Out of curiosity, why do people make fun of straight pulls, calling it janitor technique or whatever? I was just doing one of my jobs at a gym, I’m new, so it takes me forever. When I finished, a guy who doesn’t mind his own business came up to me and asked who I work for, I told him myself. He started telling me he’s been cleaning windows for 45 years, I shold just do straight pulls, it’s quicker than what I was doing. When did all these fancy techniques come into play, and why?
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Each technique has its place. The best WC’s use both, and know which is better for each scenario.
Anyone who says you should ONLY do one or the other is a foo.
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Sounds like he is stuck in his old ways doing straight pulls for 45 years. Samuel is right. There is a time and place. Good luck not leaving a little water on an edge without feathering each pull doing straight pulls.
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Also if he has been doing it for 45 years and hasn’t made enough money to retire he is doing it wrong. Even only at $50,000 a year he should have 2.5 million dollars.
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if he never spent a penny on housing, food, etc…
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Oh I am accounting for $50,000 after that.
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Someone who has been doing it for 45 years hopefully is making $80,000+ a year.
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45 years as a bucket bob and still penniless, dispensing free advice that isn’t worth a darn.
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You should do the style that gets the job done best for you. Each has its merits. To only do fanning and nothing else, or do straight pulls and nothing else, leaves you trapped in not mastering what it takes to efficiently get the job done.
Next time you run across him do 7’s; fans; straights; bottom to top backwards 7’s; start in the middle inverted checks alternating hands - blow his mind.
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The question is… what were you doing?
Maybe for that jobs straight pulls with the right size channel would have been faster.
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Maybe he has the money tucked away, we cant make assumptions…
He was at the gym, so his physical health matters to him and most people with that thought pattern their financial health is normally high priority also. JMO
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I would add this: knowing differing techniques can also help with 1. boredom, and 2. avoiding repetitive strain. Those reasons alone make it worth it imo.
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Do you agree with the guy telling him to just do straight pulls? Do you only do straight pulls or do you use other techniques? I am just saying this guy has no business telling someone how to do their job.
Just because he has been doing it for 45 years doesn’t mean it is right. Maybe he has been putting his underwear on backwards for 45 years and thinks it is right.
Swishy is still new and learning which hopefully means he will only move faster with more practice. Or just never learn fanning Swishy and stick to only square windows.
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Is it possible that straight pulls would have quicker for swishy on the window that he was working on?
It depends on the job.
That’s correct, but maybe in this case he was… Its all speculation since neither of us were there.
Hope not because that would suck…
With practice and more time on the glass your correct Swishy will get quicker!
Its funny to type the word Swishy so many time in one response… 
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Sometimes straight pulls are good. Sometimes fanning is better. Sometimes a wagtail is best. Knowing how to use your tools and techniques will determine who successful you are. If ALL you do is straight pull, your ability is limited. If ALL you do is fan, then you’re still limited.
According to Fred, you can wear your underwear front, then back, then inside out and front and back. So you get like week out of one pair of underwear.
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It may be well be quicker especially on a gym job…probably 5 or 6 foot mirrors floor to ceiling. Swishy should still practice both so he gets fanning and pulls down. Heck, I am not knocking straight pulls. 95% of my 2nd floor commercial work is straight pulls.
Just never be a one trick pony in this business or youll get swept away. Fierce competition out there.
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Sounds like it might get crusty…
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And dont forget to do the gym mirrors while you squat 250kg just to really rub it in his face!
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All fanning is, is straight pulling in a wildly different trajectory.
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the point to me is efficiency and body comfort. Mainly comfort. I usually try to work in a way that is easiest on my body. Knowing various techniques is useful for that.
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