Credit due - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

Ken@K&R · 12-15-2006, 02:25 PM

You painters deserve more credit. I have painted before and auctually have 2 painters working for the company. I decided I would paint our kitchen myslef since I have time off between jobs. The damn cutting in kills my wrists because of carpel tunnel. The rolling is killing my rotator cuffs. Im not even going to get into the patching, sanding, or washing with tsp. I think im going to let the painting to painters. I am just gonna be a good ol general and electrician from here on. I would rather be back humping shingles on the roof then painting. Guess my body has given out in places I would have never thought.

rick4u2000 · 12-15-2006, 03:16 PM

I give my painters I hire alot of credit! Theres a big difference when a job is professionally painted.

Everyone thinks they can paint. And painting is one area I avoid!

Richard · 12-15-2006, 05:15 PM

lol...just busting-yeah, I hear ya with the aches and pains...some days (like today) I get a sore muscle or joint--but I have to really be working hard. Happened today after a long day with the tiger--you painters know what I'm talking about. My wrists get more sore in the summer when I'm brushing clapboards all day for weeks.

AAPaint · 12-15-2006, 06:46 PM

Ahh...you didn't even get to the part where your hand, wrist, and forearm cramp up together in brush holder's position!!

It's great to hear people say that though...had a lady say today (not a customer, just someone I was conversing with) she was going to paint her own kitchen (everyone seems to love to tell painters what they can do theirself) and all I said to her was "uh oh!" Hehe!!

Miniroller · 12-15-2006, 07:09 PM

Man i'll tell you what did wonders to my body when i thought it was broken- martial arts and yoga. The warm-up and activity really helped my cardiovascular and the stretching greatly improved my painting muscles. Bonus- it makes me feel like a bad ass especially when i am twirling the roller pole around pretending it is a Bo staff. Scares the crap out of my workers- not because i'm talented but because they don't want to catch the business end in the face when i mess up

.

Ken@K&R · 12-15-2006, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Miniroller

Man i'll tell you what did wonders to my body when i thought it was broken- martial arts and yoga. The warm-up and activity really helped my cardiovascular and the stretching greatly improved my painting muscles. Bonus- it makes me feel like a bad ass especially when i am twirling the roller pole around pretending it is a Bo staff. Scares the crap out of my workers- not because i'm talented but because they don't want to catch the business end in the face when i mess up

.

I took Northern Shoalin for several years with Master Sun in Newark, De. He orgionally tought the Red Army in China before imigrating to the United States. I had private leasons with him twice a week. He tought old school style. Wanted you to learn balance you got a towel on your head with a pot of boiling water on it then into low horse stance till he said get up. He aslo made Dit Dat Jow for me to smear on my arms and legs to get rid of the clotting from going outside and kicking or punching a tree for training he said it toughened your musciles and it did. He had us punching into hot sand alot to build up calisus on our nuckle so that the bones wouldn't break. I asked about belts and he said belts were for status. He then contuned on to say when I could kick his ass I wouldnt need a belt. Yeah right that would have been like never. He was the Chinease national champion like 4 years straight.

Martial arts may help you out with some things but you better take the right one. I sure wouldn't suggest Kung Fu.

Miniroller · 12-15-2006, 08:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken@K&R

I took Northern Shoalin for several years with Master Sun in Newark, De. He orgionally tought the Red Army in China before imigrating to the United States. I had private leasons with him twice a week. He tought old school style. Wanted you to learn balance you got a towel on your head with a pot of boiling water on it then into low horse stance till he said get up. He aslo made Dit Dat Jow for me to smear on my arms and legs to get rid of the clotting from going outside and kicking or punching a tree for training he said it toughened your musciles and it did. He had us punching into hot sand alot to build up calisus on our nuckle so that the bones wouldn't break. I asked about belts and he said belts were for status. He then contuned on to say when I could kick his ass I wouldnt need a belt. Yeah right that would have been like never. He was the Chinease national champion like 4 years straight.

Martial arts may help you out with some things but you better take the right one. I sure wouldn't suggest Kung Fu.

Damn, that sounds like some tough training- i gotta respect old school but i definately don't have the balls for that.

I guess i took a softer style. We did lots of knuckle push-ups- that really toughened your knuckles up without deforming them. Lots of striking and kicking, sweeping and holds. It was an Indonesian style and the teachers really made it fun too. They incorporated a lot of yoga and meditation after warm-up and at the end of training sessions. They also promoted peace, harmony and love of living things- a very kind, new age style i guess. I took it for the fitness aspect and i think it's a great way to stay in shape and really improved my balance and dexterity, especially on ladders.

When my boy makes it to 3 he is going to get shipped off to the kids class twice a week; maybe he'll learn some discipline there and provide him with good reflexes for that baseball glove i hope he wants to put on.

axnjoe · 12-15-2006, 09:33 PM

Thanks Ken
It never fails that when I go do a fairly involved remodel bid on a middle class home the home owner always says "OH I can do the painting thats easy" or I will let my kids do that for a little extra money.
The trades can be hard on the old bones.
I know lots of times my guyssay that they are wiped out at the end day.
I find it to be that way too if all I do is go home and plop on the couch.
I ride my bike (tenspeed) three to four times a week and you would think that 50miles after hanging rock or rolling all day would kill you. QUITE THE OPPOSITE. The thing is is that it does revitalize you and you do have a lot more energy and do not require as much sleep.
And staying fit really helps when things get tough at work.

**Teetorbilt** · 12-15-2006, 09:54 PM

AA, I've never had the whole arm thing but can get some serious hand cramps. They slack off about day 3.

The other part is the neck thing. After a while, your head feels like it's supported by a rubberband.

Dad taught me how to paint well. I don't care for it and tend to shy away from those jobs.

Ken@K&R · 12-15-2006, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Miniroller

Damn, that sounds like some tough training- i gotta respect old school but i definately don't have the balls for that.

I guess i took a softer style. We did lots of knuckle push-ups- that really toughened your knuckles up without deforming them. Lots of striking and kicking, sweeping and holds. It was an Indonesian style and the teachers really made it fun too. They incorporated a lot of yoga and meditation after warm-up and at the end of training sessions. They also promoted peace, harmony and love of living things- a very kind, new age style i guess. I took it for the fitness aspect and i think it's a great way to stay in shape and really improved my balance and dexterity, especially on ladders.

When my boy makes it to 3 he is going to get shipped off to the kids class twice a week; maybe he'll learn some discipline there and provide him with good reflexes for that baseball glove i hope he wants to put on.

We did alot of meditation also learning to harness our Ch'i so to speak. We had to do 1 handed 2 finger pushups and they sucked. Master Sun was able to do them with just his index finger on 1 hand. Hell it takes forever just to be able to balance with 2 fingers well it was thumb and index finger. Our katas were fairly involved also.
I think what you are describing is a soft style of martial arts such as Aikido or Tai Chi. I took a internal hard style.

AAPaint · 12-15-2006, 11:16 PM

I spent my child hood in 3 different styles of fighting including Yoshukai, Go-Ju Kenpo, and golden glove boxing. I believe it's best to train in multiple styles and learn from as many schools of thought as possible. Katas are boring waste of time, IMHO. I had private lessons with all of my instructors including 4 hours a day 5 days a week and luckily had teachers more interested in what works than what looks pretty. Being just a little fella that moved around and went to about 15 different schools before getting out of high school allowed me to hone those techniques that are most effective! The unfortunate position of being the quiet, *extremely* poor, new kid in school and not being very intimidating in stature would provide more unwanted practice than necessary.

I currently have 3 herniated discs (back dislocates daily) torn meniscus lining in both knees and a torn acl...none have been treated, and I run circles around most people. You should see the look on their face when they see how far out my back goes

, and it hurts, but pain is something you learn to deal with.

There are a lot of hard working men in the construction business that deal with pain as bad or worse than mine every day as well just to put bread on the table, and my hat is off to all of them

Joewho · 12-15-2006, 11:21 PM

After working for carpenters and being a painter, I've come to the conclusion that they don't go together as far as your body.

Maybe it's the muscles and the way you use them, but after carpentering, my paint skills were low and it hurt like hell. Same for going from the paint groove to carpentering.

My shoulders are a bit crunchy, it sounds worse than it is, but years of labor and a couple of seperated shoulders will do that.

My elbows hurt a lot. I have to carry heavy loads close to my body, no extending them with any weight on them, except a brush or a pole.

My fighting style is the venerable kickandrun.

**Teetorbilt** · 12-16-2006, 12:24 AM

I've got the crunchy shoulder thing too, I'm going to hate hearing what that repair costs.

Years ago I took TaeKwan-Do and Akido, now I take Colt or S&W and don't let anybody get too close.

Miniroller · 12-16-2006, 07:54 AM

I think i misunderstood this post. Thanks Ken for the "credit due." It seems some people think paintings a joke- a hobby that is fun. I paint because it's a decent way to make an honest living and support my family and also for some sick reason I like it. I like taking a crappy piece of wood and making it look nice again. I love the look and smell of a newly refinished pine floor. It feels great when a customer complements again and again how great the paint job looks and calls you back to paint more later. I even love the smell of oil and turpentine; smells like.... pride

.

As far as the martial arts go, for me they have done wonders mostly because of stretching. I am a very peaceful and non-violent person. Only if my person or family were threatened would feel any sort of need for it and then I often find I can talk my way out and deflect confrontation- besides who could hit a guy with glasses.

Thanks again Ken for seeing the pain and AA you must be one tough cookie. I had meniscus torn too and it drove me nuts especially at night. The surgery was quick and easy and I was back on a ladder within 6 weeks. I stocked easy shop work up for recovery. Bunch of screen doors, some sashed windows, etc.. Only really took 2 1/2 weeks off. Peace

Dave Mac · 12-16-2006, 08:10 AM

intersting thread, and it is nice to here these things aout our buisness, i have to agree with AA, why does everyone feel the need to tell me they are going to paint themselves ha ha

dave mac

AAPaint · 12-16-2006, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Miniroller

I think i misunderstood this post. Thanks Ken for the "credit due." It seems some people think paintings a joke- a hobby that is fun. I paint because it's a decent way to make an honest living and support my family and also for some sick reason I like it. I like taking a crappy piece of wood and making it look nice again. I love the look and smell of a newly refinished pine floor. It feels great when a customer complements again and again how great the paint job looks and calls you back to paint more later. I even love the smell of oil and turpentine; smells like.... pride

.

As far as the martial arts go, for me they have done wonders mostly because of stretching. I am a very peaceful and non-violent person. Only if my person or family were threatened would feel any sort of need for it and then I often find I can talk my way out and deflect confrontation- besides who could hit a guy with glasses.

Thanks again Ken for seeing the pain and AA you must be one tough cookie. I had meniscus torn too and it drove me nuts especially at night. The surgery was quick and easy and I was back on a ladder within 6 weeks. I stocked easy shop work up for recovery. Bunch of screen doors, some sashed windows, etc.. Only really took 2 1/2 weeks off. Peace

Thanks for the insight, miniroller. I am trying like heck to get to a point where I can take the time off for surgery. My biggest beef is not sleeping when the knees are acting up. If feels like your legs are separating at the knee sometimes I guess from just laying on the soft mattress. I can still do all my work though. The only thing I can NOT do is squat, but I still get down on my knees daily to run baseboards. I blew my back out at 19 yrs old working as a "sanitation engineer"

and since there isn't much they can do for my back, I have just learned to deal. I think it just gets to the point you know which way NOT to move, but there are some days I can hardly move, and of course, I have to keep going cuz it's just me in this business. For now, I'll just dream about the surgery!