MMI Enterprises

Oh David I try... I really try. I think I excel at it too..lol :)

Dan your competitor(s) can gain yer price during only one bid process that ya all attend to. Makes any price point moot really. If anything, generic pricing and processes spewed regularly about the bbs help regulars and lurkers alike keep level ground and better able to service customers properly and fairly. It betters the field and ensures the bar is kept raised and expectations of customers up. These sensitive/trade secret things are not really special and can be had or learned readily by various source. Thing is when it's all in one place and free it is notable as a great value and may in fact instill a level of greed in some heart. Trust that no one can take away what we put in our head and that really not hardly many at all have the time or drive to care or learn it. Those that do are surely deserving of it so welcome them here and share up with pure heart. This is the internet a place for pretty much total openness. Do not become cynical. Do not hamper growth or change. Seems solid advice that people respect. I in fact think it will get you everywhere.. :)

.. I do my part..lol :)

If you stop sharing it they will come...come a shoppin that is.:whip: ..Hey all you terrorists, I charge $3.50 per foot to strip wood. :lol: Come on Dan doncha like the chilipeppers..'give it away give it away now'.:think:

no need fer that..but if so inclined.. :)

In other words...Is full of natural goodies to where it won't hold stain but more than a year or so the first couple stainings anywho. Is more of a cosmetic thing with that wood.

Many that use branded acids use like Safe Restore...not dealt with the one you mention. Not all such white has to be from efflo coming from building. It can also be deposits from hard water itself so a sealing may not totally solve problem down the road. Adjust them sprinkler if ya can.

The unwanted movement/dimensional changes you mention are more about the amounts of water infiltration and the varying speeds at which it leaves the wood due to temp and exposure. If one part (say the top exposed area) gets naturally water logged in compare to other parts it swells and causes stress between the two areas and causes damage. But now by nature of gravity the underneith never sees a huge enough difference compared to the top as long as the top is sealed with suitable product. The water just sheads off and never has chance to overwhelm the situation. Many seals allow some amount of vapor transmission/evap through it's being which is different than staight water easily passing through. Others can create too much of a trapping effect though that will cause delamination of the coating or end you with rot. Situation there apparently is that their transmission speed is not at all suitable in dealing with getting rid of even a slight bit of trapped water nor adjacent water. See water will want to leave in any and all directions if it can. Yes it leaves straight up eventually and mostly but the effect of sideways/adjacent evap can still be observed. Watch a board flush with a sealed surface such as a building. It stays wet longer. Ever see the sun come out on a water logged deck?. It can be like a steam bath with vapor coming straight up. Slow that down with a bad choice in stain or coating and you get problems. The goal of using such product in first place is to prevent that water logged situation if coated all over but like Dan pointed out it will happen by the very nature that products don't last forever and do eventually fail. ... sorry rambling.. Use a paraffinic penetrating oil, if anything, if your bound to preseal.

Indeed various branded solvents of same namesake can end you different results in some coating procedures so wood stain may be no different. Thing of purity or refinement I think.

Have you been yet Scott?..I want to go bad. Not sure I can get away though. I just know anyone and everyone dealing in concrete and decorative concrete stuff goes to this thing.All my suppliers do anyways..it's like be there or be square.

Air bands are those sliders that let air in... If they not loose and jigglin around then they probably ok and haven't moved.. Reset button is sign of too much strain which can be from pump and fan cage not turning freely. Check for rotation by hand turning the fan. Oil any bearings if needed. Other strain causes are too thick a fuel like during cold weather or too low a voltage from generator. A motor must be supplied properly for it to work or not burn up.

Merry Christmas to each and all!!

Link it up Beth. Dan, I doubt you'll regret...am amazed you hadn't tried by now. Didn't you ask for the little test sample cans way back? I bet if ya ask you'll get sample chips all done up on redwood on a nice little chain.. :)

I enjoyed all your posts Dan. The honesty flowed in a story book sort of way and kept my interest. Maybe same applies in your sales calls and you've learned how to tell a good one. I think people like a good story how about you?. I know that if I had to put a finger on some of my better sales that indeed I actually told the people exactly what was gonna go down and how things would procede. Of course they were involved in the story as well by asking me questions before I devised the story on the fly for them. You can see in some clients eye a true interest. When you don't see it is when ya ask questions of their goals and expectations as some customer need such guidance or focus and can miss their own meeting if you will. This plays in with your points of giving them what they want or getting them their answers to their questions. I think sometimes the ones that take great interest and communicate well by nature happen to also be the more high end/professional people. Some been burned before and have a problem with their project they know needs resolved. More than likely they know by their own profession that being attentive and communicating well is going to be the most important thing to their pocket book. Once they the customer seems satisfied and wanting to close the convo do you drop the 'when can we start?'.. The pricing has already been well taken care of and understood during the story.

AHh the o'le magic eraser... what a miracle that thing is.

So they mean 'employers who egregiously violate' do it on purpose as they know they can afford a single fine... I could see that happening for sake of keeping on schedule and making that almighty dollar. Wouldn't doubt though that with many a smaller outfit it more about them not realizing what was required of them... Sounds well intentioned but same as much other oversite it can lead to keeping small business down and favoring bigger ones more able to absorb the fines or live up to requirements.

I agree... the solvents of a paint spray is likely to go right on through or at least eat right onto a curing type stains linseed oil. Just like anti-grafiti prevention situations your only hope would be that the stain makeup is some such miraculous makeup that the paint don't go through. Anti-grafiti coatings are of the 2 part poly makeup and I've never heard of such involved in a wood stain before...only a fortification process of urethane or epoxy being added. Is not the same. With standard wood strip mixes it is not that it is hard to remove the paint. Its just that removing it will also likely remove the stain as well. Spray paint on bare wood comes off with just oven cleaner..least if it only been on less than a couple week. Wouldn't count on spot stripping as it probably not gonna match. I'd do whole section and restain that section.

Somethin was up there. thread would't come up a few minute back..nut now seems ok..Hate that though. forgot what it was I was gonna read about.

yer right..no idea about New England weather even though I am from New York. Likewise you've no idea of the weather just up the hill from me..plenty of Sierra Cement most years- http://ww2.californiasnow.com/press_release.asp?id=102 http://thestormking.com/Weather/Sierra_Snowfall/sierra_snowfall.html Regardless, ya asked so there ya go...if ya can get to it then go clean it up for them. Weather not much to do with leafs and removal of their stains far as I ever heard.

If it not covered in snow or ice then why not go back now? Are you plannin a redo of the whole staining job or what?. Bringing a little bleach and/or ox now before the sun comes back may make for a small payday...just a clean is what I mean. You know sometimes that stuff turns back pretty easy as it just on top and is organic. Not like it is from the wood itself and moving all around. Every year around this time I plan for doing lots of concrete with bleach..works wonders on leaf debri..

Michael, Ahhh similar to the ol'e folding over of the garden hose effect. Enough pressure made to where it shoots right on past the internal space a plug or fitting presents on the end.. btw, anybody ever just hook their DSer into a house supply and run it off the garden hose for roofs or house washing?..lol. Mostly the chems doing te work anyways..:) Paul, Did you go back and change that coupler/plug sentance?. I took it that we were still talking about threaded couplers and swivels when asking for pics (ftp-ftp). But hey that sounds a great deal on the quikies. I should get like 10 of them. Currently use 5 per machine what with DSer and surfacer.

Paul, thanx..got pic of those?... Gonna need much longer reel jumper and stuff to dual machines up. Hey BTW ya know if there was a consensus on whether using check valves on both machines when headng into a pipe T is needed or not?

Paul, Coulda saved big with your jumper hoses over having them made local even with a shipping charge. Woulda been about same though after the coupler pricing difference unless you got $2 versions. More than likely some these places though are doing almost a gimme on such stuff to secure larger business dealings like machine purchases or whatever. Might go back couple months from now and experience something totally different.. Sure seems to pay to go mail order and keep backups stocked.

Yes Rod, smart thoughts and great post!...Most every point is exactly how I view it. The middleman idea is opportunity for many already established small business is way I been viewing it. Just other day on ***'s bailout thread I was spewing how Johnson Controls CEO addressing congress could be more of a middleman based agenda thing.(still unsure of how much product they actually make...but I know they rip service people of their potential profits)

Thanx Chris!..Makes close to perfect sense and is same format/direction that I'm set for. I really need to get the valve as I am tired of walking back to machine. Is the swivel you mention handy in that it swivels after being tightend and takes place of a standard coupler or ya talking about the kind that allow the hose to turn only while yer tightening the fittings? If it swivels in use is it durable? (..Maybe Paul or Russ has pic or models for that part too?) I'm going from standard male hose ends to a no swivel female pipe coupler in order to hook to male plug. Btw , changed my heater hoses out and boy do places vary on making them up. Prices varied from $65-$140 for two 5 footers. I noticed how it is for sure best to keep the hose swedged ends as standard male ends and use the $2 swivel couplers that I think we are talkign about above on the ends to get to the coil ends or to plugs. Oh and Napa was way expensive at close to $8 per foot for the hoseing. Rubber hose making place was way better in all respects...