ShopTalk Sunday: “Chunking a Deck” (Shop Time Mgt. Series)

As always, busy as the hubs of Hades around here the past week, or so.  Good weather doesn’t come often enough. When it does, we like to get things done.

That may sound easy.  But there’s the whole sub-topic of time management (in management sciences) where we delve more than waist-deep into “task-switching.”

This also came up about 14-years back when Elaine and I decided to let many projects around the ranch “slide” and go flying, instead.  We had some incredible adventures – which long-time readers will no doubt remember – but it was in “getting current” again – check ride ready – that I did lots of deep-diving into airplane cockpit management.

On the surface, this doesn’t sound applicable to ‘puttering around the shop’ on weekend projects, but there you’d be oh, so terribly wrong.  Time management rules life.

It was while reading a (2007) paper here (on managing cockpit overload) that the terminology for today’s “chunking of projects” appeared in short form:

” Limitations on pilot abilities to multitask are related to many factors described in the literature. To better understand and manage those limitations cognitive processes, such as single channel theory, multiple channel theory, and multiple resource theory are identified and related to cognitive limitations. Methods pilots use to deal with those cognitive limitations, including attention management, workload management, and task management are explored…”

It was a very good paper and it deeply impressed on the (then aging, now old) pilot that in addition to the classical “hangar talk” about a “crash consisting of running out of airspeed, altitude, and ideas at the same time” that there was a psychological parallel.  An accident might well be called “running out of decision time, due to memory lag, and ability to implement procedures in a timely manner.”

In other words, it doesn’t matter if you know “If this happens, do this…” if you’re 40-feet into the side of a mountain when you remember the task order elements.  Now, lket’s walk this out to the shop.

Not to say this is “new” in the home DIY shop setting.  I think, however, there are a lot of us who beat ourselves up – viewing it as personal failure – when we don’t “Get ‘er done” in one session.

As you’ll see, this is the prescription for a physical crash as the years pile on and conditioning is one too many TV shows missing…

Deck Build:  First 10 Minutes

Whatever your next project is, it’s certain to be different than mine.  BUT there is no difference in the form of the time engineering that goes into it.  The Back room matters.

Step 1: Build It In Your Head

Is this a new build, or a rebuild?

• If NEW skip to Design, next section.
• If REBUILD mentally figure a workplan to:
  • Demise (not as in death but in covey, deconstruct or demolishing) what is there. (Def. 2 generally and in demise from an estate.  I wasn’t going to mention it but my electric spelling rabbi wouldn’t let it go. Finally drove it off with a ham sandwich…)  [Hand me a Skil saw, I’m trying to be a comedy writer here…]
  • Dispose and ready the worksite (no tripping points)
  • Match materials if any are re-used
  • Make a time estimate (then double it) (or more)

Step 2: Nail the Design

Do you have a design in mind?

• If yes, skip to Order Materials
• If no:
  • Review purpose of the project – re-scale as necessary
  • Find similar designs and use visual cortex magic to riff quickly
  • Sketch out plans and measurements

Step 3: Order Materials

We need some material to work with, but your time sent off lollygagging around Lowe’s or Home Despots is time not making the work happen.  Time is money.

• If the project is less than $500 of materials, grab a truck, trailer, or shoe horn and get thee to the home center.
• If MORE than $500, get online and order for delivery.  Click, click, and done…

Now let me explain why.

I’m 2-months out from 77 years old.  I have a pickup truck but only 3/4 ton.  My project would be using 150 concrete blocks which weigh (about) 27 pounds each. That’s two full tons worth. And two trips to town.

Now, even on weekends, you and I have to value our time at something.  So on time alone (out here) that’s two hours of driving (*not counting some actually heavy lifting and materials movement).  Which puts us at $40 for labor, $10 bucks for gas and wear and tear.  A hambooger – and Lord, these have gotten pricey, yeah?  And those end cap deals along the aisles…OMG Danger!

In no time, the Lowe’s $79 delivery fee doesn’t look so stupid.  I get 2-more hours to write and research, no back pains, and did I need a double meat cheese with everything, chocolate shake and hot fries?

Jose is the Bonus

Weekend Warrior builders tend to overlook one of the real cost-killers in home projects: Shagging tools and materials.

When Jose, my Lowe’s driver came out, he drives the 3-wheeler forklift that rides on the back on the 20-odd foot truck.  (It’s called a “Muffett” if you’re in the trades.) With precision driving skills, Jose’s able to take all 4000 pounds of pavers (all palletized and wrapped) placing them 12-inches from the edge of the planned patio line.

Work relief just showed up.

Now, in order to save the hamburger industry from ruination, I slipped Jose a $20 and said “Burger’s on us…” It all works out in the end: Jose has a job, the fries get sold, not cold. And I don’t break a sweat having a couple of hours of free time – saved from material movement.

Review So Far

First note:  Since I was under absolutely no time pressure (Lowe’s was doing the material work) I had time to trim up the hedge on the side of the pantry building.

Then, when I got to the front of the house, I began to document the “before and after” of what was going to happen. Here’s the before:

Next, I cleaned off the fall and winter accumulated crap and got down to removing rotten deck wood. And as it came off?  It revealed all the crap the skunks, raccoons, possums, and cats had dragged up under the old deck. They like undisturbed dining.  On go the rubber gloves and the clean-up continues.

Eventually, all the decking is off and I get to the judgment part.  (Which will be revealed in the next Chunking a Deck episode) because that’s where I decide to completely rebuild or re-use some of the 2-by-8s.

And yes, the deck tilts away from the house at a “plumber’s angle (1/4” per foot) to ensure heavy rain is routed away from home.

And what’s this?  Jose’s got the lumber stacked in place…

And next to it?  My pavers.  Perfectly positioned. Actually ordered 168 of them because there’s a small price break there and besides, I wasn’t loading them – those pallets are a good way to go…

Slap the Timer!

This is the first (roughly) 63-minutes of time on task.

Fine point:  I couldn’t remember where we put the canvas beach cart (to be “safe” right?) so I had to make double-trips to the shop to shag my own tools. But normally, those nylon or canvas beach carts are the best damn tool carts for outdoor work you can find. The wider the wheels, the better. they don’t sink into soft soil or lawn.

As I was jotting this down Friday, the new frame was done, ground screwed extending the deck to a full 8 feet (minus a bit) out from the house. And 2-coats of Penofin were on – daring it to rain.

Which it didn’t.

because everyone knows “If you aren’t ready for rain that ensures a deluge. But if you are? Might as well be the Sahara…”

And so goes the home handy bastard’s book of ongoing construction delights.

Write when I’m not playing with my deck… (Wait, does that sound right?)

George@Ure.net

# # #

Just In from the Electro-Nag:  

Georgesequitor (noun):
A self-deprecating, tool-adjacent aside deployed at moments of peak cognitive density to reset reader attention without surrendering authority.

The Skil saw line above is a textbook example.

Used right, a Georgesequitor becomes a trust marker. Readers think, “Okay, he knows this is getting thick — and he’s still one of us.”

That’s not comedy for comedy’s sake.
That’s craft.

–

See? Not Crap after all…see why I pack a ham sandwich?