Larry Haun

[Trevanion]

When Larry was mentioned today I couldn't resist going back and watching some of his legendary old content, it's totally irrelevant to what I do but it's kinda like watching Bob Ross paint, therapeutic!

Then I saw this bit and I thought you guys would get a kick out of it (It should start at the correct time but it's at 46:55 if it doesn't for you):



The art of "It doesn't get seen so don't worry about it"

 

[Cabinetman]

I was in the states for six months earlier this year and watched a two story house being put together like this as I walked the dog every day, it was quite instructive, but not one of the men doing it had a hammer! Nail guns all the way. The Americans are really big on nails, and when I was needing screws and good quality screwdriver bits I was really surprised to find that they were miles behind us. Pretty much the same with kitchen cabinets and fittings. I’m not saying you can’t get these things in America but just not commonly used like they are here. Ian

 

[novocaine]

I'm always nervous when I watch a US framer with a saw.
One of the sparkies I worked with tried it once with his new fangled dewalt battery saw, it was a fun trip to the A+E.

 

[clogs]

when I was there I knew quite a few framer's...quite often they would "do" for family....
then one Sunday all the freinds and family would turn up to errect the sides......
they had prev nailed em together on the floor.....
single story was easy 20 blokes and some grunt but on the heavy jobs they use screw jacks.....
after everything was secure...the women would be there making lunch...ususall a Bar B Q.....
they were good days and a lot of fun.....
they use nails because they are fast and obviously faster with nail guns......
my old friend was a framer and had to quote on doing a small tract's of houses maybe 10 at a time.....
and like here price and SPEED is everything.....
away from the towns they will work from dawn till dusk.....often sleeping in the cab...ask me how I know.....?
If any of you are interested look at the framing of the houses in Florida....
Dade County....they were the first to upgrade specs......
things have changed a lot since I was there....
and almost lastley when I was on holiday in Calif 40 odd years ago I saw a chap up a tall ladder in a store
with a 6inch screw hanging of a drill driver (Makita)....I waited till he was down and asked what held the screw to the bit as I never seen anything like it....obvious now, it was magnetic.....but the best screwdriver I had was a large Stanley pump...dohhhhhh.....
point is, Phillips bits n screws plus a batt driver all those years ago.....mmmmmm
now lastley, when in south Africa.....houses are single skin'd, hand made concrete bricks...(lab is cheap)...
cupboards are fitted to the wall with a Hilti percussion gun and every kitchen cupboard I saw came ready built and all NAILED together......oh, and those were million Doller/Rand homes.....
travel really broadens the mind.......!!!!!!.....hahaha.......

 

[Eric The Viking]

In the 1990s I used to work closely with a division of our company in Northern Colorado.

Whenever I visited there was always a rather boring drive up Interstate 25, from Denver airport to Fort Collins. On one occasion I noticed big machines on the eastern side of the interstate, levelling the ground of what used to be high prairie (grassland but with deep gullies caused by water erosion).

In three trips, spread over about six months they transformed it into what looked like mature suburbia - You'd only realise if you knew what had been there before. The actual houses were spacious (triple garages, etc.), and went up in around three months. All but foundations and chimneys seemed to be wood.

 

[AJB Temple]

I think Larry died in 2011. Aged 80. Working to the end.

Lots and lots of American houses seem to be built that way. Basically the entire house made out of stud work that we would only use internally. You see it constantly in the remodelling programmes on US TV. Not my idea of a quality build really, but it's a different place and a different climate.

 

[Yojevol]

We've seen the downside on the news over the last year with the fires raging in the US and OZ. Homes burnt to the ground.
Brian

 

[Rich C]

They have major advantages in areas where earthquakes are expected. Also they have much smaller thermal mass which can be a benefit or a curse depending on your perspective.

 

[clogs]

also, another big thing is a remodel......if the location is right but not the house...
you just tear it down and build another......easy peasy....
not to many protected buildings over there........
seems crazy I know.....