows.

Installing Andersen Window Pre-Made
Extension Jambs

Andersen sells jamb extensions that are already milled to fit into the groove around their windows. Simply tap the jambs into place and drive nails in the pre-drilled holes.

Custom-milled jamb extensions for Andersen windows.

DIY Custom-Made Jamb Extensions For Andersen Windows

I needed extension jambs wider than Andersen's regular jambs, so I bought some clear pine and cut a simple notch on my router table. I saved money too.

Installing Custom-Cut Door Extension Jambs
And Casing Trim

Since the walls were framed with 2x6's, the jambs on the pre-hung entry door weren't wide enough to reach the drywall inside. All I had to do was cut some wood to about 2 inches wide and nail it to some shims.

Installing Colonial Baseboard Trim
Using Coped Inside Corner Joints

Wide baseboard is installed above a hardwood floor, using scarf joints and cope-cut ends. Problems with the uneven floor and imperfect corners are addressed.

How To Cut Coped Ends On Baseboard
Or Other Trim

Coped ends are tricky to cut and time-consuming, but the results are worth the effort. A miter saw and coping saw are the main tools required.

Final Touchup - Filling Nail Holes And Caulking Gaps On Panted Wood Trim

To create clean-looking trim, the nail holes need to be filled with putty and sanded. When all the gaps are caulked, the results are professional-looking.

On This Page: Basic Trim Carpentry... Decorative Trim... Tips & Techniques...
Basic Woodworking... Furniture Refinishing & Spray Finishing...

Decorative Trim Carpentry:

Building Victorian Window And Door Casing

Many homes built around the turn of the 20th century have an elegant type of trim above the doors and windows. We re-created this ornate casing from common millwork.

Installing Victorian Door And Window Trim

Traditional window sill and apron trim is installed. Side casings are installed, and the top section is fastened in place.

Valance around fluorescent light mounted to wall.

Building A Custom Valance For A
Fluorescent Strip Light

This odd, old house had only a narrow band of wall above the kitchen window, so a 2-foot fluorescent light was the only economical fixture that fit. To hide the ugly light, I built a valance from clear pine 1-by lumber.

On This Page: Basic Trim Carpentry... Decorative Trim... Tips & Techniques...
Basic Woodworking... Furniture Refinishing & Spray Finishing...

Trim Carpentry Tips & Techniques:

Making Millwork "Returns"

Ornamental trim that runs along a wall doesn't just dead-end, it "returns" to the wall with short mitered pieces. But the short pieces are tricky to cut and join, so some creative solutions are required.

Wood plugs fill screw holes in finish carpentry.

Filling Screw Holes In With Wood Plugs

In trim carpentry, as in flooring, sometimes screws are needed to fasten things. Covering the screws is easy: Just get a plug cutter and make your own wood plugs to glue into the screw holes.

Door casing where drywall stands proud of door jamb.

Casing Problem: Drywall Sticks Out Beyond Door Jamb

When the wall isn't plumb, the solution is either tapered jamb extensions or removing a bit of drywall. On this job we chose to carve away the wallboard so the casing wouldn't have a gap.

Cutting grooves in the back of a cupped board.

Making A Cupped Board Sit Flat By Cutting Grooves In The Back Side

I knew from experience that this badly-cupped board wouldn't lay flat after I nailed it in place, so I decided to try a trick Id heard about: Cut a series of cuts halfway through the board, on the back face. It only took a few minutes and worked very well.

Special hole in wall for window air conditioner.

Trim Details For A Window Air Conditioner Opening

Rather than fill the room's only window with an air conditioner, I made an opening in the wall. The framing was the easy part... the trim was the tricky task.

Cover for hole in wall used for window air conditioner.

Building A Wintertime Cover For A Window Air Conditioner Opening

An inner cover is made from two layers of plywood sandwiching some foam insulation. An outer cover is made and the two parts are screwed together to form a tight seal.

On This Page: Basic Trim Carpentry... Decorative Trim... Tips & Techniques...
Basic Woodworking... Furniture Refinishing & Spray Finishing...

Basic Woodworking:

Do-it-yourself bookshelf, an easy woodworking project.

Building A Bookshelf From Pre-Finished Parts -
An Easy Woodworking Project

This shelf unit was made from knotty pine lumber that we almost threw away. After cleaning up the wood, cutting it into shelves and finishing the wood, I used a pocket screw jig for easy assembly.