Financially speaking a middle class income makes no sense owning a house with $1000. a month in RE taxes top of a 2-3k note. At that point your better off renting and let someone else deal with all the headaches of owning a home

My BIL and SIl bought a huge house in Woburn. They both have very good paying jobs and help from her side of the family with childcare for their only child. There house is beautiful, but it does not feel like a home. It is sparsely furnished, and they keep the house ice cold in the cold months. My mother inlay won't stay over night when she comes out to visit cause the house is so cold. They have 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, there are only 3 of them in the family A bit excessive...

Well.....you cant expect people today to share a bathroom....can you? :doh:

Finished up a mansion for some rich folks....gated community with private golf course.....later got a call about some problem in their adult daughters bathroom....went to open the door to bedroom and the door jammed with clothing that was strewn all over the floor...everywhere....and the bathroom....just beyond the empty designer walk-in closet was a disgusting mess.

In his many visits to the jobsite during the construction the owner managed to back into and damage three different worker vehicles with his Mercedes.


My son happens to be a bar manager at an exclusive private club the home owner belongs to and told me the guy was always rude and obnoxious to him..... He eventually mentioned to him that he was the son of a carpenter who worked on his house for a year. He instantly changed his attitude and said "your dad's a craftsman" been chummy with my boy ever since.

final pics of this job...the large pillow crown finished off the cabinet to soffit.....there will be a ceramic tile backsplash but i'm finished here and wont be back to see it.

couple more

custom bath cabinets .......the little blue caps push down over tile spacers and do a good job of keeping the tiles flush with each other

Nicely done, who made the cabinets? You?
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I installed them....guy that built them does excellent work ...all custom...small local shop and he is very nice guy to work with.
There is so much work right its insane...... we are using subcontractors like him to handle the excess. Glad to give out his contact info if you'd like it.
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That's OK. Think about this. We haven't had a re-evaluation in 6 years. Just had what is called a "statistical re-evaluation". My property value went up over $200,000.

Not saying that they are wrong. I am saying Holy #^&#^&#^&#^&!!!! I didn't think it was worth $600K.

If you wouldn’t mind.
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Got a little project to do with some rough sawn timber. Cutting half-lap joints to connect all the parts.

...

Old school right there.... nice Bob
That’s one of the best saws evah IMO.... have several kicking around

Yeah it's a great saw...but i had to get a a lighter 7 1/4 saw for every day use........dusted off that 8 1/4 to get the 3" deep cuts I needed
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The Ingersoll Rands were great saws in their day. I had one on a panel saw until I got rid of my shop a few years ago.
We moved on from those for framing when the Makitas came out, the same time carbide blades became affordable.
Less money, less weight and those thin carbide blades lasted for weeks instead of a couple days as long as you didn't do something stupid.

As an apprentice carpenter I learned how simple it was to sharpen a dull saw blade with a mill file in just a few minutes. Sharpening your own tools was considered an essential skill......and every carpenter had a sharpening stone in his toolbox.........not the case these days.


Couple more kitchen pics

Finishing up this freestanding rustic barn door entrance/backdrop for an outdoor wedding. The tight fitting half lapped joints of the 4x6 and 6x8 door frame pieces have no mechanical fasteners yet, amazingly strong just pressed together. It needs to be easy to take apart and reassemble.
Thinking about bleaching oil and silver gray stain for a natural weathered look.

Wedding gown and cowboy boots... ;-)

A good buddy had his wedding at the family farm.....groom and his boys all in straw hats and denim coveralls come riding on tractors....and as the bride approached they played that song "Save a horse...Ride a cowboy":conf:

Good one Bob

You ain't kidding. I am working at a golf course but get calls everyday for everything from decks to total rehabs. Just don't have the time or energy at 71.

We have so many houses to finish right now....I'm having a hard time keeping up. My hands are feeling the pain from overuse and abuse of 46 years in this profession. I love my job...but the clock is ticking....

I hear you Bob, nice clean work there.

I'm going 7 days a week trying to keep up myself. 4-5 jobs going right now and looking at more, I'll take it when it comes

good lord look at the tape job on that staircase, nightmare.

....
Well....the alternative is to paint it with a brush.... the painter felt masking off the stained treads and handrail ...for spraying....saved time overall.

I'll get a pic of the completed job...I put up some of the work in progress for realism.

Little kitchen i'm finishing up.

I’d take a spray job any day, u just have to put up with the customers asking is it real... LOL

in the houses we used to build the rails would always get finished beforehand. If at all possible the finish guy could get all the stair parts, posts,skirts and risers done then the painter would spray it all without the treads in place. Had 3 coats of finish on the treads before they went in place also. Did the 4th coat at the very end. Very rarely did any of our floors get stained, always clear coated.

Slip.....it's great that you so are busy, but be sure to make some time for yourself to unwind. It seems like a lot of guys are taking every job they can right now......thinking that the bubble is going to burst....that this roaring economy has to slow down.

We are selling houses in the high $300's at a pace I have never seen before. Working class buyers confident about the direction of the economy under our present leadership.

Oh not to worry Bob
I packed a rod a bag and also a swimsuit and waiting for the ferry now to deliver and install out on the island. Remembered to bring a fan too

I’ll take some pics
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Good idea to bring your fishing gear with you .....the road from oak bluffs to edgartown has a few good outflows that should be honking with the tides the next few days.... if you finish your install early and have a chance to fish.
I worked on the islands a lot... taking the ferry out of woods hole with truckloads of cabinetry and millwork. Flew out of NB on cape air lots of times too....weighing the plane to the max with our tools. I didn't mind it at all...but some of our guys were scared #^&#^&#^&#^& of flying in those small planes.

I’m almost to Nantucket
I was hoping to get some surfcasting in at Great point but I may have to hitch a ridefrom someone unless the birds have it closed.

I did a lot of installs on MV back in the 80,s
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