Fake it till you make it

[Big B Hova]

Had a journeyman carpenter "Door guy" show up to my job yesterday (but I wasn't there) So it was my first time meeting him today. Brand new to our company. No one knows him.

My first impression is "Wow this guy is dressed way to nice for a jobsite". Then I saw his harbor freight furniture dolly and I ask "Whats that for?" and He told me "The other foreman told me to make sure I bring my door dolly tomorrow" (For those of you who don't know, a Door dolly is basically a U shaped Block (Wood or metal) with 2 wheels that you can wheel a door standing up on the long end/side of a door. So I said "well thats a furniture dolly, and a really shitty one too"

Fast forward to a couple hours later, I seem him trying to balance a 3-0 x 7-0 metal door on it and roll over electrical cords. I just shake my head and unlock one of our drywall carts and roll it to him and say "Use this"

So I ask him "Whats your backround?" He said "Doors" I replied in the field? or a shop? or cabinet doors? Turns out he was a shop hand at a door / hardware company and only worked out in a field a couple years. Bought his card through the union as a journeyman and this was his first "real" jobsite.

He rolled the board cart with a door on it away and I asked "How are you going to hang that door?" He replied "What do you mean?" I said "You don't have any tools with you! Are you going to turn the screws in the butt hinge by hand?" So he busted out his tool belt, with a Giant waffle head framing hammer, a brand new screw gun kit with no screwstips, and a 2 foot empire level.

It was this point When I made the call to my super and said This guy has gotta go. This kind of lack of skill is expected for an apprentice but not a journeyman.

 

[grumpy88]

I think that was the same guy I hired to put in our French doors !

 

[Your ad here]

I started hanging Timely doors and frames earlier this year and fixing other peoples installs. Pretty simple and easy. Hardly use a level. Just the green line laser. Bought a Porter Cable 126 and a Bosch hinge template guide and am itching to use them. Cut my teeth on knock downs with this one.

 

[gqchris]

I admire his enthusiasm but damn, that sucks. I have had this happen in the IT field also, but its a little different, because I can "remote control" them and help along if they have the right attitude and some knowledge.

Hanging doors with no experience sounds scary as hell though!

 

[BingerFang]

Poor guy just wanted to work, can’t blame him for trying...

 

[lbhsbz]

Had I been you, I would have offered to help him out hanging the door and watched how he worked.

We’ve had some proper dumbfuck appearing folks come through the doors at times that turned out to be goddam geniuses. Most were dumbfucks though.

Then I hung my first door.:.i had no idea what I was doing. Now my doors close if you blow on ‘em, and you can’t fit a business card between the door and the jamb. I use a piece of bedframe angle and a battery circular saw to cut my doors.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

Did his wife have long or short hair? Asking for a friend.

 

[Your ad here]

Had I been you, I would have offered to help him out hanging the door and watched how he worked.

We’ve had some proper dumbfuck appearing folks come through the doors at times that turned out to be goddam geniuses. Most were dumbfucks though.

Then I hung my first door.:.i had no idea what I was doing. Now my doors close if you blow on ‘em, and you can’t fit a business card between the door and the jamb. I use a piece of bedframe angle and a battery circular saw to cut my doors.

One good lesson on how to hang a door goes a long way. Explain the bevel and how to cut, hinge pockets, chiseling corners, Templaco jigs, shimming, tweaking hinges, and you'll have a good hanger.

 

[Yellowboat]

That sounds like the last 10 door and window guys I have hired

 

[lbhsbz]

One good lesson on how to hang a door goes a long way. Explain the bevel and how to cut, hinge pockets, chiseling corners, Templaco jigs, shimming, tweaking hinges, and you'll have a good hanger.

Especially if the door frame is in a 70+ year old house built before they had levels and squares.

Pathagorean Thereom, a single datum, a bit of thought and math along with a square and it’s all good from there

 

[Big B Hova]

Had I been you, I would have offered to help him out hanging the door and watched how he worked.

We’ve had some proper dumbfuck appearing folks come through the doors at times that turned out to be goddam geniuses. Most were dumbfucks though.

Then I hung my first door.:.i had no idea what I was doing. Now my doors close if you blow on ‘em, and you can’t fit a business card between the door and the jamb. I use a piece of bedframe angle and a battery circular saw to cut my doors.

I paired him up with an apprentice that was good with doors because I didn't want him working alone. Gave him 8 hours to figure it out. My apprentice ran circles around him.

 

[Big B Hova]

One good lesson on how to hang a door goes a long way. Explain the bevel and how to cut, hinge pockets, chiseling corners, Templaco jigs, shimming, tweaking hinges, and you'll have a good hanger.

If I had a door company I'd call it Well Hung Doors

 

[Singleton]

Did his wife have long or short hair? Asking for a friend.

He was a good and dedicated family guy.
Sure hope he starts posting again, but I think his wife did not like him posting something so personal and we all know the saying happy wife, happy life. Most likely more productive with the honey-do list without RDP posting.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

He was a good and dedicated family guy.
Sure hope he states posting again, but I think his wife did not like him posting something so personal and we all know the saying happy wife, happy life. Most likely more productive with the honey-do list without RDP posting.

I doubt his wife saw it, who knows if he told her he asked about it here though. Half the responses saying his marriage was flawed and doomed was a little over the top. But maybe those responses were from the guys that have their wives checking up on their online presence.

 

[milkmoney]

I doubt his wife saw it, who knows if he told her he asked about it here though. Half the responses saying his marriage was flawed and doomed was a little over the top. But maybe those responses were from the guys that have their wives checking up on their online presence.

No wife. Happy life .....[emoji39][emoji202]

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[coolchange]

Back in the day I used to do floors / finish.
Walked into a job to install some wood in a back master. It had Cobb 12 light French doors with sidelights.
Job was done except for the floor, and some base and case.
We started bringing tools in. Super came in, we weren't there 10 minutes. I said that's an interesting way to hang some doors. I've Never seen anybody actually hang and finish and hardware a door upside down. Lol
Man was he pissed. And apparently not very observant.

 

[Old Texan]

I always laugh and scratch my head watching the Mexican crews build houses.....Our subdivision is 50 years old and going through a kind of rennaisance of new homes on the scattered vacant lots. There are about 5 builders with one dominant out of Houston. What a mess some make and the punch lists have to be pages long when done. No telling what is getting covered up.

The only house built on our street had the garage door hung and rehung at least 3 times. Unbelievable

 

[Big B Hova]

Back in the day I used to do floors / finish.
Walked into a job to install some wood in a back master. It had Cobb 12 light French doors with sidelights.
Job was done except for the floor, and some base and case.
We started bringing tools in. Super came in, we weren't there 10 minutes. I said that's an interesting way to hang some doors. I've Never seen anybody actually hang and finish and hardware a door upside down. Lol
Man was he pissed. And apparently not very observant.

I had a cabinet installer finish an elevation at a school. Went to pop the doors on and all the upper cabinets were upside down.

 

[DC-88]

Give him a panic hardware set/ closers for a pair of HMF steel doors next if you really want to run him off

 

[Havasu blue label]

Miss those days when you tell the biggest asshole to go get the board stretcher

 

[nrbr]

If he has a great attitude teach him!! Shitty attitude =pink slip. pretty funny about the dolly though

 

[Bigbore500r]

Poor guy just wanted to work, can’t blame him for lying...

Fixed it for ya

 

[Bigbore500r]

If he has a great attitude teach him!! Shitty attitude =pink slip. pretty funny about the dolly though

I agree on teaching and fostering learings - but not while paying them the same rate as the experienced guy who's knocking the work out and has been for the last 10 years! Hire him as a low level apprentice and let him learn the ropes

 

[redone76]

Question...How does one buy a journeyman's card from the union? Can't be easy I'd imagine

 

[Bobby V]

Question...How does one buy a journeyman's card from the union? Can't be easy I'd imagine

In my union you need to have a certain amount of years working in the trade and pay a fee to get in. We rarely do that anymore. We will bring in a non union worker and start him at 3rd period so they can start at a higher wage. They still have to thru the 5 years of training.

 

[DWC]

He was a good and dedicated family guy.
Sure hope he starts posting again, but I think his wife did not like him posting something so personal and we all know the saying happy wife, happy life. Most likely more productive with the honey-do list without RDP posting.

Agree 100%. Good guy and always entertaining posts.

 

[Bigbore500r]

Question...How does one buy a journeyman's card from the union? Can't be easy I'd imagine

If you aren't in the union as a Journeyman, or have worked your way up to that rank thru apprenticeship, you have to have a company that is willing to hire you (sponsor you in) as a Journeyman. Ultimately the market determines if you are a journeyman or not. You may hold the rank, but if you can't perform you are down the road and not working. At least that is how it is supposed to work...but when it is booming like it is now, darwinism often gets put on hold for the sake of having warm bodies

 

[SPFRONTMAN]

I started hanging Timely doors and frames earlier this year and fixing other peoples installs. Pretty simple and easy. Hardly use a level. Just the green line laser. Bought a Porter Cable 126 and a Bosch hinge template guide and am itching to use them. Cut my teeth on knock downs with this one.
View attachment 792588

I've had my 126 since 1985, that sucker has planned alot of doors for me. Do you have any idea where I can get the carbide blade for it, I have 2 and 2 of the regular blades. I want another one, I can't seem to find them anywhere.

 

[Big B Hova]

I've had my 126 since 1985, that sucker has planned alot of doors for me. Do you have any idea where I can get the carbide blade for it, I have 2 and 2 of the regular blades. I want another one, I can't seem to find them anywhere.

I am currently looking for a 126 porter cable or a rockwell planer. We have aprox 200 plus doors that I need to shave 1/16" off the latch side. Apparently no one makes a real door planer anymore. I have a bosch with adjustable fence, and it does work, but not like the old school portercable 126 did.

I was able to find blades for it, just don't remember off hand. I will be buying some soon for my guys planers in the field and I will let you know what I find.

 

[Carlson-jet]

Especially if the door frame is in a 70+ year old house built before they had levels and squares.

Pythagorean Theorem, a single datum, a bit of thought and math along with a square and it’s all good from there

70 years ago, Atomic bombs were being produced along with mass spectrometers that could detect a helium leak at the rate of 5 parts per million. I'm sure levels and squares were mass produced.
Hanging a door is about as complicated as hanging a set of rotors properly these days unless it weighs thousands of lbs.
Let's not get ahead of our skill sets here.

 

[Spot]

I wish that young man all the luck in the world.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[77charger]

When I get a new helper you gotta see what I deal with I had one last week got stuck with the dummy because guy he goes with was on vacation and other guy didn't wanna take him neither did I. Well it was his last day lol. I basically told him end of day I expected more out of him with his time working with us and what he needed to do to improve he said I was too mean to him.

 

[Big B Hova]

When I get a new helper you gotta see what I deal with I had one last week got stuck with the dummy because guy he goes with was on vacation and other guy didn't wanna take him neither did I. Well it was his last day lol. I basically told him end of day I expected more out of him with his time working with us and what he needed to do to improve he said I was too mean to him.

Was he a millennial or Xinillennial or a bitch? (Not sure what the correct term is anymore)

 

[wet hull]

When I get a new helper you gotta see what I deal with I had one last week got stuck with the dummy because guy he goes with was on vacation and other guy didn't wanna take him neither did I. Well it was his last day lol. I basically told him end of day I expected more out of him with his time working with us and what he needed to do to improve he said I was too mean to him.

You and Elijo are beasts. Best moppers around. Knowing both of you, the kid was trained right as he could be. Same kid you brought to my Oceanside job?

 

[SPFRONTMAN]

I am currently looking for a 126 porter cable or a rockwell planer. We have aprox 200 plus doors that I need to shave 1/16" off the latch side. Apparently no one makes a real door planer anymore. I have a bosch with adjustable fence, and it does work, but not like the old school portercable 126 did.

I was able to find blades for it, just don't remember off hand. I will be buying some soon for my guys planers in the field and I will let you know what I find.

Okay thanks. 200+ doors? What did they do, swell up? Hinge side no problem, takes a little longer cause your working backwards.

 

[lf2]

I have a rockwell setup, It could use a new cutter also if you find some i would be interested in one

I am currently looking for a 126 porter cable or a rockwell planer. We have aprox 200 plus doors that I need to shave 1/16" off the latch side. Apparently no one makes a real door planer anymore. I have a bosch with adjustable fence, and it does work, but not like the old school portercable 126 did.

I was able to find blades for it, just don't remember off hand. I will be buying some soon for my guys planers in the field and I will let you know what I find.

 

[Universal Elements]

I am currently looking for a 126 porter cable or a rockwell planer. We have aprox 200 plus doors that I need to shave 1/16" off the latch side. Apparently no one makes a real door planer anymore. I have a bosch with adjustable fence, and it does work, but not like the old school portercable 126 did.

I was able to find blades for it, just don't remember off hand. I will be buying some soon for my guys planers in the field and I will let you know what I find.

https://orangecounty.craigslist.org/tls/d/bonsall-porter-cable-door-planer/6958190156.html

 

[Universal Elements]

Some more

https://offerup.co/e6mvWBq7yZ

https://offerup.co/VXUyVQv7yZ

https://offerup.co/72lR2CA7yZ

 

[Headless hula]

I've had my 126 since 1985, that sucker has planned alot of doors for me. Do you have any idea where I can get the carbide blade for it, I have 2 and 2 of the regular blades. I want another one, I can't seem to find them anywhere.

I am currently looking for a 126 porter cable or a rockwell planer. We have aprox 200 plus doors that I need to shave 1/16" off the latch side. Apparently no one makes a real door planer anymore. I have a bosch with adjustable fence, and it does work, but not like the old school portercable 126 did.

I was able to find blades for it, just don't remember off hand. I will be buying some soon for my guys planers in the field and I will let you know what I find.

Do a Google search for 7 corners hardware in St Paul Minnesota. They are the quintessential big ass old school tool supplier in the midwest. If they dont have what you're after, check with Nye's just outside of Milwaukee.

(Got my journeymans card through apprenticeship in '01) ...


Good luck with your search guys.

 

[Universal Elements]

Do a Google search for 7 corners hardware in St Paul Minnesota. They are the quintessential big ass old school tool supplier in the midwest. If they dont have what you're after, check with Nye's just outside of Milwaukee.

(Got my journeymans card through apprenticeship in '01) ...


Good luck with your search guys.

I believe 7 corners has closed their doors.

 

[77charger]

You and Elijo are beasts. Best moppers around. Knowing both of you, the kid was trained right as he could be. Same kid you brought to my Oceanside job?

Thanks. When I trained elio years ago he was motivated and determined was layed off at previous job boss hired him. Guys a hard worker good guy. Other kid I had is bosses cousin he tried to work 10 years ago couldn't lift an asphalt keg and wimpy amazing what military did for him. I don't have to tell him what to do comes in goes straight to loading truck doesn't slack off I tell him there are no screw ups in this business burns are no joke.

 

[77charger]

Was he a millennial or Xinillennial or a bitch? (Not sure what the correct term is anymore)

I just call em dummy's. I saw some doors being hung in a custom home last week didn't realize how much goes into it and tools involved.definitely not your Home Depot pre hung deal.

 

[Dan Lorenze]

In my union you need to have a certain amount of years working in the trade and pay a fee to get in. We rarely do that anymore. We will bring in a non union worker and start him at 3rd period so they can start at a higher wage. They still have to thru the 5 years of training.

Working in the studios it's the opposite.. Someone brings their kid in and tells me to train them to do my job. This usually happens right after they graduate college. Happens all the time.