Dishpan Hands!!

[JammerMatt]

Dang!

I spent the last week building a wood fence in my backyard. I used all kinds of augering and wood-working equipment. I think the last day was worst as I was almost finished, getting hot, tired and sick of the whole project. That day I smacked my left hand with a hammer, ran my leg right into the wheelbarrow, and got some major splinters in my right hand. Of course I picked the hottest week of the year (85 to 100 degrees F) to do this thing.

My hands and wrists are killing me, I must've driven about a thousand nails last week, and mixed and placed several yards of concrete. I'm a civil/structural engineer by trade, so I'm pretty much a desk jockey. My hat's off to those that have to actually build stuff. My hands and wrists are killing me, but I'll try to get something down on one of these forum jams.

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: Dishpan Hands!!

LOL! Don't you just HATE manual labour?!!

You just gots to jam on something, Matt! You just gots to!!

 

[JammerMatt]

Re: Dishpan Hands!!

Now, one of those blisters is popping. Haven't practiced in over a week. I picked up my guitar, and it was like my hands had never held an axe. My hands felt drunk. This is bad news, man!

 

[Jaganath]

Re: Dishpan Hands!!

I know how you feel mate - I put up a fence a few months back using those 30in Met-Posts, metal fence post holders that you drive into the ground.

Had to knock 12 of them in flush with the ground - basically the equivalent of knocking a 30ft spike into the ground with a sledge hammer - I could hardly lift my arms by the time I was finished and my forearms and back were agony for a week. I'll get someone else to do it next time I think!

 

[JammerMatt]

Re: Dishpan Hands!!

Jag,

I'm with you there. If it's one thing I learn from these exercises, its: Hire a pro.

It was the same story when I rebuilt my engine, planted my yard, etc. It's a good experience to go through, but in the end... hire a pro.

-Matt

 

[Jaganath]

Re: Dishpan Hands!!

:laugh2:

It's like a parallel universe or something - right before putting the fence up I had to clear the garden of bushes, weeds, take up really baddly laid concrete etc and dig up all a turf because the ground was so uneven, level it all and re-plant the grass - it's only a tiny garden but took ages and knackered me out.

I've also experimented with my car and managed a semi-successfull performance brake and induction kit installation. But like you said, the moral of the story is pay someone who knows what they are doing to do it - I'll stick to web design

Garden Before (Lazy b@stards must have left it like this for years)

Garden After all my back-breaking hard work

 

[shark]

Re: Dishpan Hands!!

that 's some mighty fine work you did there. I 'm thinking of hiring you to do my garden :laugh2:

 

[JammerMatt]

Re: Dishpan Hands!!

I'm with Shark. Can you do some landscaping for me? My lawn slopes and I want a retaining wall built!!!

But seriously... nice fence. I don't think I've ever seen the overlapping plank approach. It has an interesting texture. Maybe I'll take shot of mine. It's in a style I call "modern suburbia." ... Looks like everyone else's.

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: Dishpan Hands!!

Man, that fence looks killer!

I totally suck @ stuff like that, which is why I do system design ...