Progress finally

[Daddymem]

Oh and first delivery of two for the house coming this week!

[glenn kangiser]

That's great, Daddymem.  I'll bet you guys are excited --

I suggest everyone check out mommymem's blog with pictures ---and see if you can find the alien checking out the project too.



http://schluterhomestead.blogspot.com

[Daddymem]

That'd be our little dork--Jaja.

[Mommymem]

Here's where we've trapped the alien in the hole.

[glenn kangiser]

Cool - Is that a Star Trek uniform?

[Mommymem]

lol no, just happens to be a red shirt with black pants.

[glenn kangiser]

Very appropriate.

[Daddymem]

That's Ensign #3...scheduled to die from some bright light type of weapon this episode.

Shhhhhhh don't tell anyone but Glenn just scabbed an image, cropped it, resized it and reposted it in a matter of minutes.  What's next? Photochopping? You've come a long way baby  

[glenn kangiser]

Who knows-- I finally figured out Gadwin Printscreen - it's quick.    I didn't understand the zoom window at first or that you had to hit enter when happy with the selection - I suppose I should read directions instead of figuring that everything is intuitive, but that's no fun. :-/

[glenn kangiser]

Careful with that nailgun practice, Daddymem.

https://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d184/glennkangiser/nailhead051.jpg  Note -graphic image

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/04/21/nail.gun.ap/index.html

Note:  The tweaker survived and made a full recovery.

I originally posted the image here, but since it is a bit graphic I changed it to a link only.  Don't want anyone choking on their FruitLoops.

[PEG688]

 [size=12]A few years back didn't some framer cut his hand off with a skilsaw then proceed to shoot himself in the head with a 16 penny nail gun like 6 or 8 times ?? He lived as well. IIRC. What is it with these guys

 Tedd Benson in fine home building this month has a article about the downware trend of carpenters , annual issue , Houses .  " A dismal standard"   is the title . About a 3rd of the way in  , "The end of pride " chapter he talks about what a real carpenter is / should be,  a standard no longer held  :'(,

  " These were people of great dignity and pride who could do everything on the job site from forming the foundation to making the last cabinet. Only 35 years later , that breed is nearly extinct. . And that deep pride about being in the trades has all but faded away with them. "

 Yonks   [highlight]I'm almost extinct [/highlight] Well not shocking really  :'( :'(

But his point is well taken , most carpenters really ain't carpenters they're sub trades who don't know MTL why or what the next trade/ sub species of " carpenter"???sider / roofer / finish carpenter / cab. maker/ hardwood floor / is going to need , they know  enought to be dangerious / harmful . They're biggest concern is pay day, not the project.

 Guess I'll just fade away :'(

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[glenn kangiser]

I have found over the years - 32 years being self employed, that the problem with most of these guys is drugs.  I worked on a project in the San Jose area where the Foreman on the job said the reason he got it was that he was the only one in the Union Hall who could pass the drug test.  I'm sure the other ones who could pass the test were already working, but it's a pretty sorry state many of them are in.

[Amanda_931]

When I was trying to earn a living as a carpenter in the mid-seventies, it was almost a badge of honor to have that cut through the thigh to the femur from the circular saw with the guard removed.

I was surprised and delighted when I briefly did some more pounding nails in the early eighties that nobody on that job removed saw guards any more.

[Mommymem]

We've got alot more updates on the blog. Lots of pictures too.  
http://schluterhomestead.blogspot.com/

[Sassy]

We like pictures!  At this rate, Mommymem, another week or two & you'll be living in your new house!    

[PEG688]

We like pictures!  At this rate, Mommymem, another week or two & you'll be living in your new house!    

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 Daddymem better get reallllllly busy Or I missed a lot of pictures  

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[glenn kangiser]

Mommymem-- you can do the window thing yourself if you want it bad enough---contractors  Seems he should pay for it if he deviated from the plan though.

They make dry diamond blades or abrasive masonry blades that can be used on a grinder or skilsaw.  Layout and cut from both sides - grind off the rebar-- get a cheap air chisel -muffler gun for your compressor to chip out the rest economically then put in the last window. A masonry cupstone or diamond grinder will smooth the cutout.  I would estimate 2 to 6 hours labor to do it. There may be considerations with cutting the rebar - probaby not a realistic concern but an engineer may want to add reinforfement across the bottom of the cut area or something.

Note that a rotohammer with a chisel is probably the best choice for demo'ing the hole but you may want to rent it as they are a bit expensive.  The saw cuts keep the edges clean.  This is standard industry practice where there are booboo's with concrete - many times they pay a big cutting contractor to bring a big saw and go all the way through.  It can be changed.  With the proper tools, concrete is far from the permanent thing it is generally perceived to be.

[Daddymem]

Hey...this isn't a race....as I tell all my coworkers when asked (with a smirk I might add, since noone can possibly build their own house) "How long is it gonna take (insert tehe)", "it will take as long as it takes."

The window thing sucks...but is a great example why you want to do things yourself if possible.  Contractors typically refuse to follow plans, they all know sooo much more than engineers, architects and homeowners and rarely turn down an opportunity to "stick their fingers in the batter."  I run into this all the time and this contractor acts just like the others when they get caught in a mess they made...blame it on everyone else.  The problem we have now is he has given us good prices on a lot of things (not paid for yet) and I don't want to push back too hard and risk "discovering" additional costs down the road.  The reality is both FirstDay and the contractor messed this up.  Our foundation plans were a little lacking and the contractor repeatedly revealed he didn't read the plans and when he finally did proceded to poke holes (so he thinks) in them.  In the end, I had to "design" the foundation where it pertains to the bulkhead (cellar door) area...something I do not believe I should have had to do, thankfully I am an engineer so it wasn't too hard.  

This got messed up literally by minutes...Mommymem was there when the second concrete truck came up but she had to go to her hospice patient.  Our contractor came minutes after her, and after the foundation guys had placed the windows in the correct location, and told them they screwed up and ordered them to put the windows where you see them now.  Somebody, (if there were a few brain cells actually on this site at this point) should have said that Mommymem was there and said different.  That would be when a contractor (with a working brain cell) would have said to himself "I better call and get this right," and all would be well at Pine Tree Manor. Oh well, not too much longer until the contractor gets off my property and I can do all the major screw ups on my own.    Besides, think he is going to get referals from me anymore???

P.S. sorry if I have offended any contractors, there are actually a few decent ones out there (I thought mine was one of them), so if you are offended, put yourself in the decent category and ignore my rant  

[PEG688]

Well live and learn , Eh.

[glenn kangiser]

I'm a contractor too, but still agree with you.  I think it may run between 20 to 50% good contractors who do what they say they will for the price they say they will.

Engineers - I would say 20 to 50% are good - the rest are so-so to poor.  It is always a pleasure to work with one who knows his stuff.

Homeowners dealing fairly with a contractor--- not adding things for the same cost - changing their minds after things are done per plan also 20 to 50%.

Not that I am referring  to anybody here on the forum as we have a great group of people.  Misunderstandings happen also. I am referring to my past experience with other contractors and homeowners.  The stuff some contractors pull makes me feel bad about calling myself one sometimes.  

The company I sub for regularly sends me in to correct other sub-contractors problems.  The boss there mentioned that either their company or my company were the only ones that he never had problems with.

[Daddymem]

I don't know what the structural offices are like, but I can vouch for the Civil Site Design shops (I am in one).  Everyone is on the fast track to becoming a Project Manager it seems.  Meanwhile, I am going kicking and screaming.  Noone understands why I am reluctant to take charge of projects.  I don't because I want to do the real work, learn the ropese and then I will progress on to managing projects...understanding what work is being done by those working for me...because I have done that same work myself.  Mentoring in engineering firms has gone down the toilet, I suspect contractors and architects are the same way....everyone in a rush to be the boss, missing all the experience along the way.  I got PE with twice my experience, being paid huge six figure salaries that come to me to do things that I barely break a sweat on...because they can't figure it out themselves...not a good sign for engineers.

[glenn kangiser]

You are the kind of engineer I like to work with.

Many PM's don't know their a$$ from a hole in the ground.  Seems the first thing a lot of them have to learn to do is lie.  I don't know why - it usually catches up to them.  Then there are the 20 to 50% of good ones.

Fast track sucks - I usually try to turn down those jobs.  That includes, Home Depot - Costco -Lowes etc.

[Daddymem]

aye..the "big boxes" as they call them.

[CREATIVE1]

Looking at heater sites, found this one which really trashes Monitor Heaters.  Don't know if it's true, but it certainly got my attention as I look at heating options.

http://www.alsheating.com/MonitorHeaterProblemsComplaintsRepairs.htm

Any feedback?

[Amanda_931]

Did the "-mem crew" decide to avoid the Monitor heaters at least partly because of that site?