Pops taught me that one long ago.

Lots of folks here dislike giving away secrets to the general public.

The good gossip goes on in the business lounge. Well sometimes it does. :whistling2::whistling2:

 

Ummmm, no.....there are already too many a$$wipe homeowners hanging around looking for free help and tips..why dont you just give away money, because thats what you are doing posting any helpful info here, unfortunate there is no way to have a private section to access without too many posts...it should be an area that is password protected and only verified people should get a password to enter....but that aint gona happen..

 

I'm talking about the odd secrets not the " How to install a toilet" tricks.

But if others feel that way then let the thread die.

 

those odd secrets are the most valuable, because the easy stuff they can google or watch youtube... otherwise your thread would be of value to the professional, but not at the risk of giving the secrets away..to those that dont deserve..

 

If you have to retain "secretes" to hold onto customers you must not be that good of plumber. :laughing:

 

I agree with shtrllsdwnhill. Too many eyes. I have plenty of knowledge, on some subjects. Don't want to give it away. I also have plenty of questions that cannot be answered because of too many non tradesmen lurkers.

 

Someone should just start a private forum where it's professionals only.

^^

See what I did there lol

 

I've seen one of those and have been checking it out, not as much activity as here but I've learned a lot. It's a great community too, everyone seems to actually like each other.

 

Lol. Ok man.


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Well since your not giving away secrets i got to go. My boss doesnt want me on the phone and i got to haul the rest of these shingles to the dumpster bwahahahahahaha lol you're killing me man. Dont own a business never will. Ah man. If I ever meet you Ill buy you a beer and steak and take you for a ride on my boat.
Loling


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you buy the steak a nice rib eye will do, ill buy the beer....:thumbsup:
fresh water or salt? so I know what fishing gear to bring...

 

Well this thread got all warm and fuzzy fast.

 

Ok heres another thing we can all argue about. So what technically makes someone an "old timer?"


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hmmm, does 30 plus years in the trade do it? or does it have to be by age? your call since you brought it up...:whistling2:

 

The first company I worked for as a brand new apprentice had an old timer there and he would not tell or show any of us his secrets.I never really even knew that he was holding back until a few years of being around him and I guess he started to like me and some secrets would "come out" . Believe it or not the guy could not read or write so I guess he was concerned about job security. He was the best at cast iron work and any underground

 

I was weened on Hamm's beer made with sky blue water. (st paul)
They had a five thousand foot deep artesion well.
Now it's made with some other water, Californian water, Just not the same.

Dad was in the Hamm's sponsored VFW post. I always volunteered to set up tables for the dances and other functions so I could have a beer or two on the sly.

Does that count for an old guy?

 

I grew up in Mn and we went to boundary waters every summer and one of the dads sang the Hamms song every year as soon as we crossed the line into the BWCA

 

This thread was started by someone wanting to hear "old timer's trade secrets" and now it is about beer......:laughing:

 

Went to College in Steven Point Wisc. cases of Red White Blue or Fox Deluxe for $4.95.
Ahh, the good times.

 

My uncle loved Red White and Blue. He said it came from the same barrel as Pabst. Yeah, the bottom of the barrel.

Way back, Buck Horn beer. Three cases for $10.00
The next day we called it the Buck Horn Blues.

That might be a trade secret.

 

Back in the early '80's my dad use to drink Knickerbocker until they went out of business? Just googled it and I guess there's a small brewery in Holland MI by the name.

The one beer that I loved that is no longer made is Red Wolf. I believe it was made by Budweiser.

 

Anyone remember Piels Beer? My grandmother use to buy a 6-pack for $1.99 {if my memory is correct} back in the late 70's early 80's. It was sold in upstate NY in the local supermarket. It wasn't Waldbaums, was it Grand Way? I just can't remember the store. Shoprite maybe? I don't recall.

 

I remember being a young kid..and my grandpa had all these returnable bottles of Schlitz.. He had the cool lamp too. Sorry, not as old as some of you, but I do wish we did returnables sometimes.. He would save up a bunch.. Get the money back, and get more beer.

And to keep on topic a bit, I agree don't give away our secrets. It took me 3 years, and working with many different journeyman to learn the tips and tricks I know.. That's 10% of what a lot of you know, and I understand that. That's what makes this trade so great. You work with one guy who has a slightly better way of doing things, and you just pick up little by little . 6 months ago, I was asking this board for help on how to do drains. I got a journeymans trust at work, showed me some things, now I did all the greasy waste drains and sanitary branches in this hotel. Very proud of my work, and thank the guys that taught me everyday . If I wanted to know something from someone hear, which I will someday. I'll PM them.

 

Cut my teeth drinking PBR, Black Label, Hamm's, Grolsch, and High Life.

 

Used to snag dads highlife bottles,,, just moved them around to different shelves and he would lose count, lol. Also would give this creepy guy 5buck to buy us a case of black label, he'd just take a few for his troubles,,,

 

Reminds me of this time my dad did some work for this guy who didn't have any money, so he gave him a pallet full of 'Ale8,The soft drink of tomorrow'.

My brothers and I used to sell them to all the neighborhood kids for a premium. We said it was special Soda you couldn't find anywhere else... (wich was slightly true).:laughing:

 

All we drank around here was falls city beer made in Evansville Indiana up until a few yrs ago,this was the old falls city beer,it has since gone bankrupt but someone else started brewing falls city beer again couple yrs ago but it is different,some kind of malt beer,the old city was the best,they even had long neck returnable bottles,man when these long necks were ice cold blue smoke would come out of them when you unscrewed the top,ahhh good ole days are gone:laughing:

 

Here’s a trick I learned on hvactalk.com. When a nomenclature plate is so faded that you can’t read it, rub a pencil on something and wipe your finger it. Rub it on the plate and it shows up beautifully.

 

Here’s some tips from the sister forum Contractortalk.com

https://www.contractortalk.com/f9/post-tricks-plumbing-trade-here-15645/

 

So what technically makes someone an "old timer?" By answering the questions below correctly.
[/COLOR]
What tool was used to cut cast iron after the chisel but before the Reed snapper?

What was the tool used to flatten lead?
What was the tool used to flare out lead?
To make lead shiny you used a _____ ______, and you made it shiny by removing the _____________.

In 1955 what was the length of cast iron pipe?
In 1955 to make a hole 5" in Dia. in a wooden floor what was the saw called. Before you could use that saw what did you have to do?

What was the preferred toilet seal?
What was used to seal faucets to sinks?

What was the normal size of a bathtub drain, at the fixture?
On a drum trap was was the bottom of it called?

Taking a company truck into a gas station. How much was gas in 1965?

What was the fuel used to melt lead, prior to Propane?

OK now the other old timers can chip in LOL

 

Canuck answers

I didn't start in the trade until the late sixties, these answers should be close.

What was the tool used to flatten lead?
ball peen hammer, or a maul. That's what torchy called it.

What was the tool used to flare out lead?
Swedge

In 1955 to make a hole 5" in Dia. in a wooden floor what was the saw called. Before you could use that saw what did you have to do?
Keyhole saw.
You drilled a hole, or holes.

What was the preferred toilet seal?
Putty, but we were using bees wax too.

What was used to seal faucets to sinks?
Putty again.

Taking a company truck into a gas station. How much was gas in 1965?
32.9 cents per gallon.

What was the fuel used to melt lead, prior to Propane?
Gasoline or Naphtha which ever was cheaper.

My answers are from Canada so they could be different than yours.
:biggrin::biggrin: