# Fools gold



## PLUMMER47 (Dec 9, 2006)

jakeo said:


> WOW!!!! You are only 36 with 20 years experience and four Contractor cards???.......You must have graduated from high school at 4years of age and then went to apprenticeship classes 7 nights a week because (if my math is correct) inorder to get a apprenticeship here you need 2 years of working experience and have a high school diploma or a GED and then the program is a minimum of 4 years. AND X4......WHEW.....Makes me feel stupid.LMAOFF


Thats because he didn't take the union route, its amazing what a good education and hard work will do for you......unfortunately success brings out the haters too


----------



## Greenbush future (Sep 8, 2005)

I just love the "free advice" thing, like it's somehow bad to share and offer the correct way to do a project. If you are out to make $ and feel advice is worth cash maybe this site isn't your best place to read or spend time (as defined by the original). I mean if you can earn $$ by just giving correct advice, go for it. I'll throw my business to folks here, that truely are here to help. 
JP, I'm going to need those counters installed this year when my renters leave. Thanks for all the good advice on how to do it.


----------



## Ranger Ray (Mar 2, 2003)

Heck, I know builders that have been in the business for 30 years that I wouldn't let build my picket fence. :lol:


----------



## troutguy26 (Apr 28, 2011)

Ranger Ray said:


> Heck, I know builders that have been in the business for 30 years that I wouldn't let build my picket fence. :lol:


Exactly. After being in the business for many years but not currently i could count on one hand how people id trust. That goes for advice and skill.


----------



## jakeo (Sep 14, 2004)

In short.......if I can help anyone ....no matter what it is......count me in!


----------



## andy9086 (Jan 10, 2010)

It may surprise some of you that I do help people all the time. I am trying to help some of you here save time and money by asking someone knowledgeable for help instead of "Joe' who knows everything about nothing. Water and gas in Mechanical systems are both very dangerous, just like thin ice. Would you (haters) send someone onto thin ice if you weren't 100% it was safe? Also, despite the worst business climate in ages I have only missed one day of work (that I actually wanted to work) in the last 20 years. Again money was not a motivating factor for starting this thread. For some reason my age is wrong on my profile page, I'm 38. Started at 17 a day after high school was over. FYI 3 years experience to get a journeyman card, 2 more after to get a Master, boiler requires actually installing boilers under some supervision, Mechanical takes very little time and building until recently required no actually job experience. Doesn't mean that any are easy to get!


----------



## jakeo (Sep 14, 2004)

andy9086 said:


> It may surprise some of you that I do help people all the time. I am trying to help some of you here save time and money by asking someone knowledgeable for help instead of "Joe' who knows everything about nothing. Water and gas in Mechanical systems are both very dangerous, just like thin ice. Would you (haters) send someone onto thin ice if you weren't 100% it was safe? Also, despite the worst business climate in ages I have only missed one day of work (that I actually wanted to work) in the last 20 years. Again money was not a motivating factor for starting this thread. For some reason my age is wrong on my profile page, I'm 38. Started at 17 a day after high school was over. FYI 3 years experience to get a journeyman card, 2 more after to get a Master, boiler requires actually installing boilers under some supervision, Mechanical takes very little time and building until recently required no actually job experience. Doesn't mean that any are easy to get!


Sorry about the numbers.....Ohio is different. I did as you but stayed with electrical trade. I started at the company at 16, (shop boy), Ended up purchasing the company at early age with employees that taught me and always had respect for them and still do.
Advise given on here can get carried away BUT I think 99% of us would recomend a professional if any project deemed necessary.
Yes I know Michigan is different........Ohio address means No Masters for me in Michigan.....LOL


----------



## fathom this (Feb 10, 2008)

Ranger Ray said:


> Heck, I know builders that have been in the business for 30 years that I wouldn't let build my picket fence. :lol:


 Just shows you how much easier it is to get a licence today than it was thirty five years ago when I got mine. I am told that for a few bucks you can purchase all info needed to pass the test. Not so in my day, it actually took a lot of time to learn on the job. Just because someone is licenced today doesn't mean they have been in the business long enough to know squat. I know several people who after doing a non licenced job for a friend decided that they could be a " contractor "
They didn't have any working relations with sub contractors or suppliers and didn't know what it takes to make a customer proud to say you did their work and recomend you. I can now see work I have done from Wash. DC to Kansas City Kansas and all parts in-between.


----------



## outdoor junkie (Sep 16, 2003)

Now that you all are done beating on your chest's lets jus tget down to the brass tacks. Alot of the people on here come and ask questions to get a round about idea, eve nif it is not to do the job themselve's it at least gives them some reference whe nthe contractor comes in. Maybe it will save them a few bucks by not haveing the contractor check certain things or tearing into things that not need be. We all know there are a ton of shady contractors in our state that will and do stuff that doesn't need to be done to make a few extra bucks. So for some this is just a little more piece of mind so they do not go into their ordeal blind.


----------



## fathom this (Feb 10, 2008)

outdoor junkie said:


> Now that you all are done beating on your chest's lets jus tget down to the brass tacks. Alot of the people on here come and ask questions to get a round about idea, eve nif it is not to do the job themselve's it at least gives them some reference whe nthe contractor comes in. Maybe it will save them a few bucks by not haveing the contractor check certain things or tearing into things that not need be. We all know there are a ton of shady contractors in our state that will and do stuff that doesn't need to be done to make a few extra bucks. So for some this is just a little more piece of mind so they do not go into their ordeal blind.


 I am not sure that was well said but it was to the point!!!!


----------



## Masterplumber5000 (Dec 26, 2010)

As a Master plumber, I have noticed a lot of posts where people are genuinely trying to help people out. But a lot of what I see kind of reminds me of the blind leading the blind. I occasionally will lend a comment, but I would rather sit back and see what happens.
It is crazy how many times I have gone to someones house where they have made the problem worse or caused thousands of dollars of damage by trying to save a few bucks.
I have been told that I dont know what i'm doing by the "jacks of all trades" many times because I do things the right way (not the cheapest). The way I was trained and from the day to day experience I have.
Anyway, the point I am trying to make is, as a professional I can see the point of view of the OP. When you dedicate your life to a specific trade and someone with not even 1000th of the experience acts like they have a clue it can be somewhat comical.


----------



## fathom this (Feb 10, 2008)

Masterplumber5000 said:


> As a Master plumber, I have noticed a lot of posts where people are genuinely trying to help people out. But a lot of what I see kind of reminds me of the blind leading the blind. I occasionally will lend a comment, but I would rather sit back and see what happens.
> It is crazy how many times I have gone to someones house where they have made the problem worse or caused thousands of dollars of damage by trying to save a few bucks.
> I have been told that I dont know what i'm doing by the "jacks of all trades" many times because I do things the right way (not the cheapest). The way I was trained and from the day to day experience I have.
> Anyway, the point I am trying to make is, as a professional I can see the point of view of the OP. When you dedicate your life to a specific trade and someone with not even 1000th of the experience acts like they have a clue it can be somewhat comical.


I have had people call me and want me to come to their house and fix what a fly-by-night contractor screwed up for them. I politely declined my services! Check references first before you hire. A good contractor welcomes the inquiries.


----------



## outdoor junkie (Sep 16, 2003)

fathom this said:


> I am not sure that was well said but it was to the point!!!!


I'm not a writer, just a dumb ol contractor.


----------



## Zofchak (Jan 10, 2003)

andy9086 said:


> I am a licensed Builder, Master Plumber, Boiler installer and Mechanical contractor with 20 years experience in the traders. I read this section frequently. It is good for my daily laugh. It reminds me of the guy working in the big box stores, the blind leading the blind. Most of you would be better served to keep your 2 cents. Just saying.



:gaga::gaga::gaga:


This is a sub-forum on an outdoor sports web site. It's not as if everyone here is claiming to be the expert on everything discussed (Well I guess at least one person may be :lol. Also, I'm pretty sure most of us are intelligent enough to make up our own mind on how we use any advice we may receive here.


----------



## ibthetrout (Sep 24, 2003)

I for one really appreciate this forum. There are plenty of us that are pretty handy and with a bit of pointing in the right direction we can do plenty of stuff ourselves. I designed, drew the plans, and built my own house......I work in IT! Usually all I need is some basic understanding to get the job done myself and I often get that here.

From the help of the guys here I have done things that people said were dangerous and I would kill myself....like replacing the torsion spring on my garage door......twice now! Thanks Polarbear! My well pump went out and with the guys here I actually replaced it myself, much easier than I thought. The point is depending on your skills you may or may not need a pro. Only you can decide.


----------



## fathom this (Feb 10, 2008)

ibthetrout said:


> I for one really appreciate this forum. There are plenty of us that are pretty handy and with a bit of pointing in the right direction we can do plenty of stuff ourselves. I designed, drew the plans, and built my own house......I work in IT! Usually all I need is some basic understanding to get the job done myself and I often get that here.
> 
> From the help of the guys here I have done things that people said were dangerous and I would kill myself....like replacing the torsion spring on my garage door......twice now! Thanks Polarbear! My well pump went out and with the guys here I actually replaced it myself, much easier than I thought. The point is depending on your skills you may or may not need a pro. Only you can decide.


As a "professional" I urge you to use caution when tinkering with torsion bar systems. I had a bar slip out of a drum one time and a pair of vice grips I had attached to it went flying through two of my fingers then through all the one inch rungs of my wood step ladder. I now leave them to the professional door people. I was probably lucky to live to learn my lesson.


----------



## troutguy26 (Apr 28, 2011)

Lol had a similar expereince myself. It threw the screw gun across the garage shattering it on the floor and dam near ripped my arm off. Happened so fast it was unbeleivable, didnt even know what happened. Been a little gun shy since.


----------



## Steve (Jan 15, 2000)

Yeah I don't mess with garage door torsion bars.


----------



## ibthetrout (Sep 24, 2003)

Well, I've done 2 and I will continue to do my own. It can be dangerous, but I take my time and I am cautious. When I first posted asking for help all I got were responses like the above.....you'll kill yourself, let a pro do it. But here I am....still alive! I made sure I understood everything I could about what I was doing. Even those pros you hire had to do it for the first time at some point. I guess you could say I am just a couple hundred torsion springs from being a pro. I can also say that I have had more than a couple of "pros" whos work I was not at all happy with. I have found myself scratching my head a few times thinking "well I could have done that". Why, because the work they did was no better than I would have done and I am paying for it, so I expect it to absolutely be better than my own work. To each their own, you continue to pay, I'll continue to do it myself. I also enjoy it!


----------



## WALLEYE MIKE (Jan 7, 2001)

ibthetrout said:


> Well, I've done 2 and I will continue to do my own. It can be dangerous, but I take my time and I am cautious. When I first posted asking for help all I got were responses like the above.....you'll kill yourself, let a pro do it. But here I am....still alive! I made sure I understood everything I could about what I was doing. Even those pros you hire had to do it for the first time at some point. I guess you could say I am just a couple hundred torsion springs from being a pro. I can also say that I have had more than a couple of "pros" whos work I was not at all happy with. I have found myself scratching my head a few times thinking "well I could have done that". Why, because the work they did was no better than I would have done and I am paying for it, so I expect it to absolutely be better than my own work. To each their own, you continue to pay, I'll continue to do it myself. I also enjoy it!


Did mine too. Took my time and really watched what I was doing.

Done many electrical projects, plumbing projects, roofing, brickwork When taking out a window to put in a doorwall. Even adding a 12x13 sunroom with fireplace. Had to take down a partial wall (12 ft wide) and put up a steel beam in the opening. Also completely redid the kitchen (new counters, ceramic floor, built-in appliances, rerouting plumbing and electrical). All with the help from help shows on TV such as This Old House and others.

So forums like this one is very handy for the do-it-yourselfers.

About the only thing I haven't done myself was to put in a new boiler in my house. New one has much more involved that just replacing the old one due to being 40 years newer with updated components.


----------

