Coffered Ceiling With a Modern Twist | This Detail Looks Awesome!

[@JAT922]

Its glad to see their are people who still take pride in the quality of their work

[@MrKeith6774]

Hey Spencer. Been doing millwork almost my whole career/ life and I’m seventy now. Not that it matters at all but in the business of woodworking with a bunch of different companies, that little rabbit detail has a bus word for it. i.e. a non functioning, purely decorative reveal like that is known as a quirk. Whether it’s a little dado in the middle of a panel or a rabbit on the edge that’s what it was always referred to as. You sir are an incredible carpenter! You can think on your feet to keep the project moving. Excellent knowledge attitude and enthusiasm too! It’s a real pleasure to watch your videos. Keep it coming man! I’m a huge fan of the channel!

[@henrypeisch5289]

A quirk is often in combination with a bead. It separates the bead from the balance of the profile. Technically the dado on this project is actually a groove when cut with the grain. Call it a dado when it is cut cross grain. In reality there is no dado on the entire trim package unless it is profiled on the job site. The factory base is all grooved and not dado-ed. But we can call it a dado in these comments. No real objection. It’s more fun to say “dado” than “groove” anyway.

[@edcrego8487]

Excellent right on man you do really good work thanks for sharing helping me at 71 become a better carpenter your so young and do such great work could you explain how you got that way

[@MrGCondon]

Impressive 1/4” detail added to the beams which match the baseboard. Well executed. Congrats Spencer!

[@112wade]

Thanks again. I really liked the tip of rounding over the backside of the last piece that is installed. Great idea for this and can be extrapolated for other uses.

[@T_Jonesy]

That kerf trick was great solution. Thanks for the master class on installing a coffered ceiling, it's really beautiful.

[@createlovehappy]

I love your videos. I am a retired finish carpenter after 30 years doing high end San Francisco Bay Area home remodels. In my area some of these homes were built in the 1800's and have miles of trim. A lot of it was stain grade so I had lots of fun inside and outside with multiple layers of reveals, shadow lines, crown, chair and picture rails, columns, built-in drawers, etc. I started out as a woodworker so my tolerances were very close. Thank you for sharing what you do. It is truly inspiring to witness all the techniques and production methods you use to stay efficient and I hope profitable. Well done!

[@zephyr1408]

Kerfing boards is something I do all the time for tight fit and once I learned how to make stave shims I use them ! Like around custom sink cradles for the big 38” , 160 lbs porcelain sinks! There is a gap (albeit very small ) between the lower cabinet and where the apron meets it! I now use stave shims to cover it ! I really don’t do coffer ceilings in my area but tons of cabinets built ins , shelving ect.,. Thk you so much Spencer I know this is a ton of work! God Bless , stay sharp! Kings Table Custom Carpentry

[@tc9148]

Masterfully done. Well thought out and executed precisely.

[@billzima7068]

Wow..that's clean! Beautiful job brother

[@ShawnHansen-c7k]

I try to watch all your vids. Not that I do this type of work but I find your attention to detail and strive for perfection inspiring.

[@michaele1201]

I like that the professional carpenters such as yourself, do such precise work and how well it looks when finished. A diy'er such as myself can do a decent job, but it will always be good enough for gov't work.. There is definetly a difference in quality. Good job

[@henrypeisch5289]

Caulk is your best friend. Apply 2 coats. It will impress everyone especially 20’ off the floor.

[@anneoreilly4900]

Your approach to each task is impressive. In this design using a more expensive material as the blocking saves $ in the long run.

[@Psychlist1972]

Thank you so much for sharing so much detail. These could easily be considered proprietary techniques and processes that you keep to yourself.

[@WinshipModels]

I think his intention is to build the craft with his knowlege adding to some of the past and present greats...Gary Katz, Larry Hahn and the list goes on. By teaching the craft he isn't hurting his business since his market is Northeast Indiana. If I wanted to work for Spencer all I would have to do is watch every video he has made and match his work ethic to his skills and I would be good to go. 😂😂

[@robmitchell1598]

Looks amazing brother! Coffered ceilings are a must on out next house! Cheers!

[@jeffjones659]

I Have to say That Your work is absolutely Amazing. Your Attention and Care To Detail is Unbelievable and Says it All about You & Your Company. Thank You For Bringing these Wonderful Videos to All of us here on Your Channel.

[@idontthinkso666]

yoUr masTerY of thE unglish Language is uhMazing

[@crownmoldingbyspectaculart941]

Gotta love it any time the design calls for butt joints for beams. Looks good

[@ormonde96]

Hi Spenser, you’re an inspiration ,great work.

[@normgraham6658]

I really like the 1/4 X 1/4 detail, it breaks up the boring lines.

[@DWMK]

Love the content, I’ve learned so much from you for my own projects on my home. Thank you!!!

[@rich2395]

Perfect timing as I'm about to tackle this on our new family room. Thanks for your expert instruction!!

[@rickysdrywall5288]

Incredible work as always! The way you made sure the model went together perfectly says a lot about your mindset!

[@aspees]

Historically in New England we would route a 3/8"(10mm) bead on the sides of the beam. It works great when you are doing clear finish. The bead separates the grain/color changes between the sides and bottom. It's the next level of coffered beams.

[@henrypeisch5289]

Now you are talking. A case where the sides have to be mitered to preserve the beaded profile. But with the dado design, there is an easier way.

[@MistAtsiM]

This is paint grade... Hence all the fingerjoined boards.

[@henrypeisch5289]

@@MistAtsiM clearly.

[@marinusvanderlubbe7673]

Just had a similar issue yesterday on a ceiling, I decided to cut a little bit off the biscuits to allow the bend to clear, worked great and still plenty of glue surface

[@jimrowland8310]

Love the kerfcuts , excellent idea 🙌

[@dougdiplacido2406]

Love the edge detail. Great work.

[@gpaw999]

Great presentation, I admire your work.

[@jlawrence1752]

Great video. Thank you!

[@Stevelemontrudy]

Looks amazing. Nice job.

[@pkweisel]

A nice project. It worked out nicely. 10-4. 👍🏻

[@Did625]

Once again very impressive idea’s & excellent work

[@nevenbaus6632]

I like that detail

[@UltraWPG]

Nice detail. For commercial spaces we would use l cleats to be fastened on to your ceiling backer and a dado for you bottom panel. That way you can secure it from the back side for one side and silicone and nail on the other side. For the intersection joint we would screw a tongue on the top to over hang the long board that's going across so you screw from the top side or pin from the bottom side to avoid it from separating and to keep it flush on the bottom side.

[@kingrigidthedeplorable2720]

I really like the detail. I did a big shiplap job recently and we used a rabbiting bit to create a similar profile for the corners.

[@PhillyFixed]

Fantastic video, thanks! Lots of great tips I can implement in my office remodel. Router issues like the one you had here give me nightmares. As a DIYer struggling my way through projects, I find that my table saw with a dado stack is a less error-prone way to cut rabbets/dados into boards (sacrificial fence on the table saw for rabbets) - although it probably doesn't provide as clean a finish on the cut.

[@Mark-gt9yv]

Wealth of information, thank you sir

[@williamdemilia6223]

I scanned the comments... but was that Paul dashing through a couple of times in the background. Great work , love the beam detail.

[@kevinlucas8437]

Nice work !!! Well thought out !!!

[@ravenheart1439]

Nice..yeah I have a router that always has a round over in it..1/8 inch round over is prolly the most used bit. In my shop..lol..well done and explained..

[@jamieearl6611]

Sweet and clean !!!!

[@bobparrott9257]

I love your videos, I've learned a lot.

[@lordpaxman]

Excellent work! I was wondering when you said “I left about a 1/4” space between the ceiling and the side boards…” how you were going to have the side boards all in plane. Then the laser appears at the end!

[@mattschoular8844]

Nice job again. Keep it up....

[@anonymouslyominous33]

Guys good , real good

[@oliphauntsneverlie6227]

Brilliant!

[@lloydwolfe3175]

Going through the mock up was great. It gave a lot of insights to a lot of your processes that I haven’t picked up on before. Do you have dedicated routers and if so how many? 19:05 19:05

[@mattmerrell3010]

I love the attention to detail you have and thank you for sharing your tips with us! I have a very basic question; after you’ve measured and you go to mark you’re measurement on the board to be cut, do you cut your line(mark) away or cut just before the mark or just beyond the mark? I know consistency is the key whichever side of the mark you cut on, just curious what your method is. Thanks again!

[@InsiderCarpentry]

I always cut to the center of my mark. I like to use a .09mm mechanical pencil and keep the mark thin. Cutting to the center of the mark makes the most sense to me.

[@mattmerrell3010]

Thank you for getting back to me so quickly. I like center of the line and I’d like to get a Pica pencil. Any thoughts on the Pica? If you’ve used it what did you like and what did you not like? I promise I won’t just keep asking questions but I do value your opinion. I’ve recently started working in a shop called Swell Spark/Sandbox. It’s a great company with fun and different types of buildout projects and installs.

[@jacobwilson3316]

Pica’s are ok but stick with a mechanical pencil that already has thickness of lead you want to mark with, i have a pica but don’t use it because I’ve also got to sharpen the point I need/want for fine marks, might as well use a traditional #2 pencil, some would say it has a built in sharpener and I would rebuttal a .07 or .09 leaded pencil never needs sharpening, spend your money on a really nice mechanical pencil that advances just enough lead to mark with, I wanna say Stumpy Nubs did a video on that topic but not positive, take care

[@NextLevelCraftworks]

Hey Spencer, as always top notch stuff in your videos. Thank you for sharing all your tricks. I was wondering how do you price out these coffered cielings ? I have not done any yet but had some people ask about them and i honestly had no idea what to telll em price wise.

[@InsiderCarpentry]

Starting out you just have to throw a number at it and track your time. You probably won't make much on the first one or two, but you'll have time data and get faster. At this point I have a pretty good idea how long they take so it's pretty easy to price accordingly.

[@BigJohnson1566]

Slick work

[@FullyBakedFINN]

Idk if I missed if you said what kind of wood that is and how you prepared it! Looks so cool

[@noahb.7838]

Thank you for sharing.

[@griswaldwclark]

Thanks!

[@seanmahoney2231]

excellent thank you

[@richiemag22]

Great video

[@tclynn10]

Nice work Spencer!

[@2blackdanes]

I had the same issue with my router today too! Using a round over bit and started to notice a shoulder in the cut. It seems the clamp had worn at the edges and wasn’t camming tight enough. I have a feeling over time it will continue to wear to the point it will need replaced

[@raphaelsanchez4797]

Excellent work! I just started watching you and I subscribed. I know from watching your videos, costs is an important factor, including materials. You obviously buy a lot of trim pieces or wood planks. Can you tell us where you buy your wood from? The big box stores, a lumberyard, or some other place??

[@w2ttsy670]

I feel like this biscuit issue is the perfect use case for a lamello clamex connector. Cut in the connectors, place the board, turn the Allen key to lock the clamex in place and then plug the small access holes and then sand flush during finishing.

[@idontthinkso666]

I was thinking that too!

[@Chip57]

Or use 0’s

[@brucebrunelle5012]

Spencer please, please infill your staging platform with another section. Your family needs you. Do it for them. One misstep could end your career or be fatal. I’m a retired engineer with the last 15 years in construction management on large commercial projects. Safety is job 1 ! Having said that, a beautiful job as always and thank you for all of your videos. They are a master class in production finish carpentry.

[@henrypeisch5289]

Exclusive! Now we know the reason he wipes all that glue on his tool pouch. His emergency brakes, left and right.

[@henrypeisch5289]

But all joking aside, it’s nice to have rails. There is a slow boil effect in the trades. Until you have an accident, know someone unfortunate to have one or even a really close call, we are all indestructible. Just get it done and move on to the next high wire act. We all have taken unnecessary risks on the job. I think at a certain age, wisdom begins to push back against the thrill of the job site - sense of adventure.

[@SmartHomeImprovementTv]

I wish you would also mention the importance of checking wood moisture content! Or, accumulating the wood to the room for a few days or more. Minimize shrinkage is Soo crazy important! (Every guy knows, we don't want shrinkage) LOL

[@henrypeisch5289]

He rides the acclimation train often. Keep watching.

[@gregpowell7097]

I can’t imagine what Spencer’s home looks like.

[@CobraR99]

Usually just basic look at all mechanics they drive crappy cars

[@jgraeff1]

So the 1x8 has a 1/4” rabbet and also the ledger board is that right? Looks awesome I may try this out myself

[@InsiderCarpentry]

Only the 1x8 vertical boards have the rabbet.

[@dangoodwin5954]

Yeah.....I can totally scribe fit the entire coffered ceiling, but that price is not in the same zip code as floating it. Down and using trim. Well if its painted and not stained then at least you can caulk to the ceiling and be a little less particular.

[@mariampetrossian5855]

What type of bit did you use? Spiral or straight?

[@MikeyDonna]

I have had the same problem with DeWalt routers as to bit slip ! To keep that from happening I ha to tighten the lever so tight I could barely latch it and then pry it open with a screw driver. I’ve never had an brand do that. Both my trim & full sized DeWalts do it ? !!,

[@mnbrown25]

Great video Spencer. Who is the manufacturer of the non-primed FJ poplar trim you use? I can’t seem to source it in my area. Cheers.

[@InsiderCarpentry]

Koetter Woodworking

[@natk4337]

Hey Spencer, Have you decided that you like the milwaukee nailers more than your air nailers?

[@InsiderCarpentry]

They each have their role and neither replaces the other.

[@gregorymacneil2836]

Great Video! How come you chose to use the router for the dado cut rather than your table saw or shaper given the lineal feet of cut to process?

[@InsiderCarpentry]

A handheld router is easier to control the consistency. With a router table or table saw, if board wanders off the table of fence the cut will not look right. With a handheld router it will be perfect. And it's pretty fast to just chuck a bit and go to work with a handheld router. Minimal setup.

[@idontthinkso666]

With all due respect, that's just silly. Featherboards prevent that. A handheld router can easily wander and leave an inconsistent groove. C'mon man!@@InsiderCarpentry

[@anonymouslyominous33]

Not sure how you argue with the result he got

[@michaeldonohue7167]

Pounded it for the arm pit sweat.

[@robl4079]

So with the ceiling not being perfectly flat, do you cut all of your blocking the same height and just have the coffer somewhat follow the contour, or do you custom cut each block to make the coffer level? Looks awesome BTW!

[@jamiegibson1010]

Look at the video again at 12.20, this question is answered. Also Spencer uses a laser level.

[@anthonysmith9410]

at 2:13 you called your miter saw a table saw….😂 no worries

[@Good-Citizen]

Wow! You'd never in a million years be able to find someone in Washington DC to take on a job like that.

[@novapball]

Dumb question, but where do you get boards this long at?

[@chrisd_man2156]

Anyone know where Mr. Lewis is purchasing his FJP Poplar moldings? I'm having a heck of a time finding stocked poplar at the moment? Southern NH, Merrimack Valley north east MA???? Is everything going to the internet?

[@lrc87290]

I could do this. It would take me a couple of years 😂

[@nevenbaus6632]

I always prime both side

[@rogerhodges7656]

Great job. At 7:5, I love your De Walt hammer

[@YIQUANONE]

Why don't you run your riglet through that center section that has biscuits? I guess you would have to cut groves in the continuous piece too.

[@tomhughes4980]

Hey Spencer, when you are installing crown, do you favor which way you go around the room, clockwise or counter clockwise?

[@rogermathews3035]

As with baseboard he usually goes clockwise because cutting material upside down/backward puts the coped side on the left of the board. Therefore, working clockwise allows you to set the coped joint (left), bend in the right side and snap. I learned this method from one of his videos years ago and it's a huge time saver.

[@InsiderCarpentry]

Exactly. The direction of installation is determined by how I am cutting my cope at the saw.

[@henrypeisch5289]

Most carpenters are right handed. Tooling the material this way would be the most natural. I have had a couple of lefty’s work for us and most might want to reverse everything. But I also would never let a lefty run crown or teach new guys much - when learning to use power or hand tools. “Don’t look at that”. Everything done by a lefty is like looking in a mirror and they had to set up and stack material backwards. I made them set up and cut in a separate room. Just a lefty rant and my apologies to any southpaws reading this. But I’m sure there aren’t many. But apologies in any case. It’s not your fault.

[@danklayum4808]

how many man hours to install that tray ceiling

[@rickgalos5567]

Did you glue the flat upper trim to the beam sides?

[@InsiderCarpentry]

No, because of the shadow line in the reveal, I did not think it was necessary.

[@pauljenkinson8798]

I couldn't see the detail of the soffit board too clearly but it looked like the edge rabbit runs through the intersection on the through board but stops on the short board so there no reveal at the intersection, nice,, what's going on there,, did you mirror the long board rabbit and mill it on the butt end of the short board, ship lap style,, couldn't picture how else to accomplish that joint quickly and consistently, but I'm sure you came up with something clever. I'm going to steal this design, ok

[@henrypeisch5289]

In the video, the rabbet profile is milled on the frieze or vertical boards (sides of the beams) to achieve this dado detail. This is what necessitated the sides of the beam to be installed first and then mitered at the inside corners of the boxes. This reverse order of procedure (sides of beam, then bottom of beam) creates unnecessary labor-intensive fitting and extra time on the install. But Paul, if the bottom board was profiled (with the rabbet) and you plowed the boards end-grain at the beam intersections for a lap joint (as you suggested) to bury the intersecting rabbet, this method of installation would allow for a typical coffer installation of running all the bottoms of the beams first and then the sides (which then could have butt joints instead of mitered inside corners). Much more efficient install - especially for a one man assembly. Miters on the frieze and installing them first is, IMO the most time consuming and challenging part of this specific install. No margin for error. When you do your own version of this coffer, consider planing the frieze on both sides of the beam to 1/2” thickness to get the same finished reveals as in the video. It also might be possible to stay with 3/4” boards for the sides but use a compatible rabbet plow (leaving a 1/2” cheek) at the bottom edge of the frieze - which would eliminate the need for any cleats being glued and fastened to every board. In this case, you would cut a 1/4” x 1/4” rabbet on each long edge of your bottom cap and the interior lower edge of each side would have a 3/4” (board thickness) wide rabbet that is 1/4” deep. This would provide a shoulder for the parallel boards to seat together. But then Spencer would need to keep a wet glue rag in his tool pouch and it’s more fun to just wipe on his bag. Can’t have fun all the time tho. Hard to describe in written words but since you raised the question, I am guessing you can catch it. I haven’t seen this exact profile in application myself - although similar to full beads and reverse mated profile cove at intersections. IMO, a butt joint should be used whenever possible if an installer is interested in speed and efficiency. And when should an installer not be interested in speed and efficiency… the correct answer is never. So, figure out a way to cap the bottoms first and the rest is fast and easy. Always work to an open side of an assembly when possible. When installing all the bottoms first, your open side is at the ceiling. Save the kerf cuts for landing treads and tight radius work. Someone should make a router with an electronic sensor and a kill switch to detect loose collets and base clamps. If a scribe to the ceiling was required, capping the bottom first would also be required procedure with this profile. More relaxing. If the video was a challenge competition as to how to create the most difficult way to execute this detail, sides first and scribed to the ceiling would take the prize. This is a testament to the skill level and why I keep coming back to watch Spencer work. I bought a time share for his next project and will be flying out with my field glasses and lawn chair. I also make a decent lunch truck taco - which was a requirement to seal the deal.

[@henrypeisch5289]

Just a correct term comment… a bulkhead when referring to wood or metal frame construction is typically a component in a soffit assembly. The “bulkhead” in the video is really just a header, beam or girder… each with minor specific differences but with similar structural function and purpose. In the video, if a soffit was framed to form a dropped ceiling on one side of the girder, it would in that case, then be a bulkhead.

[@henrypeisch5289]

And I’m going to annoy someone but the base trim profile has been referred to as a dado profile. Specifically 1/4” x 1/4” dado. Typically a dado refers to a plow across the grain. With the grain, the same plow is correctly termed a groove. So, the base has a factory groove and not a dado - except if field treating the end of a board with a power tool. All that to say, the base is pretty groovy in more ways than one.

[@daveparker5569]

Id love to see how you’d scribe all those beams. No problem. Seriously. Id like to see it.

[@InsiderCarpentry]

Set a control line with the laser. Tack a piece in place to the control line, scribe, cut, install. Rinse and repeat for every piece. I've done it many times.

[@daveparker5569]

@@InsiderCarpentry me too. It sucks. It’s not no problem. Ive been doing this for decades. Moldings have a purpose. At the very least expect a true level 5 from the drywallers. Look I love your channel. But to say it’s no problem to fiddle with each and every piece of wood that hits the ceiling is something that stands out for me. I’d love to see the time study.

[@Chip57]

Then there’s those jobs where the drywaller is called back to skim coat each bay to the top of the “leveled” box beam🤭

[@mattstmartin9232]

​@@daveparker5569I agree with you. 'No problem ' to my ear, is different than the response, "Yes I can do that, but it would account for an extra $3k in the budget" or whatever the number might be. I'm not taking anything away from his skills, just comment on the 'NP' response

[@rogerkaldahl9540]

On your small trim, did you miter the corners or just butt joint?

[@henrypeisch5289]

Educated guess… mitered like the frieze.

[@InsiderCarpentry]

Mitered

[@IndianaJBird]

Don’t think I saw this bit in the video. How did you account for the rabbit that runs across the opening of the cross piece? Did you rabbit the butt ends from the back side 1/2” deep?

[@IndianaJBird]

I can see at 3:44 that you notched the material away.

[@henrypeisch5289]

⁠​⁠@@IndianaJBirdthe rabbet is on the side pieces or frieze of the beam and not the bottom.

[@IndianaJBird]

@@henrypeisch5289 you are correct, not sure how I missed that. That means the sides appear to be only a 1/2” thick.

[@henrypeisch5289]

@@IndianaJBird the sides are 1X8 with a rabbet, leaving a 1/2” shoulder. But there is a better and faster way to execute this coffer detail.

[@tonyaiello6463]

I would like to know what your $ hourly rate is?

[@nevenbaus6632]

Why wood is not primed before installation ?

[@henrypeisch5289]

Factory primed is typically inferior to field primed. Priming or back priming interior FJ millwork is labor intensive and you need drying racks and a lot of space. One of those things that the cost is not justified. Back prime/seal most exterior wood that is going to receive a finish coat of paint however.

[@henrypeisch5289]

In most cases, the longer the drying time, the deeper the penetration and stronger the bond.

[@dustinkrebs8229]

👏👏👏👏👏

[@peterole2797]

2:15- you mean miter saw obviously

[@troyqueen9503]

😂😂

[@queenkailani8703]

the shop

[@ronw9901]

That looks like poplar, so isnt it getting painted?

[@davec3689]

Spencer - I wear white shirts so armpit sweat doesn't show. I learned that trick from professional tennis players. They don't want their opponents to know how much they are sweating!

[@samuelt5131]

Nice work. My only complaint: the material. I was a carpenter for 35+ years, and a lot of the material they have to work with nowadays is junk. That finger jointed wood is just about the worst.

[@henrypeisch5289]

True with some FJ products because of many variables. But paint grade FJ poplar is one of the best materials for paint grade interior millwork. Stable, durable and holds onto the finish when applied properly. Actually, these features exceed old growth pine from 35 years ago. But 35 years ago, I also would have passed on any FJ species. The trim package on this project is supplied by a trusted source, I’m certain.

[@brandonl9781]

How the hell would you scribe all of that. Sounds like a nightmare

[@farmcat3198]

Is the designer male or female. Just curious as to what group is drawing these designs nowadays.

[@InsiderCarpentry]

Both

[@WayneSmith-yf3fg]

I hate them!!!!!! I've done a few and they are extremely time consuming. Even painting them in my own home was terrible.

[@chipmhandle]

Hope you were able to spray!

[@WayneSmith-yf3fg]

@@chipmhandle Nope. 100 year old house with both LR & DR all hand painted. Took forever. New house has 20' ceilings & I'll never be painting them!

[@bjpigott1900]

I’m watching from behind the chair - please be very careful working at height.