Starting off in carpentry and joinery

[Cork428]

Hi all, I have a few questions about starting, and working your way up to a self employed carpenter and joiner. Ill start from the beginning. I am currently 14 years old, and have just chose are vase options, I have chose a new course we have at our school, construction, which begins with everything we do in construction eg. Pluming, electrical work, decorating etc. after the 2 year course we can continue in the thing we want, in my case carpentry and joinery. But I don't know what happens after that, as in apprentaships and so on. So I was wondering if any of you have done something like this and could give me a bit of an insight of what it's like.
Also I would like to be self employed (because I heard in company's you focus on one thing, whereas self employed I could do it all) so I would like to know what being self employed is like, and how harder it is, and also how much you get annual.

Thank you, ciaran

 

[HERTS P&D]

So I would like to know what being self employed is like.

Waiting for the phone to ring!

Andy

 

[danplumb]

I can relate to you, im 21.. i took construction as a GCSE, once you finish school you need to find a company to start your apprentaship with which is easier said than done. phone around small joinery firms in your local area.. i went into plumbing rather than joinery but did my 3 year apprentaship with a joiner so learnt joinery and plumbing but picked up skills in all trades. i did this for 6 years but be warned as an apprentice you will work hard for low pay. 6 years down the line i was still being paid minimum wage so ive recently just left and hoping to start up on my own next year.
Basically with the current financial climate you need to be quite fortunate to make it in the trade at the minute getting a job is just impossible.
Good luck.

 

[Harbourwoodwork]

While your still at school use all their resources to find an apprenticeship you will have to search long and hard and you may have to travel there's alot of that in construction, failing getting an apprenticeship going to FE college doing foundation courses and basic craft courses is another way into the industry carpentry and joinery firms trawl the colleges and pick out the best student's
Carpentry is a good starting point it will give you a good variety of skills 1st and 2nd fix, shop fitting, form work,timber frame and the list goes on ,from there its quite easy to move sieways into joinery, cabinet making etc...as far as self employment is concerned,by the time youv'e gained your trade skill's and collected all the tool's you will need which is never ending ,plus a van I dare say you'll br ready for it best of luck it can be very rewarding when thing's go well.

 

[kbdiy]

Hi all, I have a few questions about starting, and working your way up to a self employed carpenter and joiner. Ill start from the beginning. I am currently 14 years old, and have just chose are vase options, I have chose a new course we have at our school, construction, which begins with everything we do in construction eg. Pluming, electrical work, decorating etc. after the 2 year course we can continue in the thing we want, in my case carpentry and joinery. But I don't know what happens after that, as in apprentaships and so on. So I was wondering if any of you have done something like this and could give me a bit of an insight of what it's like.
Also I would like to be self employed (because I heard in company's you focus on one thing, whereas self employed I could do it all) so I would like to know what being self employed is like, and how harder it is, and also how much you get annual.

Thank you, ciaran

Firstly can I say that I applaud your planning and commitment to follow your chosen career path and I wish you every success in doing so.

However, as more general advice, can I also encourage you to brush up on your English skills and in particular learn how to use a spell checker when it's offered to you. Being self-employed and doing well at it means you will, at various times, be asked to write quotes or specifications or simply respond to enquiries in writing. Doing so accurately and with correct spelling can go a long way in many peoples' eyes to show you are not some dumbass who can hardly string 2 words together.

Please don't take this as criticism but as constructive advice to boost your credibility in the working world. I wish you good luck and hope you make a success of it.

 

[gregers]

im terrible at spelling and i seem to be doing ok,but if i was to employ some just because they could spell correctly rather then producing some decent quality work,well i suppose id better employ the guy who can fill out his time sheet correctly eh?

 

[kbdiy]

Not really - all I'm saying is make best use of the resources that are in front of you. When we post on this forum there is a box that says 'Spell check' Likewise all email & word processing software will include a spell checker so if it's there use it to your best advantage.

Not disputing the need to be able to do the job properly, but if you can score the extra points then why wouldn't you? These days to get a foot in the door you need to be able to make the right impression - otherwise you might not get the chance to show how good you are at the job.

 

[Harbourwoodwork]

im terrible at spelling and i seem to be doing ok,but if i was to employ some just because they could spell correctly rather then producing some decent quality work,well i suppose id better employ the guy who can fill out his time sheet correctly eh?

There is a profile there, typical self employed good woodworker

 

[Harbourwoodwork]

I've never been given an English test before showing the client my portfolio

 

[gregers]

im terrible at spelling and i seem to be doing ok,but if i was to employ some just because they could spell correctly rather then producing some decent quality work,well i suppose id better employ the guy who can fill out his time sheet correctly eh?

There is a profile there, typical self employed good woodworker

used to be m8,now just an employed CRAFTSMAN

 

[big-all]

yes i fully agree my spelling and general english is appalling
so its a good job people judge me by my work
word of mouth gets me all the work but i am big and ugly and quite imposing with a fair turn off fraise
in other words i have all the tools to allow people to form a full picture and see past faults with the academia
a youngster who is brilliant and makes spelling mistakes will often be ruled out before a useless "young" chippie who uses a good spell checker because people who employ other people need someone to shine and and catch there attention for the right reasons

 

[Harbourwoodwork]

im terrible at spelling and i seem to be doing ok,but if i was to employ some just because they could spell correctly rather then producing some decent quality work,well i suppose id better employ the guy who can fill out his time sheet correctly eh?

There is a profile there, typical self employed good woodworker

used to be m8,now just an employed CRAFTSMAN

but youve been there your just resting, I consider a job from time to time,for some camaraderie and regular money but I don't think any bugger would give me the start now.

 

[Norcon]

Forget carpentry and joinery and get yourself unto a welding career in the oil industry.

The trainer who took us yesterday for CSR card training used to weld on oil rigs and refineries.
One job he had to do was weld inside large pertol tanks. Two men went inside to weld and six were outside which formed the rescue team if anything went wrong.

For two days work in the eighties he was paid £4000 quid! He spent a number of years doing that. Capping oil wells was another of his specialities.
When you've made your money you can come back to woodworking later in life as a hobby as you'll be extremely rich.

 

[1john]

You'll earn your worth, in these dry times you can get a carpenter down this way for £70 to £80 a day, remember that might not sound too bad but take off his business running costs van, tools, insurance, work wear, lunch money, phone and what ever is left you can take 20% off of for the tax man.

Ive been self employed for about ten years now, I think you'll either sink of swim, I have spent a a lot of time nearly sunk!!!!! You will find ways to make money though, I started out as a sparky when I left school, there were no construction courses available then. I'm not what people refer to as multi trade, this hasn't necessarily been through choice but through necessity. I have always been interested in other trade, liked to watch people work etc and I have always done a lot of DIY for people and myself. A customer bullied my ( as a sparky) to install a kitchen and shower room for them, He knew Id fitted one kitchen and two bathrooms before but had confidence in me and it all started from there.

My advice to you is to get as many different skills as possible, be as good as you can be and learn to be quick, the quicker you can do stuff the more you can make, although that does apply more to site work than private, private people like to see value for money, site managers like to see rapid progress.

 

[sinbad1000]

basically it costs a lot to set yourself up as a carpenter to go self employed, van £2k tools £2k minimum, thats just to start with, and it never stops, the only porno mags you'll be reading are from screwfix,tool station and the like,
my advice like many of the other old hags on here is to get on with an old lag and the tips you'll pick up will be far better than any college course,
as for spelling and grammar don't worry about that, get yourself a beautiful educated woman, (I'm in my 5 decade and still looking )