[old55]

Hope you have a swift recovery Steve @1fizgig

 

[Cncest]

Is this for etching metal plates? I have not done any of that yet.

It is a KT-QD02 Pneumatic Dot Peen Marking Machine. It will engrave text and graphics on all types of metal. I will post additional information in a separate post.

 

[1fizgig]

Hope you have a swift recovery Steve @1fizgig

Thank Ross

 

[The Hobbyist]

Today, after waiting some eight months ... I finally got the home backup 20Kw generator serviced, and it is working again. $4,200.00 later, of course. 😲

Every day, I try to get up ... get moving (reference to the 70's disco song) and something always seems to get in the way. I was going to drop in on an old country doctor today, to see about renewing the Rx for blood pressure meds. UGH! Getting old SUCKS! I didn't make it today, so if I live through the weekend, I will try to drop in on him on Monday or Tuesday.

I am currently looking to add a powder coat booth and oven to my shop. I think that will be "you know ... the thing" that pushes me to get back into the game. I sure could use a helper. I cannot afford to employ someone full-time or even part-time, but I could pay someone to put in a few hours here and there. My neighbor's son was great, but he is grown up now, out of college, and he is now his own contractor. Good for him! But he doesn't have time to do "small projects" now.

Tomorrow is another day.

Joe

 

[DesertRatTom]

... I sure could use a helper. I cannot afford to employ someone full-time or even part-time, but I could pay someone to put in a few hours here and there. My neighbor's son was great, but he is grown up now, out of college, and he is now his own contractor. Good for him! But he doesn't have time to do "small projects" now.

Joe

I know what you mean about a helper. I turn 79 in about 3 weeks and I recently had to practically go into a fist fight with a cardiologist to stop blood thinner meds prescribed for what turned out to be a mis-diagnosis. Now I get by with just a baby aspirin.

As to a helper, I'd suggest you hire a teen ager. I'd contact a local school that has a wood shop. Or you could just start asking around, church is a good place to start, for a young person who'd like a part time job as a helper in the shop. Let them know you're going to teach them woodworking, especially safety issues. Get them a good dust mask and safety glasses and make sure your insurance covers them. If you pay more than $1,000 you should file a 1099, which is really easy and will CYA in many ways.

I found a great hispanic family that started doing yard work for us on an occasional basis. He has sons who would probably be very happy to have part tie work. And you might also find a kid who would like to make projects of his own, for which he wouldn't be paid, but would use your tools. That will get you out in the shop. You can find a stool to sit on when you run out of steam.

I'm about to hire a guy to rebuild part of the patio cover that the wind destroyed last year. He's not over expensive but man, he's reliable and does a good job, but I not only pay his fee, but usually add a substantial thank you tip. Got to take good care of good people.

 

[The Hobbyist]

I know what you mean about a helper. I turn 79 in about 3 weeks and I recently had to practically go into a fist fight with a cardiologist to stop blood thinner meds prescribed for what turned out to be a mis-diagnosis. Now I get by with just a baby aspirin.

As to a helper, I'd suggest you hire a teen ager. I'd contact a local school that has a wood shop. Or you could just start asking around, church is a good place to start, for a young person who'd like a part time job as a helper in the shop. Let them know you're going to teach them woodworking, especially safety issues. Get them a good dust mask and safety glasses and make sure your insurance covers them. If you pay more than $1,000 you should file a 1099, which is really easy and will CYA in many ways.

I found a great hispanic family that started doing yard work for us on an occasional basis. He has sons who would probably be very happy to have part tie work. And you might also find a kid who would like to make projects of his own, for which he wouldn't be paid, but would use your tools. That will get you out in the shop. You can find a stool to sit on when you run out of steam.

I'm about to hire a guy to rebuild part of the patio cover that the wind destroyed last year. He's not over expensive but man, he's reliable and does a good job, but I not only pay his fee, but usually add a substantial thank you tip. Got to take good care of good people.

My home is rather remote, being 7 miles from "town." Finding a teenager, even an older teenager who has a car is difficult. The thing about helpers is, the ones who are WORTHY of hire already have jobs, and the ones who are alcoholics, or oxycodone junkies, or meth heads, or parolees, etc. aren't worth %$^&.

I hired a guy to come here to power wash the house in the summer. I provided the power washer, and the gasoline, and everything. He showed up in a beat up old car, with his pregnant girlfriend, and a child, and a baby, and two dogs. He spent more time checking on his family, smoking cigarettes and updating his Facebook status than he did actually working. I told him I did not need him to come back again.

Another worker was a "friend of a friend" who turned out to be an oxycodone junkie. He was friendly enough, and he worked hard, but almost TOO HARD, as I kept telling him to SLOW DOWN. Turns out he was running on some drug or another (Speed?) and his hyper movements resulted in an accident that my homeowners insurance thankfully picked up. He also ripped off several expensive tools that turned up in the local pawn shops.

I hired a friend, and HIS FRIEND to come into my come to remove carpeting and lay down solid maple tongue and groove flooring throughout the home. Okay, my friend KNEW what he was doing, but it quickly became evident that HIS FRIEND did NOT know how to read a measuring tape! Once I determined that, I let my friend call out the board measurements. I cut them with a good miter saw, and we handed them to the third man who COULD reliably nail them into place with a nail gun and a mallet. It all worked out.

I hired another young couple to pull weeds, SIX FOOT TALL WEEDS from all around my property. It was blazing hot, and I knew it would be a lot of work, so I paid them VERY well. Even so, they took three full days for both of them to pull the weeds, and when the job was done, it looked great.

NOW I have a 60 gallon power sprayer I tow behind my mower. The gravel driveway, the region around the home and the large gravel patches around both workshops and the 600 foot gravel driveway all get regular "KILL EVERYTHING" treatments I'll probably die of cancer, but the property will look nice for the funeral.

When I picked up those 100+ 16-foot red oak church pews (for future projects ) I hired two friends, and a guy who used to detail my truck. I asked him if he knew of another available worker, as I figured it would take five guys two days to disassemble and carry out all of this lumber.

Well ... he did. This guy was your typical inner-city Hispanic gang banger, with the sagging pants, the tattoos, the shaved head, etc. Still, he SEEMED coherent and capable, so I hired him. During the course of work, a syringe fell out of his hoodie pocket. He just picked it up and tucked it into his pocket without comment. I later asked the guy who brought him along if he was a diabetic. "No... He just has some problems..." 😬 Well, he DID the work with no complaints, and I DID pay him, but three days later, the BRAND NEW 18-foot car carrier we used to transport the planks was ripped off from my property... my REMOTE property that cannot be seen from the highway I cannot PROVE it, but ...

So I am VERY leery about hiring someone as a casual worker.

Joe

 

[DesertRatTom]

I had a regular worker some years ago who had been a gang banger type. Looked like rough trade. He was, however, a diligent worker over a summer. In fact he was so good I recommended to a friend whose company makes aircraft parts from exotic materials. Later, the company became a ESOT, he split ownership among all his employees and so far as I know, they all did really well financially. He told me once that he'd cleaned up his act because he saw that he'd become an important role model for his nephew. Family motivated him. Wish he were still around. You can't always tell.

 

[fishin&routin]

Boy can I relate. Lost my wife to cancer in Nov after a 11 month battle. No children. Between visits to various doctors, hospitals, clinics for chemo, radiation, and endless MRI's, CT scans, surgery for spinal collapse, lawnmowing for 3 acres (yes had some help from neighbors) had to put all woodworking projects on hold. Now that she's gone, I am still shop limited as I am committed to taking care of our Scottish Terrier, 100% a mama's boy. (Any Scottie owners here will understand, they're very demanding of you time, and yes, he comes first). That being said, I also have many, many projects planned, mostly in my head, and not yet committed to paper. Anyway Hobbyist, good luck.

 

[Old Ray]

This a what I am having blast doing, piece of brazillian cherry, a little v carve, a little pocket, a little actual router as well,
Ray

 

[MarkJonesRanger]

Boy can I relate. Lost my wife to cancer in Nov after a 11 month battle. No children. Between visits to various doctors, hospitals, clinics for chemo, radiation, and endless MRI's, CT scans, surgery for spinal collapse, lawnmowing for 3 acres (yes had some help from neighbors) had to put all woodworking projects on hold. Now that she's gone, I am still shop limited as I am committed to taking care of our Scottish Terrier, 100% a mama's boy. (Any Scottie owners here will understand, they're very demanding of you time, and yes, he comes first). That being said, I also have many, many projects planned, mostly in my head, and not yet committed to paper. Anyway Hobbyist, good luck.

You have been through one of the hardest things we can experience in this life. That would put me in a Frump for a long time. Yet those family pets sure are a comfort. We lost one of our very best Shelties last month. She was one of the best pets we have ever had. Get out in that shop and make some dust! So many rewards can be found that process.
Take care and really good care of that Scottish Terrier!