The answer is "8 degrees"

[wroughtn_harv]

For the last couple of weeks I've been wondering if I was a third of the half of a man I used to be.

Seriously, I was thinking that fifty eight was the age everyone had warned me about. You know the one where it all stops but the crying.

Manual labor seemed to be killing me. Like I said, "one third of half of the man I used to be."

Then yesterday they brought in a crew of laborers to dig trench where I was working. I recognised the pausing as they stopped often to talk or just catch their breath. I started thinking maybe it wasn't my age but the heat after all.

Today it was like I was ten years younger. I was able to kick it with the old grin and enjoy the work.

The difference?

8 degrees.

104 versus 96.

 

[hudr]

The other day I decided I would weld up some fence braces before it got hot. It was 88 degrees at daylight. I got the stuff welded (sort of) and nearly passed out on the 4 wheeler pulling the welder back to the house. So, no, its not the years (only 35 in my case), its definitely the degrees.
Be careful out there. What nearly got me was the "I'm too hot, but I just lack a few minutes finishing up" mind set.

 

[EddieWalker]

Hey Harvey,

Your not the only one that notices the diference in a few degrees of heat. At 95 I'm fine. No problems, barely even sweating, but when it gets into the triple digits, something just turns off in me. My brain can't keep up with what I'm doing and I find myself standing there, holding a tool and wondering what I was going to do??? When this happens, I take a break, cool off and maybe take a nap.

Hopefully we're through it for now, the whole week is forcast for low to mid 90's here and we might even get some rain!!!!

Eddie

 

[Jagmandave]

For me it's the humidity. It can be 90* and I can work all day if the humidity is low, but if it's up to the typical Kansas levels, 70, 80, 90% - I'm toast in only a little while.

I'm like Harv, 57 years behind me and I'm not as good as I once was, but I'm as good once as I ever was!

 

[czechsonofagun]

I grew up in Europe and never imagined humidity could be a problem

Now we live in Virginia and summers are bit tougher. Got used to it and can live with it as long as I am working outside - dranched in sweat is just part of the work. But I refuse to entertain or sleep in the heat or do anything not work related.

 

[scott_vt]

Hey Harv,
Well Im only 55, and like Alan Jackson too

Eddie, dont know how you guys can do that heat !!! I can work if the temps in the 80's even with humity but when it hits the 90's Im done

Blood aint thin enough I guess !

 

[Alan L.]

I grew up in Europe and never imagined humidity could be a problem

Now we live in Virginia and summers are bit tougher. Got used to it and can live with it as long as I am working outside - dranched in sweat is just part of the work. But I refuse to entertain or sleep in the heat or do anything not work related.

But how long does the Virginia summer last? Like 2 days? In Texas its hot and LOOONNNNGGGGGG.

 

[rickmacheske]

Virginia is about as mild as they come. I love it here.... Not to hot, not too cold...
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Avg. High 40° 44° 54° 65° 74° 82° 87° 85° 78° 67° 56° 45°
Avg. Low 21° 24° 31° 40° 50° 58° 64° 62° 55° 42° 34° 25°
Mean 31° 34° 44° 54° 62° 71° 76° 74° 67° 55° 45° 35°
Avg. Precip. 2.7 in 2.8 in 3.3 in 3.1 in 4.0 in 3.9 in 3.5 in 3.9 in 3.4 in 3.3 in 3.3 in 3.3 in

 

[czechsonofagun]

Two days of summer? Now that would be Michigan - where the summer is defined as the time of bad sleding


I can handle the summer in Virginia - but if you remember the spring this year - cold nights and sunny days - thats what summers are in czech republic (nigths can be down to 40tioes and in the mountains in August even 30ties and day temperatures rarely go over 95) and the humidity is not existing.

 

[rox]

Harv & Eddie you guys got me motivated today. It was only 92 today so I got a screen almost built for my office. I wish I could find the trick of toenail nailing. I used a too long of nail and it came through but I am jsut going to turn the screen so that is on the bottom and nobody will see it piking through. Gotta go back to the store tomorrow and pick up some more wood. decided to add another stick in my office screen so now I am one short for the other one I'll start tomorrow. Geeze I would have been finished today with this one but it was so darned hot the paint wouldn't even dry. So I'm in my office swatting the insects jsut waitineg for tomorrow when I put up the new screen. I decided jsut to make old fashioned wood frame screens. Sure do wish I had a chop saw, my little hand saber saw doesn't cut straight enough. I figure I'm only making these screens to last a few years and then we'll get the whole hosue done with aluminum screens.

The dippy little project does not even jsutify pics. I kept thinking about all y'all working in the heat so I got off my butt today and got some work done. It felt pretty good I am not really very happy when I am not working on a project. Not working bores me especially since I don't watch any television and have read everysingle English langauge item in the house. I'm waiting on more books to arive.

We might, oh prety please get some rain tonight or tomorrow morning. I think we had jsut 2 rainfalls since February. The olive trees really could use rain, we irrigate but they really benefit form rain. I am not holding my breath on the rain.

 

[EddieWalker]

I wish I could find the trick of toenail nailing. I used a too long of nail and it came through but I am jsut going to turn the screen so that is on the bottom and nobody will see it piking through.

Hi Rox,

The real trick to toe-nailing is to have a nail gun!! Just point and shoot. Simple, easy and you always get great results. Of course, if you don't have an aircompressor and a nail gun, then you have to do it the old fashioned way.

Drill a hole smaller in diameter than the nail where you want it to go. Do drill all the way, but just through the first piece of wood and just slightly into the second one. This will control the angle and direction of the nail. Most problems with toe-nailing are caused from the angle changing as you hammer on the nail. You also have soft and hard spots in every piece of wood, which can affect the direction of the nail. By drilling the pilot hole, you eliminate those problems. You also eliminat the tendancy for smaller pieces of wood to split.

If you need extra strength, use screws instead of nails.

To fix the nail sticking out, try grabing it with some plyers and pulling it out all the way. If it wont come out, get some wire cutters, or dikes, and cut off what's exposed. If it's a really heavy duty nail, you might have to use a hack saw.

Hope this helps,
Eddie

 

[Bird]

To fix the nail sticking out, try grabing it with some plyers and pulling it out all the way. If it wont come out, get some wire cutters, or dikes, and cut off what's exposed. If it's a really heavy duty nail, you might have to use a hack saw.

A little cut off wheel or even a grinding wheel in the Dremel has worked for me a few times. A few months ago I was sanding a wooden gate prior to painting it and found quite a number of nail points barely through the wood; not enough for me to have even noticed before, but enough to tear up the sandpaper and even damage the rubber backing plate on my sander when I hit the first one.

 

[rox]

Eddie,

I would pre-drill the nail holes, however yesterday while pre-drilling the holes for the screws I used on the corners I broke my very fine drill bit. Add small diameter drillbit to my shopping list.

I had not actually thought of pre-drilling to toenail nailing Think I'll try that on my next screen.

 

[LarryD]

I worked for a guy once that would start a finish nail then put a slight bend in it. Finished driving it and it made a slight turn into the bulk of the adjoining piece

 

[goaliedad]

Rox- depending on what you are drilling you can use a finish nail for very small holes- cut the head off and put it in the drill- the point will actually cut the hole- works for very small homes in soft wood. at least until you get to the store. try a nail slightly smaller than the one you are driving. hope this helps.

 

[turnkey4099]

Sorta back OT. We went from 90s down to chilly in one day. After 9 (or was it 10?) straight days of mid/hi 90s including some 100+ a cold front came through. Only made it to 71 yesterday and this morning it is a booming 48. Bad news is it is going to be climbing back into the 90s by the weekend.

Harry K