Outdoor Writer Report post Posted April 28, 2019 I'm looking for a part-time helper. Age not important although maybe an older teen who wants a few hours after school and on weekends would be interested. No special skills or tools needed but should be able to lift a sheet of OSB, use a hammer or shovel, etc. Must have his own transportation (67th Ave.& Camelback), no drugs or booze and able to take direction from a crotchety old man on steroids. There will be quite a few hours involved over the next couple months. Compensation to be discussed. Can start work almost immediately with several relatively easy jobs. In fact, I need someone RIGHT now for about two days of work that has to be done by Fri. It's a bit of 3"X5" trenching and some concrete mixing (w/a mixer) involved. PM if interested or know someone, and I'll provide contact info. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wildwoody Report post Posted April 28, 2019 With the me too movement you can't be crotchety, sounds like a great opportunity. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Outdoor Writer Report post Posted April 28, 2019 Yup, it will indeed be a good opportunity to not only make a few bucks but to learn some things as well. Besides grunt work, he'll be doing some carpentry, painting, tile work and such. Will even install a few windows. I already own a full array of every tool about known to man. LOL I have all the stationary power saws, air nailers, a 10" diamond blade tile saw and so forth. Even have a hammer or two. Below is the project I'm working on now. The first pix is after the demolition of the Bermuda grass that was there and the grading. The 2nd one is the wall and tree well that I had added last week. The rock arrives Tues. a.m. and will get spread on Fri. That's why I need someone RIGHT now. I want them to dig a shallow trench along the block walls on both sides of the yard and around the house foundation. After the grading, the dirt is soft, so easy-peasy digging. Then we'll put down a 2'-wide plastic strip with a line of concrete on top along the walls/foundation. I already had the concrete crew do that under the forms and into the wall foundation. Then the big sheets of plastic will overlap the narrower ones. Purpose: so none of that dang Bermuda grass will creep up between the concrete and rocks. I don't want to be spraying the rest of my life. My helper will also paint the wall and tree well. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Outdoor Writer Report post Posted April 29, 2019 No takers, huh? I guess I'm off to Home Depot today to get someone quick. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ThomC Report post Posted April 29, 2019 Well you scared them off and they probably figured that you a cheapskate also. Hey you young hunters now is your chance to help an old outdoor writer that will probably tell you everything he know and give some hot spots and secrets. And maybe he will let you see his topies. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
seek100plus Report post Posted April 29, 2019 What kind of water membrane used in the tree well ? Before or when you backfill . Just curious Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Non-Typical Solutions Report post Posted April 29, 2019 17 hours ago, Outdoor Writer said: Yup, it will indeed be a good opportunity to not only make a few bucks but to learn some things as well. Besides grunt work, he'll be doing some carpentry, painting, tile work and such. Will even install a few windows. I already own a full array of every tool about known to man. LOL I have all the stationary power saws, air nailers, a 10" diamond blade tile saw and so forth. Even have a hammer or two. Below is the project I'm working on now. The first pix is after the demolition of the Bermuda grass that was there and the grading. The 2nd one is the wall and tree well that I had added last week. The rock arrives Tues. a.m. and will get spread on Fri. That's why I need someone RIGHT now. I want them to dig a shallow trench along the block walls on both sides of the yard and around the house foundation. After the grading, the dirt is soft, so easy-peasy digging. Then we'll put down a 2'-wide plastic strip with a line of concrete on top along the walls/foundation. I already had the concrete crew do that under the forms and into the wall foundation. Then the big sheets of plastic will overlap the narrower ones. Purpose: so none of that dang Bermuda grass will creep up between the concrete and rocks. I don't want to be spraying the rest of my life. My helper will also paint the wall and tree well. Tony, good to hear you are still being crotchety...........it is tough finding anybody willing to work a shovel these days! Good luck on your project!!! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Outdoor Writer Report post Posted April 29, 2019 22 hours ago, ThomC said: Well you scared them off and they probably figured that you a cheapskate also. Hey you young hunters now is your chance to help an old outdoor writer that will probably tell you everything he know and give some hot spots and secrets. And maybe he will let you see his topies. I might divulge some secret spots but there ain't nobody that gets to see my "topies" except my wife! And I'm not sure what would have scared them off. I'm having a guy with a bobcat and his helper spread the rocks and the task I needed done right now is complete. Bright and early this a.m., I drove over to the nearby Home Depot, where about a dozen workers-for-hire were lurking in the parking lot. The first two I spoke to were waiting on a pick up from someone they had worked with before. The next one didn't understand a word I said -- perhaps because I mentioned a shovel. So then I struck up a conversation in ENGLISH with a guy about 22-23 or so named Jesus (as in Hayzuss) not the guy with the cross. He was born here, went to school in Flagstaff and spoke perfect English. That thrilled me to no end because before I left home I had printed out a bunch of stuff in Spanish off a translation site in case I needed more than my quite sparse supply of Spanish words and phrases. He also had a buddy there named Javier, who was also born here and spoke perfect English with no accent. So we sat and talked for about 20 mins. and did a little haggling until we got close to the right price. I can tell you right now that they no longer work for minimum wage. Finally, Javier offered to follow me home to see the job. That was about 6:15. They agreed to do it for $200, and I told them to get their butts going, which they did by starting to dig the trench. In the meantime, I had to wake up my wife so she could go to HD and pick up a couple bags of cement to mix with the gravel I already had in my backyard. She wasn't too pleased since she doesn't sleep well but tries to do so until at least 9 everyday. By the time she got back, they had finished the digging and moving the dirt to a backyard planter. They already had my mixer and a couple wheelbarrow loads of gravel out front. Once the cement got there, Jesus mixed and Javier wheeled it to the trench for distribution atop the plastic that Jesus had already put down. They finished the job at 10:45, and I was very satisfied with the result. The only glitch was sort of humorous. I was sitting on the patio, and they were on the other side of my driveway loading dirt into my wheelbarrow. All of a sudden I nearly came out of chair when what sounded like a gun shot came from where they were. Jesus turns and say " you got a blown tire." Since he was right next to the right rear tire of my wife's Elantra, which I couldn't see, I thought that was what he meant. Nope, it was the old, dried out tire on my 40-yr-old wheelbarrow that went kaboom after I had aired it up earlier because it was flat. End result: I sent Javier across to my neighbor's to ask to borrow their wheelbarrow, which we did. AND...they're coming back Thurs. to paint the wall and tree well. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Outdoor Writer Report post Posted April 29, 2019 7 hours ago, seek100plus said: What kind of water membrane used in the tree well ? Before or when you backfill . Just curious The dirt inside the tree well is the same level as outside of it. No dirt to be added. I have a bunch of old tight-meshed black shade cloth that I'm going to use. I'll criss-cross from each side of the tree trunk by using a slit and center hole. The inside of the well is 4'. So they'll be one 4' piece each overlapping from east, west, north & south. Then I'm putting 8 cu. ft. of brown bark mulch on top of that. I've also given it a couple good sprays of Roundup already. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Outdoor Writer Report post Posted May 1, 2019 I'm still looking for that elusive part-time helper. There has to be someone out there that's wants to make a bit of extra -- AND TAX-FREE -- dollars! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
seek100plus Report post Posted May 1, 2019 Being in the construction trade for 25 years . Times have changed with work ethics. When I was starting , I drove jobsite to jobsite , begging for job at 16 . I'm a true believer Xbox and cell phones have changed work ethic. I am 54 now and I will work circles around kids, these days . My parents and grandparents taught me to work hard for a days pay . That's why I am now running 30+ million dollar projects . Good luck with the new generation . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TOBY Report post Posted May 1, 2019 My friend is in the business and he cant get a drywall hanger"illegal" at that for under 200 cash a day. Working kids in construction that is a rarity and then some anymore. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CatfishKev Report post Posted May 1, 2019 The only kids these days that have a good work ethic are likely kids of a business owner. I make my kids work with me just to teach them work ethic. There was a time I thought hiring young guys was better, these days I choose older and slower but good work ethic., 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
twigsnapper Report post Posted May 1, 2019 1 hour ago, seek100plus said: I'm a true believer Xbox and cell phones have changed work ethic. I am 54 now and I will work circles around kids, these days . In my opinion it has nothing to do with Xbox or a cell phone and 100% to do with parenting and culture and big city culture. Growing up in a small town, we kids were always picking up side jobs and learning construction along the way. Parents nowadays don’t let their kids outside let alone go work a side job and parents put more emphasis on school and activities then they do on getting life skills through work experience as a teenager. I hope when my boys are old enough I have guys like Tony around to chew their butt and give them a chance to make a buck or two. Don’t blame the kids, it’s the parents. 7 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
257 STW Report post Posted May 1, 2019 Nobody wants to work I didn't think about posting job opportunities on here as well I've been looking for a few guys for a while the first thing they always ask is how much you going to pay me and what time we going to be done, they already want to be done and get paid before work even starts times certainly have changed 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
