Topic: The Contractor/Handy home owner thread - Power tools, fun toys & cool projects

[Ron]

When I was in the business, ~10 years ago now, always preferred Makita saws and Hitachi nailers for the framing and form work. Makitas were simple and rugged, the Hitachis were sleek, light and fast. For reno/finishing had a Bosch table saw and Bosch/Porter Cable guns. Most were bought used. A lot of crews liked Bostich (cheap) or DeWalt (over rated).

Did buy a couple Paslodes when they first came out, really great guns for doing foundations, form work etc. Not great when they got wet however which was a problem here on the west coast. Not very cost effective if used on a regular basis which I did see some do. Also picked up a palm nailer, mainly because we had a young guy who wanted it and we liked him, so got it for nailing hangers. After he left, I don't think it ever left the truck again. I tried it once, seemed to be a novel solution looking for a problem, never saw the need for it personally.

Pawn shops carry a lot of handyman junk but do score professional construction tools occasionally, sometimes barely used...

[Solstice2006]

If buying a drill, or impact driver.  Then Dewalt can be over rated.  Main reason I like them, they offer the biggest selection of cordless tools, and accessories.  So will Milwaukee maybe similar in performance and reliability to Dewalt, they offer 1/3 the amount of tools.   

[Ex-airbalancer]

If buying a drill, or impact driver.  Then Dewalt can be over rated.  Main reason I like them, they offer the biggest selection of cordless tools, and accessories.  So will Milwaukee maybe similar in performance and reliability to Dewalt, they offer 1/3 the amount of tools.

Depends on what you Need the drill to do
I drill into sheet metal , so the higher the rpm the better
Dewalt has the highest rpm

[Solstice2006]

If buying a drill, or impact driver.  Then Dewalt can be over rated.  Main reason I like them, they offer the biggest selection of cordless tools, and accessories.  So will Milwaukee maybe similar in performance and reliability to Dewalt, they offer 1/3 the amount of tools.

Depends on what you Need the drill to do
I drill into sheet metal , so the higher the rpm the better
Dewalt has the highest rpm

Interesting, never really looked at that.  As for just general renos, and outdoor stuff (decks, fences) The variation in RPM is less important. 

[Fobroader]

I saw a comparison of a 3/8 or 1/2 cordless impact, the Milwaukee blew the Dewalt and Snap on away. For a drill to do your fence, the Dewalts are going to be fine.

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk

[Solstice2006]

I saw a comparison of a 3/8 or 1/2 cordless impact, the Milwaukee blew the Dewalt and Snap on away. For a drill to do your fence, the Dewalts are going to be fine.

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk

For sure, I have an 18V 3/8 right now, that is at least 6 years old.  3 Decks, 2 Fences, various other jobs.  Still going great.  Batteries lasting a while too.  Next drill 1/2".

[blur911]

Finally got around to using my new power tool.  Up to now I've still been using my old MIG, but I had to change the bottle so decided to take my new one out of the box.
It's a MIG/TIG/arc welder, 120 or 240VAC powered.
I used it to get rid of a couple exhaust leaks on the subaru.  Worked well once I got used to it.

[Ex-airbalancer]

 
I always wish I learned to weld

[blur911]

I always wish I learned to weld

With MIG the easy stuff is easy.

[Solstice2006]

Just landed a commercial job as a GC... Things are shaping nicely.

That's great!  Things should start for me soon, double digits in a few days.  Means outdoor work for me. 

[Ex-airbalancer]

Just landed a commercial job as a GC... Things are shaping nicely.

Reno? Details 😉

[Ex-airbalancer]

Just landed a commercial job as a GC... Things are shaping nicely.

Reno? Details 😉

Office reno/tenant improvement.   Couple walls, doors, hvac, electrical, flooring, painting....etc

[Ex-airbalancer]

On a side note my  insurance for the company came in the mail today 

[rrocket]

I  was out with just a T shirt for most of today.

That must have been a sight..

[Ex-airbalancer]

This would be a nice pair of gloves
https://youtu.be/YGyI2VOh9YY

[Great_Big_Abyss]

My company (okay, not MY company, but the one I work for) is a major sponsor of Habitat for Humanity.  This year they are sponsoring the building of a Net-Zero 4-Plex, but supplying design man-power, materials, and encouraging employees to volunteer.

I just signed up to volunteer for a day on September 12th.  I did the same last year when Qualico sponsored a house as part of the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter build. 

It's actually a two-way street for my company.  Net-Zero buildings will be legislated as mandatory in the near future, so this is a good way for us to figure out best practice, what works, what doesn't. 

I also designed the trusses for this job, so that was also fun.

[rrocket]

I helped out this charity once years and years ago.

[Golly]

My company (okay, not MY company, but the one I work for) is a major sponsor of Habitat for Humanity.  This year they are sponsoring the building of a Net-Zero 4-Plex, but supplying design man-power, materials, and encouraging employees to volunteer.

I just signed up to volunteer for a day on September 12th.  I did the same last year when Qualico sponsored a house as part of the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter build. 

It's actually a two-way street for my company.  Net-Zero buildings will be legislated as mandatory in the near future, so this is a good way for us to figure out best practice, what works, what doesn't. 

I also designed the trusses for this job, so that was also fun.

I'm really looking forward to working on this Net-Zero project.  I've been a regular volunteer with HFH for over 11 years and I'm impressed with the efforts HFH go to, to make their houses energy efficient, often in collaboration with major sponsors that supply the material, e.g., Dow donated all the 2" SM Styrofoam for all 150 HFH homes across Canada last year, and Insulated Concrete Foundations etc. I've been told that the Net-Zero ceilings will be R80 and the walls R40 (5.5 inches fiberglass and 4 inches of SM Styrofoam). 

This season I've been putting in 2 days a week since mid April, mostly on houses in the North End, an area of town that I would not normally go to, so it's been a bit of an eye opener.

[Golly]

My company (okay, not MY company, but the one I work for) is a major sponsor of Habitat for Humanity.  This year they are sponsoring the building of a Net-Zero 4-Plex, but supplying design man-power, materials, and encouraging employees to volunteer.

I just signed up to volunteer for a day on September 12th.  I did the same last year when Qualico sponsored a house as part of the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter build. 

It's actually a two-way street for my company.  Net-Zero buildings will be legislated as mandatory in the near future, so this is a good way for us to figure out best practice, what works, what doesn't. 

I also designed the trusses for this job, so that was also fun.

GBA, don't know if you have been on the build site or driven by recently but I snapped this pic this morning.  Over the past 2 weeks I've been helping to put on the 2 layers of SM Styrofoam on the outside of the 4-plex.  It was a balmy -8 this morning and it didn't warm up much during day so no danger of heat stroke or dehydration.

That rear roof that the solar panels go on is MASSIVE.

[Great_Big_Abyss]

The trusses were so big they had to built in two parts, known as 'piggybacks'.  A bottom part, and a top part.

If you're there for two weeks, are you a team lead, then?