I worked so hard to get to the NWFA Expert class-seems like it took forever to come but went by so fast. Looking back at the class, it was wonderful to see the desire in some of the younger guys at the class. There was a father and son team; that made me think of the history and love that the next generation will have for wood floors. Doug drove 8 hours to come to the class, and his future is looking good; he has great hands with the sanders.
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I worked so hard to get to the NWFA Expert class-seems like it took forever to come but went by so fast. Looking back at the class, it was wonderful to see the desire in some of the younger guys at the class. There was a father and son team; that made me think of the history and love that the next generation will have for wood floors. Doug drove 8 hours to come to the class, and his future is looking good; he has great hands with the sanders.
I made a new friend from Knoxville, Tenn.; Greg has a desire to be the best he can be in that market. And, our friends from Canada flew a long way from home to come learn the newest ideas for custom floors. Overall, the folks that came were ready to grow and improve their knowledge. (You can see some photos of the class here.)
For me, well, I just enjoy showing folks what I know. It is not much, but what I have is for all who ask. My job was the breakout classes: edger ideas, buffer skills and hand-scrapers. I did not do a hand-scraped floor, but we worked on the simple skills of getting corners done better, doing door jambs, getting the file sharp with what file and pulling it with less work. I was also able to help with the soft plate on the buffer; it seems like it is an idea that is being used more and more.
The best part was seeing friends and folks I have not seen in a year or more. Wow, how time gets away! This may not be the longest post, but it will be the one that I like to write about the most: NWFA classes. They are just the best thing going for new ideas and to see how other folks make it all come together. Money is tight as the bark on a tree right now, and boy, do I get that, but if you can send a young floor person to a class it is funds well spent. The three days just went by too fast; I never felt like the day was long enough. If anyone reads this who went to the class, please jump in and tell us what you think of the training. I enjoyed working with all of you and want to come back next year. My next big goal is to go to the NWFA convention in Orlando next April, then the Expert class again... big goals for 2012.
Well, back to work, right?! I went back to the heart pine job today to clean a factory-finish floor for them. I was so lucky that Wayne Highlander with Basic is letting me try out the Dirt Dragon with IFT. I use the IFT a bunch but had never used it with the auto cleaner. It was so much faster. The floor looks great and they love the way it got the stuff from the side match... thank you, Wayne and Basic.
I went in the house and saw a little extra in the hall restroom; the restroom was tile last week, but today it was pine. They liked the pine floors in the front room and bedroom so much that they took out the tile and installed pine. I need to sand and finish that today, as well. It was easy and most of it was edger work, so it went good: hard plate, soft plate, hand-rub and buff in the finish. Here's a shot of the pine floor in the front room:
I have a water-damage floor to get done Friday and top-coat Saturday: A 12-by-12 bedroom with poly. I will get it cut and two coats on Friday, come back Saturday and top-coat. Monday we start a wax job: Dura seal paste wax, a day of light sanding, quick-dry stain, seal and wax the day away.
The big job for the month is an 1,800-foot resand that we start Monday; I am looking forward to that one. It is factory-finish that did not make the 50-year warranty... I'm not being ugly, but read the warranty. I've got to do the job in half because there is nowhere to place the homeowners stuff. So, I am going to do half, let it dry, move the stuff, then do the other half. I am so happy they have folks to move the stuff, that it's not me is all that matters. They have a company coming in to do all that for us, and thank God. I do not move the things in the house unless it is a MUST DO. I hate it.
Well, I am still in a spin from the last few days; I got home late last night, then had to go to the job and get it done. So let me get in the rain locker and watch the Cardinals ball game... let's go, Cards!
