A new shop in the making #19: Gas is hooked up??? and cabinets are ready for the install

I get so frustrated every time I hire an “expert” to help me out! I am glad everything turned out okay. Great score on the cabinets. The shop is really progressing nicely. Thanks for the update.

-- My favorite piece is my last one, my best piece is my next one.

Won’t be long now, Bob. And no doubt just in time, since I’m sure the snow will be flying in about 2 weeks, in your part of the country. Everything is looking good. It’s always nice starting fresh and having things laid out the way you want.
I’ve run into a few of those professional experts myself. Joe’s Roofing, plumbing, electrical, chiropractic Company.
Know enough about everything to get themselves (or you) in trouble every time. Glad nothing was set on fire, except your temper.

-- Tim -- http://tmuli.com

In my profession leadership hires people called “consultants” who they have never met but who are supposed to be able to tell them what we are doing wrong and give brilliant recommendations regarding how to fix things. For that the consultant gets paid more than twice what staff get paid. Most of them exhibit the same sort of trouble shooting skills as your “Gas Fitter”.

When I look at their recommendations all I can say is “Dohhhh”, wish I had thought of that! (Believe me, I usually did) Then we have senior leadership running around talking about how much value they got out of the consultant.

I have never seen one come in and say “Wow, I can’t think of a thing I would change”. It’s always, “Everything is broken and only our firm can fix it”

BTW, the cabinets look like a great value. I always get a kick out of terms used in other countries. down here we call em “gutters”

-- Scott - Chico California http://chicowoodnut.home.comcast.net

HI Bob;

That hole through the wall looks like it was “drilled” with a chain saw.

I just don’t understand how one guy can have so many bad experiences with “professionals”.

It is amazing.

On the plus side the cabinets look real nice. Great find.

The shop is looking good.

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

Jiminy Christmas! – What a horror story. I’m glad the shop was spared this bonehead’s malfeasance.

Reminds me of our experience with a seized up main water shutoff valve. The “expert” said we would have to excavate out at the street connection, shut off and replumb the cock inside the house…to the turn of thousands of dollars.
We called another plumber who managed to free up the valve in about five minutes.

Keep pluggin’ Bob!

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

Well, at least you got your shop to fit out now, huh?

Good deal!

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

Looks great Bob. I think you made a great deal on those cabinets. You could not make them for that price and they will do nicely for the shop.

Glad the bonehead did not screw up the whole shop.

-- You can't get a hug from Facebook.

Between Betsy’s wiring and Bob’s close call with fire, I think I’ll spend time tomorrow rethinking some of my garage fire hazards.

If Lumberjocks has been inspiring for me in any way, it has helped me refocus on safety.

Q

-- I don't make sawdust...I produce vast quantities of "Micro Mulch."

It looks like another cowboy trying to be a professional. I personally would report this moron, for his dangerous practices and lack of care and get his license pulled. You were lucky, the next person may not be.

I did the same as you for most of the cabinets in my shop, they are ready made and they are cheaper than the cost of the equivalent raw materials – you could always practice your cabinet door making skills and have a nice selection of different doors on the front of each cabinet .

The small finishing touches take the time, but it worth it in the long run – your wife is going to enjoy her new work room when it is finished!

-- Tony - All things are possible, just some things are more difficult than others! - SKYPE: Heron2005 (http://www.poydatjatuolit.fi)

I guess if I have learned anything from this experience it is that contracts must be let for each sub on a job and the details laid out specifically for each task.

The other thing that I have / had no control over that is critical is the competency level of the people I hired.
There is no question that the framer and the plumber should not be allowed to work unsupervised but there was no way of telling that at the outset. I could have asked for references but that process is flawed too.
There is such and extreme shortage of skilled workers here that they are not fast tracking immigrants to the country with who knows what kind of credentials and skills.
I really think the gas fitter is going to hurt somebody if they don’t get that Bic lighter away from him.
There is something dreadfully wrong with the licensing system in this country and there is no re qualification requirement in place either. Tony, oddly enough I notice the cabinets where manufactured in Slovakia. I wonder how far from Martin’s home town? Chico:
“BTW, the cabinets look like a great value. I always get a kick out of terms used in other countries. down here we call em “gutters”
We use that term especially for the drainage along side the road next to the curb. Lee:
“That hole through the wall looks like it was “drilled” with a chain saw.”
If you look carefully it was also steered into the stud!

Thanks all who responded .
I fully intend to list a set of pitfalls in subcontracting when I’m finished this blog. It should help somebody.

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

Bob: Glad that everything is OK. If the idiot used a bic lighter and then didn’t see or feel the heat of the flame. Then he is a double idiot.

-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

That guy is scary, where you dealing with the owner of a company or an employee? What a dangerous practice, he was to lazy to carry and refill his soap bottle.
There is no re qualification requirement here either. If there is a problem with a contractor it needs to be reported for any licensing body to be a where of it. It is a long process with much paperwork and people usually give up. The licensing body has limited personnel, in 33 years I have never seen anyone from the contractor board until this year. He was driving by my work site and stopped to check my license and contract, he was with thier fraud unit. All my paperwork was in order and he gave me his card to report any activity from unlicensed people.
One homeowner I was dealing with had a problem with her prior roofer, not only did her roof leak but he laid tile flooring on the outside balcony that did not drain towards the drains. After discussing what is involve to report a problem, she stated she had the time and money to pursue a complaint. It took almost a year, however she followed through and got results.

-- Ron Central, CA

Good golly Miss Molly

Unbelievable but then again my FIL lives with us and nothing surprises me anymore.

-- http://www.furnituremann.ca/

[Shock and Awe]

-- Bob Vila would be so proud of you!

Bob, he might have just left that burning for easy access to light his cigarettes. Experiences like yours are just too common here these days, and we have no recourse in dealing with total incompetence. shrug The shop looks pretty bloody good though!

-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)

Thanks Mot. You are right about having no recourse.
To extract any compensaton from these situations is to invite costly litigation.

I am currently in discussions with my electrician.

He claims they spent 3 days at my shop wiring.
I say two at the outside. ( pulled feed cable 60 feet to sub panel and ran 12 circuits in conduit.

He has three guys pulling hourly on me at one apprentice at $52.50, one at $39.50, one journeyman at $75.00.
The junior apprentice has himself down for 27 hours. At eight hours a day which never happened he marke me in for 3 -1/2 days which never happened either.
They are claiming 52 hours total. -Rubbish!
They all come in one truck and all put down travel time- rubbish!

Everybody has to get to work before they get paid to work.

Venting is now over!

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

well youll soon have a really nice toy box to play in bob ! ive lived all around this country and have decided fl. was the jack legg and scam artist capitol of the world untill i started following you shop blog . sounds like we got some compettion lol checking gas leaks with a bic lighter really kills me ! thats like checking mx missles for duds with a ball peen hammer lol

The building booms is just starting to ebb here so I expect a lot of these marginal tradesmen to fall on hard times shortly.
One of the largest buiders around here laid off 50 workers yesterday and the smaller companies are following suit.
Housing starts fell 14% this summer so we have to adjust again to a different economy.
Too late for my project but I’m still glad to see the end of it.

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner