Ouch, did a foundation today! (new job, sort of)

[Hatterasguy]

Ouch I'm not used to this manual labor stuff! Me and another guy had to shovel 5 dumptruck loads of 3/4 gravel, level, compact, and put rebar over it. Getting ready to pour the slab on a new house, the twin is next door, and waiting for us monday. The trick is to get it perfectly level with no dips so they have to use as little concrete as possible, this increases your profit margin.

Muscles that I didn't even know I had are hurting! I'm applying a bit of vodka to numb the pain, seems to be working. This manual labor stuff isn't bad though, its certianly interesting because I'm doing something different everyday. Yesterday we were prepping another house he is doing for inspection so the dry wall crew could get in and finish it off. Tuesday we may be breaking ground on said raised ranch's twin, not sure yet.

My uncle shows and amazing ability to run an excavator and talk on his cell phone the whole time. He placed every bucket perfectly and didn't crush me between the bucket and wall. That new Volvo he got is a nice machine to, very quite. Its nice being the owner...being in the machine is the place to be.


Were going to do the beer bottle thing with the Komatsu though because its quite a bite larger than the Volvo and has a huge reach so it will be harder!

[cmac2012]

Aye, laddie buck, tha's the stuff, mate.

Soon, you're gone tuh be a buff workin' man, sure nuff.

My old man used to level the gravel carefully so as to not run out the truck before the job was done, and save $$ of course.

[TMAllison]

Smart guys always get to push levers and buttons; the rest use tools with handles.

[Hatterasguy]

Well my other uncle builds them with a cell phone and check book, but their is a cost to that.

[cmac2012]

I think a balance tween working with mind and with body is the way to go. Some of the toughest guys I've met are in construction. Lifting weights is mindless -- building a house works your body and your mind at the same time.

OTOH, lifelong tradesmen don't do too well at retirement time, often as not.

[Ara T.]

No way would I want to do that for longer than 3 months at a time (summer). I like my back, spine, and neck when they're in good condition

And lifting weights isn't mindless, like any exercise it helps your brain too.

[spamman450]

The best way to make sure you are getting the perfect grade before concrete is to use a laser leveler. That way everything is perfect.

here is a excavator i got to run last February. Thats an eight foot tall breaker on the end. Alot of fun!

[Hatterasguy]

Yeah you shoot it with a laser to get it perfect.

Yeah its hard work, but I won't have to do it forever.

[pawoSD]

My team at work had to carry an enormous 250+ lb printer up 3 flights of stairs today, that was fun. (Our elevator is being replaced in our building...)

[cmac2012]

Originally Posted by Ara T.

No way would I want to do that for longer than 3 months at a time (summer). I like my back, spine, and neck when they're in good condition

And lifting weights isn't mindless, like any exercise it helps your brain too.

It's not totally mindless, I do it also, but I see more merit in working your muscles while actually doing useful work.

[kmaysob]

its good for you.

[tankdriver]

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

Ouch I'm not used to this manual labor stuff! Me and another guy had to shovel 5 dumptruck loads of 3/4 gravel, level, compact, and put rebar over it. Getting ready to pour the slab on a new house, the twin is next door, and waiting for us monday. The trick is to get it perfectly level with no dips so they have to use as little concrete as possible, this increases your profit margin.

Muscles that I didn't even know I had are hurting! I'm applying a bit of vodka to numb the pain, seems to be working. This manual labor stuff isn't bad though, its certianly interesting because I'm doing something different everyday. Yesterday we were prepping another house he is doing for inspection so the dry wall crew could get in and finish it off. Tuesday we may be breaking ground on said raised ranch's twin, not sure yet.

Nice. It may not be fun, but you can't beat the satisfaction at the end.

[Hatterasguy]

I don't mind it. I'm learning the business from the bottom up, can't complain about that. Its not bad work either, you do feel good after, and beer tastes sweet!

A lot of the work isn't as labor intensive, Wednesday I spent helping my cousin play forman, and get a house through inspection. You have to make sure everything gets done, so you have to know a little about everything.

The lesson for last week was how to increase your margin by doing as much as possible in house. Also don't pour foundations in the winter because it costs more, and get the rock as flat as possible to reduce the need to concrete which is expensive. I'm learning.

[chilcutt]

Just remember that when you are running "tennessee backhoe" , and the work is greuling ,that pain is weakness leaving the body. You have to develop the ability to focus thru pain. A while back ,we were digging up an old septic line at a farmhouse. The backhoe was having a hard time pulling up the 3in main that was embedded in concrete. The crete ran from the house to the hunny pot. The homeowner was observing our production, and told us that her father had installed all the concrete (mixing by hand) all the no hub cast iron pipe, and the septic tank, as well as the feelers by himself. The only hand tools used were a pick ax and shovel! After I gathered my thoughts about how much WORK this man did, I mentioned that her father had to have been a very strong man. She replied,"oh yes, he could squeeze a pair of pliers in his hand and flatten the handles". Now that was a real man.

[Hatterasguy]

Foundation number 2 is getting done tomarrow! My body is healed so I should be good!