They call me "Lightning" with the hammer because I never strike the same place twice.

@WatchWesWork

2 ай бұрын

Unless it's your finger.

@glennburrow4364

2 ай бұрын

​@WatchWesWork Don't think that we couldn't see the tell-tale blue of that 'shop band-aid"!

@crackedcactus

2 ай бұрын

@@WatchWesWorkyou never hit the same spot twice. Just nearly the same spot.

@eltsennestle998

2 ай бұрын

hahaha....I heard my brother the carpenter tell me that 50 years ago, and I still laugh, thinking of him. RIP Bill.

@johnkraus5204

2 ай бұрын

😂😂😂😂

You passed up an absolutely perfect excuse for buying a nail gun. :)

@TheBrookian

2 ай бұрын

EXACTLY what I thought!!

@littlejason99

2 ай бұрын

Could have checked local pawn shops for a cheap used one, or even the harbor freight model would have worked fine in this situation. Would have saved a ton of time!

@joell439

2 ай бұрын

And you can sell it once you’ve decided you never want to be a carpenter again.

@silentepsilon888

2 ай бұрын

Harbor Freight sells cheap ones for 99 to 129 bucks on sale, I just got one to build an outdoor shed, best buy for sure.

@jeffreyshier9021

2 ай бұрын

Thanks for taking us along on this adventure.😄

You have every single tool in America except a NAIL GUN!!!! :-)

This channel is unique because not only do you see great work, you hear his thoughts and they are coherent and thorough . I love your thought process and you logic and reason. "Hear Wes think" is a great channel.

@MckIdyll

2 ай бұрын

Finalist for best comment of the week on KZread.

“I’m not much of a carpenter “ Proceeds to drive nails like a boss.

Looks good! A machinist/engineering mindset applied to carpentry is always a challenge.

@WatchWesWork

2 ай бұрын

+/- 1/2" is tough.

@brettphillips8650

2 ай бұрын

@@WatchWesWork Yep. Complete mental block for me.

@TheOtherBill

2 ай бұрын

@@WatchWesWork That piece where the landing goes looks like it came in at .003!

@rennkafer13

2 ай бұрын

@@WatchWesWork not having an OCD fit about being 1/8" off is my bane. And I started in construction (parents owned a residential construction co) before I was a machinist.

I'm a carpenter and you drove more nails by hand in this video than I have in the last decade. Makes my arms ache just watching. 😄

@alanflor703

2 ай бұрын

I built my two-car garage and shop addition by hand. I have since re-roofed it once, along with re-roofing my house. I have hammered a shit-load of nails!

@glennmuir5617

2 ай бұрын

I haven't met a framer in the last 20 years that could even swing a hammer and drive a nail.

@gen157

2 ай бұрын

A put a roof on mostly by myself a few years ago for a buddy, if it wasn't for the nail gun, I would have been put in the hospital. The small amount of nails I had to hammer in made my arms ache. And I'm a mechanic, so strength wasn't an issue.

@andrewmantle7627

2 ай бұрын

Especially with a fiberglass hammer.

@ronaldcooper7609

2 ай бұрын

I was thinking that he drives nails pretty good to not be a carpenter.

Now you see why some of us amateur builders use screws as much as possible. When we mess up, which seems to happen more often than not, it's easier to literally unscrew our mistakes. Also, from experience I can tell you that building with reclaimed materials takes WAY longer, so don't be too hard on yourself, you're doing a great job Wes. As someone who has officially sworn to NEVER touch drywall again, I have to say that your plan to hire someone to do the mudding is an excellent idea. Spend your time fixing cars to pay for the work. I think you'll find that you come out further ahead financially in the end. Those pro's are amazing and can knock it out in a few days. The biggest wait will be for the mud to dry between coats. Chin up, you're doing a great job.

@thesteelrodent1796

2 ай бұрын

nails is the cheap way of doing things, but nails have a way of working their way out of the wood over time. Screws cost more to use, and as long as you use the right type, they'll stay put forever, and because they dig into the wood rather than going through it, the whole structure will be stronger and last longer

@major__kong

2 ай бұрын

I use #10 construction screws for all of my projects. I don't have to swing a hammer, they hold better than a nail, and they don't split the wood like a nail would.

@ChrisDevismes

2 ай бұрын

Totally agree on the plastering (mudding!) I can do it rustic style but watch a real pro get a glass finish is a pleasure to see.

@Blueshirt38

2 ай бұрын

Also what I found in my chicken coop construction that was about the same size as 1 floor of this office was that screws are not only MUCH easier overall, but are only marginally more expensive. If you already have a good impact driver, you also don't have to factor in buying a nail gun and having a sufficient compressor on site. You can buy a bucket of 1,000 3" deck screws from Lowe's for maybe $75, whereas 3" smooth shank nails (not collated) are about $20 for 250 of them, so the price isn't any different.

@wyllie4961

2 ай бұрын

Nails don’t snap they bend, that’s why only nails are used for framing to meet code, unless you are rich and use structural screws, and I’ve never seen spiral nails back out before or ring shanked nails that are used for sheeting. There is a reason nails are used to meet code, but either will “work”.

Finally!!! The proper use of a crescent wrench 😂

@MichaelSteeves

2 ай бұрын

A pipe wrench works a little better ;)

@billh230

2 ай бұрын

Use some properly engineered German ones, like Knipex.

@billp1954

2 ай бұрын

If it's stupid and works then it ain't stupid.

@Oddman1980

2 ай бұрын

Exactly, I don't know why some crazy people try to turn nuts with them.

@paulsilva3346

2 ай бұрын

More originally known as an adjustable open-end wrench. 😊. Once a mechanic always a carpenter 11:19

Wow, it looks like this ain't Mrs. Wes's first demolition rodeo! And I love how you're doing more of a disassembly than an all-destructive demo.

Hey Wes don’t put yourself down, that’s our job, another great video

when i saw that bandaged up finger it brought me back many years to my first nail gun purchase, worth every penny in pain management and duct tape finger repairs.

I worked as a carpenter during the summers at college. I improved my Spanish and learned a few things. I can tell you this is better built than the mcmansions we put together.

@bsg2580

2 ай бұрын

Wes make sure that 2nd deck is attached to the wall since there is no plywood on that one 1st floor wall it has no bracing. Need you to stay alive and keep making videos!

I've seen framers that can't hit the nail that well.

@WatchWesWork

2 ай бұрын

They probably are out of practice since everyone is using nail guns now. I'm a dinosaur.

@Kowyn

2 ай бұрын

@@WatchWesWork I guess that makes me a dinosaur too then haha.

My first big project out of college was Architectural Engineer on a new municipal facilities building. The team had a lead Architect and a Civil Engineer. They always seemed to clash. One day, the Engineer says to the architect: " Do you know the difference in a building designed by an Architect as opposed to one designed by an Engineer? If the Architect designs it, it will fall down. If an Engineer designs it they will tear it down". I have always tried to balance aesthetics with robust structure ever since. Your new floor ain't goin' nowhere!!

This is the best example of "engineer builds stuff" I've seen in a while. A professional builder wouldn't be half as concerned with most of the issues as you are... I'm also an engineer... I'll say no more.

I have framed houses for 50 yrs. What you have done so far looks good to me. Nice work.

For someone who is not a carpenter you're doing a great job.

One of the reasons I like your channel is the quality of the editing. Fast-paced enough to avoid skipping forward but enough detail without being overly long!

My Pops was a two taps and bang nail driver. Always amazed me how of a good man and father he was. Left the farm to join the Navy during WW2, was married to mom for only 63 year, and never borrowed a penny for anything.

For $100 I bought one of the many unwanted radial arm saws off marketplace to cut some I-joists - worked great. I now have a radial arm saw for sale $95

@M.TTT.

2 ай бұрын

Lol! Yea those ancient things before we had fancy miter saws

This is AMAZING, that notched out rim joist fit like an engineer with a CNC machining background cut it

Wes, you do just fine buddy. I worked in construction in almost every phase over the last 40 years including estimating etc. At 73 years old my body is just wore out. When I started we didn't have nail guns. Enjoy your life with your family, the little guy's getting big. Dave

You may not be a carpenter, but you swing a hammer like one! I really enjoy your channel Wes, thanks for documenting what you do it’s a lot of fun to watch. We just started this channel if you ever want to check out what we build!

Excellent job. Norm and Tommy Silva would be proud. This Old Shop is taking shape. The sloped floors add character...

I will say: A ram set is way more fun to use than tapcons when anchoring into concrete.

As a framer and mechanic there’s a lot of crossover of mechanical principles .. wood tolerances are super high though “what’s a quarter inch between friends right? “ good job Wes

Wes, you will have a nice office and storage space that you can be proud of when you are finished with the construction. Nice to see Mrs. Wes and son involved in the demo. Blessings to you all.

Wes I admire and try to mimic your willingness to take on big challenges and use humor to bring levity to the tougher scenarios. Including the fam in this one was awesome. Calling your wife “She-Ra” was sneaky hilarious.

I laughed so hard about the glass being different. I struggle if the car is not parked outside the house straight x

@robertbrewer2190

2 ай бұрын

How about use an applied window tint sheet?

Mechanic Builds and Office and Storage Loft, episode 42 or something. Nicely done Wes, go get a framing nailer at the local pawn shop. It'll save you so much time and effort.

Nail gun reminds me of a story a carpenter told me. He was at a trade show where people were allowed to test the tools. Somehow a guy attending the show managed to nail his shoe to the floor with the nail gun! LOL I guess there was a lot of laughter but somehow managed not doing any damage to his foot; just his pride.

That Malibu sure looks good.

That crescent wrench will straighten out those Home Depot 2X4's!

@63flight

2 ай бұрын

To be honest, Home depot 2x's should come with a complimentary crescent wrench.

Hey Wes, I can tell you that there are a lot more mechanics that make reasonable carpenters than there are carpenters that make reasonable mechanics. Good job. Cheers, Stuart 🇦🇺

Ah, Wes frames with a hammer, how quaint. I have even less carpentry skill than Wes, but over a decade ago, I bought my first framing gun on Craigslist. It was &40, it had a bad trigger switch, which I fixed easily and cheaply. Once you've fired your first nail, you CAN'T go back. Now I know how the first guy who discovered fire felt(without the burns)! You can even rent them! I loved the Camarata shout out!

And Pop to the rescue ,you know Wes after watching you work for years I have a feeling you could excel at anything you set your mind to ,and the Mrs .just pitched right in great to see

I cannot get enough of your videos Wes. I love your honesty. Just a note be sure to use nails on the stairs screws can break the shear factor is critical.

I purchased my first framing nailer (bostitch) used at a pawn shop 20 years ago for $75.00, I still have it and a senco I picked up new 10 years ago that came with a palm nailer. 2 of the best tools I ever bought. I've built a lot of buildings and remodeling since, hammering nails by hand is a huge time killer. GRK construction screws are another great way to go.

People who can DO things always get my vote. This is great...

Those engineered I beams are fantastic - until the HVAC guy cuts out 80% of the interior webbing to run a duct. Luckily I was planning to put a wall under it anyway but I couldn't freaking believe it. Looks good!

@jdmccorful

2 ай бұрын

Ductless!!

@SteelheadTed

2 ай бұрын

Depending on where in the span he caught the hole it may actually be ok. Manufacturer has a table for acceptable hole sizes and locations along joist.

I saw a guy who was restoring an old station wagon that originally came with tinted rear windows. But finding a replacement piece was impossible. So he bought a clear, and had his painter match it to the other windows by sprayng it with a custom tinted clearcoat. Maybe not the most durable solution, but visually very successful.

Nothing like getting the whole family involved, even your Dad! You’ll always remember that! 👍

Did good Wes. We use a lot of screws with impact drivers here in Oz, easy on the arms, strong and can take them out.

@WatchWesWork

2 ай бұрын

We have these screws now called Spax. I swear they are stronger than bolts.

@Jhbigleyfurniture

2 ай бұрын

​@WatchWesWork When German 🇩🇪 technology is applied to wood screws 😂

@paulwomack5866

2 ай бұрын

@@WatchWesWork Spax are remarkable. Recommended.

@theodorehile7921

2 ай бұрын

​@@WatchWesWorkI put up a pole-building structure about 4 years ago...the guys who did the fraaming used some very high-tech lag-screw technology setting the posts and beams...some of those screws were 8 inches long, and self-drilled into the posts (and trusses) with no pilot holes.

@Highlandwoodandmetal

2 ай бұрын

Spax? I got converted when I used their RA's direct into concrete... Game changer😂

Love the video. You say your not a carpenter, but you drive nails like a champ!

I started watching Wes work because I enjoyed the technical aspect of his work, his knowledge, and watching things go from problem city to right as rain. Now, he could put out videos of himself boiling eggs and I'd still watch.

The ol' Vaughan getting a workout. You'll have to build a display case for it and hang it in the office.

Nice change of pace for your channel. It shows that you're willing to work outside of your comfort zone and be willing to show on You Tube. Can't wait to see parts 2-6.

In a perfect world, the sawzall and sledge get put away after that demo. Welcome to my world Wes.

@harveylong5878

2 ай бұрын

in renovations, the multi tool tends to become the new sawzall after demo is. mine sees more use once demo is done, framing is complete

Awesome video. So much fun watching an engineer build an office inside another building. Very well done the office should be able to support lots of weight. Great job Wes.

I don't know about anyone else but, I'm impressed. For being an admitted amateur DIY'er It looks really good so far, and the rest will look awesome too. I was especially impressed by the piece of ply that went in between the floor joists for the stairs. If I did that, there'd be 4 sheets of plywood on the floor in different stages of screw up. Measure twice cut once, yea right I measure 6 times and still get it wrong (being somewhat dyslexic doesn't help). Wait till painting stage, your little guy will have more paint on him than the wall. Ah the joys of fatherhood bonding. Great job. Looking forward to the rest of the build.

Construction and being a mechanic surprisingly has a lot of crossover skills. Being able to visualize how things work and being able to measure and manipulate objects/tools applies to both trades

I love this guy, any thing he does is pure entertainment

I look forward to watching the build. I like to use a phrase my childhood friend called his joiner father (he made really expensive oak window frames and staircases) in jest to describe myself. I'm a wood butcher. I can work with wood, but not to a standard that would be acceptable outside of DIY jobs or up to code. My grandfather was a joiner, I swear in the late 90s/early 00's I shortened his life by a decade when he attempted to show me the ropes (more commonly known as looking after the grandchild and keeping him busy). I only wish I was born a few years earlier, because by the time I was old enough to properly learn from his wisdom he was too old and ill.

I think you’re doing just fine, if anything you’ll overbuild it and not do anything unsafe. I do it for a living and many times redesign or execute a plan as I go along. Nice job Wes, I loved you having your wife and son helping you, I remember those days and my kids now have kids but they remember going to work with me and hanging doors and trim.

A power nailer pays for itself in the first job. 😊

I was helping build my youngest daughter a house. I immediately bought a nail gun. A compressor with some finish nail guns in a package at Home Depot. Bought a bunch of nails. Took a few days off. With a crew of amateur or rookie nail hitters. We raised the walls. Installed the roof trusses and got the balcony up. I went back to work. The crew got the roof shingles up. A neighborhood guy helped with the electrical bits. I came back 2 weeks later and installed the plumbing with PEX. Water heater installed... electric kind. Toilet installed. In about 3 days. About 3 weeks later the Electrical company got the pole up and electrical hooked up. In the same time frame. The family got the septic system installed and the water company got the water on. No leaks said the water company. Unfortunately we loss our Son in law. He passed on. My daughter couldn't handle the loss and she moved home. It took many years of coping with the loss. As of today. She is slowly getting her life back. Next month she will receive her Master's degree. Its a long haul. And its all about how a family pulls together to help a loved one. God bless

Great job Wes. There are qualfied folks out there that do poor work, it always seems to me your intention is always to do the best job you can, so that puts you way ahead of most people what ever you're doing. 👏👏👍🙋‍♂️

Lol. At 4:16 the old door was leaning against the loft outer wall. I thought it was a real door at first and wondered where it went 😂

@SteelheadTed

2 ай бұрын

Me too, ha.

Before I hire a "Carpenter" one of the questions I ask is "Do you work on your own cars?. You have to be Mechanically inclined to be a good framing carpenter. I built my home and 5 others by myself starting in 1971 It took me almost a year to complete each one. You are doing quite well, I would suggest that you insulate after you complete your framing and electrical,

Wes for someone who declares his self non carpenter you did a professional job!

Your doing a good job for not being a carpenter, enjoy the journey, when you get to finish line you will have something to proud of and functional, look forward to seeing the other videos in this series. Stay the course, thanks for the video, enjoyed watching.

Did a great job. Just buy the tinting film and apply to the glass like they do on commercial buildings, it comes in all different darknesses and you won’t need to get glass.

@tny-

2 ай бұрын

yeah that was my first thought too, i've only ever done small 12x12 squares with frosting tint and the result is acceptable, but i imagine it wouldn't be budget breaking to get a pro out there to tint them to match either. looks like nice glass.

You all did an amazing job with the addition and subtraction... Nice to see the Hufflepuff demolition services department on-site! :)

You're smart reusing material it's very expensive and go easy on yourself I think you're doing a very good job it'll come out fantastic you watch and so what it's taking a little longer you're doing great buddy

4 Months later.... I feel ya buddy

Your family is awesome! What great life partners.

Wes, my dad was a general contractor so I was nailing shingles when I was 10 years old. You are doing a fine job and the way things are today if you had hired out the job it probably wouldn't come out any better or taken much less time in man hours. My one nit pick is that you could have laid out $150 and gotten a Hobo Freight pneumatic nail gun to make the whole job easier on yourself! Be happy!

New job = new tools in my book. If I'm doing the labor I get everything that makes the job easier. Love the Cliff Clavin rando trivia.

One thing I know is to get the structural screws because screws break and nails bend so when it comes to structure you should use nails but they have these nice structure screws now days and it's nice sometimes

Yes. 15,000 nails, and every one of them where you want to drill or run a saw blade.

screws hold better than nails and are easily pre-set in timber for the final drive in to the timber. Well done Wes, you have shown a good thoughtful plan of doing the new build - thinking ahead of other services such as electrical and HVAC....

I've seen a lot of barn storage lofts in my day, and that's the first one I've ever seen with engineered beams. It should be plenty strong! 😂

@M.TTT.

2 ай бұрын

Exactly lol, but it's the strongest one I've ever seen

for future reference it makes it esy to put a block in the webbing so you can just run your saw ounce on each side love the content thanks

Hard to be a OCD perfectionist with the give or take lumber available nowadays.

If nothing else this channel is entertaining, a little bit of everything.

Another "two thumbs up" vid Wes. Sure am glad you are finally able to put together your dream shop office.

I noticed the blue bandage... I am always nervous when doing carpentry until the first blood is spilled. After that the woodworking gods had their sacrifice and I can relax about losing a finger...

23 minutes is fine, the progress is fine. Your workmanship is fine. Thanks for showing us your work.

Fantastic job!!! Kudos to you for pulling the trigger and taking on the project! It's looking great!

Your framing looks better than anything I have seen in the new construction around my area. Looks awesome Wes.

This mini series is going to be great Wes!

To save as much space as I could in office and keep it useable I used pocket doors. The shared wall I used 3/4 plywood for strength in hanging what ever. I'm not a carpenter but it looks good to me!!

@WatchWesWork

2 ай бұрын

Interesting. I've never seen pocket doors used except in closets. I don't know why. They do save a lot of space.

@dlewis9760

2 ай бұрын

@@WatchWesWork Do a image search in Bing "industrial door on tracks". There's some photos of room doors on tracks.

@LouiseYates

2 ай бұрын

We used pocket doors everywhere in our house except the bathroom door because of a plumbing wall. For a 3 foot door you are saving about 14 square feet of floor space that wouldn't normally be usable with a swinging door. It adds up in a small room.

9:41 We've used these, imported from the US and found the same crappy cuts. So we decided to step back a second and think it through and decided that a jig was the smartest solution. So we just made a C frame (akin to a table saw cross slide) and we'd place that over the side of the beam and slice all the way through (into a piece of foam on a table) at the desired distance from the clean end using a stop (in that particular case, the side of the house, with the table locked in place using sand bags on the reinforcements, weighing it down. Perfect clean cuts every time. It was in fact SO accurate that they fit in perfectly flush to the concrete wall form they nested in every instance. It was the resident Polish guy of our team who came up with the idea. He usually comes up with wacky, quick and dirty jigs that do really accurate and fast work.

You gotta admire a guy doing carpentry with only one finger bandaged 😂, well done Wes.

Wes , when you go to install the windows, make sure you sit them on 1/4'' thick rubber setting blocks and leave a 3/8 to 1/4 slack gap around the sides of the glass in the window box before installing your window stops. The 3/4 x 2'' stops should have Tremco commercial glazing tape on them inside and out for cushion between the wood and glass and to keep them air / water tight. The idea of slack around the window is to deal with expansion and contraction when humidity is high and the wood swells. If the window is too tight and binding occurs, you will get a leak between the double pane glass and it will fog up or break usually on one of the corners.. The type of commercial windows you have is normally installed in aluminum frames with snap in stops, wood is just a good if the openings are square.

@WatchWesWork

2 ай бұрын

I left 1/2". I plan to build the casement from plywood. I will use some squishy blocks though. Good tip!

@IR-nq4qv

2 ай бұрын

@@WatchWesWork The darker tinted glass being the exterior is tempered, the inside glass isn't. Just remember not to set the window on bare wood. 2 setting blocks is sufficient if they are placed 8-10 inches in from the bottom ends. A couple of pieces of mud flap will work just fine. Good job brother

Nice work. Classic shop towel bandage on the finger if I saw that right. With your eye for detail this job is bound to turn our alright.

@WatchWesWork

2 ай бұрын

Yep, whacked it good.

@dave.pajero

2 ай бұрын

@@WatchWesWork Little electrical tape also

As a licensed general contractor, I can safely say you did an amazing job..... And better than a lot of actual contractors out there.

Thats incredible for 3 weeks worth of work Wes. Its obvious theres so much work poured into just what we see

That office will be super strong 💪 👍

Great job editing!

Love this content, also a big fan of you reusing materials instead of what so many people do during demo

She is a keeper! Your wife helping with the beginning of this project warmed my heart!

"I had to do some gerrymandering here to get around this gas pipe"... so casual, had me in stitches 😂👌🏼 Great work there Wes, better than most professional chippies I've met in my time 👏🏼

Love your family projects,, so may people never do constructive things with their family.. Families need this kind of time together, vacations are great but not at the expense of family projects..

Great work. Waiting for part 2. Take care and keep those fingers out of the way, especially the saw, jack

I have come to understand that I need to guess how long a project will take and then multiply by four. Sometimes that isn't enough. I have accepted that it is the way it is when tackling something that I don't do very often or have never done before. It just takes much longer than you think it will. Good luck on your project. Hopefully, you can get it done with a minimum of frustration.

Lot of hammer swingin'!... They have these things now called "Nail Guns." They use stuff called "Compressed Air." Just kidding, thanks for the videos! 👍👍

I think I would have splurged on a Harbor Freight pneumatic nailer 😂.

@brianw8963

2 ай бұрын

Yes, they work just fine, and I think He probably has a compressor somewhere in there.

@billsmith5166

2 ай бұрын

I don't get that either. Maybe he thinks hand nailing is stronger? Was he trying to save money on nails? It's like working on a car without a socket set.

@Turbochargedtwelve

2 ай бұрын

Must have some German in him, too stubborn to spend the money when it’s a small project and he’s got a perfectly good hammer

You are just amazing at calculations. Great job so far. Looking forward to the rest of the build. Stay Blessed ❤