I am wondering how people keep themselves motivated to finish a difficult project. I am in the middle of using a belt sander today to remove the finish on my deck. It’s hard, hot, nasty work. The rental store refused to rent me a floor sander when I told them it was for an outside deck. Seems the dust from the softwood may overheat their motor.
Good thing I am not being paid for this job because I have to stop and rest my back and hands every few minutes. Ten minutes of work and thirty of rest.
Replies
Fear of unrelenting poverty.
I try to avoid projects I hate. So, for example, when I built my new house I installed concrete and stone stoops because I don't ever want to paint or repair a wooden porch. I installed Hardie Shingles because I don't ever want to scrape paint. I sold my old house because there were too many unpleasant things requiring work. And, I hire out jobs I hate. Sometimes I enlist the neighbor kids to help with the grunt work.
Sometimes, though, I work through, telling myself how good it will be when the work is done. Earlier this summer I moved 13 tons of crushed stone with a wheel barrow and shovel to install a base for a brick walkway. It was intimidating before I started, but came out great. No injuries.
By the way, did you consider going to a different rental store and not telling them you're doing a deck? The excuse from the present store is lame, because pine is used indoors all the time. I hope it's not pressure treated you're sanding, because the dust is quite harmful.
Well I am getting there.
I don’t mind a job that is good exercise because I am so out of shape and I need a good work out now and then. However this job is pure, tedious labor. I am not one to listen to the radio when I am not in the car but I pulled it out and cranked up the tunes and it helped keep me going.
I though about going to another rental shop but it was threatening rain all day and I could have been stuck paying for a tool I didn’t use.
BTW Thanks for the tip on PT wood. I used a mask and kept the dust away from me as best as I could.
Right now I am in the final stages of a 5 month job refitting all the bathrooms for a motel. Some of the crappiest work I have ever seen went into that place. How it stood up for as long as it has beats me.
I havent minded the job, it has its benefits in mid winter. :) But it has got awful boring and I now want it to end, BUT, one of the units I had only just finished 2 weeks prior caught fire........electrical fault.
Didnt hurt my new bathroom much, but fixing the damage will likely result in a redo. they want me to do it as well. I really really dont want to go there. If its one thing I hate it is doing my work all over again. Damnit. When will the hurting stop?
Dont care much for pouring concrete either, specially when its hot, or raining, or cold...........<G>
Wood Hoon
Why would you ever tell a rental store what you are doing with their equipment? I'd probably get arrested for some of the things I've done to rental equipment.
money and ego are the motivators.
I learned to ignore pain and discomfort and focus on the task at hand way back in high school wrestling.
Excellence is its own reward!
turn the boards over?
Or follow the wisdom of KeithC ....
Pif's answer pretty much wraps it up .....money and ego.
Always tell myself nows not the time to start taking shortcuts...
Then again ...I grew up remodeling rental apartments with my Dad .....breathed in more 100+ yr old mill soot by the age of 10 than most 45 year old coal miners....sweated in more unvented attics and dug out more cold/damp basement crawl spaces than I care to remember......
So I can pretty much make it thru anything I run into nowadays.....
Jeff
Buck Construction Pittsburgh,PA
Fine Carpentery.....While U Waite
I would think a sand blaster or high pressure, turned up high these beasts will cut concrete, pressure washer would do it. OK you weren't asking for a new technique but I'm a guy and...well that's what I give prior to everything else.
You have my sympathies. Sometimes I will get wired on coffee and go at it like a demon at 5AM. If that doesn't work I take a day off and come at it fresh. The guy is right. Give only the vaguest of explanations when they ask at the rental store.
'...wired on coffee and go at it like a demon at 5AM'.
Oh gawd that was rich. Guffawed.
True tho'.
Sounds like my summer of '03.
An honorable Roar! and a hat tip to ya.
I try and practice the ole "It's all a state of mind". The one common denominator for me, is, it's All work, some of it easier then some, I'll take them both. Work is good, what sets me off is/can be Sloppy work by other trades, and HO, who, just don't seem to care about the effort, both mental and physical, that goes into(their) a Project. Oh, did I mention on the tougher jobs, I'll be thinking about when my next Rafting trip is going to happen, bummer not soon enough. be safe out there Jim J.
I am an electrician, today I went out on 2 calls... both reno's. The first place was in the finishing stages but clean and organized and I quite enjoyed the mundane task of "putting on trim"
The second home was a pig pen.... I hated being there and noticed my attitude had changed for the worse as my day went for a crap.
I find it more than difficult to care about my work when the home owners don't care about my work enviroment. Now I feel better for venting and can hardly wait to see what tomorrow brings! ;)
bake
If it hurts your back to bend over and use the sander, use a belly board. Something like a mechanic's roll about to get under the cars. Or maybe a large wide skate board. In the 70's that is what we called a belly boards.
Lay on your stomach and sand. just remember to hook your toes on something so you don't wind up having the sander pull you off the deck. 8)
Edited 9/4/2003 6:20:23 PM ET by JAGWAH
I've done some more thinking (Yeah, I know - that'll get me in trouble...) about this topic and I realize that I tolerate the physical pain of an uncomfortable job far better than I can deal with working on a nice job where the customers are ________(fill in your own unfriendly name) who don't appreciate my work or who act like they hate having you there..
Excellence is its own reward!
That pretty much summed it up for me Piffin. The customers attitude directly affects my attitude. Dirt, dust, noise. YES! I love remodeling
I worst job i have ever done can be fun if i make it fun. Two big things: Am i still making money and have i wanted to kill the customer yet.
If the first answer is yes and the second no, every thing is great.