# 27 windows done the hard way,,,,,,,,



## FRAME2FINISH (Aug 31, 2010)

hey guys, i figured i needed a new thread,,,,,,,,

so after waiting much of the summer my windows are here,

i fear this is gonna be a nitemare job so i figured just once i would keep track, see how it goes and if it goes like i think pack my bags and look for easier work.

so far they were supposed to be delivered sept 6th, i got the call on monday that they would be here on thursday, this was the day i take my kids to the fair, i ended up leaving at1pm on tuesday for a short fair visit instead

so i took some pics of a big local window company's display, you'd think they would do topnotch work being a display right. i'll find the pics and let you tell me about that one,


so anyway thursday comes and the boss says the windows will be here at 130pm be here at12 he doesn't want me standing around.

i am loading my van, and the secretary calls at 930 your windows are here? so i fly down there to see them all unloaded. on my way down there the guy i hired that has called for a week straight, crashes his bike. 

so today i am going to move the windows to the upper floors, solo style and see how it goes.

can you guys see a pattern starting or is it just me? wish me luck anyway 27 windows the hard way


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## woodworkbykirk (Sep 17, 2008)

lock yourself in your basement til october until the karma passes


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## Aaron Berk (Jul 10, 2010)

My glass is always half full.

I see a man gainfully employed. :thumbsup:

Show those windows whos boss!


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## Bweikel (Feb 20, 2011)

woodworkbykirk said:


> lock yourself in your basement til october until the karma passes


:laughing: :thumbup:


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## FRAME2FINISH (Aug 31, 2010)

i have no basement, kirk besides i have a black cloud that hovers above me regardless haha

yea but am i fully gaining hahaha???????

so i finished up at 130 just moving them to the floors they belong, and hauled ass but my back is paying for it right now.

he said just move the 4th floor but i wasn't doing this more than once.he even offered to help but he wouldn't of been much,,,, more in the way.

he was thoughtful enough to point out that the windows weigh [email protected]#and [email protected] 259 though,,,, like i need to hear that huh

i was actually worried i wouldn't make it thru the doors but i just pulled it off.

i took some pics to scare you guys so i will post them up soon, i need a backrub/ transplant now though. thanks for the replies


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## thomasjmarino (May 1, 2011)

Aaron Berk said:


> My glass is always half full.
> 
> I see a man gainfully employed. :thumbsup:
> 
> Show those windows whos boss!


Yeah, make those windows your *****!!!! :notworthy


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## Aaron Berk (Jul 10, 2010)

My 1st trades experience was working through a temp agency when I was 18. They sent a load of us guys out to a 4 story apartment complex to unload 2 tractor trailer loads of doors.

Something like 6 doors per unit I think, and those steel entry doors seamed to always land on my turn. The next day only 4 of us showed up. LOL

I ended up going full time with that lumber till I joined the Marines.


Gotta love those deliveries. 
I'll send my masseuse right over...........


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## FRAME2FINISH (Aug 31, 2010)

haha,yea aaron i wish i could of went to lunch and left myself, heres some pics








heres my helper,









i figured the doors would fight me a little but i made it,









i told him months ago these needed to go, wanna take bets when they actually do?










dam tenants they have a 1500sf lux apt and decide to make my space their l/r extension









heres one floor's worth









i have to remove them without having any brick work to do,









this is 1/2 of what i need to do lol









oh it will be like this till winter then its always 40


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## FRAME2FINISH (Aug 31, 2010)

oh and to top it off i rarely use my hammerdrill, not my kinda tool, i get it out and hit the trigger and nothing. i drop it off and was told it's over20years old hahaha i remember the day i bought it dam. i really need to get another line of work.

what are the chances i could get a job teaching crews how to get it done, hahaha around here i highly doubt it.

so if they can fix my drill fine,,well within a certain amount of money lol but she said p/c doesn't make anymore corded drills so what would i get??????????


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## ohiohomedoctor (Dec 26, 2010)

That's a big window job, Congrats.


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## Tom Struble (Mar 2, 2007)

you better keep posting pics for us:thumbup1:


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## FRAME2FINISH (Aug 31, 2010)

yea thats what i told him, i didn't ask for the job he told me i was doing it haha

he thinks i am superman,


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## FRAME2FINISH (Aug 31, 2010)

yea, i will have to get my own cam, momma might miss hers. this job will take awhile i have a crane to build yet. those windows will get heavier when i put them into the frames. and i still need to find a good helper yet.


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## Aaron Berk (Jul 10, 2010)

Oh good golly :blink:


When it rains it pours! that's gunna be a "fun" project. 
Good luck with the helper, to bad ur not closer:whistling


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## FRAME2FINISH (Aug 31, 2010)

how would you guys handled this deal,

the tenant turned part of the room i am in, into a computer room, taking up space, then he gets a puppy.

i love dogs but this is an apartment,well i go in there one day and there is dog **** here and there,

i scooped it up and put it right in front of his door,then i have window frames stacked up and he turned it into a corral,full of newspapers and dog****,

it gets better, remeberthe astro turf samples that were supposed tobe moved months ago, well he bought a kennel and placed it on them with training pads laid out.

i go in yesterday morning and my sinuses instantly get irritated, it doesn't help i have asthma, so i open the door to get the air moving and it gets worse, a little whilegoes by and i go to throw something away and my garbage pail is full of his training pads and **** right in front of the door,

well now i am pissed so i write on the door dog park closed due to allergies, then i haul the trash can out and out it infront of his door,

he moved it a couple feet so he could get out his door and that was it, he came in and said you have allergies short answer was yea.

then he tells me he's rented the whole floor and he will be moving the **** down to the 3rd floor where my shop is at, also where i will be next doing windows.

so i can see the writing on the wall more clearly,i think my time is coming to an end.

so i go back to work and i am laying the metal i broke on the window frames so i know that window is ready and i see my metal got stepped on,now i am pissed i don't want to do this in the first place and now i have to redo.

so a little later on i am putting metal on a frame and i am looking for my paint brush, i knew it was with my painting stuff and couldn't find it,, i look around and then walk over to where he has his **** laying around and sure enough there it is,

i am not talking about a cheap brush either, his damn puppy got ahold of it, and chewed the end up.

i go down and talk with the owner,he seems mad the guy told me he was taking over the 4th floor like i shouldn't know. he is sneaky in the way he deals with me and i always blow it off. ya know keeps ya busy for awhile and then blows ya off, promises stuff and comes upshort kind of thing.

so now you know how my job is going hahaha, oh he wants me to go to the 2nd floor next just to make it harder on me,

dam sorry to vent like this guys oh well you just seen a day in the life of f2f hahaha i have to drop my grandkids off at a sitters and go to work but thats another thread hahaha


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## VinylHanger (Jul 14, 2011)

If you are working for someone else, I would have them send a letter to the owner telling them they need to have a working space and cooperative tenants. I would pull off until that happens. 

That is a very big job, as far as window size goes, with a lot of potential problems. You need to mitigate them early. You also should have more than one or two guys on it. That is nuts. Get a big crew on it, get in, get done, get paid.


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## Aaron Berk (Jul 10, 2010)

Once your in the hole, it's a tough climb out.


I've been in a very similar situation before. 
Getting control back is now the name of the game.


Keep on trucking.


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## FRAME2FINISH (Aug 31, 2010)

thanks guys,no i think i have it under control except for the tenants, i do as i want anyway i wish he would fire me somedays hahaha,i am in no hurry to finish other than weather, the longer it takes the more i get paid, right now i have 5 windows ready to go into the openings, i took a week off after taking delivery of the windows because my back said no way,i bought a 880# winch and made me a crane for the heavy lifting, everything is going smooth as far as getting the windows in the frames though, the salesman gave me wrong measurements from the nailing flange to the edge of the window to tuck my metal in though but i quickly fixed that problem,i am glad i came up with a way to do it without a lift myself because that would of sucked out loud, hopefully everything goes smooth tommorow and slide right in place, then i can pick up the speed i imagine,thanks for letting me rant guys,


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## Warren (Feb 19, 2005)

Enough with the rant!!

It's 27 windows, not 27 Dresses!

Sucks that you had to move all those. Hope you find a decent helper.


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## FRAME2FINISH (Aug 31, 2010)

ok no more ranting then hahahaha i am over it till i get pissed again anyway hahaha:whistling


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## Trimmers (Mar 24, 2010)

you could rip out those windows in 2 minutes with a chain and a truck . hook the chain up to the windows little over half way up the window . and hit the gas . the windows will pop out like popcorn. you must do it kinda fast so the window will fold up . this will only work if the arnt liped to far under the sill and not welded to the top steel.


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## FRAME2FINISH (Aug 31, 2010)

and 1/2 the brick veneer and then don't forget it's 60' above my head, naw i will pass on the yank and jerk, but thanks


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## CompleteW&D (May 28, 2011)

How's your back today F2F?


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## FRAME2FINISH (Aug 31, 2010)

sore as hell, i got a window out and a window frame in, i had to cut the brick because it came in a little further then the interior, i got all the metal installed, i had to recut the sill i pre made too wide. too hard to measure with a window in the way. atleast i can cut it right.

i don't think i can caulk it from the inside, nothing to hang onto lol,

it's just alot of work so i asked a another buddy of mine to help,so he is picking up other jobs and keeping me waiting so i am gonna tell him i'm good. he was kinda like a last chance type deal, for every 1000 dollar job i gave him he gave me a hundred dollar job back.

so my hands are always dirty with him, so much for one hand washing another right, so now that i know what to expect i hope to get er done,

who am i kidding its gonna fight me to the last window is in hahahaha,


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## Aaron Berk (Jul 10, 2010)

lol, what a post.

U sound like you've got a grip on reality.

Go fight the good fight!


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## FRAME2FINISH (Aug 31, 2010)

yea hope for the best prepare for the worst right ,

i am figuring 27 days to install windows, i am hoping to get a system down to make it faster, that will happen when i get to the smaller ones because well they are smaller right? 

he wants me to go to the second floor next meaning i won't be able to use my lift i need it full height for the 3rd floor still, i will take some pics to scare you guys a little

oh i probably have 4 days for each floor to get the windows in their frame and metaled in also.

the best part will be when my buddy crys for work this fall and it's cold out, 2 weeks ago he only had a couple days work so i figured he should get it done while i figured out our gameplan. nothing like paying someone to stand around. then all of a sudden i got this quick job, 

oh well i feel he will do this till he gets bored or a better job and leave anyway , i haven't heard from him since i said shoot me a price, i figured i always overpaid him so i would let him put a price on his labor,


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## FRAME2FINISH (Aug 31, 2010)

so i had sucess atleast one down anyway, phew sweating bullets for a couple seconds though,

my photobucket won't let me upload , but i have pics,

my winch didn't work as planned but i quickly devised a way to make it do what i wanted, i also put another frame in and metaled it up, sure enough the brick was too tight so i see a pattern starting to emerge,

i even seen the old man outside checking out my work and then he came up and said it looks nice,that should be the last i see of him for awhile anyway lol

i am gonna see what i can do about my pics later guys,


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## FRAME2FINISH (Aug 31, 2010)

two today i busted my ass but i did it,,


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## FRAME2FINISH (Aug 31, 2010)

heres my pics from yesterday, the only thing different is there are 3 done now,,,,,,

heres the window in it's frame clad in metal,










heres my helper i still have to stand the window up by hand though,










when i was drilling these holes i said i probably won't use them and sure enough hahaha










work smarter not harder in my case i have to do both,










heres what my new sills look like, tight is right still have to caulk them though,



















my new tool purchase,










hows it look for not using a lift?



















i have a few more to do ,taping the windows was a stroke of genius, they come out in a broken sheet,


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## FRAME2FINISH (Aug 31, 2010)

heres a better pic of my helper,


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## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

You're doing this entire job totally solo? You, my friend, are a perfect subject for an in-depth study on several mental disorders combined. :thumbsup:


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## Aaron Berk (Jul 10, 2010)

Tinstaafl said:


> You're doing this entire job totally solo? You, my friend, are a perfect subject for an in-depth study on several mental disorders combined. :thumbsup:


:laughing:


que the George Thorogood song --> I Drink Alone

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpzqQst-Sg8


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## FRAME2FINISH (Aug 31, 2010)

hahaha i don't drink and i am quit smoking the other day, well i got an electric cigarette, atleast i am trying,

my buddy finally called me as i was putting in the second window this morning, i told him seeing as i didn't hear from him i figured a way to do it solo. besides people can't fathom i do it by myself lol all the people there are office workers, i call them professional ass sitters,:whistling


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## Aaron Berk (Jul 10, 2010)

I'm not a drinker or a smoker, just figured the song would be fitting:thumbsup:

I'm a solo artist myself, I can appreciate your dedication.


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## VinylHanger (Jul 14, 2011)

You sir are an animal. Not sure if I mean that as a compliment or not. Keep up the good work anyway. :clap: :thumbup:

I'm a solo artist as well, but I tend to punt on things like this. However, if you have the right setup, a mechanical friend is a lot cheaper than a worthless helper.:thumbsup: I've gotten to where if I only need someone to help me hold things, I will fashion something. If it is a matter of maybe dropping and breaking something, I will get help.


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## FRAME2FINISH (Aug 31, 2010)

sure it would be easier with help,i gave my buddie the chance but he kept taking other work. kinda like if the other work kept coming he would of kept doing it,

he called friday and said he had 2 hours left, well i told him i have it under control, he would of slowed me down by me having to tell him how i wanted ,, then he would of done it his own way,

i can't see getting more than two windows a day in myself even with help, there is too much that needs to be done for each one,

thats not saying i won't try, thats my goal for today lol but i doubt i can pull it off,

i have to remove the winch to roll it under the sprinkler heads and beam, so that means i have to do it twice today, wish me luck


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## Morning Wood (Jan 12, 2008)

Slow and steady will get it done. Those are big windows. What are you using to caulk the windows/aluminum to the brick?


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## App-ironworks (Sep 9, 2009)

F2F that is some great looking work!

And give yourself an "atta-boy!" for doing it yourself. I do the same thing myself and only hire help when I absolutely need it. Kind of sucks when you can't find anyone worth a crap when you need them, but there's no point in paying someone to stand there and look stupid.

I can do that for free.:laughing:


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## FRAME2FINISH (Aug 31, 2010)

i was only able to do 1 1/2 today, it started fighting me right from jump so i knew today was gonna suck,

the openings are starting to change a little here and there so i have to take apart my frame and cut them down a little,

i just think of how they did it a 100 years ago and then i just do it a little better, levels are worthless in this building but i have a goodeye and know what i need to do to trim it later so it works out,

i am using some green high performance polyurethane caulk from osi supplied by pella, nice stuff but not cheap and a case last about 4 windows, i still have to do some of the outside on a lift, theres no way around it,but a day is better than a month imo on rental fees.

my oldest daughter comes down afterwork and tapes off windows for me so thats one thing i don't need to do , hopefully she can do cleanup too lol,

thanks again guys, oh and if i suddenly stop posting it's ok to fear the worst has happened lol


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## SSC (Feb 8, 2011)

F2F where are you located. I have some free time and would be interested in giving you a helping hand if you are close. Interested in learning something new and i wouldnt cost you much.

work Looks great


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## FRAME2FINISH (Aug 31, 2010)

thanks ssc,the commute would kill you though, lol i'm in syr, i will keep posting pics, anything ya don't understand yell and i will clear it up for ya


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## FRAME2FINISH (Aug 31, 2010)

is it friday yet? it should be ,

all my windows[4] are in frames on the floor atleast, i will clad them tommorow and hopefully get them all in by friday,so i have 5 done if were keeping track lol


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## FRAME2FINISH (Aug 31, 2010)

who wants to see a vid of my setup in action? if ya do i will make one,

the one i did today seemed to fight me all the way till the end, it had to be cut side to side and when i lifted it up it was tight there also, good thing i left me some room to play with,

oh on a brighter note, you should see the smoking chick working for the tenant, it is almost mean imo,


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## Lyle Clark (Nov 6, 2008)

I'd like to see the video (and the chick). You have my utmost respect in doing this by yourself. Good luck.

Lyle


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## FRAME2FINISH (Aug 31, 2010)

thanks lyle, i will see if i can get one done today

the girlie isn't there everyday but i will see what i can do , i thought the mean part was her there to begin with but now i am thinking she's not there enough hahahahahahaha


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## FRAME2FINISH (Aug 31, 2010)

the chicky was there but it was hard to snap a pic and not be noticed, she did however bend over in front of me alot making me wish i had a camera in hand, god bless her,

just as i was getting ready to put the window in the sky went dark and the water started pouring in literally so i was denied today, but i made a vid of the brake and cut off wheel its in the [ tools forum] brake question thread,,


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## Gus Dering (Oct 14, 2008)

Very impressive display of ingenuity. 

You need a little ingenuity in the photography dept. I wanna see the chick. :whistling


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## FRAME2FINISH (Aug 31, 2010)

i got a shot thru a duct vent but it wasn't good enough, i want a good one lol just as i clicked in walked the boss/boyfriend so it was a nervous second hahahahaa


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## FRAME2FINISH (Aug 31, 2010)

ok so i had some forward momentum going, i know i said i thought i would have the 9th window done by friday but it was not to be,

i tried like hell but it wasn't in me, i tried to think what went wrong and here is what i came up with,

i had to remove the artificial grass display, i thought they would i was wrong, and then it rained thursday thwarting my attempt at installing the 7th window, which kept me from gutting the 8th,

so friday came and i was out of caulk and had to find some so i started at 10 am, the green is just a little off lol of course,

i whipped in the 7th window first thing, thought i had everything ready but i didn't dead battery , no drill in place ahh the little things oh well,

ripped open the 8th window at noon, high winds were going on as i am sawzalling out the window my tiger claw starts making a weird noise, it's the one that the head swivels all over the place, nice saw for difficult toget at cuts not so good i am told for everyday sawing,

sure enough blam something goes 3/4's of the way thru so i jaust let her have it, screeching stopping starting 1/2 the time i was manually sawing the dam thing to get the window out,

i dropped it off at the shop to hear the guy is going on vaca for a week,
a new tiger saw is 189 but he will do 179, i have one but its my old one anddon't remeber if i fixed it when i got the claw so now i have to figure out if it's 200 or my old one will work, i don't even like these types of tools yet i am always buying them,

so anyway i actually installed my 8th window despite all the problems i have, so it's actually about 4 hours to install a window, what you don't see is the ripping out the old, putting in the buck, which can be harder on some than others, and the metal and the custom made sill,and caulking,

i did 2 vids which btw take 105 minutes to friggen download, because my radio is playing they are copyrighted,soft sounds from the 70's hahahah mettallica just makes me want to rip somebodys head off lmao,

my brake vid is not viewable in usa , i have no clue what thats about, but i wll keep the vids up for so long and remove them, i don't want to take up any bike/ sled vid space lol, i hope you guys enjoy,

http://youtu.be/a0zvEj_reJI

http://youtu.be/yQZocY_uJSI


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## VinylHanger (Jul 14, 2011)

FRAME2FINISH said:


> ok so i had some forward momentum going, i know i said i thought i would have the 9th window done by friday but it was not to be,
> 
> i tried like hell but it wasn't in me, i tried to think what went wrong and here is what i came up with,
> 
> ...


Don't ya love those days. They make me want to go home, pull the covers over my head and start fresh the next day. The other day I got to the job and had all one size roller frames and all another size roller covers. That's what I get for organizing everything. :laughing: I ended up brushing everything for half the day and saying a lot of bad words.


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## WarnerConstInc. (Jan 30, 2008)

You need a quick connect hook or something to hold the window to your frame work once you pick it up off the ground, which looks like the worst part of the whole thing.

That way you could get the prep crap done 5x quicker.

do you have to transport them flat? you need a cart to hold it upright in.


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## FRAME2FINISH (Aug 31, 2010)

yea, i have done the paint thing to it pretty much sucks, i go out at lunch and buy new stuff which is why i have multiples of everything,

i have a sheetrock cart i built but i wouldn't dare transport them that way, too much risk. i have me wheels also but like i said it's too much of a chance falling over, as far as hooking them up quicker, thats the best that can be done,i don't feel like buying anymore windows, my budget was 3 grand an opening, i am well within that allowance and want to stay that way,:thumbup:


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## FRAME2FINISH (Aug 31, 2010)

this is job is going to suck tomorow, guaranteed,

i have my daughter taping windows,so she goes down any chance she can, after work and on sundays usually, well she just calls me and she tripped an alarm,

the guy he has closeby shows up and points a gun at her, asking her what she is doing there, he acts like he has never seen her before, i just called the owner and got his answering machine so i told him to tell that mofo to bring his gun tomorow he is gonna need it, i am gonna shove it up his ass,

who points a gun at a girl, i don't care if he brings it but at what point do you feel a girl is in need of a gun pointed at her,

while i was talking to him on the phone, i wasn't aware that he held her at gunpoint,it was only after my kid walked away she started crying and i asked why it was no big deal, watch and see how this goes down tomorow,


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## Tom Struble (Mar 2, 2007)




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## SSC (Feb 8, 2011)

cool videos man! i think a $10hr helper is a necessity for this project. even if he stands around all day. but when you lift that window and then remember your drill is on the other end of the building that sucks. 

Looks great


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## Aaron Berk (Jul 10, 2010)

Rent-a-cop is in dire need of a little one on one time 

I worked security on many occasion when I was still active duty USMC, I think home boy forgot a few rules of engagement. IF push comes to shove I think you could pretty easily get him fired.

(but a back yard beating would be more rewarding)


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## FRAME2FINISH (Aug 31, 2010)

ssc, yea it sucks to remeber at that point, trust me it sucks, yea my kid is not wanting to go back and she was doing the most valuable job there was, i am use to busting my ass, so a helper isn't needed at this point,

after tomorow i doubt i have to worry about anymore future work down there, he is gonna see a whole new side of me that people really don't want to see, no one points a gun at my kids ever. oh well i had a good run and proved i can do anything i put my back to lol 

i am feeling its time for a change,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, sink or swim right or was it feast or famine,:laughing:


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## FRAME2FINISH (Aug 31, 2010)

crisis averted, the gun puller came up and apologized as soon as he seen he was in, i never blamed him for bringing his gun, its how it was told to me that he showed it,

he had her by surprise to begin with so i don't feel he needed it out, he could see her from 25 feet away, my kids back was to him and he surprised her.

the boss came back and came up to see all the windows on the 4th floor done, he also apologized and said i am doing a great job, nothing like a little atta boy to smooth things over haha,

18 to go,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,:clap::clap::clap::clap:


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## SSC (Feb 8, 2011)

FRAME2FINISH said:


> crisis averted, the gun puller came up and apologized as soon as he seen he was in, i never blamed him for bringing his gun, its how it was told to me that he showed it,
> 
> he had her by surprise to begin with so i don't feel he needed it out, he could see her from 25 feet away, my kids back was to him and he surprised her.
> 
> ...


Im not cool w that. beat his ass or get him fired.


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## Lyle Clark (Nov 6, 2008)

Been a week since your last post on this project, hot is it going?

LC


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