yeah... "the perils of teaching them the value of the dollar when they are basically want for nuthin!" I think the last time I got one of mine to do something that took a lot of boring time for money is when Son #1 ripped all our old CDs to digital for $100... that was like 10 years ago. In fairness, we told them their "job" is school, and they've all performed, and all value money now, so it seems to have worked out.
My issue with the neighbors approach, and this is a BROAD generalization, is that it teaches them to be employees. For their entire lives, I've only stressed being an "employee" as a method for learning something/gaining experience, or as a last resort (thus, pick a degree that you can fall back on, not History), but never as "the way."Yeah, that’s how we work it too. Chores are chores and need to be done regardless. And then we have no problem buying/providing all the simple things in life. But she is always asking for money jobs for extra stuff and so I offer.
Ours neighbors do it completely different. No chores are required. But a huge chore list is up with a dollar amount. You do the chore, you get paid. The flip side is they provide nothing except food. And they truly stick to it. There are no reminders. So the parents usually end up doing it all. Their kids are 100% responsible to buy all their wants. It works well for them.
One last thing. This was the first time my daughter asked if she could buy something up front and then work off the bill as she stained. NOOOOOOO!!!!!
BTW what was so hard about trimming the bottom of the posts? I assume you just wanted to cover the brackets?
My issue with the neighbors approach, and this is a BROAD generalization, is that it teaches them to be employees. For their entire lives, I've only stressed being an "employee" as a method for learning something/gaining experience, or as a last resort (thus, pick a degree that you can fall back on, not History), but never as "the way."
Gotcha. Sounds like you were taking it up a notch. Personally I woulda just done the edges overlapping square rather than mitre them, and use shims to stand the boards off the sides with the brackets, then capped the box with some quarter round or other small trim piece.It shouldn’t have been. I’ve done trim work like this a million times.
Well, the thinnest piece of pressure treated wood I could find is a 1x6 deck board. Which is heavy and dense.
I used a router to put a custom trim edge on the top, that was easy.
Then I needed to notch out the area where the bracket goes. (Then I would place another trim layer over that piece to hide the notch) Notching them aint easy. I stood the board on end and used a circular saw to make a million tiny cuts to create the notch. Then I mitered the edges at a 45 degree angle. My miter saw was really not happy cutting through this wood. Dry fit it, perfect. Need to make one more with the same dimensions for the other side. Naturally, I mitered the edges from the wrong side. So I need to make another. Dry fit, doesnt fit. The post is really a trapezoid. Make a 4th one. Then make the 2 easy ones for the side with no bracket. When I tack them all up... nothing fit. All this is like 2 hours with sun directly overhead and I am not even halfway done with one post. Just not worth the energy it was going to require. With interior trim it’s very easy to go back and remove another 16th of an inch. This shiit is impossible.
See, I support their approach if they are using it to teach "the value of $1" combined with "you want to own your own business. I don't support it when it is effectively "employee training." I'm surprised they aren't doing the thing where they take "taxes" out at time of job payment! ;)yeah, that’s an interesting take and didn’t think about it that way. Especially since both parents own and run their own successful small business.
Legos... ;)It shouldn’t have been. I’ve done trim work like this a million times.
Well, the thinnest piece of pressure treated wood I could find is a 1x6 deck board. Which is heavy and dense.
I used a router to put a custom trim edge on the top, that was easy.
Then I needed to notch out the area where the bracket goes. (Then I would place another trim layer over that piece to hide the notch) Notching them aint easy. I stood the board on end and used a circular saw to make a million tiny cuts to create the notch. Then I mitered the edges at a 45 degree angle. My miter saw was really not happy cutting through this wood. Dry fit it, perfect. Need to make one more with the same dimensions for the other side. Naturally, I mitered the edges from the wrong side. So I need to make another. Dry fit, doesnt fit. The post is really a trapezoid. Make a 4th one. Then make the 2 easy ones for the side with no bracket. When I tack them all up... nothing fit. All this is like 2 hours with sun directly overhead and I am not even halfway done with one post. Just not worth the energy it was going to require. With interior trim it’s very easy to go back and remove another 16th of an inch. This shiit is impossible.
Gotcha. Sounds like you were taking it up a notch. Personally I woulda just done the edges overlapping square rather than mitre them, and use shims to stand the boards off the sides with the brackets, then capped the box with some quarter round or other small trim piece.
Anyhoo, here is the underside of our outdoor living room after spraying on the stain. No way I ever would have had the energy to brush that on.
BTW I made those light fixtures out of vintage gas cans, just cut the bottoms out of them.
When my kids were little, I used to “tax” them on Halloween after they were done “Trick or Treating.” Was that wrong?I'm surprised they aren't doing the thing where they take "taxes" out at time of job payment! ;)
When my kids were little, I used to “tax” them on Halloween after they were done “Trick or Treating.” Was that wrong?
Here you go brad, try something like this maybe. Just a suggestion. The first image shows the trim pieces low so you can see how they hide the bracket, obviously they would be taller.
I still don't get it... just stain the bracket and be done with it... simple! ;)Here you go brad, try something like this maybe. Just a suggestion. The first image shows the trim pieces low so you can see how they hide the bracket, obviously they would be taller.
I still don't get it... just stain the bracket and be done with it... simple! ;)