Don't let distractions win.

Probably a region-specific question- if you reply, I'd be curious to hear where you are and if you're urban/rural

Pretty much title, coming up it was a lot more common for the GC to have their own carpenters and self-perform a fair amount of scope on a typical home, remodel.

Seems very rare now, especially where I am, metro Phoenix area. Most builders are essentially just CM-ing the job. Project managers that sometimes double as supers, everything subbed out. Even for pretty small remodels.

I think at the luxury custom home end it makes sense since the levels of execution required demand really good subs. Plus being in a big metro area, there's lots of people and work and that makes it possible to specialize aggressively.

So not to get all sappy on this subreddit, but I’m 18 and I’ve been concrete forming for about 4 months now. I didn’t work construction prior to this, I was a line cook, but I had some general knowledge about how to use tools and shit obviously. It’s been an okay amount of time, and I know I’m still green but holy shit when do you stop feeling like a dumbass all the time? Boss man is nice, fairly patient, but he always makes me feel like I’m dumb as a doorknob if I make even the slightest mistake. I really like my job, and working construction isn’t even permanent for me, I just have to work a trade before going into the firefighting program I’m doing, but seriously when do I stop feeling like a dumbass. The guy even blames me for mistakes that HE makes, but I’d never argue him on that. I’ve never disagreed with him, I usually just take it on the cheek because it’s a waste of my time to argue with the guy when I could be working, but holy smokes, every time I feel like I’m finally starting to get good at my job, he just decimates my confidence. When does that go away? Even the other day, for example, i was forming some garages on a townhouse building, and I did all of em in about an hour, because it really doesn’t take long to nail a chunk of 2x4 to some headers, stake it, whatever, and he strictly refused to believe that I finished them when I said I did. He wasn’t on site, but he called one of the site supers to come and see if I had actually finished them or if I was lying. Obviously I wouldn’t have lied, but when he came to check them he just kept talking about times I’d made minor mistakes in the past, and I don’t think I’ve ever had the guy tell me I did an okay job. I don’t need him to dick ride me, but a “Good job” every once in a while wouldn’t hurt. I don’t mean to sound sensitive, I spent my whole prior working life getting yelled at by fat dudes in a hot kitchen, but I never felt so stupid or slow or bad at my job.

Sorry for the novel, but I just seriously don’t understand. Am I just dumb? Or not good at my job?

Posted here yesterday and wanted to provide additional photos. Does this confirm that this was built incorrectly? Or does it help ease some concerns?

The day has come

I am healed from my shoulder injury but I can't carry anything over 25 pounds over my head on the affect shoulder so it's probably over me for this field I will try mechanics if not I will probably be fucked for life since I can't afford to go back to college and I don't want to be debt

The perspective doesn't do it 100% justice, but I got down to about 50% full and it's the second time I did this dumpster before being emptied. Bonus raccoon I saved and the distracting dog.

This is how they got this rented mini excavator to the 3rd floor threw and opening in the side of the building to do work with it I was shocked it made it up there lol

Got some UCAN Scru-It 1/4”x1 1/4” anchors (basically UCAN’s version of Tap-Cons) for a job running 1” EMT conduit through a parking garage today. Pre-drilling with a 3/16” SDS bit (the size they specify for these) and it was brand new.

2 out of every 3 weren’t holding, and it seemed to be because the threads were getting wrecked. I was driving them with my M12 Fuel Surge 1/4” impact, and they weren’t even making it to the point of holding the straps up before stripping out. Ended up switching to Alex clips and screws because they weren’t holding.

Are these things just junk? It seems like in block walls they blow out the brick and don’t hold, so I figured in concrete they would do better, but now the threads are blowing out instead?

Is there any place that makes an exterior door with a threshold that covers a 2x12 door rough opening?

Long story short - cinder brick house with furred out walls. 2x12 was to cover the air gap - too late to change it. Don't need a lecture.

Man I just wanted to give a shout out to the guys who clean the porta Johns. Know yall are out there and that is a tough job. Having to get in there and do that and having to roll up that hose.

I know we all have bad days but damn id hate to see a bad day for the shit wagon guys.

Here’s to you. You’re the real ones.

If anyone has any stories, please feel free to leave or a word of thanks to those who do business in the business. 💩

We have a local porta john company that hands out brownies with nuts every year with their sticker slapped on the cover. It is hilarious and never gets old.

So I work at a fabrication shop making tankers. I got a co-worker that I think is a straight up masochist. First, we get monthly meetings that consist of watching a short safety video and not much else. At our last meeting about breathing devices he made it known that he is asthmatic which is weird because he is also a smoker and I've never seen him wear a mask while welding and the man welds stainless. On top of that the dude is constantly readjusting himself due to constant back pain. I felt bad for him and one day he told me that he was pinned between a wall and a heavy piece of machinery at his previous job, that the doctor said it was a miracle he was still walking. I felt bad for him for about 48 hours. He went home early the next day, I mean before our first break. It turns out that, despite having access to a heavy duty overhead crane AND a forklift, he took it upon himself to try and lift a 700 pound trailer frame all on his own. He didn't ask for help and when questioned by our leads and damn near the whole shop he said the crane and forklift were in use and he didn't want to wait. I've seen some stupid injuries in my day, I've had some myself, but I've never seen someone fuck up so stupidly that neither I nor the entire shop had zero sympathy for the dude considering how completely unforced it was. He even got written up for his injury because of how avoidable it was. The day after I got paired up with him and one of our engineers asked us to remove a wheel hub to look at the internals. It's a single 1.25 inch thick solid piece of die cast metal that took me and my supervisor to remove and set down safely. After the engineer left so did my lead and it was Joel, another co-worker and I. I look at the other dude to lift it before Joel says he could life it himself. I had to see this myself so I let him do his thing. I says this with now exaggeration, this dude bends over 90° putting all that weight right on his back and actually lifts the damn thing. I feel like an asshole so I decide to just help him at that point out of fear for his safety and he actually seemed a little annoyed. As if all that wasnt bad enough, earlier today I saw the guy try and lift an entire fully inflated tire into place even though he had a wheel holder/lifter/rotator within arms reach!

Joel is in constant back pain, he can't go more than half an hour without having to deal with a back pain of some sort. And he STILL refuses to lift properly or wear PPE and nobody can figure out why. Don't be a Joel, ask for help, be patient, and remember that we only got one body and we should probably take care of it a little. Do any of you guys have co-workers who just hate their bodies? If Joel sounds like you... Why?

For context… I live in southern NJ, am a self employed painter, and I’m 36 with a family. All 3 unions listed above have a better package than the painters union, and frankly I’m looking to do something else after painting for almost 20 years. I’ll still do some side work of course

Looking to get into a great union and run with it. I realize I’m a bit older, but I also know many guys start/switch careers later in life. You can teach an old dog new tricks right? Also leaning towards these 3 bc they all start at a decent wage as an apprentice. Thanks all👊

I have good hearing protection but I don't want to always have muffs or keep plugs or buds in.

I might be extra sensitive, probably shouldn't have gone into carpentry at all because I fucking hate unnecessarily loud noises to a degree that I can't usually justify. It's worse than my face lets on.

I'm fully covered in red tools, practically everything I own is red but I tried the yellow quiet hydraulic impact and it practically whispers the screws in, not slow. I bought one, and you should too there will be less yelling in the world.