When a Hammer is Not enough...

When a Hammer is Not Enough...

So, this weekend I discovered why men love power tools. I've used some here and there in my day, but it was the work I did this weekend that allowed me to see them in a new light. It also made me have a ton more respect for all the men and women who spend their days doing construction.

My brother and I decided to put a metal roof on my fathers pole barn this weekend and this was the first time I've ever done such a thing, which, being the weirdo I am, was very exciting. I learned a lot about roofing, but also enjoyed spending the time with my brother and dad.

The roofing sheets were (I believe) 14 ft. long and part of the prep work was to drill holes in them every 3 feet. This makes it easier to nail them into the roof, having it done before hand. Yesterday we worked on half the roof and finished up the other half today. And that was my first power tool use of the weekend...a drill. My brother marked where to drill and I followed behind him making the holes.

So, I did what I thought was normal (Tim the tool man normal I guess), I cranked up the power to max capacity and pushed hard into the steel. After a few holes were drilled, the bit broke...got a replacement, same thing, the bit broke. After a third bit broke, my brother decided to give me some direction. He told me that even though they are power tools, it doesn't mean you have to go full out. Telling me to ramp down the speed and let the tool do the work for you. "Ok, no worries...I can do that." And it worked, I got the rest of the holes drilled without any issues.

I finished that while my brother put the underlay down and so, by the time I got the holes drilled, we were ready to lay the first metal sheet. He pointed to the first pile and said to move them closer to the work site. "Ok, no problem, I can move those 14 foot sheets 100 feet closer to the work area." And so I did, I took two at a time and dragged them across the lawn (This is a good leg/butt workout!). Then I had to lift them up and lean them on the side of the building. This was another roadblock for me.

My brother let me struggle and fail a few times before he showed me the proper way. He showed me it wasn't really about strength, but more about balance and finesse. You fold the sheets, lift them over your head, set them down at the proper distance and walk them up in place. I just couldn't do it no matter how hard I tried and my dad ended up taking over that job. (I did manage one at the very end, because, I hate not being able to do things and wasn't gonna walk away until I did it at least once.)

We got one side of the roof all tacked in place and then my brother gave me a screwdriver and told me to start at one end and he would start at the other and we would meet in the middle. I honestly did not know any better and proceeded to screw in the screws by hand. A few minutes later I hear the sound of a power tool. Zip, zip, zip...I look up and my brother is already on the second row of screws. I look down and I've only done 3...

Glancing down at my dad, he is barely containing his laughter as he hands me up a drill. After a second or two pause, because, I realized I just got pranked, I continued with my task. My brother hears my drill going, looks up and yells "I wondered how long it would take ya" as he and my dad start to laugh outright. I did not laugh...

Anyhow, I learned a lot yesterday...and we finished up the roof today. One really valuable lesson that I learned though, was respect for power tools and the people who know how to use them. At every opportunity my brother made me use a "hammer" when a hammer just wasn't enough. Teaching me to not only understand what it was to do the work without the proper tools, but also showing me that it wasn't always about "more power" and just to let the tool do what it was made to do, because trying to force it to do what you want usually yields poor results....

Thanks,
blend57

I can't believe I'm getting the first comment.

Bravo, Blend!! Bravo!! However, I somehow didn't see you as 'that innocent'.

Glad you got to spend some quality time with family. They must love you without restraint.

blend, you rock!!!!!


power tools scare the crap out of me.
as do power lawn mowers and snow blowers.

Snarl

Bravo, Blend!! Bravo!! However, I somehow didn't see you as 'that innocent'.

Of course I'm innocent! I do take every opportunity to learn new things though when they present themselves. Normally I would've researched this and then set about the task, but my brother does this for a living, so, it was a great opportunity to learn first hand from someone in the field, which, is always better then reading about the process. It was because of that that I didn't really question what my brother was telling me to do...figured he would want to get it done quickly and efficiently as possible. But, I also forgot how much of a prankster he is..lol. Thanks for the comments!

DontTreadOnMe

power tools scare the crap out of me. as do power lawn mowers and snow blowers.

Lol! Lawn mowers are fun to use. The zero turn ones make life a lot easier. Still, sometimes it is fun to use a push mower as well. I've yet to use a snow blower

Not really scared of doing much of anything, as long as I have proper guidance. It's really the one on one learning that makes me not afraid I guess. And I hate missing an opportunity to learn and see the world from someone elses eyes, so that usually outweighs any fear I may have... Thanks DTOM..you are awesome!!!!

Thanks
blend57

a reply to: blend57


That was a good read

Powertools, like any other sort, require a bit of practice and brains to use properly. Sounds like you are on the right track though. It's always fun to learn a new thing, especially actual engineering, like putting a roof on.
Start out like this and somewhere down the line you'll be building all sorts of things. It's addictive.

a reply to: blend57

sounds like a good project. I got my wife to help me put the tin on the barn. I gave her a drill with a 5/16 bit and a bag of self tapping screws. (we skipped a step out of your list) She was able to climb on the roof, where as I was afraid the fat boy in me would end up collapsing the nice roof we were putting in.