[bmaurice]

a spin from the cumstomer thread. i think ive seen a lot dumber things said and done by so called trades men.

1. i had a new guy get me a mesurment on something and he reported back to me and said " it 58 and 3 little lines" then at lunch i tried to teach him his 16ths and 8ths then after lunch he came and found me and said "i cant find 7 8ths on my tape, i see one 8th, two 8th, three 8th and 4 8ths" i looked at him and asked whats four 8ths and he looked stupidfied.

2. i worked with this big meat head that constantly looked at his steriod enhanced biceps all day. and one day he was trying to get a bow out of a hip and he pushed so hard he snaped the 2 by 10 he was on. luckily he didnt get hurt just fired.

 

[bmaurice]

oh! i forgot another good one. i was sheating a roof and asked a guy for a 2 ft block. i call cleats blocks sometimes oh well. so he climbed up the ladder and tried to hand me a cinder block. i laughed so hard i almost pissed myself.

 

[strathd]

Years ago I yelled out to a kid, Cut me a 2x4 160 1/4. He said , inches ?
I said NO, FEET.

 

[Magnettica]

I've heard guys claim that profit sharing should be something the boss offers his employees since they're the ones actually doing the work. LOL!!!

 

[Magnettica]

New people should be asked, what's bigger, 5/16" or 3/8"?

 

[bmaurice]

New people should be asked, what's bigger, 5/16" or 3/8"?

Thats an awsome idea! i hate interviewing people, because they all know how to do everything, and some can really talk the talk but when they show up for work you can just tell right away just how they move. i dont even waste time interviewing just put them to work and go from there.
i once ask a guy to roll up a cord beacuase he showed up while we were packing up. and he took a 100ft cord and tried to roll it over his hand and around his elbow. i just watched him make a fool of him self and he just said well your probably not going to hire me huh?

 

[Magnettica]

Thats an awsome idea! i hate interviewing people, because they all know how to do everything, and some can really talk the talk but when they show up for work you can just tell right away just how they move. i dont even waste time interviewing just put them to work and go from there.
i once ask a guy to roll up a cord beacuase he showed up while we were packing up. and he took a 100ft cord and tried to roll it over his hand and around his elbow. i just watched him make a fool of him self and he just said well your probably not going to hire me huh?

Hang around this site for awhile and you'll get a lot of ideas from guys who have been through it for years. I hate it when the HO wants to help by rolling up the cords, they always screw that up. I have an uncle who is helping me on service upgrades, he's 51 and pretty handy around the house, but doing things my is a whole other ball game when it comes to detail and doing things right. Lead by example and the keepers will follow. Good luck.

 

[dkillianjr]

Years ago I yelled out to a kid, Cut me a 2x4 160 1/4. He said , inches ?
I said NO, FEET.

A tile guy's helper said the same thing on a job one day:laughing: To this day if my dad is yelling out measurements to me he always jokes about it "inches not feet":laughing:



Dave

 

[user38755]

Any time I have had a new guy I always send him to get the pecker do. Also when we call out numbers it's "83 and 5" /8th's is a given.

 

[freemason21]

i was flustered once when i was measuring something. my boss was up my a$$ so i was kind of like "eek i need to get this done" and in the very tense situation i called out "its 85 and 1/4 and 1/16th". as soon as i said it i looked at the ground and shook my head real quick like "did i really just say that?" and i turned to my boss hoping that what i just said didnt actually happen. i turn to him and just had the biggest smirk on his face and is like "is that so"

 

[jumbo]

years back I handed an employee his w-2. He looked at me and asked how much of a tax return he was going to get.

 

[mikeswoods]

LAST DAY FOR THIS GUY

His comment when confronted with his major screw up,"Well, You need the tax write off!"

FIRST AND LAST DAY FOR "Carpenter"

On his seventh trip out to the chopsaw while cutting five pieces of base molding for a powder room.

"Oh,I always cut them long,just to made sure they'll fit." --What????????????????

 

[skyhook]

During a phone interview, I asked a guy if he had a door jig. he said yes, so I said OK, bring it with you. He showed up with the fold it on the line, paper template from a Kwikset door knob kit. :sad:

 

[rselectric1]

Send these guys to the supply house to pick up a board stretcher and on the way back, stop by the gas station to pick up a quart of blinker fluid. If they actually go, then you can fire them. I'm pretty sure that's the law

 

[bmaurice]

Im only 23 and ive heard a lot of veteran carpenters tell me i work like a old school carpenter. i rarely meet people my age work as hard as i do, and as efficiant. but i know a lot of older carepenter's work just as fast sometimes faster. anyone notice a big decline in skill with this generation of tradesmen. not just speed, anyone can run around shooting nails like a madmen but quility work and fast enough to actually make money. maybe im just running into a bunch of bums recently.

 

[CCCo.]

One frustrating day, over 7 years ago! Starting a roof tear off, one of my guys set his 20 oz. mountain dew bottle on top of the 3 inch pvc vent stack. Kind of had it setting on there angled. I told him :no: to move it, he never did. About ten minutes later he informs me that his bottle is now down inside the vent! I figured surely he was shatting me :furious: Nope! I tried retreiving it and knock it down in there I heard it go way down. Needless to say we didn't get much roofing done that day, we spent about 4 hours pissin with his bottle. Ended up in the basement removing (busting out) the 50 year old cleanout plug, got the bottle :thumbsup: sheww, and went and got a new clean out plug. Fun Day it was!

 

[d-rez]

How about this one: 'I'm in no hurry, I get paid by the hour'. I heard it again today, and as always all I can think of is what a *****stick you have to be to think this way. If only I could be there with a recorder when they ask for a raise....

 

[WNYcarpenter]

We've got a great kid with us....He was put in charge of cleaning windows at the end of a project....took pride, borrowed his mom's cleaning supplies, and scrubbed some 30 odd windows with a 'Scotch Bright' pad! scratched every window!

Can't believe he wasn't fired...but, he's rarely late, doesn't miss work, and works his a$$ off! I'd take him anywhere, he just needs some TLC...We all do stupid sh!t, some more than others.

 

[bmaurice]

in my youth i installed all the hurricane clips with the little corner angle sticking out so sheatrock wouldve never been able to go up, i was only 15 so i didnt really think ahead yet. but man did it suck pulling out all those galvy joice hanger nails. did it for free to.

 

[freemason21]

We've got a great kid with us....He was put in charge of cleaning windows at the end of a project....took pride, borrowed his mom's cleaning supplies, and scrubbed some 30 odd windows with a 'Scotch Bright' pad! scratched every window!

Can't believe he wasn't fired...but, he's rarely late, doesn't miss work, and works his a$$ off! I'd take him anywhere, he just needs some TLC...We all do stupid sh!t, some more than others.

that is just painful to hear. what ended up happening?