Shoutout to the old-timer who taught me a trick on a job site in Tulsa

I was working on a retaining wall about 4 years ago in Tulsa and this guy in his 70s walks up, watches me for a minute, then shows me how to butter a brick with one smooth motion. He said "you're fighting the trowel, let it do the work." That one tip cut my time by like 20% that day. Has anyone else had a random stranger just drop some game-changing advice on them?

3 comments

3 Comments

matthewdixon28d ago

That's really cool. Those old guys are walking goldmines of practical know-how. I had a plumber about 65 tell me to always put two wraps of Teflon tape on the male threads instead of the usual one. Saved me a bunch of leaks on a commercial job. Tbh it's the little mechanical tricks that make the biggest difference on a site.

susanb3428d ago

Yeah thats a good point @matthewdixon, but on PVC threads you actually want to go easy on the tape - too much can make the fitting crack. Ive seen guys crank a joint tight and split the hub that way.

lilyp3728d ago

And that's exactly what I'm talking about with @susanb34's point on PVC too. Those little tweaks come from years of trial and error you just can't learn in a book. The tape wrap thing is real, but she's right that you gotta know when to stop. It's the same with buttering brick, you're not just learning a motion you're learning how much pressure to use and when to back off. That's the kind of thing that separates a good job from a headache later. Those old timers have a feel for it that you only get from messing up a few times first.

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