12-10-2009, 05:34 PM
People ask me why I don't do more carpentry at home. And today was a prime example of why I don't.
I finally decided to replace the back door. The back was twisted and broken and leaked hot air like a sieve. Basically, because it was a sieve. I also spent the last week at work on the "Social Network" hanging doors and doing hardware. What could be easier than doing what I had done all week at home?
If I were to hang a door at work and put in all the hardware, it would probably take me an hour. Today's little remodel on the back porch took five. I'm the same guy. I'm doing the same job and yet, five hours later I'm still hanging the door. If I did that at work, I'd be fired.
What's the difference? First off, there are 100k worth of tools lying around for my benefit. I'd get the door boring jig for the hardware and I get the Bosch kit to do dap in the hinges. There would be drill motors and routers to hand for all my little tasks. Someone else would buy the door and bring it to me. They'd find me the hardware. And when I was done somebody else would come in and clean up the mess I had made. Don't get me started on the union problems I would face if I were to even attempt to paint the door.
At home those conveniences are sadly missing. I didn't have the expensive door boring jig, so I bought the $12 happy homemaker one at the Home Depot, home of the door and the hardware, too. And at twelve big dollars, you get what you pay for. I had to make my own template to rout out the hinges. I did have the routers, but I had to do a lot of digging to find the proper router bit to do the cutting. I dug through the scattered tools for drill bits. My chisels desperately needed sharpening. Granted, the tool collection is a lot better than it was, but it's still not close to what it needs to be. As a by product of the job, I'll probably buy the two door kits to cut holes in doors and never use them in this house.
It comes to being a pain in the ass. But it needed to be done, so the ass pain I will take.
I finally decided to replace the back door. The back was twisted and broken and leaked hot air like a sieve. Basically, because it was a sieve. I also spent the last week at work on the "Social Network" hanging doors and doing hardware. What could be easier than doing what I had done all week at home?
If I were to hang a door at work and put in all the hardware, it would probably take me an hour. Today's little remodel on the back porch took five. I'm the same guy. I'm doing the same job and yet, five hours later I'm still hanging the door. If I did that at work, I'd be fired.
What's the difference? First off, there are 100k worth of tools lying around for my benefit. I'd get the door boring jig for the hardware and I get the Bosch kit to do dap in the hinges. There would be drill motors and routers to hand for all my little tasks. Someone else would buy the door and bring it to me. They'd find me the hardware. And when I was done somebody else would come in and clean up the mess I had made. Don't get me started on the union problems I would face if I were to even attempt to paint the door.
At home those conveniences are sadly missing. I didn't have the expensive door boring jig, so I bought the $12 happy homemaker one at the Home Depot, home of the door and the hardware, too. And at twelve big dollars, you get what you pay for. I had to make my own template to rout out the hinges. I did have the routers, but I had to do a lot of digging to find the proper router bit to do the cutting. I dug through the scattered tools for drill bits. My chisels desperately needed sharpening. Granted, the tool collection is a lot better than it was, but it's still not close to what it needs to be. As a by product of the job, I'll probably buy the two door kits to cut holes in doors and never use them in this house.
It comes to being a pain in the ass. But it needed to be done, so the ass pain I will take.
So much for the flickr badge idea. Dammit