What's New
We Now Have eBooks!
We put together a nice set of ebooks containing our articles and plans. Check them out here.
Are You Smarter Than a First Year Apprentice?
Take our fun little construction quiz and find out!Check out Dave's answers to your questions
No question is too difficult or "too simple". If you don't know, just ask Dave. He earned his Journeyman's ticket half a century ago and has improved his knowledge of building ever since as carpenter, foreman and contractor.
New Series on Building Your Own House
Dave starts off a new series of articles on How to Build a House. The first is entitled The Building Lot and Plan where Dave discusses the importance of getting the building lot and house plans as a compatible unit.
How to Build Stairs
Stairs can be difficult even for professional carpenters. Dave explains each detail and gives simple diagrams to make it easy to build stairs.
Picnic Table Plans
Standard size picnic table for your back yard or on your deck just like those in picnic table parks.
Gazebo Plans
Pick and choose the gazebo style you'd like to build. We have gazebos with or without skylights and octagonal gazebos: Gazebo 10'x10' With Skylight, Gazebo 12'x12' Hip Roof, Gazebo 12'x12' With Skylight, Gazebo Hip Roof 10'x10', Gazebo Octagon 12'.
Dog House Plans
We have regular dog house plans and insulated dog house plans.
Complete Set of Bedroom Furniture
Dave made up a set of plans for each item of a complete set of bedroom furniture that you can veneer in cherry or any other wood you prefer. The series includes: King Size Bed, 4 Drawer Dresser, 11 Drawer Dresser, End Table, Bedside Night Table, Wardrobe and Entertainment Center.
Bike Storage Shed Plans
This is a custom bike storage shed plan for Curtis, my son-in-law, which I thought you may be interested in. Curtis lives in a strata townhouse and wanted this bike storage shed design to fit into his strata requirements.
Complete Stairs Package
This is a downloadable package of the complete How to Build Stairs series including our stair calculator.
How to Build a Deck Series
New series of articles on building a deck. The first is entitled Raised Backyard Wood Deck from the foundation all the way up!
Buffet and China Cabinet Plans
Dave gives basic instructions to complete the construction of this cabinet as well as how to apply the stain or clear finish. The buffet is separate from the upper glass door china cabinet.
Ever Heard of Lapeyre Stairs?
How to build Lapeyre or alternating tread stairs for your loft or attic storage.
Concrete Form Calculator
Dan created another calculator for you. This one figures out how much concrete goes into any size of concrete form.
How to Hang a Pre-Hung Door
Here's a new article explaining how to shim up and hang a pre hung door.
Cutting Crown Molding
Dave just wrote several articles including an extensive table to help you with how to cut crown molding that's wider than 3½ inches using a compound miter saw.
Member Project Photos
Some great photos from Members who built using our plans and articles. Send us your photos and show them to the world!
How To Build a Door
Dave shows the diy home handyman how to build an exterior door and jamb from scratch, which is wider or taller than a conventional door.
Estimate Checklist
Dave shares with us the checklist he uses for estimating the overall costs of the construction contracts he bids on.More New Remodeling Articles
Here's another three new home remodeling articles: How to Cope an Inside Corner, How to Cut and Install Crown molding Around a Ceiling, How to Install a Rounded Corner in a Door Opening and How to Install and Finish Drywall.
How to Read a Tape Measure
Dave just created a new series that lets you in on the secrets carpenters learn during their apprenticeships. The first two home improvement remodeling articles are: How to Read a Tape Measure and How to Make a Straight Cut with a Circular Saw.
Free Storage Shed Plans
We've got three new storage shed plans free to our members: a small gambrel roof storage shed (looks like a barn), a large barn roof storage shed with a loft and a utility storage shed that can double as a small workshop.
How to Install a Skylight in an Existing Roof
Dave gives do-it-yourself home improvement remodeling people the exact steps you need to install a skylight in your house.
Linear to Board Feet Calculator
Dan added an easy way to convert your board lengths to board feet in his new conversion calculator.
Construction Conversion Calculator
Here's a simple calculator that converts the measurements most used in the building trades.New Roof Articles
This series shows you how to use a framing square when building a roof, how to calculate roof pitch and how to frame a hip roof.
Stair Calculator
We added the calculation of the stair opening to this tool for you to calculate exact measurements when building stairs.
Your source for building tips, woodworking & furniture plans, house plans and building advice directly from Dave...
Hi, I'm Dave Osborne. With over 50 years experience as a journeyman carpenter, foreman and contractor in heavy construction I enjoyed working with apprentices and sharing the tricks of the trade that others shared with me. Now I get emails from Members all over the world and we include many of my answers in our Free Monthly Newsletters. Some of my answers include drawings and instructions specific to a project, but may also answer your questions. I use correct construction terminology, so you can confidently inform your building supply dealers or contractors exactly what you need.
ASK DAVE!
The Benefits of Membership
Membership gives you full access to our hundreds of how-to articles, woodworking plans, converters, calculators and tables. Our Stair Calculator is one of the most popular on the internet. We have projects you can build for (and with) your kids, furniture for your wife, and sheds and gazebos. If you run into a problem or need advice your Membership includes unlimited email questions to me through our Ask Dave quick response button.
Join us!
Copyright © 1999-2025 DDFM Enterprises. All Rights Reserved. DDFM ENTERPRISES, DAVE'S SHOP TALK and the Dave Osborne logo are trademarks and service marks owned by DDFM Enterprises. All other trademarks on this site are the property of their respective owners. Site design by Design Strategies, Inc.