[Stephen Fry voice]Sorry OP, I’m afraid we’re going to have to have a ‘discussion’ about your attitude.[/SFv]
Is the weather a safe topic?
Not claiming to speak for the OP here, but would you be happy to have random strangers and/or coworkers drift into your office to chat about the weather while you’re trying to get something done?
I think the core problem is that people often don’t realize that maintenance/construction workers doing work in a public location like a hallway or bathroom are trying to get something done and don’t necessarily want to make small talk.
(Thinking about it, wouldn’t you strongly prefer that the people fixing problems with, say, the electricity or plumbing in your workplace weren’t being distracted by random attempts at conversation? When distracted maintenance workers make mistakes, the results can be quite inconvenient and/or expensive.)
Let’s talk about that. I do use “physical tools on the macroscopic physical objects”. I do almost exactly what the OP does. Last week for example, I had to bring a house to ‘rent ready’ status for a local property management company. It was horrible (eviction). Including a toilet that had stopped working but the tenants kept using. Shit was stacked to the rim. I had to clean it out by hand (with heavy duty gloves, of course) just so I could bring it to the point I could call in the plumber.
I’ve changed toilets, light fixtures, all that stuff. And yeah sometimes I draw a crowd if I’m working on a commercial project. I use it as an opportunity to help people understand those things that might seem mystical to them. What I don’t do is resent them for being curious about stuff they don’t understand.
My answer to “Having fun yet?” is… it beats having to be on the clock and doing what you’re doing!
I stand by my original post.
When I see a maintenance person fixing something, I usually just say “thank you”.
knee in my back, my arms pulled tight behind my back, cuffs slapped on…
Me: Sure is sunny today, huh?
Loach pulling the perp into an upright position…
Loach: Yup, it’s a mighty fine day.
I am busy having fun with the jackasses who stop by with a pile of work for me, saying brightly, “I’ve got a present for you-oo.”
Wanna see how far that present will fit up a randomly chosen orifice? 
I’m currently in a detective position. Way too much of my 10 hour work days is spent chained to a computer. I would welcome the distraction.