I want to be a carpenter

[jmartinmac]

I have posted this on a few other sites, but I would appreciate your insight as well.

I’m seeking advice on how to further my education in carpentry. I am 31 and have been working the last year and a half for a maintenance/ handyman company in Knoxville. Through this job I’ve had the opportunity to gain experience in the carpentry, electrical and plumbing trades. Whether it’s been small maintenance jobs or large projects requiring work in all trades, I’ve really enjoyed my experience. I spent a lot of time in college and in a myriad of other jobs before I figured out what I like to do - fixing and building stuff. While that’s a great relief, I feel woefully inexperienced and rather unsure of how to progress.

I want expertise and I’m willing to work for it. I appreciate that my job now exposes me to all sorts of trade work, but I would like to focus on one trade. Particularly, I feel pulled towards the field of carpentry. Renovation and restoration of old houses and buildings most captures my interest and enthusiasm, but new residential and commercial construction would fit me also.

So, what do you feel is the best approach? Are there any worthwhile trade schools I should look into? Are there internships or apprenticeships available? I’d be willing to move if I found the right opportunity. I haven’t had much luck with calling construction companies about laborer jobs, but I could continue to do that. Is a laborer job on a construction crew an efficient avenue for training?

Thank you for any guidance you can offer. I greatly appreciate and admire the work of skilled tradesman and I welcome your advice as well.

Jason

[hdrider_chgo]

Do a search here in the forums on "apprenticeship" to see all the past discussions. I strongly believe that's the best and fastest way to get up to speed in the trade. Otherwise, you will learn only the tiny little piece of the trade that you are exposed to, and which may be the right or the wrong way to do things. And there simply is not enough time in one lifetime to learn everything through your own personal trial and error.

We have an excellent 4-year apprenticeship program here in Chicago, and excellent skill advancement training once you reach Journeyman level. Unfortunately, you picked a very bad time to try to get into the carpentry trade. There are armies of carpenters laid off here and carpentry companies are going out of business right and left. Because of this, the apprenticeship program is closed for now.

[Dancing Dan]

If you're particularly interested in restoration work, the North Bennett St. School in Boston is an amazing place.

Otherwise, short of a real apprenticeship, try to find a job with a company doing the kind of work that appeals to you. Not a great time for it, but as an employer you sound like just the kind of person I'd want to hire - educated, a little experience, enough time in the "real world" to know what your options are, and young enough to be worth training for the long haul.

If you can find a job with someone with skills worth passing on, you can get a real education. Unfortunately, by the time you realize your teacher isn't the carpenter he thinks he is, it's often too late. Ask around, find a company with a reputation for craft.

[m beezo]

You could go to Riversong's place. I think he is at Yestermorrow or something like that. Mainly alternative building.

You sure picked a tough time to think about this. One thing is unless you do not need money to live on I would not give up your current job yet. Continue to learn while there. Any way to talk to the higher ups and see if they can direct you more towards what you like. That way you might get a little more experience.

As the others have said, just about any experience you can get will be beneficial. Consider looking at Habitat for Humanity. They have build days where you could work on a crew to build walls and such. Again if you have the time and money, maybe someone would let you shadow them for a day or two to see other aspects of carpentry.

Read everything you can.

[ThingOfBeauty]

Read everything you can.

I fully agree with this.
Namely, JLC (buy the CD-rom and go through the whole thing), Fine Homebuilding, (same) and check out the green building stuff.
Building shows particularly JLC Live are great.
I got a lot of good books at the library when I started, but that was before the intertubes...

Where I live there was no apprenticeship program so I looked around and decided I could learn the most at a full-service remodeling company. I waltzed in saying things like you did, "I'm eager, would love to learn, reliable..." that's a pretty compelling package for an employer, and it's worked very well for me and the company. Crappy times so good luck, but you may find the right place especially if you can afford to work for cheap. Or convince a restoration-type master that you're the ideal apprentice.

Good luck! I sincerely hope it works out as well as things have for me, and others who are fortunate enough to be in the trades.

[Bob Kovacs]

Check out your local technical college to see if they have a carpentry program. I know the school in Memphis has a program (one of our members teaches there), so maybe one near you has a similar program.

[Sawicki Builders]

I have posted this on a few other sites, but I would appreciate your insight as well.

I’m seeking advice on how to further my education in carpentry. I am 31 and have been working the last year and a half for a maintenance/ handyman company in Knoxville. Through this job I’ve had the opportunity to gain experience in the carpentry, electrical and plumbing trades. Whether it’s been small maintenance jobs or large projects requiring work in all trades, I’ve really enjoyed my experience. I spent a lot of time in college and in a myriad of other jobs before I figured out what I like to do - fixing and building stuff. While that’s a great relief, I feel woefully inexperienced and rather unsure of how to progress.

I want expertise and I’m willing to work for it. I appreciate that my job now exposes me to all sorts of trade work, but I would like to focus on one trade. Particularly, I feel pulled towards the field of carpentry. Renovation and restoration of old houses and buildings most captures my interest and enthusiasm, but new residential and commercial construction would fit me also.

So, what do you feel is the best approach? Are there any worthwhile trade schools I should look into? Are there internships or apprenticeships available? I’d be willing to move if I found the right opportunity. I haven’t had much luck with calling construction companies about laborer jobs, but I could continue to do that. Is a laborer job on a construction crew an efficient avenue for training?

Thank you for any guidance you can offer. I greatly appreciate and admire the work of skilled tradesman and I welcome your advice as well.

Jason

Jason,
For some reason your post is compelling to me because it sounds like how I felt when I was a younger man and had great passion for the trades. I admire your interest and hope it is based on the notion of committing to a career in the trades which means nothing less compared to the pursuit of a college degree. Basically this means you have to find teachers, you have to do your homework and you have to make smart decisions. Maybe look into union programs, Vo-Tech classes, relocation to the south United States hurricane Katrina rebuilding opportunities and realize like any learning progression that success will not happen overnight. Younger people now are blessed with computer technologies and a few edays on you tube can give us amazing training on building skills but such computer generated knowledge may not work in actual job sites so you must have discernment. Buy books and read. Practice your skills in the evenings (homework), impress your boss that you can two-lick, and study layout techniques until you feel confident building a hip roof on the ground. Budget your money to buy tools and take classes in the evenings about computers and accounting. Be smart to make such classes tax deductible! Best wishes friend, we need passionate and ethical tradespersons to provide structures for our children in America's future.
Namaste'
sawick

[Lavrans]

I would have to agree with getting into a union or technical school. You will not learn how to be a carpenter working for someone. Well- you can, but it will take a lot of time reading and practicing on your own time, and you will have to learn to be comfortable doing things wrong, poorly or cheaply.

Uh. Yeah- I don't have much good to say about most contractors or carpenters. They can generally get the job done, but they won't teach you how to run a business, and most don't have the skills to teach you how to be a carpenter either.

A union apprenticeship will at least teach you basic carpentry and how to run small parts of jobs. A good trade school will get you roughly the same thing. Union at least means you can start earning a living, trade schools are great, but you'll have to find an employer who will support that education to get the most out of it. Either one will pay off in the long run.

[ezrasastry]

Check out your local technical college to see if they have a carpentry program. I know the school in Memphis has a program (one of our members teaches there), so maybe one near you has a similar program.

yes, what he said is true. I too heard about Memphis has a program. But I don't know how much true on this!!!

[RJEmery]

Jason,

I was a carpenter; back in the 60s. Today, "real carpenters" are practically extinct; but you will find most of them in remodeling. I agree with many of the other posters that it will be best if you know the basics; and you can learn that at technology schools and even online training. I also believe that experience is the best teacher. I would suggest that you also go to local remodeling companies and ask for a job as a helper. Persistence and patients will help you achieve your goals.

Best Wishes,

Bob

[dave_k]

Jason,

I was a carpenter; back in the 60s. Today, "real carpenters" are practically extinct; but you will find most of them in remodeling.

I glad you said practically. In Canada we still train carpenters the old fashioned way with an apprenticeship consisting of classroom training and 8000 hours of experience in the field followed by an exam. If you pass the exam you get a certificate of qualification that's valid in the province you are educated in. If you pass by 80% or more you get a "Red Seal" which means you are certified to work country wide. A certificate isn't necessary to work as a carpenter but it is increasingly common for employers to require a certificate especially with larger firms. An apprenticeship and a C of Q doesn't mean you are a good carpenter but it does mean you have a base line of functionality and you should be reasonably productive or quickly trained to take on any job within our trade scope.

[RJEmery]

Dave K,

I'm glad to hear of the training. The reason I suggested remodeling was that carpenters don't build new homes anymore. New homes in the States are built by uneducated laborers who cannot read or write; and have no training in any of the trades (foundations, framing, plumbing, electrical, and mechanical).

When I was a carpenter we did everything except the plumbing, electrical, We set the forms, poured the foundation (mostly pier and beam), did the framing and roofing, installed the insulation, sheetrock, the trim, windows, and doors, hardwood floors (remember those?), set the cabinets, and installed the siding (if it wasn't brick veneer). We built our ladders, saw horses, and miter boxes out of 2 bys. Brings back memories of when a man could stand back and honestly say "I built that home"; and proud to say "They are still standing and in great condition."

Sorry, just enjoying the memories.

Bob

[hdrider_chgo]

The reason I suggested remodeling was that carpenters don't build new homes anymore. New homes in the States are built by uneducated laborers who cannot read or write; and have no training in any of the trades (foundations, framing, plumbing, electrical, and mechanical).

Whoa- hold on there cowboy! Maybe that's how you guys in Texas choose to run things, but here in Chicago, the vast majority of new homes are built by union carpenters and other union trades, trained through apprenticeship. I built some of those houses myself. If you're going to stay in that game here, you better know how to read and write, do math, read blueprints, and work your butt off.

If you guys in Texas want to live in houses built by untrained, unskilled, uninsured, and possibly undocumented labor, I guess you have that choice. But then don't complain when there's not a decent carpenter to be found when you need one.

[RJEmery]

hdrider,

First, I'm not a cowboy. Second, I won't be making derogatory remarks about you. However, you are right; I should not have made such a broad statement about home construction; and for that I apologize. I am in regular contact with a numerous people in the building industry throughout the States; and unfortunately untrained workers have taken the jobs of hundreds of thousands of skilled tradesmen throughout the States, over the past 20 years.

My message to Jason; was that if he wanted to be a carpenter (not a framer); that he would probably be happier in remodeling.

Bob

[always-learning]

You could always move to Australia...


It appears that they have a great "carpenters" union


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvsPv...eature=related


Wish I worked there...