Help comes and goes

[OccupantRJ]

Through the years, I have learned to work pretty much alone on my projects around the house, as I never seemed to be able to get help when I needed it anyway. I'm off on Fridays, and seem to do a lot of my project work then, while everyone else is working. I have developed techniques for this that allow me to get things done that would normally be considered a two person job, and overall I'm fine with that, since I like working alone as well as with others. Working on the upper part of structures on ladders alone in the heat is the hard part, especially in dealing with long materials.
During the week of July 4, my family was out of town, and I embarked on an addition to my detached workshop. The concrete foundation pad had been poured previously, so a coworker friend came over on Friday and helped me frame out the walls and sheath with OSB. After that, I was on my own, for the rest of the build, other than 2 hours from my son, who installed hurricane clips and poked up OSB to me on the roof, to allow me to nail it in place after he left. I worked in the 102 heat we had here and got it dried in, as I was off work that week.
Fast forward to this morning. I have 2 hired coworkers who are qualified, 2 hired contractor relatives whose work is slow, and a young neighbor kid who I'm hiring to be the helper. We are going to strip off the existing shingle roof on the original building, replace some roof decking, and dry in with felt paper in prep for the shingles. My BIL is one of the contractors, and he is bringing his flatbed dump truck to haul the old shingles to the dump. This will allow us to back the truck right up alongside the building drip line and let the shingles slide off into the truck. All these people are the type where I could take a nap under the tree while they worked and not worry about it being done right, or the way I would do it.
Today should be a hell of a sight mentally different day than last week working alone in the heat was, don't you think? Do you guys ever run into not being able to get help, due to timing or whatever, even though you yourself may go out of your way to help others? Has anyone developed any good tricks to working alone, such as helping hands, clamping devices, trick methods, or whatever?


RJ

 

[ddawg16]

All that writing and no pics?

RJ....I'll bring beer and watch.....you know, at my age, it's not good to sweat too much....

 

[Heavy Metal Doctor]

I mostly work alone, too. I usually make of point of planning to do it alone unless there is just phisicly no way I can get it done - then it' scheduled around my brother - the only person nearby who's willing / able.
Funny though, I have figured out over time, that I have only one true freind who will go out of his way to help me....the only guy that showed up to help me move when it ended up snowing that weekend - and he lives the farthest away of all people I know.

 

[Rockford514]

I seam to get more done by my self.

 

[Rockey]

I echo your sentiments. I have been doing quite a bit of work myself framing my garage the past couple of weeks. I even raised one wall section that was 9.5' X 8' with sheething on it by myself. I also put the 2 9' LVL's up for one header but definitley needed help with the 16' LVL's. Tomorrow I'm scrounging to find help with hanging the trusses. I prefer working with friends - makes for great story telling years later. I dont think its going to be to fun sitting around a campfire a few years from now and I start off a story by saying, "remember that time I was framing the garage by myself and...."

 

[HeyNow^]

I work alone too. I have three grown sons who don't have any problem asking me for help. However, when I need help, they are not availible. When they do show up, I get this, "what else do you need me to do?", "are we finished?", all the while checking their text messages and facebook postings. I don't need that kind of help. I always wonder at what age did it click for me. When did I become responsible and willing to work my tail off to get things done and enjoy it? I think the answer is right after I became a dad.

Thank goodness I have a tractor with a front end loader that helps me without complaining.

 

[Boiler]

I work alone too. I have three grown sons who don't have any problem asking me for help. However, when I need help, they are not availible. When they do show up, I get this, "what else do you need me to do?", "are we finished?", all the while checking their text messages and facebook postings. I don't need that kind of help. I always wonder at what age did it click for me. When did I become responsible and willing to work my tail off to get things done and enjoy it? I think the answer is right after I became a dad.

Thank goodness I have a tractor with a front end loader that helps me without complaining.

I help my father in law when he asks me. I'm a very busy person and my wife blows me **** if I don't drop everything to run over there...but really I don't mind helping at all but a 24 hour notice helps a ton. I'd prefer to not be called out to spend the afternoon at his place when I've got my Jeep stripped, half polished, and about 12 hours of work in front of me just to be able to drive it again...

I always ask "what else do you need me to do" / "what else can I do?" I don't mean it like, "are we done yet" I just want to be the worker and let him be the boss when it is at his place. I'm perfectly willing once I'm over there. So take those comments optimistically, unless they're rolling their eyes or tappnig their feet, obviously wanting to be done...

As for checking text messages / phone calls: I hate cell phones, get annoyed on a daily basis with people that would rather text than focus on the task at hand or on the person they are talking to face to face. My wife even still can't let a message go...interrupts our conversations with texting, does it at dinner in restaraunts...etc. I find it incredibly rude, tell her so, and she does it anyway...

 

[tdkkart]

Having worked 3:30-midnite(opposite even my wife) most of my career I ended up doing most things by myself. Very few of my coworkers were inclined to know or care what I was doing, and my one friend that is inclined to know and care lives 15 miles away and usually works days also.
So, you learn to do by yourself, sometimes it takes longer, sometimes it costs more money, but one way or another you get things done.

Building my trike is a perfect example:
http://www.tdkmotorsports.com/trikebuild/trikebuild.html
When I built this I did not even have an engine hoist. When I bough the mockup motor I borrowed a hoist just long enough to get the engine bolted to one of the those cradles on wheels. When I started building I blocked up the engine cradle till I got the engine on the motorcycle lift, and then I proceeded to build the trike around it.
Used wood blocking, jacks, jackstands, etc while building the frame. The front forks hung by a ratchet strap from the ceiling for several weeks. After awhile everything became self-supporting.
I bought a new short block engine, met the freight truck up the street and slid the pallet into my pickup. Uncrated the motor and found that if I bolted the stand to the engine while it was on the tailgate the stand was only about 1/2" of the ground, so it easily slid off the tailgate.
When it was time to assemble everything after powdercoat I had a complete engine engine on the engine stand. I bolted the cradle on it from underneith, rolled the stand over the bike lift and picked up the motor. Set the frame over the engine and started assembling.

The egyptians built the pyramids by hand, it can be done if you use a bit of imagination.

 

[dmeadow]

I rarely have any help, beyond my wife adding a couple of hands when necessary. I generally prefer it that way. Most of my projects I do for fun instead of necessity. If it is something bigger that isn't all that fun, then more hands make it go quicker.

I've installed an auto lift by myself using a furniture dolly and a creeper to move the ramps and an engine hoist to flip them over. I find the engine hoist comes in handy for lifting a lot of things too heavy for me alone.

I've also duct taped a wrench on a bolt to keep it from swinging around when I can't reach it while tightening down the nut.

I have friends to call for advice, but getting them to schedule their busy lives to come physically help me is such a PITA that it really isn't worth bothering.

 

[rodnok1]

Help...what's that??? I'm gonna have to look that word up.

 

[StingRay]

I do most stuff on my own but when I do need help the wife is my go to gal. Some times there is a difference of opinions about the way things should be done but she is a great partner. I have a neighbor and a couple of good friends that I can also work with where you can point them in a direction and let em go with a 100% trust. If they are not comfortable with something they wil come and ask how I want it otherwise they have actual common sense and fantastic skills and standards. I am that helper for them some times too. In areas of knowledge where they are the experts I know my place as the apprentice regardless of who's stuff we are working on.

 

[Falcon67]

I hate asking for help, other than my wife. I always try to engineer things so I can do it alone or with one helper. I built the garage like that - just made the wall sections shorter so that two of us could stand them up. Cost maybe a couple of extra 2x4s. I hate roofing and would be likely to pay for a side job rather than DIY. Buying and hauling material, renting a dumpster and paying for the dump, etc - may end up not much more $ to just hire a small roofer company.

 

[Auzivision]

I've learned I work better alone... or should I say, I don't work well with others. I play just fine, but work is my way or the highway... most just don't understand.

All kinds of tricks for solo work... can't think of the all, but levers, pulleys and clamps come to mind. Then some jobs one needs to **** it up and get some help... hiring is probably the best way... hard to boss family or volunteers around.

 

[Jack Olsen]

I would get a lot of jobs finished quicker if I had help. If I were willing to hire guys to do this stuff, I'd be typing this post from my back yard deck instead of still thinking about what it's going to look like.

But I think the reason I enjoy doing projects around the house is the solitude -- steady, repetitive tasks free up your brain to work on other problems, and there's also something very engaging about those moments where you have to come up with ways to move large, heavy or cumbersome objects when it's just one pair of arms doing the moving.

 

[mad57]

So i guess iam not the only one who looks at those beer commercials and sees the crew bbq and drinking putting up the barn in a day It does seem that ill help every one but when it comes time for a hand in return no bodys around ive got a few buddys but just not when i need them.

 

[willymakeit]

There was an article in Fine Home Building a few years ago about this.

 

[Ocho]

My wife is pretty good about helping with stuff like paint, clean up, sanding, etc. She tries to help with demo and construction, but a 94lb helper is somewhat limited in those roles.

I once had my daughter "help" while I cleaned gutters. She was about seven or eight at the time, the wife was gone and the job needed to be done that day.

Me: Honey, just stand in the front yard there and watch me.

Her: Sure Dad. Um, what do you want me to do?

Me: Nothing...unless I fall off this roof, then I want you to call 911.

From that one single time, she still tells people her job is to "call 911".

 

[tdkkart]

I once had my daughter "help" while I cleaned gutters. She was about seven or eight at the time, the wife was gone and the job needed to be done that day.

Me: Honey, just stand in the front yard there and watch me.

Her: Sure Dad. Um, what do you want me to do?

Me: Nothing...unless I fall off this roof, then I want you to call 911.

From that one single time, she still tells people her job is to "call 911".

Now that she's on 2nd shift, my wife does get to help me on occasion, including calling 911 this spring when I did my fall of the ladder.

After I hit the ground, first words were "G-- D----TT!!! I just broke my leg, call 911".

Knowing that when I ask foa doctor it's pretty serious, she didn't argue........

 

[rodnok1]

At least you can get someone to call 911 for you, I could be popping a splean and missing for 24 hours before someone would come looking and asking what's for dinner...

 

[OccupantRJ]

Well, it went pretty well today, even though it was hot and humid. We started at 6:30 am and had cloud cover until almost lunch. Stripped the roof to the bare deck, tore off and replaced 7 sheets of roof decking, tore off and rebuilt the front overhangs on the original building, and relayered over with felt paper in preparation for the shingle installer. One guy had to leave at lunch, and we finished up at 2:30. I hired the help instead of the roofers to do this work because the guys I used are my friends and relatives, and they all needed paying work. The plus side as I mentioned is that they are concientious and have a similar quality control as me. A major consideration was a trust issue, because with roofers doing that work, they would have had a birds-eye view of the interior of my shop with the plywood torn off, as there is currently no ceiling. With these guys I know DAMN well I don't have anything to worry about.
After the stripping was done, I only had to go 2 miles to get the materials the guys needed, which sure is nice. Gone for less than 10 minutes, and right back to work. All went well, and I'm more satisfied with the condition of my building. Having 2 Paslode cordless nailers in action didn't hurt either.The rest of my rebuild I can do mostly alone. I'll have to classify today's efforts as a success.


RJ

 

[monte433]

I usually work alone, how can I tell others what to do when I don't know what I'am doing untill I do it LOL.

 

[blaze_125]

Do you guys ever run into not being able to get help, due to timing or whatever, even though you yourself may go out of your way to help others?

All the time.
It's a sad reality; some people are givers, some are takers.
I just try to do my best doing it my-self.

With time... I realize a soar back is not always worth it though.

 

[crewchief888]

Knowing that when I ask foa doctor it's pretty serious, she didn't argue........

At least you can get someone to call 911 for you, I could be popping a splean and missing for 24 hours before someone would come looking and asking what's for dinner...

LOl i gotta be hurt pretty bad before i go to the dr for anything.

when we 1st got together, she didnt understand what was involved working on constuction eq. and being a mechanic i'd come home with my knuckles bleeding, arms scraped up, limping, and an occasional knot on my head. she was usually ready to rush me to the ER, until she met some friends of mine. (all working class people, and a LOT of mechanics) somebody was always cut, bruised, couldnt stand up, or walk.
last time i called her on the way to the ER she was like " i'll be there when i finish watching this movie, whats the big deal ? "

she walked in as the surgeon was finishing up the last of the 60 stiches in my cheek and lip.
\

 

[kursplat]

Today should be a hell of a sight mentally different day than last week working alone in the heat was, don't you think? Do you guys ever run into not being able to get help, due to timing or whatever, even though you yourself may go out of your way to help others? Has anyone developed any good tricks to working alone, such as helping hands, clamping devices, trick methods, or whatever?
RJ

it's all in the riggin'

I would get a lot of jobs finished quicker if I had help. If I were willing to hire guys to do this stuff, I'd be typing this post from my back yard deck instead of still thinking about what it's going to look like.

But I think the reason I enjoy doing projects around the house is the solitude -- steady, repetitive tasks free up your brain to work on other problems, and there's also something very engaging about those moments where you have to come up with ways to move large, heavy or cumbersome objects when it's just one pair of arms doing the moving.

i don't even have a radio in my garage anymore. i'm enjoying not listening to any one talk while i'm working on something

 

[rwhite692]

I work alone most of the time.

A couple years ago, my inlaws, for Christmas, bought me a Rockwell Jawhorse. My mother-in-law is infirm, and so often will see an ad for something on TV and buy it as a gift. This is what happened with the Jawhorse.

Anyway, the thing sat in it's box for a month or two after Christmas, before I got around to unboxing it and seeing what it was all about. I had never heard of the thing and I was skeptical.

That thing has turned out to be one of the most useful tools I've ever had. I use the **** out of it and abuse it without mercy. I have to say, if you work alone most of the time, get one and you WILL find it to be extremely handy.

Just to be able to grab something (like a large door, for example) and drop it in the jaws and then with one or two quick jabs with your foot, and the thing has got a firm hold of the door.

I also use it for welding projects as well.

They go on sale on Amazon from time to time. Get one, you won't be disappointed.

 

[tcianci]

Boy, I know what you guys are talking about. I basically don't count on anyone when it comes to doing things around the house. It does require getting pretty creative at times but good skills and technique usually come of it.

 

[Mike in Ohio]

I usually work alone too, I hope after I miss a couple of suppers someone will come looking but I'm not sure.

On the other hand for big jobs like setting the trusses on my shop, 2 phone calls was all it took. One to my dad who showed up with a couple of his retired buddies, and one to a friend of mine who showed up with his 2 teenage boys who also brought a couple of their friends. Those kids didn't know what they were doing but they listened VERY well to us old guys and darn near worked us to death. Kind of amazing but 10% unemployment around here and those kids can find and hold decent jobs. I hope my daughter turns out as well.

 

[Kev442]

last time i called her on the way to the ER she was like " i'll be there when i finish watching this movie, whats the big deal ? "

she walked in as the surgeon was finishing up the last of the 60 stiches in my cheek and lip.
\

I'm a one man band on projects.
When I f'ed up my hand last year, no one at the hospital could understand that I told my wife to go home, eat supper, relax and swing by at 10 PM or so, that's when I would get out of surgery. What is she supposed to accomplish sitting in the waiting room for 6 hours?

 

[regguy1]

I work alone most of the time.

A couple years ago, my inlaws, for Christmas, bought me a Rockwell Jawhorse. My mother-in-law is infirm, and so often will see an ad for something on TV and buy it as a gift. This is what happened with the Jawhorse.

Anyway, the thing sat in it's box for a month or two after Christmas, before I got around to unboxing it and seeing what it was all about. I had never heard of the thing and I was skeptical.

That thing has turned out to be one of the most useful tools I've ever had. I use the **** out of it and abuse it without mercy. I have to say, if you work alone most of the time, get one and you WILL find it to be extremely handy.

Just to be able to grab something (like a large door, for example) and drop it in the jaws and then with one or two quick jabs with your foot, and the thing has got a firm hold of the door.

I also use it for welding projects as well.

They go on sale on Amazon from time to time. Get one, you won't be disappointed.

I agree about the JawHorse, I bought one a few months ago and it seems to come in handy for more tasks that I imagined.

A definate buy

 

[CUSTOMMANCAVES.COM]

I called two of my closest "car guy" friends when I got my new lift to assist with the installation. "Sorry, I'm busy" they said. So, I did as much as I could myself then hired a professional installer to finish.

Now that said friends are calling to use the lift, I tell them "Sorry...I have a car stored on it without wheels...I'll let you know when it's free."

I have to figure out a way to make it coin-operated.

 

[Grumpy365]

I work with my dad on all my construction projects, He is 65 and he can work anybody I know into the ground.

I work on my car and welding projects by my self.

 

[Torque1st]

I do most of my work alone. I can occasionally get my son to help with something but it is usually only for a short time. I have one neighbor that always wants about $75/hr to help with anything and another neighbor that will help when needed. Guess which one gets a lot of help from me. I do help the $$$ guy also but he never asks for my help. When working alone I use rigging of all sorts to hold and move things. I will have to check out that Jawhorse.

 

[nate379]

I work on stuff myself pretty much.

Had help a few times from a friend and his wife turned around and made it seem like he helped me for weeks on end when it was just a few hours. I told her bring the kids and dogs out and they can have fun outside... I got the worse laser eye stare I have ever seen in my life. Apparently grass and the sun is bad for kids? They are 5, 3 and 1.

 

[Rixter58]

Great thread......I also will only ask for help after EVERY other option has been exhausted. I get tired of people offering to help and not really meaning it or thinking a couple hours help from them should have you indebted to them for the rest of your life. Then I've got the buddies who are always asking for help...or hinting that I should help. I'm the same about borrowing. I simply do not borrow anything to or from anyone.

 

[firebird 97]

Up an tell a few weeks ago I did everything myself. My wife has made some new friends and thier husbands offered to help me with a few projects things I know I can do alone easly have done them before. But I said ok it was nice to have help doing the projects and to have some one to talk to. But I still like to do things alone since I work nights and everyone else works days.

 

[Indy_500]

I can fly... Can you fly?


Fly home buddy... I work alone

 

[JerseyJim]

Boy... I thought it was just me! Glad to see I have some company. I have always been the one who volunteers to help (or gets volunteered by my wife). But when I really need it, the only way that I get help is to ask for it. I’ve never been one to do that. I look at all the people that I have helped and feel that I shouldn’t have to ask. Fat chance! The comment I get after the fact as they are admiring the product of my solo effort is that I should have asked for help. Right!

Years ago my mother-in-law lived in a two story house that only had a bathroom on the second floor. As she became older, climbing the steps became a real problem. My wife asked if it was possible to build a bathroom on the first floor. I did the plans and committed to doing the job, figuring that I would get help from her brother and her sister’s husband. Her brother refused to help saying that putting the bathroom in would ruin the value of the home. The other brother-in-law wanted to be paid. Needless to say, I did most of the work myself.

P.S. When Mom passed away and the house was sold, the selling point was the beautiful bathroom on the first floor.

 

[padstack]

I have a really good neighbor that will help whenever he is free (I certainly don't expect someone else to drop what they're doing to do my goofy ****) and I do the same for him. My main rul eof thumb though - I'll help anyone with 24-48 hours notice (a week if it's a BIG job that would require me to need a babysitter on the weekends if the wife has something planned).

My father in law is the king of "Hey can you help me? BTW, I already started and need you right this very second." I flippin' HATE that. Sometimes I tell him no, sometimes I cave. Depends on my mood at the time I guess. I think he's gotten the hint lately though as he hasn't asked me to help out.

I do as muhc as I can myself though so I don't feel like I "owe" anyone anything.

 

[yimbo]

I did alot of my building myself including putting some of my 18' long steel roof panels up on a 5:12 pitch roof and putting up 2 32' and 1 22' truss by my self, the 32's were tough. Its amazing what you can figure out when you can't get help.

 

[OccupantRJ]

All that writing and no pics?

RJ....I'll bring beer and watch.....you know, at my age, it's not good to sweat too much....

See John, I did better than pics, didn't I? You got a first hand look at the workshop, AND a beer out of it!

RJ