Bob's Blog

seriously.....March Madness

2012-01-23T20:10:00.001-08:00

N E W S FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

The Berkshire Chapter of the National Guild of Professional Paperhangers

will host the March Madness Paperhanging Workshop in West Springfield, Massachusetts.

ALL DAY on Saturday, March 31, 2012.

Location: The West Springfield Elks Lodge, 429 Morgan Road, West Springfield, MA 01089

please mark your calendars!

FOR MORE INFORMATION: contact person Bob Kelly, tel. 413-243-3489, email wscom@roadrunner.com

==============================================================================

- Registration begins at 7:30 am, and the cost is $30 at the door.

- The workshop is open to ALL who wish to attend or participate. You need not be an NGPP member.

- This will be a day dedicated to sharing knowledge and gaining skills. Don't miss this affordable opportunity to network with your peers!

- The West Springfield Elks Lodge is conveniently located minutes from the intersection of I-91 and I-90, in south-central Massachusetts.

- Hotels are abundant. Make a weekend of it! The social scene is as rewarding as the workshop itself.

PROGRAM

Once again outstanding professionals from the Northeast have agreed to share their skills to help attendees reach new heights of expertise and earning power. We highlight two up front:

• Close-Up on Shelly Wilkins (Westminster, Maryland): Shelley will present her solutions for handling a most unusual wallpaper.....a 9-multiple drop. Even though the internal repeat is 36", the pattern drops 8" for each side to side match. It's necessary to cut 9 drops to complete the pattern. Learn how she was able to quickly cut the pieces and even run them through a machine. Come and be a part of this discussion! Why are these types made? And HOW are they made? How do they differ from other types? How can you recognize them quickly?

• Close-Up on Larry Cohen (Brooklyn, NY)

Larry, a repeat presenter for us, will give a lecture on the basics of blueprint reading. The main topic is explaining what common symbols and conventions mean, while leaving room for specific questions about rarer symbols or specifications that attendees may have encountered. As a busy commercial hanger in the Big Apple, Larry has likely seen it all (or at least most of it!). Larry will use an easel for displaying many types of blueprints and will draw larger symbols and sections of elevations on a whiteboard for maximum visibility. A printed handout of the most important points is included in this workshop.

ALSO:

- Mike Germain (Kingston, NY) will demonstrate Faster Plaster. This material completely transforms cinderblock walls and other problem surfaces.

- Bob Kelly (Lee, MA) will demonstrate how to join borders: topics include continuation, mirror images and balancing larger motifs at extremities.

- Charlie Gilley (Vermont) will show his award-winning work on an overhead ceiling installation. This solo, overhead performance was made possible by using Zip Walls (adjustable poles).

- Phil Reinhard (Millville, New Jersey) will present the acclaimed workshop he gave at the NGPP Convention in New Orleans (Commercial Work in Tight Spaces)

- Panel Discussion: paperhangers who use smart phones and phone apps discuss the pros and cons of their current operating platforms.

- A multitude of 5-Minute tips to save you time.....and time is MONEY!!

And more.....!

A one-and-a-half hour slot in the middle of the day accommodates lunch, announcements, and swap & sell.

50/50 prizes are awarded throughout the day. Go home with goodies!

--- the end ---

FOR MORE INFORMATION: contact person Bob Kelly, tel. 413-243-3489, email wscom@roadrunner.com

March Madness Update

2011-12-14T18:41:00.000-08:00

UPDATE: Phil Reinhard has agreed to reprise his "Commercial Work in Small Spaces" at the March Madness Paperhanging Workshops on March 31. This was presented at the New Orleans Convention of the NGPP to great acclaim. We are delighted to hear this news!

Marching To Madness

2011-11-26T13:52:00.001-08:00

that's right folks, once again the intrepid Berkshire Chapter of the National Guild of Professional Paperhangers is hosting the March Madness Paperhanging Workshop in West Springfield, Massachusetts.

this edition takes place all day on Saturday, March 31.

location: Elks Lodge, 429 Morgan Road, West Springfield, MA 01089

mark your calendar!

workshops will include: "Cornering the Market on Borders" by Bob Kelly and "Faster Faster Plaster" by Mike Germain.

the border workshop will show how to make scads of money and thereby become part of the 1%. this is surprisingly easy once you how how to miter borders effectively. customers essentially open their wallets and say "how much would you like?" the hard part is deciding which border designs should be continued around the corner, which should be mirror-imaged at 45 degrees, and which are important enough to start and balance at the corners. examples of several types will be included with plenty of time left over so I can be told that I did it wrong.

the faster faster plaster workshop will be a revelation to those who have never had the pleasure of completely obliterating cinderblock walls. Mike knows this stuff backwards and forwards and has the scar tissue on his hands and the grooves in his now-useless plastic sweeps to prove it. come and be entertained and educated, because in this economy, more and more building managers are looking for a way to get a totally new look and a new surface to boot...this stuff will do it!

Historic Paperhanging Techniques: A Bibliographic Essay

2011-08-17T10:29:00.000-07:00

"Historic Paperhanging Techniques" is now available as a free download from the wallpaperscholar.com web site.

There has been little written on paperhanging technique. Most information is handed down or learned on the job. Trade magazines are helpful for learning about the workaday world of the historic paperhanger, but these did not begin until 1875 and are not widely available. Nevertheless, there's a considerable body of information out there if you know where to look: this essay helps you do just that.

This essay is 6,000 words and was written for the International Preservation Trades Workshop, Lancaster, PA, Aug. 2-6, 2011. It is dressed up with a fabulous postcard image of an early 20th century paperhanger gettin' down to business (supplied by master paperhanger friend Don Leetz of Wisconsin). Thanks, Don!

The essay brings in European sources like the interesting articles by Geert Wisse (Belgium), and Phillippe Fabry and Bernard Jacque (France). I only regret that the Commonwealth countries (Australia, New Zealand, Canada) were not addressed this time around. Surely they deserve further study. Wallpaper use was rampant in the 19th century and we see the same widespread use of hessian on plank walls, for just one example, in all of these countries, just as it was used in Hawaii, California and Texas.

Hard copies are available in a plastic binder, so let me know by email if these would find a good home in a library or other archive: info@wallpaperscholar.com

Download: Full Article

UPDATE: this article is now available on:

www.scribd.com/doc/63701733

MARCH MADNESS KEYNOTED BY LARRY BIRD

2011-02-24T05:24:00.000-08:00

Ok I totally made that up. But, I wanted to catch your attention: here is more news about the best one-day workshop for paperhanging in the country.

We've been getting great feedback on attendance. Of course sometimes plans change.....but, we have heard from Ric Fish in New Orleans, Al Smith who will be leading a group of merry men car-pooling up from Delaware Co. in PA, Shawn Lawler in Chicago, and others. We have posted a list of motels on the Delphi Forums run by Chris Hayes, but we may as well post that here, too:

the top of the pile would appear to be Hampton Inn at 135.00
other motels for March Madness:

Comfort Inn, cost about 120.00
Quality Inn, perhaps 90.00
Red Roof, about 75.00
and, others are lower in cost, but...
...you usually get what you pay for, and YMMV.

all of these are within about 10 minutes of the Elks Club.
if you go to www.tripadvisor.com and search for "West Springfield, Ma", a map pops up on the right.
click on the map, and you can see Morgan Rd. running east-west just under Interstate 91. the Elks Club is at 429 Morgan Rd.

all of these motels are in the Riverdale Rd. area, near the intersection of Interstate 90 and 91.

also, Buffy Groves says:
"I stayed at the Wilbraham Inn near Roger's place (Roger lives in Springfield). Last year it was $75/night".

Because I am contact person, I get many calls and emails.

Here's the scoopa de la poopa. THE DETAILS of the event

are here in this post.

EVERYONE IS WELCOME, and there is no pre-registration.

you just pay at the door between 8:15 and 9.

The first program is at 9.

More news: the surgery for Roger was successful and he has

already emailed me. Cliff Hayes is planning on using his

camera to project a "jumbotron" on the wall or screen so

people can actually see Larry Bird, oops, I mean Larry

Cohen, tawlk about how to anticipate and solve problems

with touch-up before they drag you down to perdition.

This includes not only seam coloring but also minor

annoyances such as fingernails nicking the corners of

sensitive goods and causing a last-minute panic of how

to make tiny blemishes disappear. It sounds simple but

Larry is a master paperhanger and his bag of tricks is

going to surprise and delight you.

The sound system provided by Howard Hamm, ye wandering

troubadour, will ensure that people in the 7th row can

hear, despite the enthusiastic re-cap of the Super Bowl

that will be carried out in the 5th row by those lunk-heads.

More news to come!

To get a load of the 80-plus posts on the Delphi Forum

about March Madness, hit this link here.

MARCH MADNESSS ALL HAPPENING AT ONCE

2011-01-19T19:51:00.000-08:00

The Berkshire Chapter of the National Guild of Professional Paperhangers
under the influence of Roger Coupal and aided and abetted by our many
friends in the Northeast Region of the NGPP, is once again proud to announce
the MARCH MADNESS WORKSHOP, to take place on Saturday, March 26.

Place is the Elks Lodge, 429 Morgan Rd., West Springfield, MA, 01189.

You will not want to miss this all day event featuring Larry Cohen
(Brooklyn), Rich Meade (Conn.), Greg Kahler (Boston), Charlie
Gilley (Vermont), and Mike Germain (Kingston, NY).

Just imagine, talking paperhanging from 9 to 4, plus pizza, plus coffee.....
.....all for $25.00.

!!!

For more info contact me, Robert Kelly at wscom@roadrunner.com
or telephone 413. 243.3489

Red Flags!

2010-06-12T07:20:00.000-07:00

sure enough our Red Flags mailing is a hit, though not without a few glitches.

we joke about this one: "If a company can't keep their page numbers straight on a promotional booklet....that's a red flag"!

we apologize for the mixed-up page numbers!

on the other hand, if our customers remember about the Cheapskate, the Engineer, or the Kickback in six months during a screening phone call, and save themselves some misery, we're sure it will be because they remember the advice, and not which page it was on!

response has been great and we're already working on "Red Flags II".

if you want a copy of the original Red Flags Booklet, let us know, we have some left over.

mail call: here's a response to our mailing from my buddy Mike Germain who works in the Hudson Valley:

Red Flag #1: The Designer who calls says you two have not met when you have twice.

Red Flag #2: The “walls are prepped”, the paper is in, you can start right away but none of the trim is painted yet.

Red Flag #3: You are at least the third paper hanger to grace these rooms with your presence.

Red Flag #4: The Designer says “ I treat all my subs really well, just ask them” . None of them speak English.

Red Flag #5: The deadline [wedding] is two and a half weeks away and you don’t get a response to your proposal after three days and two phone calls.

Red Flag #6: The response you finally get is to ask if you can split your proposal into three proposals.

And best of all.....

.....these all happened on one job!

Mike G.

Paper-Hangings Products: Not Just For Paperhanging

2010-03-22T08:12:00.000-07:00

of course "Paper-Hangings" is mainly about paperhanging.

but, we also have many artist customers who appreciate our products.
as you know, the powder-only methyl cellulose and wheat starches we sell are top quality, have no preservatives, fillers or surfactants, and no shelf-life mystery ingredients. all you really need is water. adding water = a looser paste; adding powder = a drier paste.
for these reasons artists have confidence in our products and use them for paper mache and other creative applications.

here are notes on a few of them:

ALISON MORITSUGU has used our acidfree paper and adhesives as raw materials for her landscape-related artwork.
for more about Alison:
http://www.wavehill.org/arts/alison_moritsugu.html
http://www.luxartinstitute.org/Artist-Residency/Alison-Moritsugu/

Michigan artist LORI HOUGH has created many sculptures using our methyl cellulose. Paper mache animals have become a specialty for Lori, who has degrees in zoology and has worked as a biologist aboard fishing boats in the Bering Sea.

RENEE CARRIERE is a San Francisco-based artist who exhibits at the Triangle Gallery. All of her work starts with wheat paste and newspaper, and paper mache has become her medium of choice. She says that the qualities of our wheat are perfect for her working style – she can work spontaneously or take as much time as she likes. There is a large body of her work exhibited at the Triangle Gallery at 47 Kearny St.
http://www.triangle-sf.com/artists/carriere/carriere.html

MARK RIZZO, in the Boston area, crafts brightly colored skulls, banks, and Chihuahuas. He even makes paper mache vegetables to put in baskets. And yes, he weaves the baskets, too! He swears by PH products and is always recommending them to others.
See his flickr photos here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/paper-mache/sets/72157594361606658/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/paper-mache/sets/72157594361607782/

I PREDICT

2010-02-09T16:36:00.000-08:00

I predict that 2010 will be a great year for independent, highly qualified professional paperhangers.

Why?

Because this is the year that they will repair the damage done during the Great Recession of 2009 and 2008 by those who were not independent, highly qualified professional paperhangers.

Write it down.

Acknowledgments Part I

2010-02-09T14:30:00.002-08:00

One of the great things about sending out great products at the mighty Paper-Hangings Mother Ship are the many "thank you" notes that we receive. Mary and I think these are really special and we keep a file.

Last year I thought I was going to be really arty and put together a collage of "thank you" notes in a direct mail that would be a way of showing how much we appreciate them. Alas, that didn't look as good as it sounded, so we didn't send it out. But anyway I decided to post some of that here.

And since then there are many more. Since there are so many I will update this with others in "Acknowledgments Part II".

And once again, and we can never say it enough.....THANK YOU for the "thank you" notes! They keep us motivated!

_________

Acknowledgments Part II

2010-02-09T14:29:00.000-08:00

more of Bob's collage work.
now you know why I gave up collage for paperhanging.

Acknowledgments Part III

2010-02-09T14:28:00.000-08:00

To the very many people who have simply said "thank you", including those who wrote on the little note thingy on the bottom of the payment check, we sincerely acknowledge your "thank you" and raise you one. THANK YOU BACK!
There are too many to print, but let's just mention: Jay, John, Victoria, J.W., Jim Y., Carole, Phillip, Jack, Nancy, Andy, Dan S., Jack S., Tim L., Manuel, Jennifer and Mark R.

Another note: I have used good journalistic form below and not included much identifying information, because it would be a lot of work to go back and get permission from each correspondent to publish their full names. So, I'm using the semi-anonymous format of "Ron L." and so on as a compromise.

To Mark: you're welcome! no, we don't use the "lil' river" for fly-fishing but thanks for suggestion! Summer went great!

To Allyson P.: thanks for your many thank you's! you're always welcome! don't forget, we deliver (sometimes)!

To Jeff: many thanks for your notes and your great attitude. we know you're in a competitive market and we appreciate that you take the time to choose and use our products!

To Ron L.: You wrote: "Thanks for the great service". Not a problem! As long as Big Brown has trucks on the road, we're good to go!

To Marva: We love your thank-you cards! (Marva takes the time to use a cut-off of a recent wallpaper project as her "card". These are always interesting designs, and..........how appropriate!)

To Mary B: You thanked us for our advice. Not a problem!

To Brian M.: You said "...thank you, the paper was just what I was looking for..." You're welcome!

To Ric F: You said "...your company is a breath of fresh air. My order was small and I still got it in 2 days with a "hand written" invoice. I hope my payment reaches you as quickly..." Not a problem, Ric!

To Patti: You wrote: "...Patrick enjoyed your book, and said you are a true professional paperhanger..." Aw shucks.....thanks Patti!

To Grady: You wrote: "...I received the order yesterday. Very quick turnaround. 5 days! Thanks for the blue blades..." You're welcome! For those who don't know, 5 days is quick...for shipping from New England to the Midwest by truck!

To Bill R.: You wrote: "...your product is great!" Thanks, Bill! We think so, too!

To M.L.: You wrote: "...thanks for the great service. The paste worked great with my Bradbury and Bradbury border. Thanks also for the extra paste. It will be put to good use, either at my home or for others in the neighborhood who are using high quality papers." Not a problem! thank you back!

To Robert G.: You wrote: "...thanks for your help - project is going great!" So good to hear, especially since this is a Zuber we're talking about! We love to hear this news!

To Sonja: You wrote: "...thank you for such prompt service! Worked beautifully..." Great!

To Tim: You wrote thanking us and saying "...this was a fun project - I did the interiors of book cases with this material..." and sharing a small sample of the $5,000 per panel extravaganza wallcovering. Thanks!

To Jeff P.: you wrote: "...thanks. Your stuff is great!" Aw, shucks! We're tryin'!

To Mike B.: we really appreciate your nice notes. you wrote recently: "...job turned out great! Customer appreciated the xtra effort." What a nice sentiment. That's what it's all about!

David W. wrote: "Thanks Bob for your help. I hope to call you soon for another order". That makes two of us, David! Thanks for the note!

Lastly, I wanted to give a very special shoutout to my bud Elliot Peterson. For those who don't know, Elliott is a Connecticut paperhanger who went to the U.S. School and just recently he gifted me with a box of old paperhanging tools. His is a familiar story: "Years back a family I was working for had a box of old wallpapering tools. The wife said her father was a wallpaper hanger for many years. They have been sitting in my basement since then. I thought maybe you might use them on one of your historical installations. They certainly look old...."

Now that I'm getting old and historical myself, maybe I appreciate them even more! My buddy in the Midwest, Don Leetz, without question one of the master paperhangers, has also sent many great old tools and instruction manuals my way. Don started hanging in the NY area after a stint with the merchant marines in WWII, so he has some history under his belt, for sure.

Some of these tools from Elliott are really special. to wit: natural bristle sweep # 1541; calcimine brush; "Acorn" trimming tool; marbelized handle seam roller; bakelite or similar seam roller # 210; serrated-edge trimmer # 75; and a large-handled steel trimmer. The marbelized handle seam roller in particular is CHERRY. Thanks, Elliott!

Speaking of tools, I have to mention two others who collect and appreciate paperhanging tools: Tim Bodine of St. Louis, and the inimitable Doug Hudson of Rochester, NY. Both of these guys are likely to go out of their way to pick up antique tools! No yard sale is safe!

Why Paperhangers Are Not Pole Dancers

2010-01-19T07:48:00.001-08:00

OK I left of last time proclaiming that I would write more about the f***ed up Workers Comp system in Mass., and here we are.

#1 don't get me wrong, for an injured worker, WC is a very good thing. And, we have to admit that much fraud goes on. For example, contractors who succeed in passing off employees as "independent contractors" simply to avoid paying their fair share of taxes and benefits for the employees. In one memorable case, the employees of the King Arthur's Lounge (exotic dancers) in Boston filed a class action suit. They were being classified as independent contractors by the greedy owners, and they felt they were really employees, and entitled to better working conditions and more benefits. They won.

But, nothing here should indicate that I support the type of bottom-feeder behavior like that of the owners of King Arthur's Lounge, because I don't. I'm just saying that there is a place for both: the employees of the King Arthur's Lounge, and the independent contractors of the paperhanging fraternity.

And by the way, these morons that think that independent contractors avoid taxes should look at the amount of SE that I and most others in the Guild fork over every year to the Federal govt. before they accuse independents of skipping out on taxes. Believe! $$$$!!

What I object to is the way that in this state (and, I suspect, others) the good guys, namely, people like me, are lumped in with the bad guys. The way the laws are unofficially enforced, right now, penalize the legitimate independent contractor and I'm fed up with it. To wit, this is the way the unofficial system works here:

at audit time, general contractors are told by the insurance agent that they must produce WC certificates for each and every contractor they hire during the year. no exceptions. they are told that if they don't, they will be: a) penalized by having that contractor's pay added to their payroll, thus adding more premiums, which are then backcharged (payable immediately). also, they're told that they will: b) get put into a higher ratings category because of this, so that from now on, they will automatically pay more each year.
one can imagine the effect these threats have on the general contractor. almost invariably, they start crying and fold like a cheap suitcase. they then demand a WC certificate from each and every contractor that works for them. those that do not get a new WC policy do not get future work. a rather crude system, but it works, and the insurance agent is happy.

only one problem. this unofficial system, as engaged in by the insurance companies and their agents, does not follow Mass. General Laws, and for that reason their behavior constitutes fraud. if you look up the law and apply it to what's going on, it doesn't fit.

there are legitimate exceptions from the WC laws for the independent contrator under Mass. law. however, these exceptions are being overidden by the insurance audit system, which does not give the exception a chance to work.

the way it's supposed to work: at audit time, agents asks for all certificates, liability as well as WC. auditors can ask questions about those sub-contractors that are not covered by WC. they can ask the general contractor to explain the type of work done, and how it was done and so forth, and if the independent contractor is indeed a legitimate contractor, end of story. the WC certificate is not a requirement for a legitimate independent subcontractor in the state of Mass. on the other hand, if the general contractor can't prove that the independent is an independent, then, yes, an additional premium would apply, because the pay of the now-proven employee would be added to the general contractor's payroll. but, like I said, that's not the way it works, because the stage whereby the general contractor either proves or disproves the nature of the sub-contractor's work is never reached.

the reason why no one complains about this can be imagined. it's financial blackmail. would YOU like to irritate your insurance agency when they're doing an audit, and at the same time announcing that they have the power to backcharge you and raise your rates?

likewise, the reasons why no one goes to court over this can also be imagined. No one knows for sure how a case would be decided, so the tendency is to play it safe. This has disastrous effects for independents, who wind up being more or less forced to buy expensive coverage that does essentially nothing. however, this keeps the insurance companies happy, who naturally prefer overlapping coverage. To them, redundant coverage is a good thing since it cuts down on their exposure.

but here's the problem, do you really think that I or anyone else is going to take on a lengthy and expensive court case, just to prove a point? actually I might, if I were independently wealthy. but, it is a fact of life that few, least of all independent contractors, can afford to be tilting at windmills. you have to pick your fights very carefully in this life. still, that doesn't make this system right, so let's look at it closer.

the insurance industry says that if the 3-prong test for "Who Is An Employee?" is applied to independent contractors, that all of them would flunk. incredible as it may seem, that is what their position boils down to. I know because I spent time on the phone with these morons. Here is the 3-prong test:

(1) the individual is free from control and direction in connection with the performance of the service, both under his contract for the performance of service and in fact; and
(2) the service is performed outside the usual course of the business of the employer; and,
(3) the individual is customarily engaged in an independently established trade, occupation, profession or business of the same nature as that involved in the service performed.

like I said, according to the insurance industry, no contractor working for another could pass this test, therefore they are all employees. they actually say this! the law tends to help their position because even if only one part of the prongs is true, then, the contractor flunks the test. but wait, lets look closer.
here is how I see these 3 prongs, and why I think they would never apply to a true independent:
_____
(1) the individual is free from control and direction in connection with the performance of the service, both under his contract for the performance of service and in fact

The first prong is easily proven because specialty contractors like paperhangers, tile guys, sheetrockers, etc. have their own tools and trade methods and are not ordinarily told what to do and how to do it by the contractor or homeowner hiring them for the work. Although come to think of it, I can remember a few homeowners who tried.
Example: Big John Contracting hires me to hang grasscloth. Neither Big John nor any of his merry men tell me how to cut seams or hang liner, or whether I should use liner. They hire me as a paperhanger, and I'm a paperhanger, and do what paperhangers do.
In the King Arthur's case, the management trained the women as exotic dancers (previously they had no experience); dancers were not permitted to negotiate their fees to perform, they were assigned 15 minute performance slots, and basically told what to do and how to do it. All of this is quite different from and does not apply to the way that independent contractors such as paperhangers are treated.

(2) the service is performed outside the usual course of the business of the employer

The second prong is often misinterpreted. It's often taken to mean that one painter cannot hire another, because they are in the same line of work. This places the emphasis on the type of work. I think the actual meaning is what it says, the "course of business", in other words, the way the business is operated.
For example, it is not the usual course of business of Big John Contracting to sheetrock or to set tile 52 weeks of the year. Nor would Big John Contracting have handscreens, grasscloth or other specialty wallcoverings hung all year round. Big John would only use such specialty contractors in certain situations. For example, when the type of work is too specialized, or over his head, or when it's advantageous to hire another pair of hands (due to a tight schedule), and this occasional use is clearly not his normal operating mode, or, the "usual course of the business". If it were his "usual course of business", I reason, then he would be doing it. Instead, he's hiring someone else. This places it outside of his "usual course of business".
In the King Arthur's case, the dancers proved that their work formed "...a regular and continuing part of the employer's business....." and this is one of the reasons they convinced the court that they were employees. but, that is not the case when an independent paperhanger does an occasional job for a general contractor, because it is not regular and continuing.

(3) the individual is customarily engaged in an independently established trade, occupation, profession or business of the same nature as that involved in the service performed.

The third prong is easily proven because I am not somebody new to the trade who depends on Big John Contracting for work. on the contrary, I work for many different people in many different situations. And every specialty contractor (independent contractor) can say the same.
In the King Arthur's case, the dancers had no other employment, not even other clubs. They were dependent on King Arthur's lounge for their work 52 weeks out of the year.

The defense rests.

the workmanship of risk

2009-12-28T19:11:00.000-08:00

“craftsmanship........means simply workmanship using any kind of technique or apparatus, in which the quality of the result is not predetermined, but depends on the judgement, dexterity and care which the maker exercises.....the essential idea is that the quality of the result is continually at risk during the process of making; and so I shall call this kind of workmanship ‘The workmanship of risk’.........With the workmanship of risk we may contrast the workmanship of certainty, always to be found in quantity production, and found in its pure state in full automation. In workmanship of this sort the quality of the result is exactly predetermined before a single salable thing is made. In less developed forms of it the result of each operation done during production is pre-determined."

David Pye, The Nature and Art of Workmanship, Cambridge U. Press, 1979, page 4.

independent contractor or employee?

2009-11-13T11:31:00.000-08:00

are paperhangers independent contractors or employees?
this may depend on where you live.
different states have different rules.

here is an interesting article about an interesting ruling in an interesting profession in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts:

some strippers sued a club owner over whether they were independent contractors (the defendant's position) or employees (the plaintiff's position).

According to the article:

The club had argued that selling alcohol is its main business, not putting on strip shows, and that the performers were independent contractors who provided extra entertainment akin to televisions and pool tables at a sports bar.
Suffolk Superior Judge Frances A. McIntyre dismissed that argument.
“A court would need to be blind to human instinct to decide that live nude entertainment was equivalent to the wallpaper of routinely-televised matches, games, tournaments, and sports talk in such a place,’’ she wrote. “The dancing is an integral part of King Arthur’s business.’’

The judge's ruling is sound except for one little thing. Let the record show that I, Robert M. Kelly, object to the use of the term "wallpaper" in this context! May it please the court!

You may wonder why establishing whether King Arthur's is primarily in the stripping business or in the liquor business is so important. The reason is simply that if the workers are an integral part of the business, they are more likely to be considered "employees", whereas, if they are merely somewhat connected to it, they are more likely to be considered "independent contractors".

For example, a paperhanger who works for a builder 2 weeks during a year is more likely to be considered an independent contractor than a paperhanger who works for a builder 45 weeks out of the year. The latter is more likely to be considered an "employee", all other things being equal. Starting to sound familiar?

Much of the court argument involved the notorious "Massachusetts Independent Contractor Law", which has been driving small contractors batty for many years now. I will have more to say about this law and the ramifications for workers compensation insurance, liability and the like, in a few days..........

music to pick out wallpaper by

2009-10-24T14:32:00.001-07:00

1. While You Wait For The Others, Grizzly Bear, (334 on the top 500 Pitchfork Songs Since 2000)
2. Young Adult Friction, The Pains of being Pure at Heart, (374)
3. Good Fortune, PJ Harvey (289)
4. The Engine Driver, The Decemberists (269)
5. Lose Yourself, Eminem (104)
6. Your Ex-lover is Dead, Stars, (298)
7. A Pillar of Salt, The Thermals, (250)
8. Juxtaposed with U, Super Furry Animals, (346)
9. Intervention, The Arcade Fire (271)
10. Ready For the Flooor, Hot Chip, (76)

Child Falls From Balloon, Restores Service!

2009-10-24T14:29:00.000-07:00

Paper-Hangings order form awwww better.......

operators standing by!!!

Child Floats Away in Balloon, Cuts Service to PH!!!

2009-10-20T09:06:00.000-07:00

just kidding. actually we are experiencing technical difficulties with our email account.

for the near term, please phone in all orders to this telephone account:

413-243-3489

we have taken steps to protect this phone line from abruptly descending balloon craft!

PRETZELS!

2009-10-09T12:06:00.000-07:00

BOB'S FAIL-SAFE, ADDICTIVE PRETZELS

(makes about 30 pretzels)

prep: grate 8 oz. hard white cheddar cheese and chop up one cup vidalia onions. these must be chopped or minced very fine.

1. put 1 cup very hot water into glass bowl.

2. add 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, mix well. add 1/4 teaspoon sugar.

3. mix one packet dry yeast (1/4 oz.) into bowl.

4. let sit about 30 minutes.

5. transfer to very large mixing bowl or pot and add 4 cups warm water.

6. add the chopped up onions and cheese and 1 tablespoon oregano and 1 teaspoon curry.

7. add flour until you have a mass of dough. you will need lots of
flour.

8. flour a mixing board, transfer and start kneading the dough, adding flour as needed.
TIP: to prevent board from slipping, soak dish towel and place under board.

9. knead until the dough blisters and is springy to the touch and does not stick to the board.

_____

[okay, at this point, you can either let it rise for a few hours, punch
down and knead again, or, if it's more convenient, you can start
forming pretzels right away. you can also store in the refrigerator
for a while, if that's necessary. this stuff is practically
indestructible, that's why I like it. if leaving for any length of
time, cover pot with wet towel or plastic wrap but watch for
spillovers.]

10. when ready to form, knead once more, then cut the dough into pieces which are about the size of a small apple.

11. roll out firmly like a clay "rope", using palms. between 20 and 24 inches is a good length.
TIP: keep a bowl of water and a bowl of flour nearby. if the rolling
is too sticky, throw some flour on the board; if too dry, sprinkle a
few drops of water.

12. to form pretzels:

a. pick up each end so that the rope hangs loose
b. rotate hands quickly counter-clockwise; right hand from 3 to 12,
left hand from 9 to 6; the rope must spin twice
c. let "loop" fall naturally in front of you on the board
d. place the ends on top of loop; they should be about 2 inches apart
and should overlap loop by about a half-inch
e. pinch ends and turn upside down so that the loop and ends are on the bottom and "bow" is on top. a pretzel!

13. transfer pretzels to solid metal baking sheet (not a cookie sheet).
TIP: if you get tired of the shape, or short of time, you can do
"breadsticks".

14. brush pretzels with melted butter and sprinkle kosher salt on them.

15. bake at 400 on top rack for about 10 minutes.

16. change oven setting to "broil" and move to lower rack and WATCH; after 5-7 minutes the tops will start to brown and after too long they will burn to a crisp!

so, you need to watch the final few minutes of baking carefully.

--the end--

2009-09-02T20:35:00.000-07:00

I HAVE IT ON GOOD AUTHORITY THAT _ALL_ THE WALLPAPER SHOWROOMS IN CANADA LOOK LIKE THIS! AWAITING CONFIRMATION FROM THE CONVENTIONEERS!

WITH DECOR LIKE THIS.....TAKING DRUGS WOULD BE REDUNDANT!

Guest Editorial

2009-08-01T09:03:00.001-07:00

Lining Paper: The Perfect Foundation

By William A. Hock
Doylestown, Pennsylvania

__________________

While lining papers have been around for ages, it is still a subject were there is much confusion.
Often we hear “what does the liner do? do we really need a liner?” The truth is that lining paper does so many things that it is sometimes difficult to explain. It is hard to address each client’s particular concern so that they understand the need and then feel justified in the expense.
As we know clients also raise objections like “well, the other guy never mentioned it”, or “ the other guy said I do not need a liner”.

The fact is that lining paper is part of the best quality job. Any wallpaper job would benefit from lining, but as we know it is not always a justified cost for lower quality papers. But, any project that is using quality wallpapers will always benefit from lining paper. The same is often true of top quality textiles or fabrics.

So the question is – what kind of paperhanging do you do? In my opinion, professional paperhangers should offer the best quality installations. As we know, the wallpaper business is not one of those trades that do well by cutting quality. When there are problems it is costly, and if you are one who is truly concerned for your client’s homes and your installs, you will be the one to pay the price for mediocre work. So it really is not worth the risk. I would say to anyone who is in the business, do it right or do something else – the risk and financial loss you take on by cutting corners will get you someday.

The trend for a while now seems to be toward wallpaper as a specialty item. The increase in higher priced and unique wallpaper has grown and so also has the opportunity to offer the quality installs that should be done. But we need to promote and educate as the consumers have this cheap mentality, especially regarding wallpaper.

I will not go into all the benefits of liner as that has been covered by Bob and others.

But, I would like to point out another benefit, and that is the longevity of the wallpaper installation. By longevity I mean not only the range of time (20 to 30 years for most rooms) but that the install will continue to look its best most of that time. The problem today and in our society is that most consumers are not thinking that far down the road. In fact, they will often make it clear that they do not care if it lasts that long as they will probably not be in the house that long. But this is a weak objection because they really do want it to look great for as long as they are there, and lining is the way to do that.

There are many types of wallpaper lining papers available, with many having specific purposes.
The lining paper that I prefer to use myself is the light weight (10-12oz) paper pulp liner.
It generally comes on 20.5” widths and 4 roll bolts but can also come in wider widths.

I feel the lighter weight liners have a much more functional purpose. They are easier to hang so it goes up faster, and you have the option of using thinner, wetter pastes. These wet adhesives allow the lining paper to fully expand which is what we want, and in doing so, as it dries it puts to the test the integrity of the wall more completely, so as to discover problems. The lighter weight liners have ability to ride the wall tightly and add a softness that gives a 3 dimensional look. If I remember the heaver liners actually have a smoother surface to them (I could be wrong on this as it has been a while since I used a heavier liner) while the thinner ones have a pulpier surface, which I prefer, which is softly telegraphed though to the finish wallpaper. The idea is not to resurface the walls, which would take away from the character of the home or building, but rather to add a layer that adds softness, stability and continuity to the wall areas.

Here are some benefits of using lining paper:

When working with expensive high end material, wallpapers, fabrics or vintage wallpapers, using liner is a great way to prehang the room, get used to the room, develop our mindset for this job (and we know we need the proper mindset), and find the trouble areas before cutting into the finish paper. If the walls have any problem areas it will show up with the liner installed and after it dries the problems can either be corrected or another determination can be made about technique without risking the expensive paper. This is even more important today with common use of drywall, cheap wall paints and improper preparation on previous painting jobs.

Here are some things I do when hanging liner:

I use a thin paste and I like to add in some wheat paste as wheat will give up its moisture quickly and liner needs moisture. I will often use a premix clear as it is somewhat convenient, but I thin it out. I hang my seams very loose and even with a slight gap. We do not need any wired seams that appear after the finish paper goes up and dries (I think you know how this could happen).

I trim all my edges (ceiling, floor, trim) about 1/8” to 3/16” short. This avoids the risk of having any liner edges show, and allows the finish paper to have a tight bond directly to the wall. I almost always size the liner as this gives so much better control and adhesion and a Velcro-like effect, especially around the edges which is where it is really needed, since there is a lot of stress there. Also, I never see the need to railroad my liner except when it will benefit my install, for example, by saving time with longer pieces.

Kittens Report Success with Paper-Hangings Paste

2009-05-09T16:27:00.000-07:00

we just got word that those three little kittens have gotten paid for assisting their mom and dad with a 12 roll living room and 6 roll bath. products used included methyl cellulose and wheat paste, both from "Paper-Hangings", which were mixed 50/50 and used with an English sidewall. let's give these kittens a cheer! it can't be easy to mix paste with those tiny paws!

Protective Coatings

2009-05-08T15:46:00.000-07:00

We would like to announce that we have a small supply of a new protective coating - in gallons.

The price per gallon is $68.50.

This is not the Ronan's product, which we always have in quarts, but rather an acrylic varnish called "Sikken's Cetol UV Interior". Like the Ronans, this is a dead flat.

Protective coatings are often used in 2 instances: one is the "oops" situations, where a paperhanger is trying to rescue an existing job. The seams may have become shiny though some muscle-bound seam rolling; or, there might have been paste residue that dried and does not want to come clean, no matter how much it's cleaned; or, it could even be a manufacturing defect.

A defect? Hard to believe, I know, but you know what? It really happens, even if your call is claimed to be "the first complaint" out of thousands of rolls sold!

Sometimes these situations happen in a room of high visibility, like a bathroom, or in a stairway with raking sidelight. That don't help.

The other situation is in a bath where there is the threat of steam or moisture that might steam the paper off the wall, if it's a porous paper. Washability is a good feature in a bath, where hairspray, etc. may get thrown around with great abandon. The varnish in this case helps to protect porosity and promote cleaning, and the flatness makes for a minimal change in appearance.

Let me know if you want any of these gallons, I think they'll go fast. This will not be put into our regular product line, since there are only a few gallons. The price per gallon is $68.50. Just let us know you want some in the "Comments" section at the bottom of the order form.

"Apparatus for Papering Walls" by B. Maslick, 1861

2009-05-06T09:25:00.000-07:00

"Track For Wall Paper Pasting Machines" by P. McQueney, 1890

2009-05-06T09:12:00.000-07:00

"Paper Hanger or Bill Poster" by Kerns & Ackley, 1903

2009-05-06T09:10:00.000-07:00

"Machine For Edging Paper" by H. Brunner, 1856

2009-05-06T09:07:00.000-07:00

"Machine For Hanging Paper" by R. Haskell, 1886

2009-05-06T08:52:00.000-07:00