Swapped out two louvered bifolds for 6-panels in record time. Then the HO pointed out that they were upside down…
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So... did he want you to fix that? <g>
Could have happened to anyone. We live, we screw up, we sometimes learn.
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Cheap Tools at MyToolbox.net
See some of my work at TedsCarpentry.com
Actually did it last night, but only realized today as I started to run out of molding today. I was casing out 6 doors today so I went to the big box late last night so I could be ready first thing this morning.
6 doors... lets see, that's 6 headers, so 3 7-foot pieces plus 6 legs at 7-feet each for a total of 9 7-footers. What? Oh, there's 2 legs per door, just it's always been!!!
That's not a goof.
thats a reason for a mid-day coffee run.
Not my goof.... but might as well have been..... one of my guys ran a Sawzall through a $195 cord today. It's our lead power drop..... 125' of heavy rubber coated 10 guage with eight 20 amp outlets in a gang box on the end. I just made the thing up two month ago! I wanted to throw up. He hit it right about in the middle.
a male and female twist lok cord caps.. good to go...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Not today, but a couple of years back I had a guy briefly work with me... I left him alone for about 20 minutes to nail up a little bit of trim. When I got back he'd burned a hole right in the middle of my new 100 foot flexell air hose in half with the halogen work light..
I can still hear him saying it like it was yesterday... (imagin the voice of that stoner from Fast Times at Ridgemont High)... "dude, those lights must be reeeaaallly hottt!"
Two of my guys smoke. Every other month or so once of them carelessly flicks a butt and it burns through a Flexeel. I take $25 out of their check every time it happens. Keeps me from losing my mind. Cut cords happen... I understand that. But flicking a butt and burning through a hose is just careless.
I haven't even spoken to my guy who cut the 10ga yet though. I can't, for the life of me, figure out how it happend.... I mean... the cord is like an inch thick! I'll find out tomorrow, but I was too mad and too busy today to really ask him about it. View Image
Needed a 1/2" x 1/2" water supply connection, bought 1/2" x 3/8"...lucked out when I checked my bucket boss. Still, 10 mile r/t por nada.
Cutting that must have been a sight to see...."Never pick a fight with an old man. If he can't beat you he will just kill you." Steinbeck
I don't know about Mass. law, but in NY an employee can't be held liable for damages to equiptment! Might want to check on that.
It's a voluntary donation on their part. Trust me. :) It's like them paying me $25 to not have to listen to me bitch about them wrecking the hoses with their butts.... or paying me $25 to not enforce a rule about them not smoking on my jobsite.
See how well a democracy works?
View Image
Edited 6/26/2008 7:21 pm ET by dieselpig
yep, but I bet your labor dept. might complain!
Aw give it a rest would ya? Lighten up Francis.View Image
Just the other week, last day, big hurry. Hang the bifolds. How easy can you get? Tapped the bottom pin in the top of the door. 10 trips to the van for needle nose, chisels, flatbars, etc, to pull the thing until finally I give up get a 3/8ths bit and drill the thing out. Then the trip to the hardware store. Of course the new isn't quite right. Gotta try another hardware store. Arrghh. Took me over two hours to do a 15 minute job.I swear I have ADD. I'd probably be a better carpenter if I took Ritalin.
I did the exact same thing about two months ago, hadn't hung a bi-fold in ages. my biggest hurdle just before that was finding a 7/16th bit for the pin holes. No hardware monger for 20 miles any direction. Lucky the HO had an asst of old , dull bits he inherited. Quick lick with the grinder had me drilling, then I got so excited I randomly installed the pins.
Worst part was I MADE the doors, ain't no just replaceing with a new door, it was Ginko wood and I used it all.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
"We strive for conversion,we get lost in conversation, and wallow in consternation. "Me.
Where did you get Ginko wood ?
Local or imported stuff ?
I planted a couple of Ginko trees for my MIL about 10 years ago. Man are those things sloww growers.
The guy who I made the doors for is a local arborist, he had it sawn from a removal job. His whole house is local woods that he felled and used for various parts.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
"We strive for conversion,we get lost in conversation, and wallow in consternation. "Me.
http://www.xs4all.nl/~kwanten/thetree.htm
Cool trees. I didn't know we had any large ones in KY.
Be a living fossil
Thats exactly what I did, but I could get the rollers and pins switched with a lot of coaxing and spare parts.
Other day I was asked to hide an exposed thermostat wire in an apt reno I've been working on. fed it thru a drilled hole and up inside a doorway trim. Good to go.
Next day I climb up the stairs and walk into a blast furnace as I hit the apartment. WhatdaFug???
Somehow I'd swapped out the blue and white wires and the heat was going full tilt all night. That old radiator heat kicks some serious BTUs!
be especially in summer
I'm so ashamed
I've got a closet door in my bathroom like that. Didn't even notice until I sat down that night to take a dump. The wife noticed it the same way. I'm not changing mine though. I think it's eccentric. ;)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHE1dM4hYCw
A builder I did punch list work for used to have me go through all the houses before the walk-thru and sit on all the toilets. He said, "People spend a bunch of time on the crapper...without much to do but look around."Smart builder. Shorter punch list. Less call backs.
A builder I did punch list work for used to have me go through all the houses before the walk-thru and sit on all the toilets. He said, "People spend a bunch of time on the crapper...without much to do but look around."
Flippen Brilliant
When I write punchlists on commercial jobs, I do the same thing. Sit where people will be sitting and look at every surface. That means every chair in the waiting room, every desk, every toilet, every reception counter, etc.
One of our clients was doing some work in his new building to get furniture and phones set up while I was doing a punchlist. After the third or fourth time of seeing me looking straight up at a different ceiling - he asked why I was always staring at the ceiling. Simple. Above eye level is where a lot of punchlist items are - damaged ceiling tile, missing sprinkler head trim, wrong or missing light fixtures, wrong hvac trim, forgetting to paint walls, etc.
Same mistake doing a favor for a customer.
Try to repair a sink basket/tailpiece, so I only got the parts needed.
Sure enough, I needed a shallow thread unit, then the P-trap leaked, the new trap did not fit the old outlet pipe (threads,) then the 1 1/2" copper pipe needs the fitting I didn't have, - all needing a trip to the supply house.
Sigh.
Next time, tell the customer, pull everything and rebuild.Quality repairs for your home.
AaronR ConstructionVancouver, Canada
Pulled up to the job a couple of weeks ago, park my pretty new truck in the cul-de-sac, and go in the house to talk to the designer. Go to walk back to the trucks, and the designer asks me where mine is. Sucker was down the hill nestled up against a motor grader tire. Bumper bent up, bent the fender, broke the headlight brackets, arrgh.Called the insurance agent and asked what my coverage was if I hit a deer... she says, "what, are you planning on hitting one?I say, " No, it was a John Deere..."Comprehensive kicks in if I hit a real deer, 500 buck deductible for a John Deere.I didn't have time to get it fixed. Coming home from work a week later, I hit a furry deer in the same place I hit the motor grader... zero damage, too <G> Now you see this one-eyed midget
Shouting the word "NOW"
And you say, "For what reason?"
And he says, "How?"
And you say, "What does this mean?"
And he screams back, "You're a cow
Give me some milk
Or else go home"
Doing a garage reno. There was a steel entry door hung on MDF. I told HO it was cheaper and better to get a prehung door with a opening window, and she could use it somewhere else. Apprentice took the door apart and leaned it on the garage. I was busy re-framing for a new window from the inside,, was cutting sheathing from the inside with my sawsall,, going gangbusters and having fun. But why is the saw so slow cutting 10 year old OSB? Cut a line down the door 12" Whoops! We all got a good laugh out of that.
I figure there isn't such a thing as a mistake. There's a learning curve. Learn from your mistake. If it happens a second time,, then you've made a mistake! OR a third. Mistakes happen,, it's recovering in good time, and calling yourself a professional alot infront of the customer. Makes me feel good, and the HO know's you're human. No biggies YET!
dave
My goof but not really my fault .... found a little cast iron bench/footstool that needed a new wood slat top. Was 15.25" so I decided to pop in 2 pieces of PT 1x6 & a 1x4. So I cut & stained & drilled the three pieces & when I went to assemble them nothing fit. I KNEW I had the right pieces so finally I reached over & remeasured the widths. My PT 1x6 really was 6" wide not 5.5 !!
Does driving a phillips driver bit into your thumb knuckle, count as a goof ?Sucker went deep. Bled for a long time.Bled right through the bandages for a while. As much as if the bandages weren't even there.Took quite a long time before I could get back to work, without making a mess.When I did get back to work... Maybe the worst part of it were those gory bits of thumb flesh stuck all over the driver. LOLGuess I have now made the customary blood sacrifice to this project.;o)
Politics: the blind insulting the blind.
Click here for access to the Woodshed Tavern
OWW CHE WOW WAH!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHE1dM4hYCw
Bood ok.
Leave gore with it and you loose points.
Takes more blood to makem up
Yer not done bleed'n yet.
Be carefull.
I broke the tip off of my bosch tapered w/ countersink bit, a few days ago. (Loooooong taper and very sharp point.)After that, trying to push that bit into the wood was like trying to push a 16d nail into the wood.Since I don't know how to sharpen one of those, or even IF they can be sharpened, I was trying to do without.I was on a piece where I had to hold the piece in place while I screwed it tight.With the tapered bit, no problem. Drill a pilot hole. Drive the screw until it catches in the second piece of wood... Doesn't take much effort to get that far, because of the pilot hole. Then you can move your other hand out of harms way, and finish the attatching.Without the tapered bit... No pilot hole. And driving that huge monger of a screw, is tough from the get go.You are holding the piece with one hand, and exerting a LOT of force with the driver, with the other hand. We all know how those driver bits like to jump out of the screwhead whilst driving the screw... Yep, it chose this screw to jump out of. As much force as I was exerting, it's no wonder it went so deep.Had it been something sharp, it simply would have speared me. But it was a spinning phillips bit. Hence the gore being eaten out in chunks.Had to go to town to get more bandaging. Bought a new tapered bit while I was there. LOL Wish I'd made the sacrifice and just gone and bought the bit when the old one broke. I would gladly have spent 30 dollars, if I'd known it was going to prevent this.Can't move the knuckle, this morning. Very painful, and I can't grip anything with that thumb.Gonna take a handfull of excedrin extra strength, and get to work. Hope to loosen it up again with work.(Luckily I don't use that thumb to type. LOL)Maybe I should add this to the 'tips under 50 words' thread. ;o) Never do a job without the best tool for the job... Kinda like, never bring brass knuckles to a gunfight.
Politics: the blind insulting the blind.
Click here for access to the Woodshed Tavern
I ran a philips bit into the tip of my index finger last week - it too was very deep. I stopped the bleeding without too much trouble, but when I peeled off the bandage later to take a look it was pretty nasty. Decided to opt for seeing the Doc. Puncture wounds are nothing to be "tough" about - they drive dirt and debris deep under the skin where they can cause nasty infections. they need to be thoroughly irrigated, x-rayed, and then you need antibiotics. A several-day hospital stay because of an infection is going to be even more of a lesson than buying the right pilot bit, IMHO. Justin Fink - FHB Editorial
Good point.I slathered triple antibiotic ointment on it, under the bandages.I'll keep that up, with bandage changes.And I'll keep an eye on it, for developing infection.The swelling hasn't gotten any worse.
Politics: the blind insulting the blind.
Click here for access to the Woodshed Tavern
I was running an extra vent to our master bedroom in our old house. Got the hole cut in the wall, centered a hole in the bottom plate and drilled through to the basement. Sawsalled the bottom plate and slip the wall boot in slick as snot. Strapped up tight and connected the flex duct. Went back upstairs to install the wall register and there were no flanges on the boot.
No sweat. Just pop rivet a piece of bent sheet metal to the sides, right?
Got the first side ok, but missed the metal with the rivets on the second one. I grabed the drill and drilled the rivet out. I didn't bother with channel locks, pliers or vise grips. Just hold on tight and drill it out.
Dull bit, lots of pressure and when it did go through I wasn't quick enough to pull it back. The bit entered my little finger just below the bend of the last knuckle on the palm side and stop just beneath the end of the nail. I then had the sheet metal flang, one drilled pop rivet, the wall boot, and my finger all lined up on the drill bit.No quick reactions now, as my fingers were kind of pinned to inside the wall.
I found the reverse switch and slooowly backed the bit out of the sish-ka- bob.
It is amazing how much meat can wrap into the twist of an 1/8 drill bit, and I never knew that ones little finger was so well supplied with blood.
DW still tells folks abou finding little tiny chuncks of meat on the carpet while cleaning up the bloody spot.
I tell, that was nothing. I had to clean up after a plumber who backer up a stud with his knee as drilled through it witha 2" hole hog.
Now that was some meat!
Ouch ouch ouch ouch OUCH !!!!My thumb feels better already.;o)
Politics: the blind insulting the blind.
Click here for access to the Woodshed Tavern
Cutting ply for beefing up a subfloor before tiling a 5 x 5 section of bathroom floor. Figure I'll take it outta one 4x8 so that's all I bought.
Okay, make a nice clear drawing of all the cutouts for the toilet flange and sink risers, measuring from the left and the top as I always do. Everything checks out, checked it all again, "Measure Twice Cut Once," then go outside to cut the plywood.
Did the cutouts from the left and the top, like I always do. But I wasn't standing at the 'bottom' of the piece when I measured from the left; I had it turned 90º.
Oooooooh-kay. Now go back outside and recut the other pieces to fit the new orientation, duh....
Dinosaur
How now, Mighty Sauron, that thou art not brought
low by this? For thine evil pales before that which
foolish men call Justice....
I think my all time best... didn't happen today, but still worth mention...
I got a call to check out a leaky in-wall cpvc pipe to a tub faucet. Was told by the homeowner to make sure the cat didn't get out the door while I was going in and out.... no problem
Had to cut open the drywall on the opposite side to make the repair. Replaced the bad fitting, tested, sealed up the drywall, patched with multiple coats of quick dry mud and hairdryer.. primed and painted... like new. I never really saw much of the cat, but had I made sure it didn't get out the front door while I was there.
Girl comes home around 3 from school, and starts looking for cat. I knew I hadn't let it out, so wasn't too worried about it, and continued a few other projects on their list. By 5 I was ready to go home, but the girl was getting frantic about her cat missing. By 6, I had to face the facts... I had sealed the cat inside the drywall.
The girl was happy to get her cat back. I had a drywall patch to re-do.
not so much a goof but rather a result of youthful enthusiasm, inexperience, and the willingness to please your parents.
When I was ten years old, we had new carpeting installed in our bedroom. As a result, the door dragged on the carpet when opened. Our father had died the year before and I wanted to fix the problem as a surprise for my mom. I didn't know any better so instead of cutting a 1/2" off the door (which I would not have been able to do anyways), I cut out a piece of carpeting to match the radius of the door swing. My poor mom!
This one still comes up every once in a while and everyone gets a good laugh out of it.
Yesterday, hooked up my dump tailer to go to the dump, when I pulled out of the driveway there is a pretty good swail, guess I forgot to lock down the hitch. Trailer popped off the hitch, snapped the safety chains and wiring , rolled back crashing through the clients entry fence and was stopped by a tree in the lawn about 15' from the house.
I feel stupid, but darn lucky it caught the tree.
I got a plan from one of the salesman. About 2,000 square feet, hip roof, and a bit cut up. Lots of hips on hips. I got it input, laid out all the trusses - Even tried a couple of different layouts to make it work out well in the field. This was an order - Not a quote. I always put a lot of effort into orders to get everything right. I probably spent about 6 hours on the job getting it designed. Packed up the files and sent the job off for the salesman and customer to approve. Early the next morning the salesman called. He said "I guess you didn't read my notes". I pulled out the plan, and on the page with the front elevation was the note "Change to all gable roof".
love is very deep, but sex only has to go a few inches
Painted my garage door late yesterday. It rained last night. I should have left the door up, 'cause the paint feels like it has a coating of oil on it this morning. I sure hope when the sun comes out the paint will cure......
left out the bottle of red refill chaulk...
HO's puppy found it....
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
left out the bottle of red refill chaulk...
HO's puppy found it....
Had the same thing happen with a brand-new bottle of waterproof wood glue. On brand new carpet in the basement.
so I set up to the counter and get my little numbered ticket...
it says B474.....
the display on the wall says A028....
I be for a bit....
that'll teach me to get here 2 hours after they unlock the doors...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Not today, but a classic from awhile ago.
Went to the local building supply to get a pre-hung door for the house. I was very careful to make sure it was the correct "hand" before it was loaded into the truck.
Pull out of the lot and head home. About 3-4 miles down the road I check the rearview mirror and...
D*&$, I still got the wrong hand on the door!!!
Back to the supply and pull up to the dock. Guy who loaded the door walks up and asks what's wrong. I tell him I bought the wrong door after all.
We both look at the door, look at each other and bust out laughing.
He told me not to worry about it, even the contractors do that sometimes!
Got my new fancy 400.00$ a piece column capitals about a week ago. Instructions say "Inspect promptly for damages i.e while UPS is still there" .
So the UPS guy plopps one box on my stoop, I carry the other from his truck and set it on top of the one he set down. Ok, I open the top box and the cast resin capital is all wrapped in plastic and the box is FILLED with spray foam..cool. NO WAY can it be busted. plus, they're structural castings..strong right?
Week later I load both boxes ( one un-opened as of yet) in the van and get to the job..install the first one no probs. Open the second box and the &*%$*# Thing is cracked and getting it out of the foam it becomes two pcs. HO is standing right there. I take pics, offer him an option of new cap ( 3 weeks lead time) or epoxy the break..we decided to try the epoxy..I have Loctite in the ven, the big bottles..I did it up, and let it set over night and the next day all was well.
Never accept a box marked fragile without checking.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
"We strive for conversion,we get lost in conversation, and wallow in consternation. "
Me.
True story
Former BIL got new carpet
Door dragging
He took down and cut with old hand saw
Rehung
Still dragging on carpet
Repeat cutting 2 more times
Sister comes in cause it's still dragging on the carpet but notices the top of the door is now about 1 1/2" down from the top of the door jamb
Let's not confuse the issue with facts!
Back in 74 as I was just starting my remodeling business I did nearly the same thing.
I was doing a breezeway rework and the carpet man ask me if I would cut off soom doors for him. He would take them down, haul them out to me, and rehang them. Offered $2.00 a door. All of them were to be cut off 1".
He laid one on the saw horses upside down from the previous four, and I cut it off. When he rehung it and then brought it back out, we were both a little upset with each other. We both screwed up, but you know how tough that is for a couple of young bucks to admitt.
Fortunately the whole house was being painted and the painter was listening to our little exchange. Old fart must have been at least 50. He climbs down off the ladder and say "Boys I can fix that". "All the interior doors get painted,just glue and nail that cut off back on, and I'll sand, fill, and paint it." "Cost you $10, but that is cheaper than the $25 a knew door blank will cost you, not to mention the labor and all that."
He fixed it and we both kicked in $5 for our part of the "oops".
I think he saved us both some skinned knuckels and bruises too.
Pretty smart for and "old guy."