Working Alone: Replacing a Helper's Hands

Tips and techniques that will speed up the process when you build by yourself

Being able to accomplish common building chores alone makes life easier for all kinds of builders -- not just self-employed contractors. "Weekend warriors" can do a project without lining up neighbors or in-laws. Professional builders can keep working when some or all of the crew is out. Or they can leave the crew on one job and take care of a small task on another -- without dragging along a helper.

The advantages of being able to work alone are easy to see, but the techniques themselves are seldom obvious. In Working Alone, author John Carroll has compiled the techniques he has developed in over 30 years of solo building. In this excerpt, you'll learn about some clever solutions to doing work that usually requires a helper.

John Carroll is a frequent contributor to Fine Homebuilding magazine and the author of Measuring, Marking and Layout. Drawings by: Scott Bricher
From Book Working Alone, pp. 4-17
December 1, 2000

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Excerpted from

Working Alone
Tips and techniques for solo building
by John Carroll
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