Just finished helping my Brother inlaw install a hot water tank.
As I was packing up he started giving me things.
10′ of 1/2″ copper pipe.
Left over fittings.
Welding mask.
Dust resperator.
Got me thinking about all the things people have given to me after I’ve worked for them.
36′ extension ladder.
A number of hard hats.
Misc. used and new hand tools.
Some furniture……etc.
Of course left over material…..paint….buckets.
What are some of the things you have gotten from customers over the years? I’m sure this must happen fairly often.
MJC Woodworks
“Gentle to the touch, exquisite to contemplate, tractable in creative hands, stronger by weight than iron, wood was, as William Penn had said,”a substance with a soul.'”
Eric Sloane
Replies
When I ran my own shop in Raleigh my HVAC sub was a good friend. When he retired and was moving to Upie I did what I normally avoid and repaired his floor joists in a god awful crawl space. He gave me an older band saw, still running the sucker.
One client gave all us 'workers' a bottle of Francis Cuppolla's sparkling wine named "Sophia".
Some clients always offered us coffee and deserts.
There are great clients out there.
Let's not confuse the issue with facts!
gdcarpenter, A few goodies over the years include a set of Charles and Ray Eames dining room chairs plus some outside chairs. A 32" TV, A new Snapper mower, 1# blue mountain coffee, lunch. Lots of food.Lots of good clients. They even give me money to make sawdust. How cool is that!KK
Ive gotten all the misc, stuff as you have (never a ladder though) but the best was a Smith and Wesson nickle plated 357. with a custom silky smooth action and trigger job.
Was given to me by a fellow of wich i had just completed my first custom home for.
Thanks Richard!!
The best haul I think I ever got was when Dad took me along on a job to clean someone's furnace when I was about 10 years old. The guy gave my Brother and I a huge box of fireworks. That was something we had never had before.
We blew up all sorts of stuff with those suckers that summer - It was great.
You know, theres a part of me that really just wants to write Chlamydia and be done with it. But someone might think I was serious, and not very funny.
Real trucks dont have sparkplugs
i for one... believe you.... and think it's funs as chit..... i just blew Dr Pepper out of my nose...
some gifts you hate were regifted to u
p
Well, I wasnt serious. I've been lucky enough to have never gotten any of that, but the soda out the nose. I gotta put that one in the win column for today. Score!
Pops always said flys spread disease, keep em zipped. I didnt listen, but got lucky anyways.Real trucks dont have sparkplugs
Hey, I was given that once - gave it away, too.
Forrest
Is that one of those flowering vines that people grow up trellises on the front of the porch?
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Best score I made was a set of steel cabinets from a kitchen demo. They are in like new condition, Made by St. Charles, pretty high end in their time. All the doors a 1/2" thick with plywood cores & textured , all the bases have full pull outs, all the upper have built in fluro lighting. The customer asked if I knew anyone that could use them that it would be a shame to throw them into the dumpster, I replied that I knew a guy that may be interested in them, "Me". The kitchen designer I was subbing for on the project told me she used to sell those cabinets, & at the time said they would have cost me 5-6 grand. If memory serves me, I think the job labor billed out for this job at $3400.00
The next morning, first thing on the job she asked me it I had talked to my friend, I sure did & he is so grateful. Loaded them up & they now line my garage, Looks like I custom ordered them for the space. At the end of the job I offered to purchase there old microwave, we put a new one in, She said they were so happy with the job that I should just take it and then asked me what they owed for the extras!
Of course I told them no charge for the extras, Other than the great scores, they truly were very good customers. So in the end I picked up $3400 in pay, 5-6 K in cabinets & a nice job site microwave plus I had a great client to work with. No one should regard themselve as "God's gift to man." But rather a mere man whos gifts are from God.
One time I traded the customer some labor for four blue spruce trees, early in the job they had offered them to me as they knew I had just built a house & they had a patch of trees they couldn't give away. Toward the end of the job they were running tight on the budget & they really wanted to finish off an area that I agreed needed to be done. I offended to trade them my labor for some trees if they could afford the materials, agreed, My wife & I spent a nice afternoon with this couple digging & moving trees, we also helped them dig & move a few closer & around their house
We enjoy those trees all the time & have fond memories of the day we moved them & the fun we had with the other couple.
No one should regard themselve as "God's gift to man." But rather a mere man whos gifts are from God.
Best thing was a sliding bed for my truck. I helped my little brother redo his kitchen for free just because I like spending time with him. He gave the bedslide as a gift in return. My knees thank him everysingle day, and I would never have bought it for myself.12-year-old bottle of laphroig.Opera tickets.Nice accoustic guitar.Not given, but did a day's work in exchange for a Leitz Focomat enlarger w/Zeiss lens.Steve
Bed slider sounds the best, not only easy on the knees but gives you a good feeling each time you use it & good memories of time well spent with your brother. No one should regard themselve as "God's gift to man." But rather a mere man whos gifts are from God.
David Hawks just gave me two books. Woods favorite carpenter
JC Higgins 12 gauge circa 1950's
A real nice Hamilton drawing table/desk combo with period seating to match.
A welder.
[email protected]
I did a small roof repair for a friend and he gave me a 1963 Gravley 2 wheel tractor with 5 attachments and a jotul wood burnig stove! vary cool.
Chardo
Few years back I got a 53"x72" Corian table.
Man that thing was a bear to haul out of that basement.
I usually have to find a diplomatic way to tell customers that I can't use, don't have room for, etc, etc, whatever they're wanting me to have.
I did, however, score a neat garden bench last year. It's really ugly, weatherbeaten, and would probably collapse if anyone actually sat on it, but looks real neat sitting next to the water feature in the back yard. Someday, I'll get some Cypress and work it over so it can be used.
My FIL was a real problem before he passed away. He dearly loved shopping at K-Mart and was always giving me some kind of tool kit for birthdays and Xmas. Their major appeal for him was that they were on sale. I would take the stuff, thank him, and hide it on a shelf somewhere. After a few years, I had to ask SWMBO to ask him to stop since "I really had all the tools I could use". - lol
"I really had all the tools I could use"
Aroud here, that's a swear ;)
"I'd rather be a hammer than a nail"
"I really had all the tools I could use"
Aroud here, that's a swear ;)"
And an obvious lie also. (:O)
On last job Pastor at the parsonage I was working on gave me a pretty old but sound Dayton Industrial 1/2" spade handle drill. Also an invite to go to his folks house to look over some booty (tools & storage). He had about 14,000 LEDs I can get for .05 each.
Edited 1/10/2008 10:44 pm ET by rasconc
Edited 1/10/2008 10:50 pm ET by rasconc
You noticed that, did ya?
Guess it's something only old geezers can see. - lol
A broken TV.
An Ariens snowblower. Still works.
A clawfoot tub....Thanks Paul B.
[email protected]
Always my pleasure... did you ever get to use it?
BTW, my favorite "given to you" story. Buddy who's a contractor on "The Gold Coast", lower Fairfield county (IIRC highest per capita income in the US) was doing some work on a place that was simultaneously having the kitchen remodeled by someone else. The wife was on the phone berating the designer that she hated the look of the new Sub Zero fridge for some reason. She tears this guy (or woman) a new one and then sees my buddy and says "get this out of my sight, I can't bear to look at it" and he explains that he isn't with that company, he's the guy doing the carriage house or whatever it was. She replies "look, I don't care who you are, do you want this fridge or don't you? I just want it out of my sight" Needless to say, my friend left it in his truck for a day or two fully expecting an outraged husband or designer demanding it's return but never heard another word and it sits quite nicely in his kitchen...PaulB
Air compressor
Jet Jointer,
the list of ladders is long
about 6 old Stanley planes
table saw
Stanley cabinet scraper
froe
draw knives
set of wallpaper tools
small rolling scaffold
1947 Studebaker pickup (actually that one cost me $50.00)
36" mag float , 36" fresno, and 4-6' handles
Gift certificate for 18v. dewalt tool set
Magnum of Ore. Pinot Noir
Enough oak to cut about 15 cords of firewood out of
Signed art work from two nationally known artists (wood carver and potter)
I could go on.
Maybe I don't charge enough for my work?
2 year old cedar garage doors.
Today I was given a free hat with a 3M logo, on the job 40ft of no.6 triplex cooper entrance for hauling it off. Over the years there has been a wide and strange assortment of things, $10 or $20 dollar tip isn't unusual. I was given a silage blower once. A real nice rosewood and brass handle 6" square from one of the better retired carps. in the area.
Thinking back there has been alot of stuff, just has me thinking about what I've given away over the years. Hmmmm might be a way to relieve some of my packrat problems.
2 yr old 52" Toshiba DLP TV. Homeowner bought 2 yr old house w/ all electronics included knowing he was switching to flat panels. 2nd identical TV went to his kids playroom.
Some insulated concrete blankets.
Years ago it used to be the custom if someone worked on your farm, you fed them. Some families still do this.
Coffee and homemade rolls at 10. Big Lunch at noon. Some sort of pastry and pop at three.
Great conversation and gut busting food.
A gulf coast fishing trip for 4.
Furniture
Vaccuum cleaners
Tv's
chipper/shredder
weed eaters
lawnmowers
fire place inserts
Traded:
A car for a day's work little CRX lasted three years gave it to a buddy lasted him another three
A john boat with trolling motor
Jeep in rough shape
10' long x6' tall trailer for garage door arbor
John deere riding mower for ahalf week's work.
Bonus:New HP computer with 22" screen
ANDYSZ2
WHY DO I HAVE TO EXPLAIN TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY THAT BEING A SOLE PROPRIETOR IS A REAL JOB?
REMODELER/PUNCHOUT SPECIALIST
WAY too many leftover materials, supplies etc. , Heck I try to give THEM things as I have far too much stuff packed away in my shop building.
I got redsox vs Yankees tickets (@fenway) instead of my pay (it was still a steal) no pun intended. I also got a 25$ giftcard (amazon.com) for x-mas.
"I'd rather be a hammer than a nail"
A kiss from the HO's daughter.
Edited 1/10/2008 10:29 pm ET by hammerhurtsthumb
You didn't say if she was hot or not. Or was a 52 year old virgin with summer teeth, you know, some are here and some are there. No one should regard themselve as "God's gift to man." But rather a mere man whos gifts are from God.
It was classic stuff. She was cute and home from college. Her folks left for vacation and the boss was gone. I spent the day digging out footings for a deck. Toward the end of the day she raided the liquor cabinet and we started drinking (starting my love for rum). Before I left we kissed, if I was really smart I could have been super early for work the next day if you know what I mean.
An HO asked me to go skinny dipping once, but that is for another thread.
Traded some drywall finishing for a fly-in moose hunting trip in the Canadien bush. Client owned a Beaver (airplane) on floats. Great trip. Got a moose. But that, too, is a whole other story.
Paul
Hey, didn't I read that one in Hustler? LOL
Kinda makes me want to throw some rocks at the wife!
No one should regard themselve as "God's gift to man." But rather a mere man whos gifts are from God.
Edited 1/12/2008 10:18 pm ET by CardiacPaul
The best thus far was a Hilti rotary hammer drill.
Did a ton of work for a buddy of mine, whose father was an electrician and had given him a bunch of his old tools.
Outside of a hammer and maybe a screwdriver, this buddy of mine doesn't work with tools much.
He offered it (the Hilti) to me one day as he was clearing out his garage.
Would you believe that actually I almost didn't take it?
I don't have a ton of use for it.....but maaaaaaan...sometimes I call my buddy at the end of a day and thank him all over again.
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
about 4 yrs ago I got a dishwasher that had already been uninstalled ....
and leaked as soon as I hooked it up.
luckily I didn't even move our old, ugly, loud but nonleaking DW out of the kitchen ...
so it went right back in ...
then about 2 yrs ago I got offered an almost brand new dishwasher that I uninstalled ... shoulda took it that day.
the day later after I made room in the work van ... their brother in law stopped by and decided to help them dispose of it without asking.
still have our original DW ...
best was getting 2 keychain flashlights ... and a twenty.
I subbed the kitchen cabs, and went back in to install the tile backsplash direct thru the customers.
old couple ... real nice lady ... real mean old guy ...
cheap as could be too.
by the end of the project ... he hated the GC.
I heard the horror stories ... went in with my mouth shut and head down low ...
the old guy came in to bust my chops each day ... and on that very last day he called me over and handed me the loot!
That meant alot.
Jeff
Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
2-1/2 tons of Mormon food, for one thing
I've received the usual sort of stuff over the years; jackets, a wheelbarrow, a 32" console tv that didn't work but entertained my son for hours.
The creme-de-le-crem, however, was the paid air fair and ground transportation last year for my wife and I for 5 days in Ireland (we had to pick up our daughter from her semester abroad.) The catch was the client and a friend of his came with us (too old to drive in Ireland.) It was a great time.
"I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul." Invictus, by Henley.
I used to work for the greatest remodeling contractor in Minneapolis. We had one job where IT WAS PART OF THE CONTRACT for the client to feed whoever was there on Friday a gourmet lunch. Damn they were good. She also served us beers during cleanup every day. She was awesome.I miss that job.
A brand new kayak: customers 3rd move in as many years, I had built a storage area for it in the first 2 houses - the boat had never touched the water. Just before starting the storage area at the 3rd house she told me to take it.
TV - just 2 days ago.
Choice of the menu plus drinks whenever I do repairs for the local restaurant - which is about once a week.
Dealer cost on display appliances when I do work for the owner of the appliance store. Got a killer DCS dual fuel range last year for short money.
Winning raffle ticket for Red Sox/Yanks (4 seats) at Yankee stadium last year. Included limo down and back, all food and beverage. I gave it to my step sons and their father.
-Norm
4 pairs of very expensive shoes. Wouldn't take no for an answer.
Air fare for my wife and myself to Australia with a stopover in Hong Kong. I went 5 weeks ahead, wife arrived as I finished the job.