That old timer at the lumber yard gave me a tip I still use 5 years later

I was picking up some rebar wire at the supplier in Denver and this retired finisher, must have been 70, saw me loading up. He just walked over and said "son, you're dragging your mag too slow on the edges." He showed me how to speed up the float pass by about a third and get a smoother finish without extra labor. I tried it on a garage slab the next week and it cut my edge work time by almost 15 minutes per pour. Has anyone else gotten advice from a stranger on site that actually stuck with you?

3 comments

3 Comments

jordan_hill22h ago

@harperp24 you're right that the little stuff adds up. But I think the real hidden value here isn't just the time save, it's the fact that he was a finisher who took the time to share something with a stranger. Most old timers just grunt at you or tell you you're doing it wrong and walk off. The fact that he actually showed you how, not just told you, makes that tip feel like a handoff. I've gotten random tips from plumbers and electricians on site too and they usually stick more than the stuff I learned in a training video because it came from a real situation. That human connection changes how you remember the advice.

corah751d agoProlific Poster

Honestly I'm not sure why people act like a 15 minute time save is some life changing hack. Tbh if you're pouring slabs that often you should already know how to work a float without needing a random guy at a lumber yard to show you. Ngl it just sounds like a normal tip dressed up like it's some secret wisdom.

harperp2423h ago

Ngl you're not wrong about the float part but sometimes it's the little stuff that adds up when you're doing multiple pours a day. Honestly if a tip saves me even 10 minutes on a job site I'll take it, that's 10 more minutes I can spend not rushing the finish.