Accuracy can be a two edged sword. I had a crew of me and three others. We would approach job sites and inquire about piecework possibilities. I didn’t do edge forms because of all the bending over. Rolling trusses was too much climbing. Framing, well that was bending over and climbing.
I was okay with setting doors and windows, pickup, plumb and line, cabinets and counters but my favorite was siding and trim. I made good money on the outside and we had tricks of the trade down pat. Plus tools, don’t forget the tools. I had Sawbucks, compound miter saws, table saws, band saws. jigsaws, and those Japanese hand saws that I never used… but I liked that I could if I wanted to. Drills, sanders and routers. Nail guns from finish to framing … compressors to butane.
We checked our tape measures often. If you dropped it, if a cut was off, if it was Monday. So we were in the tall cotton covering tract McMansions with redwood siding. That didn’t happen often. After rolling up I would look at what we accomplished that day and it was good. We finished a house in a tract of fifty. The other piece work crews had a dozen completed.
I went to the super to to find out which house was next when he told me that we were done. He said that prospective buyers visit on the weekends and they have noticed a stark difference in the quality of the work between what my crew did and what the Skilsaw crews produced. They all wanted a house that we did. Well not to worry... there was a Masonite apartment complex down the road. Can't be too nice with butt to Masonite.
