Two weeks have gone by and there's been two build visits, 03-Jul and 16-Jul. Primary focus has been on Unit B of the location so that we can get Jen & George moved in as soon as possible. There's a fair bit I can say about the build times but for the most part this blog functions, for me, as a diary/task reminder. Without it I would not have as clear a memory of what I've accomplished and what needs to be continued.
So, we completed painting Unit B in entirety (I believe). We thought we had finished it at lunch time 03-Jul but we got punked. A mix up of tinted paints meant that the master bedroom's second coat was different. The cutting went on nice and coated over the differing first coat however the rolled on second coat just did not cover over. Annoyingly enough we also ran out of both tints of that color so on 16-Jul we used a third color, rich enough to cover the other coats, that we had just enough to do the walls. Done, finito, got it out of here! That being accomplished Amanda and I were free to move onto something other than painting - thank goodness.
Rookies for the Win or Lose? Jury Still Out.
This would be the title of this blog if I did descriptive titles. Amanda and I were put on a new project together but at opposite ends of the process. I was tapped to cut sub-flooring that was being laid out and Amanda was stapling the sub-flooring into place. (I might add, this was not the only thing that we did just our primary function as resources and tasks allowed us) For both of us things started out well.
Wood shop is close to 30+ years ago for me but I was good when I applied myself. Circular saw is easy peasy pumpkin pie to me. Jonathon did have a few pointers, from his vast experience, that I incorporated into my own method and events played out well. I don't know about Amanda's experiences but Jonathon made an effort to demonstrate the pneumatic staple gun and Amanda was doing well with that.
It was after lunch that things started to go awry.
Before lunch, our supply of staples were minimal and we did not have much time between completion of painting and lunch time. Lunch time is an important time segment of the day. Not for the break and/or the food but because, often enough, Jonathon leaves to check in with the Rochester build site. (Jonathon is a big wig - not that he'd ever describe that way.)
This is a really important factor as Jonathon has a lot of experience and he is quite adroit at sharing it. He's unafraid to yell stop but he does it in such a way as to not offend you. He corrects you without making you feel idiotic or defective. The other veterans are not as ... .... driven to bring rookies up to proper trim and speed. They focus on the day's goals and make every effort to reach completion. Jonathon, just as skilled and motivated, takes in the big picture realizing that the less experienced volunteers need mentoring.
I've made a bigger point of this than I had originally intended but given my own small fiasco, and shamefaced feelings about that, I'm sure you'll understand.
Once we resumed work, post lunch and post supply run, Amanda was directed to start stapling down the already firmly placed sub-flooring and I was given a cut diagram for the bathroom sub-flooring. My cutting would trim off 1-inch of an 8 foot strip of sub-flooring with a break in the cut to create a lip to fit into the bathroom door. After I cut that strip off the diagram also had me then do a cross cut 12 inches from the top of the board. This would allow for a half circle to be cut from the kerf line for the toilet base. Additionally there was to be a small hole in the 12 inch section for the water intake line to the toilet tank.
Well, I made three errors. First, I incorrectly measured where to stop on the 1 inch strip. So the lip that was created was higher than it should have been, by 1 inch. To correct, I cut 1 inch off the lip but it left the other end of the lip 1 inch short. Bob says we'll just take that cut 1 inch and staple it there.
Second error: Misread the diameter of the toilet base hole. Unfortunately I misread this when working on the 12 inch section. So, I cut a nice perfectly measured 7.5 inch radius half circle. Trouble was 7.5 was the diameter, not the radius.
Third error: While I was cutting the half moon on the 7 foot long section I rookied up (finally) and cut into the piece of sub-flooring underneath. I had spent so much time and effort making sure I didn't do that and there I went finally did it.
These errors compounded themselves. Firstly, if I had not made the second error then the two pieces of sub-flooring would have been laid down together and meshed together along the shared kerf line. When I had to recut the 12 inch segment not only did I not have the matching kerf line anymore but I was unable to present Bob with the factory flat edge to use as well. Totally screwed it up and, from what I hear, sub-flooring is not cheap.
Amanda's error is much smaller but may have a greater level of effort to correct. When the new supply of staples was finally brought in she resumed stapling of course. However either the stapler air pressure was not properly set or Amanda's technique was off (either being very possible) the staples did not go to a proper depth. This is not the crux of the matter mind you - the error was not noticed until Amanda had stapled the entire kitchen floor.
Remedial action for this is to get on your knees, slide a flat edge across the floor to find improperly seated staples, then using a hammer and a punch any deficient staple can be corrected. This check and correct function will have to be down for the hundreds (maybe thousands) of staples placed by Amanda that day.
Amanda and I are just two of a bunch of volunteers who regularly attend but with minimal construction experience. Leadership has noticed us, the group, and they are pleased with our overall competence, reliability, and attitude. Thus they've not only come to trust us but I think depend on us. This weekend expanding our, the rookie regulars, was attempted and like any gamble there was some win and some loss.
For the betterment of H4H and our own personal enlightenment, this gamble produced clear and positive results. Experience must be gained and that can only be done by doing. We've learned our own limits and aptitudes and taken a step further to being skilled contributors. For both the rookies and the leaders - a clear win.
The errors and mistakes that learning requires - the project suffered a little, another delay is added, and is clearly a loss for that day.
What I'd really like is if there was some sort of "basic construction" classes I could take. Nothing in depth and nothing heinously expensive. Just enough to take the newb outer coating off the rookie.
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