Fine Homebuilding: Mike DiBlasi, of DiBlasi Painting in Millbrook, N.Y., replies: I like to see everything sanded, stained, and with one coat of clear finish applied before I begin filling nail holes. If your trim carpenter is thoughtful and accurate, most of the nails will have been shot into similarly colored areas of the wood grain, minimizing the number of colors of filler needed.
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This article reminded me of just how important attention to detail is to a good craftsman or carpenter. Residents of a home may not even see the feature you are putting effort into, such as a tiny nail hole in a small piece of stained trim. This doesn’t make the work any less important, but rather helps to show off their dedication and strong work ethic. Also, the ingenuity of a carpenter, such as DiBlasi with his use of custom tinted putty, is also something that deserves high praise. Unfortunately, woodworkers and carpenters are often overlooked by white-color workers completely unjustly. Also this community is so close and supportive, which is unique to artisans and craftsmen. By helping each other with questions such as these in open forums, there is a higher level of work possible, and an opportunity for meaningful artistic collaboration. This is also shared with theater which is something that is so special and valuable.
I actually ran into this issue recently when brainstorming with my dad about the best ways to hide nail holes in the wood molding we where adding to our apartments walls. In fact we completely gave up entirely on trying to hide the nail holes and left them completely visible because adding putty felt like far too much work. So, the second I saw this article I sent it to him. Now, filling nail holes with putty might very well end up being my spring break project when I’m home. Since I was little my dad has made me help him with home improvements to the point where now literally everything including the walls, art, and furniture all have been modified and changed by us. We live in an older building in downtown Manhattan so renovations are ridiculously over charged and you need permits for everything, which is why, since I was little, we have always taken home improvements into our own hands. I’m genuinely so gratefully for this because it has given me the chance to build so many things including our own dinner table, chairs, curtains, and even couch. While I don’t think I will peruse carpentry in a professional setting, it has always greatly interested me and I love reading about trips and tricks of the trade no matter how specific.
One of the conversations I’ve been having with myself about practical skills that I want to develop is the idea of a good finish. There’s a good amount of things that I can do in terms of setting things up generally, but making them look finished, especially on the finer projects of like furniture making or usable stuff that would accompany furniture in a home, its not one that I’ve gotten to use much as in theatre we live and die by the audience being unable to see the smallest details and we take advantage of the fact. So this article was a good and brief intro to one such technique along that path. And while some of that might be wasted on a set if its far enough away, it could definitely help actors and everyone else stay in character and built the scenery because of realism, and good to keep myself concentrated on a good outcome.
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