BobboMax

Thanks, Larry, good column.

You raise a lot of issues I see as moral and I see moral decisions as personal- there really aren't any (god)-given rules- we all have to make it up as we go. That said, when I see what I consider immorality, I work against it. (And try not to make it into a fight.)

Now, putting that stuff aside, ability is pretty much evenly distributed. (god) didn't say, "Well, I'm gonna give all the white boys managerial abilities and all the black guys totin' abilities, and well, Injuns, I'm gonna make them all drunks." 5% of ANY group are truly great, 20% are merely good, 50% are doing their best, 20% are a bit slack and 5% you should cross the street to avoid saying hello to.

If you rule out blacks and immigrants and Republicans and gays and women and hippies and left-handers and Catholics and Irish, pretty soon, you won't be able to find anybody who can do the job. I worked with a woman who struggled to carry a bundle of Arch80s up a ladder, but she could nail them off as fast as anyone and she was twice as good as the foreman at keeping the clients happy. And a dynamite finish carpenter to boot.

So, for you people who really aren't into the morality of it all, consider the money. And in the course of it all, you may find some real friends, like Larry did.

By implication, most stack flashings and attic vents have inadequate flashing surfaces and need to be a couple inches wider.

LOL. Just hope my brother-in-law doesn't see this.

Patrick,

When you say "concentric" roller, I think you mean "eccentric," that is, one w/ an off-center axle, so the distance to the surface varies as you rotate it. That's what allows you to adjust the bevel for mis-sharpened chisels or add a small micro-bevel on the tip.

OK, next question is how to replace a deteriorated boot when it's on an electrical mast, where you can't slip the repair boot down from the top. Does Oatey make one for that?

Ref nagar1's comment, yeah, I've seen those occasionally- seems like they tend to come w/ Euro products- some have both a removable nozzle AND a cap . Maybe we should start a campaign to get US manufacturers to go that way- it might reduce their sales, but it would also reduce the number of tubes of hardened caulk in landfills and my van. I'd certainly pay a bit extra for the feature and base some of my purchasing decisions on its availability.

I've found the removable nozzles easier to clean out- the taper runs the right way- and the larger opening in the tube when you remove the nozzle is a lot easier to open up if you do get hardening.

I'm a professional handyman, so I tend to use a 1/4 tube at a time. I've tried the little rubber condoms, but found them ineffective. I've had surprisingly good luck w/ masking tape- kind of a pain to install and remove, but better than buying another tube of caulk. I do one spiral wrap, bend the pigtail at the tip over and do another spiral wrap.

I have to agree w/ the comments about the purpose of FH- is it for pros or DIYers? While I can understand that the editors want to attract DIYers- there are a lot of them and many of them have money- backing up a drywall patch is pretty basic. Someone who needs that tip also needs half a dozen other basic concepts- how far out to feather the patch, the importance of sanding/sponging, re-texturing the patch (if you're a Left Coaster) and so on. I thought giving DIYers just enough info to get into trouble was TOH's specialty.

And speaking of re-texturing, what's with the tip about using an air gun and thinned mud in a squeeze bottle? Even the big boxes sell texture in a rattle can, adjustable no less. Granted, unless it's August in Tucson, you need to know enough to run the can under hot water for a few minutes to adjust the pressure.