Tools

The other day I broke a pair of fingernail clippers that I have had for, well, about 25 years.  I was crushed.  They were not like your normal nail clippers, but more like a pair of wire cutting pliers.  Anyway, they were made in Solingen, Germany; a place long noted for the quality of its knives & cutting tools. 

I don’t remember how I came to have these particular nail clippers, but I treasured them.  They were so well made and finely finished.  They were a joy to use.  Everyone talks about “German Engineering”, and I’m sure you’d laugh.  But really……they were THAT good.  They broke, by the way, not in the line of duty, cutting nails, but in a futile mission, trying to open a hermetically sealed, tamper proof, me proof, everything proof plastic package…..you know the kind, I’m sure. 

Always a stupid move to abuse a good tool. 

Anyway, I went online this afternoon, to try and find a replacement, and was surprised at what they cost!  A new pair is something like $35!  That’s a lot of money just to cut your nails, but it caused me to think. 

I still have a number of the tools I bought when I first went into the trades.  A fair number of squares, punches etc, but even a few power tools; notably a Skil #77 worm drive saw, a Bosch #1582 jigsaw, and a Black & Decker drill.  They were then, and still are some of the most expensive tools in their class.  All of them are still running strong, however, after almost twenty five years.  At the time I bought them, I was making something like seven or eight dollars an hour, and what I spent on those tools was a HUGE amount of money for me!  

Like those nail clippers though, I haven’t regretted the expense at all.  Those tools are well made, well engineered, and have lasted longer than I would have expected.  I wouldn’t be surprised if my grandchildren will be able to make use of them. 

I was taught early on, by more experienced carpenters, that, when buying tools, you should always buy the best that you can afford.  Even though it hurt at the time to buy the best, I have never regretted it.  Those tools have made me far more money than I ever spent in buying them.  When you think about it, what is more expensive?  A saw that costs $200, but lasts for 25 years…..or 3 or 4, at $100 apiece, that only last a few years each? 

So, yeah, in the end, I plunked down the $35 for the nail clippers.  As long as I don’t use them to open up any more absolutely un-openable packages, I figure they’ll be clipping my nails for the rest of my life.  

Not a bad deal at all.

It's better than plumb!

Years ago, I asked a helper who was using a level to plumb a wall, whether the wall was indeed plumb.  "It's better than plumb!", he said.  Sigh.

On a job we're working on right now, I need to match some window sizes.  To do that, I needed to measure the existing masonry openings.  when I did, I discovered that all of them....and I mean all of them on the original house were 1/2" out of plumb.  Some were out to the left and others to the right, but ALL of them were out.

Houses settle, but that's not what caused this.  60 odd years ago, the mason who laid up these walls used a level that was 1/2" out of adjustment.  How he never caught on, I don't know, but here we are.  I mean, if the bubble reads plumb, it 's plumb.....right?

No.  You need to check it every now and then.

So, look at the picture, and you'll see how it's done.  Not too hard, right?  Now, what you do with your level after you discover it's out of whack is up to you.  If it's a Craftsman or a Stabila, just send it back for replacement.  If it's not?  Well, I think most carpenters have a decent collection of 4' concrete screeds. 

They don't build 'em like they used to.

Thank god.

When I run across things like this, I wonder.  I mean, whose fault is it that the framing has been hacked down to something the size of a furring strip?

Quick....you blamed the plumber, didn't you?  But is it his fault?  I mean, the tub and toilet have to go where they have to go, don't they?  That's what it says on the plans, right?

Okay, maybe it's the carpenter's fault, for not taking the time to locate all of the plumbing locations BEFORE he laid out the joists.  It's not tough, with a little forethought, to shift your layout a little bit, to accomodate things like traps, & drain pipes.  Then, as now, few carpenters bother, and just figure "Oh well, I'll fix it when I have to."  

The plumber doesn't care too much, one way or another.  He'll just get out his sawzall (or, 60 years ago, his handsaw & rigging hatchet) and MAKE the pipes fit.  Ouch.

So, the carpenter takes a little beating here, but look at the joist pockets in the brick.  the carpenter didn't put them there, the mason did.  He didn't give a rat's ass where the plumbing was going to go.  He was hired to get the walls up......quickly.  And who told him (or didn't tell him) what was going where?  The contractor, that's who.

In my world, that's ME.  I can bitch and moan all I want about subs or trades that don't care, but, in the end, they are doing what I tell them (or don't tell them) to do.  The mason?  He'd be happy to put joist pockets wherever I want them........if I tell him.  The carpenter?  He'll put the joists wherever there are pockets to put them in.........if they are there.  The plumber?  He loves it when he goes to install his drains and finds.....miracle of miracles.....space for his pipes!

There were builders who didn't care 60 years ago, and there were builders who did.  The same is true today.  So, when people say "They don't build 'em like they used to anymore", that can either be  praise for the old, or praise for the new..........depends on who "they" was!

Missed appointments………and Karma

It drives me CRAZY when I set up an appointment to meet with a potential client, and they blow me off.  It doesn’t happen too often though, fortunately. When it does though, boy do I get…….how do I politely say it…….irked.  After all, YOU CALLED ME!  I didn’t twist your arm, knock on your door, or call you during dinner.  Grrrr. 

Irked is how I felt this morning at 7:30, standing outside a prospective client’s home; having rung the doorbell several times, and waited for someone who was patently not there. 

Irked is how I felt when I got back to the office, and began to compose a snarky e-mail to this guy that had blown me off. 

Empowered is how I felt when I hit the “send “ button. 

Horrified is how I felt when, a few minutes later, I received a response from the prospective client, wondering why the fuss?... since we had agreed to meet NEXT Wednesday, not THIS Wednesday. 

We all have this little voice in our head, right?  You know, the one that says “Ignore me at your peril!” Why is he so hard to hear sometimes; especially when he says: "Don't be snarky there, Michael-o!  That guy might have had a good reason for missing this morning's appointment."? 

Like.....we set it up for Wednesday.......the 22nd.....NOT the 15th.  Is that a good reason, little voice? 

"Yes, that could be a good reason..........you moron!" 

So now, today’s assignment,  100 times on the chalkboard:

 

The little voice is my friend.  He keeps my feet in my shoes, and out of my mouth.  I will try REALLY hard to listen to him from now on!  The little voice is my friend.  He keeps my feet in my shoes, and out of my mouth.  I will try REALLY hard to listen to him from now on!  The little voice is my friend.  He keeps my feet in my shoes, and out of my mouth.  I will try REALLY hard to listen to him from now on!  The little voice is my friend.  He keeps my feet in my shoes, and out of my mouth.  I will try REALLY hard to listen to him from now on!  The little voice is my friend.  He keeps my feet in my shoes, and out of my mouth.  I will try REALLY hard to listen to him from now on!  The little voice is my friend.  He keeps my feet in my shoes, and out of my mouth.  I will try REALLY hard to listen to him from now on!................. 

OK, it’s not a hundred, and “copy” & “paste” keep my hand from cramping, but I get the message, and will try hard to listen to the little voice.  He’s my friend. 

Anyway, after a profuse apology on my part, I'll be seeing him on the 22nd.  Hope your day is going better than mine so far!

Those guys are certifiable!

For the last three years, I have volunteered with NARI,  my trade association; teaching (facilitating is probably a better word) the “Certified Remodeler”, or CR course.  It’s a pretty involved thing…..12 weeks of classes, 2 hours per week; followed by an all day exam consisting of 550 questions.  

We go over lots of different material.  Everything from business management principles to sizing the returns on an HVAC system.  Even with years of experience, it’s a challenge, believe me.  When I took my certification exam, only 4 out of 12 passed……it’s a toughie. 

Anyway, we just finished up the course, and I’ll be administering the exam this Saturday.  The two guys I taught this year, Joe Sherrick & Dan Krienbuhl, have worked their tails off.  I just want to say “good luck”, and thanks for being such active participants.   I always enjoy the class, and each year, I get more insights into my profession.  

Just when you think you know everything you need to know, there is more to be learned.  Products, codes and best practices change all the time, and it takes a committed pro to keep up with all of that.  So, if you happen to be talking to a contractor, and he or she has a “CR” after their name, know that they are among the most dedicated in the business, and that they had to work their butt off to get those two letters. 

So, hats off guys, and best of luck this Saturday!

Momma, don't let your babies grow up to be.....Carpenters?

I’ll start by saying that my experience is less typical than many who go into the trades.  After I graduated from college, I wasn’t in a particular hurry to start the rest of my life.  The thought of sitting behind a desk wasn’t appealing and, at 21, the thought of being there for over 45-50 years was inconceivable.  

At the recommendation of my father (an architect), I took a job with a colleague of his, whose company did historic preservation work.  I signed on as a laborer/apprentice at something like $7.00 an hour. Ever since I was a kid, I had liked working with my hands…….drawing, building treehouses, go-karts…whatever.  The thought of getting paid to do this was appealing, even if the job, at times, was not.  In any event, it seemed like a rewarding enough thing to do, until I figured out my true calling. 

Before too long, I had to admit to myself that I liked what I was doing.  I liked the smell of sawdust.  I liked moving around.  I liked doing something tangible each day.  I liked the fact that I lost 20 pounds and was wiry and strong.  There were downsides, sure.  Crawling through a hundred year old, dark, 12” high crawlspace filled with all manner of creepy crawlies, feeling like I was about to pass out in the 100 degree heat, or beating the feeling back into my fingers while setting roof trusses in a snowstorm. 

For all the downsides though, there were times that more than compensated for them.  Hard to believe, but being outside on a glorious autumn day, with the sun in  your face, while doing something you love, can almost make you feel like you’re stealing.  There are countless others.  

One of the most spiritually uplifting feelings I can remember, is standing on a freshly swept 1^st floor, getting ready to frame and stand the walls, as the sun began peeking over the horizon.  I’m not what you’d call a morning person, but that feeling…of newness….of the act of creation that was about to happen….of what I would have done by day’s end, is a feeling I still remember when I find myself up at that hour.  It’s that sense of purpose that says “Today, I am going to DO something real….something that will remain after I’m gone.” 

Obviously, I’m a sap, and I’m sure I intellectualize far too much, but I can never understand why someone would NOT want to do what I do.  I can’t imagine doing anything else. 

What bothers me though, is that I’m sure there are tons of kids who would love to do this work, if only their parents, or their society would tell them it’s OK.  I can only speak for where I live, but I get the sense that our school system thinks you’re a failure if you end up in the trades.  

When I was younger, the school systems ALL had shop classes…..woodworking, print making, auto mechanics, and on and on.  For me, it was a welcome change of pace to put down a book, and work with my hands for awhile, as I suppose it was for many others.  It didn’t mean you weren’t using your brain, by the way.  You just used it in a different way. 

There was an article in the New York Times recently, written by a guy named Matthew B. Crawford.  He makes the case far better than I can about the rewards to be had working with one’s hands.  It was condensed, I believe, from a book entitled “Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry Into the Value of Work,”.  I haven’t read the book yet, but I loved the article  http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/24/magazine/24labor-t.html?pagewanted=allhttp://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/24/magazine/24labor-t.html?pagewanted=all 

He says a lot of the things that I feel, and I encourage you to read it…….and give some thought to what it means, as he puts it, “to be of use.”

Bidding

Bidding projects is one of those things that occasionally drive me crazy.  Really, you can’t get away from it.  Every newspaper article you read says “Always get three bids!”  It’s understandable that you, as the client, want to get the best value for the money you spend.  I’ll offer a few thoughts, though….. 

When you tell me you are going to get a few prices, I am going to ask you a few questions; the first of which will be “How many?”  In a three bid situation, I have a 33% chance of being awarded the job, all else being equal.  Not great odds, but acceptable.  If you are getting more than three prices, my odds decrease…….right along with my interest. 

Getting more than three prices tells me that, despite your protestations to the contrary, your primary concern is price.  That’s fine, and totally understandable.  The thing is though, that the lowest price is not at the top of the list of benefits that I offer my clients.  I focus on the service I provide, the knowledge I bring to the table, and the professionalism with which I run my company.  These things cost money and often mean that I am not the lowest price out there.  I’m OK with that. 

Now, in any bidding situation, SOMEONE has to be the lowest price, right?  Of course, and in a competition among equals (i.e. professional companies, licensed & insured, certified, etc.), I may well be the lowest price, as easily as not.  Remember though, that I said competition among equals. 

So, another question I am going to ask you, when you tell me you are competitively bidding, is WHO I am bidding against?  If I am bidding against my peers, that’s fine.  If I am to be bidding against some unlicensed handyman or “a friend of yours”, my interest goes away.  This is not competition among equals, it’s a race to the bottom……and I’ll pass on it. 

The final question is “What do you want?”.  There’s an old saying that goes: “price, quality and speed……pick any two”.  So again, what do you want?  I’d suggest that, however your situation plugs into that old saying, you’ll be better off choosing from companies that fit that bill.  

If you’re looking to do a major remodel, costing hundreds of thousands of dollars, and lasting for many months, you want someone who has their act together………who’ll be there a few years from now, to service the project.  That’s not a guy with a pickup truck and a nailbag, that’s a professional contractor.  Likewise, if you need a bunch of odd jobs taken care of, or a small, uncomplicated project done, maybe that IS a guy with a pickup truck and a nailbag……maybe. 

Just be honest with yourself………and honest with me.