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Best Vintage: Sandblast Your Way Into New Skills

Johnny V saying hi. I am a vintage car fanatic who turns old, discarded bombs into works of art. I sell many of them but I also keep some to drive around town. I love the stares and looks of envy. All the hard work is worth it. The biggest enemy in repairing vintage cars is rust, so I am a big believer in sandblasting. Sandblasting is truly a skill that must be learnt through trial and error. You need to follow safety procedures and perfect your technique so you don't have metal warpage. However, once you learn to sandblast, there is no cheaper, more effective way of creating a rust-free, clean surface for a paint job. In this blog I share my techniques because I know many people are hesitant about learning new skills. I hope you learn something new and gain confidence. Best of luck.

 

Best Vintage: Sandblast Your Way Into New Skills

Project Management: How to Schedule Sub-Contractors

24 March 2017
 Categories: Industrial & Manufacturing, Blog

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Many self-build developers do their own project management functions. Unless you appoint a main contractor who does all of this for you, it is essential to have some sort of plan for how you will organise the many sub-contractors needed in modern construction.

If you are building your own home or extending your existing one, then you'll know that failing to have workmen arrive on time and in the right order can make your schedule slide. Likewise, if certain sub-contractors get to site only to find that they cannot get on with their tasks because others have not been completed or because other tradespeople are in their way, then they'll have to return later and you will be charged more as a result. Keep on top of your project's budget by managing it with the following tips in mind.

  • Get Watertight Before Bringing Sub-Contractors to Site

There is no point have certain suppliers and professional tradespeople on your building site until they can work in a fit environment. The important early jobs, like ground clearance, foundations and building walls should all be completed before you consider so-called second fix work. Although it is possible to have electricians run wiring around a site when there are no windows, for example, it is better if the roof is on first. Under no circumstances should you try to install fittings and interior elements until the building is watertight and fully dried out.

  • Internal Structural Work

Make sure that scaffolding remains in place until the internal stairwells have been installed. Once this is done, scaffolds can be removed to allow easier access for other sub-contractors. Similarly, plasterboard suppliers should only send their products to site once carpenters have arranged the internal partitions in accordance with your room plan design. After this, plasterers can get to work but make sure recessed wiring is in place before plasterboard is fitted, marking out the places where sockets will be.

  • The Last Sub-Contractors to Be On Site

With the bones of the building fitted out, it is time to complete the electrical works by fitting power sockets, distribution boards and light switches. Alongside this work, data cabling networks should also be installed. For greatest efficiency, complete wiring work in the kitchen first so that plumbers and gas engineers can get to work in the space immediately afterwards whilst your electrical installers continue in other locations. Only when the utilities are fully installed should you bring the last tranche of sub-contractors to your site such as tilers, painters and carpet layers.