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Show Power Tools Used to Build All Homes Now Power tools are used in con-; con-; structing every house built today, making possible the present production pro-duction rate of a million homes a year, says American Builder magazine. "The building industry is frequently fre-quently accused of being archaic : in its methods of operation," the ! publication says. "The charge is made that building homes is still largely a matter of tedious handwork. hand-work. "Obviously, that charge is wrong. : An industry which has hit a pace j of producing one million new houses a year at prices well within j the range of other commodities ! did not attain such a record by I archaic methods." Last year 1,025,800 dwelling units were constructed, excluding farm homes. In 1948, there were 931,300. Special Tools Designed Describing the use of power ' equipment in home building, I American Builder says: "Throughout the home building build-ing industry, in large operations ! as well as in relatively small de-j de-j velopments, power equipment especially designed for construc-i construc-i tion work is on the job from the i time the first dirt is moved until i the final piece of interior trim is ! finished. j "Dirt-moving equipment digs ! basements by the dozens, grades streets and digs ditches for utili-! utili-! ties and improvements. Concrete i mixers and transporters of many 1 types make footing and foundation founda-tion work simple. New materials I for forms and special factory- built forms also speed this work ' and help to hold costs down. "The use of power on the job 1 does not stop here. Mechanical material handlers, hoists, power saws for lumber as well as ma-' ma-' sonry, power drills, mortisers, .sanders and a host of other tools operated by power are used continually." con-tinually." Work More Precise The magazine points out that . in addition to obtaining greater efficiency and more economical 'operation home builders using such equipment obtain more precise pre-cise work, smoother joints and finer finishes. Some builders have special fab-, rication shops where framing is cut and assembled while other builders do this work at the foundation foun-dation site. American Builder says that regardless of which method is used "power equipment means better work in fewer man-hours man-hours and today that means at less cost." |