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Cut a custom stair stringer an inch too short on a big job in Tacoma
I was setting up for a whole staircase in this new build, had my framing square and pencil lines all set. Marked the first rise and run perfect, then my phone buzzed and I lost my spot. Ended up cutting the whole thing based on the wrong mark. Realized it when I went to test fit against the deck ledger. Had to eat the cost of a new 16 foot 2x12 and start over from scratch. Anyone else have a simple distraction totally wreck your layout?
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grace_bailey2mo ago
That's just part of the job in Tacoma. A good carpenter builds in a margin for error on the first cut. My crew always double-checks the marks before making the final saw pass.
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sagemurphy2mo ago
Totally. That margin for error is what separates a rushed job from a real craft. It's not just about checking marks, it's about planning the whole process so a small mistake doesn't mean starting over with new material. You build the fix into the method from the start. That's the difference between being just okay and being someone people trust to get it right.
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