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In another life I drove trucks, in the oilfields. Sent to refinery w 3 axle tractor and 40ft flatrack... load is waiting. So I get there and they almost fill my 40ftr with 55gal drums of oil ! I call the office on radio, how am I gonna keep these things on driving through Los Angeles Fwy system ? Answer was: just throw a couple boards on top and pass a rope over boards to hold em down, those drums aren't going anywhere unless you get in a wreck. You aren't gonna get in a wreck, are you? 150 miles home, in stop and go traffic for half the trip, and not one of those drums moved 1/2 inch ! No sideboards, nothing but two 1/2" poly ropes x'd over the load so I could say I had something on there. r

Used 275g totes just popped up on craigslist here in CA Merced = $65 San Jose = $150 Fuel IS a factor, so I'll wait til I can find em closer. r

Yah, Kevin's got it ! Eat a pretzel, drink a beer to neutralize it. Makes perfect sense to me. r

Yup, arbitrary might be a good choice of words... But then again... Ha! Semantics. and I never could read Carlos. Can't do it Rod. Just can't. I suppose I'll need to agree to disagree with you. I think everyone will get their 15 minutes of fame. It may not be as spectacular as others... r

I have only seen 3 other PWers in our area, and heard of maybe another 3 or 4. Everything I knew about PWing was basically wrong, until I found TGS. I am a sub, so if anyone needs my help locally, we are for hire. r

Things have changed considerably since the last posts here... most recently we have a significant number of mortgage co's in bankruptcy and a larger, staggering, number of foreclosures. I, for one, see no cause for the situation to improve. No driving force. Therefore, things must get worse. Well, Rod's post was last.. "I am like you but with a different perspective" Ha! That's generally called "different than you." "Government that operates without the people?" Aw c'mon. Government is NOTHING without the people. "History is written by the winners" ??? Well that's blatantly wrong, isn't it. History is what happened. Stories may be written about what occurred by one side or the other, and a spin induced, but the facts remain the same. And, "My lesson in history is not to become part of it." Rod, the keyboard must have caught you on a bad day, as it does myself, from time to time. You ARE, and SHALL BE FOREVER, a part of history. It is inescapable, just as death, and taxes. Perhaps you are unfamiliar with chaos theory and the butterfly effect... Every ACTION creates a REACTION. It may be that you shall not be recalled with Ben Franklin or Sam Adams, but you ARE a contributing factor even if your work does not have the impact of Mt Rushmore or the Hoover Dam. Earlier, herein, Michael K claimed he had no concerns over the economy, or it dropping out, so to speak... He views it as opportunity and feels his regimen of hard work and savings shall both protect, and present him with great advantage in hard times. Perhaps, but is he unfamiliar w the stories of once wealthy stockbrokers attempting to sell apples on the corner for a nickel after the market crashed? Or the folks taking a wheelbarrow of Reichsmarks to the market to try and buy a loaf of bread? I feel everything is cyclic, by nature, and history is bound to repeat itself. There may be varying facets, or some added twist, but the basics remain. If our factories do not produce and our people are put in the streets, consequences shall affect each one of us. Here's a new twist... Foreclosures in the wealthiest of neighborhoods have left homes vacant and swimming pools have become stagnant creating a breeding ground for mosquitoes which may spread the West Nile Virus. Care for another twist with that martini ? It is said half the foreclosures in CA are brought on by healthcare costs incurred by a catastrophic illness. Sorry group, I just stumbled upon this economy thread as I was looking for a spot to place a post... My Question... About 1/2 million foreclosures on the books, nationwide, and climbing. These are, or soon shall be vacant, un-maintained buildings. In the cleaning business, as we are, whom would we contact, to provide service, so these buildings can be made presentable for sale, when that time arrives that such buyers become available? When Life gives you lemons, make lemonade... We experienced professionals in the service industry must make our preparation now, for recovery tomorrow. r

Nice job Daniel, ... and sounds like you did a very good job of developing your relationship with the client. A happy client is the best reward ! Sounds like a great place to work . IMO, for the travel time and costs, I would have liked to see $1400-1600 for the job, to see that the client is paying for the overhead. Since client IS happy, and you made wages, I would strongly ask her to make referrals for you and give her a small stack of cards. r

Don't get that cold wet stuff here in this part of CA, but in another life it was my task to keep a small community clear, a few times each winter... Wahoo ! That was FUN ! 4 - 12ft drifts in an awesome storm, built -up big block in a 1 ton chained all around w a hydraulic plow crossed up going sideways through a hairpin S turn with snow rolling off the plow and over the whole truck blasting Lynyrd Skynyrd and AC/DC on the CD player at 3am. We had abt 60 miles of treacherous mountain roads in the community. Just a job, but someone had to do it, so all the peoples could drive out to work in a few hours. All told, what a blast for a kid from the beach! r

Chaz, rather than sand all the boards for a fill, it works well to rip 3/4 off a couple of them and round over the cut edge w a coarse file. I use my 8ft level, clamped to the board for a fence, to run my skilsaw against, to make a clean looong cut, but you can also use a fence attachment for a 77. I like a fence better, though, because you can make diagonal cuts, if needed, for those fine, out-of-square projects. r

Now that I have a decent 5.5g machine for residential I've been asked time and again to do severe gum infested concrete and all I could do was advise clients that I could do little with the gum until I get a burner. Can't do much with major grease, efficiently, without hot water, either. r

Ha ! Didja get the pool guy to clean up the crap? We just did an epoxy coat on a garage that will be used as a sales office. Next day the landscapers, plumbers, tile guys, insulators, and drywall guys were all through the room, and set up working on the new surface. I love it ! No problems w warranty. We shall be very happy to do repair work T & M. r

Hey Jet, are you near those guys in w palm beach? Shouldn't be hard to see, or ask 'em what they use, if you are there.. I used hookah rigs on gold claims years ago when dredging. It's better for shallow diving than tanks. Yes, I can see where you won't need to go underwater for your 4ft project. You just need to overcome the mass of water to get at the problem. Still curious abt what it takes to blast a hull underwater, though. That would be a good job for my kid. r

and here is a great thread that just doesn't need to be out in public. r

RH, is there an air gap where the double wall meets the single wall? ...I know you have positive fuel shutoff, in the burner, but I had one bad experience... We used an oil burner to heat a shop in winter, extended the stack up maybe 15' thru the tin roof. thing took off like a jet and would not slow down! We barely got it under control. Ha! ...You know how there is a air gap between the top of your household water heater, and the flue pipe ? I dunno... I guess if Alkota designed it, it's probably good. it looks good! r

Jet, there was a post about the same type underwater work a few weeks ago... try a search. What I did read was advice that the TVA uses a 5kpsi pump for stuff like that. I don't recall any more info... I would like to know if you could do boat hull cleaning while in the water... maybe w a hookah diving rig. r

Too bad. that was a pretty big hit. Hope some sharp eyed enforcement person is able to gather it up. r

n4, cool looking little hi-lo gun setup! I think I'd leave it the way it is. This is a good opportunity to contact one of the site vendors and get another pistol, wand(s) of your choice, and the Xjet. Don't forget a few extra plug and couplers... replacement O-rings are a good idea, too! Yah, I really like backups! ...and maybe 50 or 100ft of no-mark hose. Well, that's one box ! Then get another of chems! r

If the stucco/dyvit flakes off, it must be re-done. The black stain does not seem to me something that bleach would not resolve. Dwell time, and all that... r

Rick, that's just beautiful. But wazzup with that post top on the right? r

Greg, that's terrible. Very sorry to see a loss such as that. Insurance never really does compensate, imo. Hope I never see a pic like that again. r

I would advise a simple, common, every-day name. At your leisure, and for your entertainment, you may call your child Mephistophocles Darius Pharnumstaculous on a daily basis if that suits your fancy. Perhaps you could name your boy Sue, to ensure he grows up, tuff enuff. Our boys have been Sonny, Rocket, and Beavis. Not necessarily at this time. Be sensible and leave fancy names for the rock stars. r

ok, what is the mileage today, in the REAL p/u truck ? ... it will improve, abt 80k miles, when things get settled in... I'll bet there's little difference between empty and pulling your rig, with that F-450 ! I can not imagine why any individual working in the trades would buy anything BUT a Ford F series. There is a mini - dvd flying around out there, that shows the difference between the F series and others. It is obvious. Ford is built to work, others, well, must be for something else... F-150, 109k, loaded for work every day. No probs, minimal maintenance. r

You guys are gonna learn, sooner or later, there's a difference between landscapers, and yard maintenance people. I'm no expert in either one, but know there is a difference. no water here in CA. tiered water rates. pretty soon grass ain't gonna grow! except on the golf course. Nobody messes w golfers. r

Hello John, Your question was, do I landscape, and would I recommend it... I don't, but wish I did, and would highly recommend you get into the field if you can. Among our clients is a housing tract. We do fixit and repair, PW, etc. The new homes run about 5-600.000 and come w front lawn & a dozen plants. I was told the average buyer spends $85k on landscaping after purchase. I don't have a green thumb. Do you? Very good money in landscaping. Oherwise, you were speaking of yard maintenance... that's different. r

used, no hope of guarantee??? look for the lowest common denominator and price it at that. It's worth $100 - $200 bucks tops. More than that... well you can take the credit card over to any big box store if you must, if that time arrives, to complete a paying job. Then, you DO have a backup ! No telling what will happen with a used small engine, or for that matter, a pump that has been allowed to run without water. r