RPetry

Paul, That deck is awesome. Down to the pegged fasteners on the ipe'. Did that myself on my own ipe' deck and talk about labor intensive! Real Nice Work.

Shane, Is this going to hurt our BDA membership drive? Was Salguero a card carrying member? Why didn't he have a shotgun? What a dolt. This is in Texas, with all those fences, and our biggest market for members. Call our PR firm first thing in the morning to counter this dastardly press.

Ken, You are wrong. Pure and simple. Read. Learn about history and the ones that came before you. Few made money trying to make money. They found a passion, a calling, a revolutionary idea, a place in the world and stayed with it. Working for money is no better than working for a paycheck. A miserable existence. If you are striving only for money, have fun. Because there isn't any. Smell the roses.

Sir James of KnowledgeWood says: B.S. Not while I'm still around. I'll come up there with my college kids and knock the socks off your customers. Jim, you leave wood and I'm dead. You are my original mentor, a charter member of the BDA, and one of the most knowledgeable woody's around. Your portfolio of jobs, the years you have put in to experiment, process, and just plain common sense are invaluable. There's a lot of nonsense in this business. I always trusted a man with a bird on his head. You've been writing the book, and others are floundering in mediocrity. Everyone wants to make a quick buck as "businessmen", without understanding that success comes with quality. So buck up ya' old fart. No quitting now. Too many need you.

Hurray!, Hurrah! >YES!< You may just have a customer for life.

Sun Brite Supply was kind enough to send their new stripper, cleaner, and brightener / neutralizer for testing before they put it on the market. Its well formulated but nothing unusual or groundbreaking. Just follow normal procedures. And Mike has some good tips.

John, I'm soon to be 54. One chargeable small accident when I was in my early 20's. Credit rating, home ownership, and I would think a bunch of other stuff may determine rates. Go figure. You think your insurance rates are bad, wait till my generation starts beating up on your paycheck. Don't mean to change the subject but your generation is going to have to get to the ramparts and beat back the perks that us 50 somethings are soon to demand. My generation is not the so called "greatest generation". We are the greed generation and its sad.

John, Last week I purchased a new 2007 Ford E250 extended cargo van under my business name. 1M liability, a bunch of other normal coverages, and $500 deductible collision. Yearly premium is $970. Company is Progressive and selected by my agent. This is NJ with some of the highest auto premiums in the country.

Ken, If this Keys opportunity does not pan out, the next winter destination is Costa Rica! Not sure about the legalities of establishing a foreign owned business in San Jose, CR, a silent national partner may be required. But I'm sure there is an available market in the San Jose area.

Jeff, Thread has been sitting here without reply for nearly a day. Seems like no one likes you when your serious! I'll respond with a very close to the vest, partial reply. I hope I've reached my first goal, which is to be the best quality wood contractor in my area. I guess a natural extension would be the biggest. But first and foremost, the best is primary. If I can attain that with crews and minimal supervision, that would be fine. No, not for the long term. May have an opportunity to go and establish my business in the Florida Keys each winter, returning here to Central NJ between April and October. Will know more in about 6 months.

Greg, Clean up of dried stain depends on the stain. You may want to mention the stain used and I'm sure someone here on TGS will be able to help. Saw your statement, "3 days later I get a 9% moisture reading". Did you use Ready Seal stain? If so, very easy to clean off of just about any non porous surface. Spray Simple Green and let dwell for a few minutes. Wipe clean.

John, That is quite an event, especially for a local store. Must pay off in business as it looks first class. Your middle picture looks like a convention of plastic bucket makers! Jeff, John has no taste for mutant chipmunks. "I have always been a fan of the Yankees." --Hillary Clinton, when running for the senate in NY

Jeeze Philip, I wish you'd speak your mind and not ***** foot around! I'm squarely on your side of this argument. "All the President is, is a glorified public relations man who spends his time flattering, kissing and kicking people to get them to do what they are supposed to do anyway." -- Harry S Truman

Joel, It would be helpful if you could post some close up pictures of the problem areas. I restored an old cedar deck two yrs. ago that had literal "globs" of hardened stain in areas. Looked like someone just poured stain out of the can. Wound up stripping twice with NaOH and then using 12 defelting pads with a Makita 9227C to get the remainder removed.

Jeff, This is my best spring yet. Have not started wood yet but getting equipment serviced Wed. and then its time to start as temperatures permit. Booked on wood jobs 6 - 8 weeks out dependent on weather. Web site almost done and advertising will start early April. Looking for a banner year. Sir James of Knowledgewood, Stick with the stone, I'm moving to Conn.! You gotta have some of the best demographics on the east coast.

Jeff, the PW King of SC says: Ain't that the truth, I'd give my left *** to do it all over again.When I was 19, spent all my time chasing tail, drinking beer, and experimenting with various and sundry illegal substances. Studies were pretty far down the list of priorities. Have fond memories of those times long ago. Here we have a young man diligent in college, defends his family honor, starts his own business, and writes better than some trash novel authors. That's almost scary. Goes to show the younger generations will turn out fine, most certainly better than my addicted to gov't benefits peers. So Charlie, get working and make lots of dough. I want to collect my SS someday.

Come on now fellas, enough. Boys will be boys, and all that stuff, but put the dukes down and shake hands like real men. Russell Cissell and I got a bit "into it" a few weeks ago, but nothing like this. However, we resolved everything with a big online hug. Sheesh, we all have our differences and hot spots but I think this is a public forum. If 'ya want to go 12 rounds, try private messaging. Enough. Jarrod has a very valid point. I do plenty of wood work by myself and I'm a two tennis elbows, cortizone shot infirm, chain smoking, beer guzzling soon to be 54 yr. old. Will be doing it again soon, as my college summer help does not start until the 1st week in May. Have I run the numbers in previous years? No, but I'll try this year. Charlie appears to be a fine young man. At 19, he's starting his own serious business and is not afraid to ask for help and guidance. He sticks by his guns, seems very determined, and is not afraid to defend himself from more established authority. Whether right or wrong, that takes spunk and character. I'm sure he will do well and go far. So ok guys, we like and respect the both of you. Now put the egos by the door and lets all help each other.

Keith, Getting your hands dirty is one way to learn. 5 - 6 years ago, there was no TGS and internet communication / information was hard to find to non- existent. Many here, learned by doing. We also took our lumps in $10 an hour jobs as we underbid or underestimated effort. Part of the natural learning process. Being a member, you have a lot of backup on TGS. If you have problems, post along with pictures. This will make it much easier for others to help you. Think, "even though I walk through the valley of my first strip job, I will fear no stain!". Get an idea here on the "how" and then just do it! You know where to turn for help.

Beth & Rod or anyone, Does the site have a list or would anyone in the know care to list the forums on TGS that are hidden from "guests". Forums that only members can view. I was told this forum, "Business Topics & Tips" is members only. What other forums are like this one? Thanks.

I'm with John Tornabene. Spent some time in "class" with Wayne at the ACR event and he is a great guy.

Jim, Yeah, you've had a tough road. Have to take it slow and watch your health. Good news about granite and marble. Will keep you out of Joann's hair during the day!

Jim, Ha! Thats a good one. Nice to see you are still in good humor. Looks like freezing nights are about gone here. Will probably start on wood late next week. How about you?

Jeff, Might be of interest: The MSDS FAQ: Regulations At the bottom of the page: Please do not misconstue this post. I stain wood for a living and never studied law. But you may find some good information at this website and links therein.

Jeff, After you clear that neighborhood of undesirables with the double barrel shotgun, you may want to drive back to see your other sick MSDS friend with the flea infested dog. Put 'em both out of their misery. Save the rest of us from such scum. This is how Republicans quietly handle such matters. You can bet if this low life files a claim, her ambulance chasing liability attorney will be a Democratic contributor! Just kidding of course. Sounds like you are having an interesting week. I sure hope everything works out fine.

Charlie, You asked: Yes I do. Now. No I didn't when I first started out. Back then the thought and question would have never entered my mind. Just asking the questions and being part of this discussion shows you are light years ahead of where I was 6 yrs. ago when I first started in this business. I do not consider wood restoration to be a true part of PW and do not belong to the PWNA. A second cousin at best. But with Everett Abrams as president, I'm open to second thoughts. I grew up in a family that owned an old, well established trucking business. Good relations with local banks kept us alive. In other words, cash flow and money problems were constant. But my grandfather and later my father spend time, money, and personal effort to serve on the BOD of Allied Van Lines, a national orginization of household goods carriers that my grandfather was one of the eight original founders. My dad was very active in the Rotary, some national transportation defense board, and for a time with the ATA, the American Trucking Association. Both actively supported the local YMCA. Point is, as an owner of a business, you are the business. And there are further goals in time you may want to help accomplish, beyond your immediate bottom line. Cynics may cry, "but you're just feathering your own pockets!". May be true in a few cases but not many. Some organizations may be self serving in some aspects, but in fact still serve the betterment of the public and members. There is inherent strenght in like minded, proactive, good organizations for niche industries. I hope to see the day when that can be accomplished for the PW industry, or more close to home, the wood restoration business.