What did you do today?

[zannej]

They used Covid as an excuse to delay court cases 2 to 3 years here-- even though the courts were closed less than 6 months. I hope you get your pension soon, Incognito.

I rested today. Left knee is not liking me and not cooperating much. I did some mild cleaning and cooked myself some grilled cheese sammiches. Fed kitties. Brought a case of water into the living room, and tried to get cats off my face. Attempted to install windows 10 upgrade but it wouldn't work. Tried about 3x. Transferred data from my laptop to a thumb drive so I can transfer it to my desktop.

I'm about to nap until Mom gets up and wants food. I'm looking around and I see Bethesda curled up on my computer, Itsy on a box, Mewlatto is next to me on a pillow, and Yasuke is also next to me but near my legs putting his paws on me. I think the dog, Princess, is hiding under the covers in the nest she made from blankets and pillows she stole from my bed.

 

[Floorist]

So this process is all done. If i want to continue to vote and participate in union activities it's about $98 a year in quarterly dues. This membership status does NOT allow me to ever work with the tools in our trade. I can do anything else------even working for union shops in any capacity so long as it's not covered in our contract.
Still haven't got my first monthly pension check. When they get my boss' last benefit contribution they can accurately set my monthly check. They'll make good all the back pay-----normally it's a month or two delayed. With Covid as the universal BS excuse for bureaucrats God only knows.

What about free work for family?

 

[highup]

Got a couple old timers in my area that only use brick chisel's for a stair tool. Not sure if they grind the edge off first or if it's just worn off over the course of 60 years in the trade.

I love watching other installers routine/ tool selection. I've picked up a lot of little things that make **** go so much smoother. Watched a Mexican crew when I was on vaca in Vegas about 10 years ago. They used a bic pen with the ink cartridge removed for a row runner in carpet. Damn if that wasn't a great idea! I pretty much use that method when I get stuck doing that fuzzy crap.

It's great until the friction/heat let's the ball fall out.

 

[highup]

So this process is all done. If i want to continue to vote and participate in union activities it's about $98 a year in quarterly dues. This membership status does NOT allow me to ever work with the tools in our trade. I can do anything else------even working for union shops in any capacity so long as it's not covered in our contract.
Still haven't got my first monthly pension check. When they get my boss' last benefit contribution they can accurately set my monthly check. They'll make good all the back pay-----normally it's a month or two delayed. With Covid as the universal BS excuse for bureaucrats God only knows.

Union stuff makes me think of how wonderful it might be to live in a gated community with a "homeowners association "
You have to ask before mowing your lawn or painting your mailbox.
I'm a square peg. I'd never survive in the structured world.

 

[DarisMulkin]

It's great until the friction/heat let's the ball fall out.

I was doing a CFI certification in Texas and a young man in my group was using a Vic pen for a row runner. Told him to take the ink out of it and scrub the tip around entil it left no mark. He didn't on either, what a mess he had. All over his hands, clothes, and the carpet piece. But if the pen is empty they do make excellent row runners. I believe the runners that the supply houses sell are fashion after them and knitting needles.

 

[Floorist]

Guess I wasted money buying a row runner.

 

[C.J.]

Have any of you peeps tried one of these? They actually work pretty nifty.

https://www.amazon.com/CRAIN-366-Crain-Row-Finder/dp/B00BC1ZEJI
Looky Looky, it’s Orcon!

https://www.amazon.com/Orcon-Carpet...49-a67e-3aa71c4cecda&pd_rd_i=B00WT2NEQY&psc=1

 

[Incognito]

What about free work for family?

The union isn't chasing after guys doing smallish, odd jobs around town. In fact, they never have in any of the big city areas I've worked----New York, Boston, Los Angeles, San Diego. There's still some shops doing residential work but it's nearly all commercial in these unions and even then the Reps would only ever chase down VERY large job sites as a matter of efficiency.
The union wants you to keep paying dues (about $55 a month) if you want to work SOME with the tools------limited to 40 hours a month before they start taxing your pension $ for $. I couldn't possibly work enough on this bum knee to make continuing the regular dues payments logical. I can always re-up/change my membership status and keep my Life Membership should that change. Should circumstances change and I were back working primarily in management with the need to help out the guys here and there I would insist my employer add the union dues onto my other $perks$ (travel/tech/medical/dental/bonus schemes)

 

[Incognito]

Union stuff makes me think of how wonderful it might be to live in a gated community with a "homeowners association "
You have to ask before mowing your lawn or painting your mailbox.
I'm a square peg. I'd never survive in the structured world.

A man does what he has to do to get along or get ahead. You'd fit in just fine, real quick if you had to. It's not so difficult. I'm going to tell you nearly everything you know about unions is influenced by the FAKE NEWS you've been exposed to your entire life. FAKE NEWS has been dumping on unions since the 19th century so normal folks have bizzaro understanding of what's really going on in the world--------just like all the rest of the pictures FAKE NEWS paints for you.

 

[kwfloors]

Went to a sale today which I never do as it had some flooring tools. Got there just as he was rolling stuff out. Ended out talking to him for an hour. Commercial installer from Seattle that knew several people that I knew. I picked up this stuff for $100.

 

[Incognito]

Went to a sale today which I never do as it had some flooring tools. Got there just as he was rolling stuff out. Ended out talking to him for an hour. Commercial installer from Seattle that knew several people that I knew. I picked up this stuff for $100.
View attachment 15211

That's a CRAZY price for all three?

 

[Floorist]

A man does what he has to do to get along or get ahead. You'd fit in just fine, real quick if you had to. It's not so difficult. I'm going to tell you nearly everything you know about unions is influenced by the FAKE NEWS you've been exposed to your entire life. FAKE NEWS has been dumping on unions since the 19th century so normal folks have bizzaro understanding of what's really going on in the world--------just like all the rest of the pictures FAKE NEWS paints for you.

Worked in the Kansas City area for 20 years. There was only one union store and they had two installers. Checked out working for them once, would have been a huge pay cut. The insurance would have been nice, but no way I could have made a living working there. We were clearing three times what they were making. Left there in 92, don't know if it changed. Guy who taught me had been union at one time. A couple things he told me seemed odd. He said you could not tuck with a trimmer. And even if you just had a few minutes left on a job, when quitting time came, you quit and left it for the day.
I worked for some odd people but nothing like that. Jim Walker, founder of CFI, would fire you for having a tacker in your truck.
Worked for Big Bob's used carpet store. I installed the new stuff he sold like wovens. Some of the guys he had install the used could barely keep the fuzzy side up.

 

[kwfloors]

Yes, all three for $100. Couldn't pass it up.

 

[highup]

Have any of you peeps tried one of these? They actually work pretty nifty.

https://www.amazon.com/CRAIN-366-Crain-Row-Finder/dp/B00BC1ZEJI
Looky Looky, it’s Orcon!

https://www.amazon.com/Orcon-Carpet...49-a67e-3aa71c4cecda&pd_rd_i=B00WT2NEQY&psc=1

That Crain row finder could also be used to saw a hoagie in half at lunch time.

 

[highup]

A man does what he has to do to get along or get ahead. You'd fit in just fine, real quick if you had to. It's not so difficult. I'm going to tell you nearly everything you know about unions is influenced by the FAKE NEWS you've been exposed to your entire life. FAKE NEWS has been dumping on unions since the 19th century so normal folks have bizzaro understanding of what's really going on in the world--------just like all the rest of the pictures FAKE NEWS paints for you.

I just don't like the structured life.
If you have a crappy teacher or a crappy longshoreman, it's almost impossible to fire them. Wonder why that is.
....oh my God, it's almost noon, I should probably be getting to work.

 

[DarisMulkin]

Crain actually has 2 runners like that. One is for residential [plush] type carpets and the other for commercial type and they both work very good.

 

[Incognito]

Worked in the Kansas City area for 20 years. There was only one union store and they had two installers. Checked out working for them once, would have been a huge pay cut. The insurance would have been nice, but no way I could have made a living working there. We were clearing three times what they were making. Left there in 92, don't know if it changed. Guy who taught me had been union at one time. A couple things he told me seemed odd. He said you could not tuck with a trimmer. And even if you just had a few minutes left on a job, when quitting time came, you quit and left it for the day.
I worked for some odd people but nothing like that. Jim Walker, founder of CFI, would fire you for having a tacker in your truck.
Worked for Big Bob's used carpet store. I installed the new stuff he sold like wovens. Some of the guys he had install the used could barely keep the fuzzy side up.

We could trade extremist, anecdotal, crazy stories of installers both union and nonunion. Generally from working quite a bit in both worlds IN MY EXPERIENCE the union wages and benefits acted like a filter/screen to eliminate the lowest of the low (quality and production). No one could stay in business paying that lowest skilled and lazy worker a decent pay package. Those workers do exist on the fringes........but those marginal hangers on eventually drop out of the union after every shop in the region sees their work. Funny, I do run into them installing non-union every so often. They just make way less in almost every example.

I've certainly also seen some of the exceptional non-union installers out there in prime circumstances making killer, near-obscene incomes. I know of no example where this is ONE guy working alone with the tools (making obscene $$$) . By that I mean the guys making a couple hundred thousand a year and more are always using at least a helper, usually more who are making 1/2 to 1/3 Journeyman wages. So that is actually the norm for the nonunion crews everywhere I've seen. One guy gets the lions share at the expense of his help. It's just not common to have the one guy by himself pumping out any substantial volume of work at high prices for a sustained period. We simply have too much competition to allow for that. Those helpers usurp that great slot for an ever declining piece rate til the market finds balance. Oh, that pendulum will always swing back past the happy medium. Well, only so long as men have worked for wages/piece work.

 

[Floorist]

Cost of living is far less here than in a big city, but I made a higher per yard fee than I did in KC. when I first moved here. I always charged more than everyone else and still turned down work. In my 40 years of installing here, I never had a call back that was my fault. I did many repairs of other guys work. I only had one job that did not pay me.
I installed one of those awful kitchen carpets. When I pulled out the stove, fire shot out of the outlet. The tenant was a woman in a wheel chair so I did not plug the stove back in, I was afraid of a fire, Landlord refused to pay me for the installation because of that. Electrician who went into to fix it, never got paid either.
Did several free installation jobs and a bunch of free repairs.
Worked by myself for the last 10 years. Had 4 apt complexes and several house flippers.

 

[kwfloors]

Been working alone for the last 10 years myself. I have a couple of furniture movers that can get my big carpets in when needed. Had one of my coating jobs that I did last year blow off this year. Found a Westcoat system that could fix it and got to work with a couple of guys fixing it. Had to scarify the products off and start new. They might want me to help them in the future as much as I helped.

 

[highup]

Took a cruise today. First start in 2 years.
They don't make engines with the chunkity chunk sound anymore.
This probably has 375hp, the new 800hp engines have a gurgle sound instead of chunkity chunk.
I like the latter. This is a 70 1/2 Z28. Last of the 11.2/1 compression.
In 1972 I think everything dropped to 8 or 8.5 compressionnso that the earth wouldn't be on fire and like we're all gonna die soon.
Anyway, had a 10 mile cruise and some fresh air.....
.....less fresh for the people behind us, but hey........ nostalgia trump's hybrid cars any day, ......every day.
I wished I looked this good when I was 52 1/2