I just finished my apprenticeship. Think i got in the wrong game and my van gets caked in dust. Everyone always moans about prices and how it used to be better

 

I just finished my apprenticeship. Think i got in the wrong game and my van gets caked in dust. Everyone always moans about prices and how it used to be better

It did used to be better, and it aint gonna get better for a few years yet

 

Surfing keeps me going, keeps me stoaked!

 

In Wiltshire?! It's "stoked" BTW I:

 

Your dead right moan moan moan about how much it costs I tell them the price is the price take it or leave it they never seem to moan about how much it cost to service there BMW or MERC do they LOLLOL:

 

Its defiantly harder as I think on a price your not that much better off then been on a day rate for the hard graft, what prices are people getting for the work there doing ?

 

Dont worry its not just chippys us sparkys are having just as a hard time plus all the certificate we have to do !!

 

Getting busier all the time but until recently kept my day rate the same for the past 3 years.
Only increased them because of rising fuel, insurance, food costs etc but work keeps coming in.
Booked up till Xmas at the mo and that's without anything else coming in.
I could do with a decent chippy as getting unindated with kitchens at the moment:ILU:

 

I could do with a decent chippy as getting unindated with kitchens at the moment:ILU:

Bloody miles away I:I:I:

 

I said decent

 

ooooooo thats harsh


i do however have a mod stick, sleep with one eye open I:

 

Love you reallyT:

 

I know, you told me this morning at breakfast

 

Gotta be stoked on ya stoke LOL:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_81fMlXOdl8&sns=em

Im a chippy, but over the years got more and more into general building
Although i love it, I cant earn enough £££ just hanging doors, fitting kitchens etc.
My better half will give me earache if i went back on the shopfitting, working away all the time, plus my kids prefer me to be home at night too!
There seems to be plenty of work about at the moment so i cant grumble, but its a shame you cant charge what you could have 3-4 years ago.... Good times!!I:

 

I have seen this video before. I:I ride fluid juice boards I: hmmmm

 

I went to the hospital after.

It's all stitched up now

 

Being a Self Employed Chippy for 28 years has brought some great times.. Have worked on some of the biggest Blockbuster films over the years, and seen some of the most stunning scenery, at some of the best locations..T:

Decided to give that all up 2 years ago when my Little Man was born, and go back into domestic projects. Although recession was biting, being used to 14hr days on Films seemed to make domestic work a breeze, so the past 2 years have been fairly rewarding (financially) and just getting busier. Haven't had to consider dropping day rates..

Many Guys I know who were 'Big site' dependant have really struggled.... but then again, I have to question there intelligence as they drive Transits...LOL:

Owned a T4 2.5 for 10 years, and earlier this year (due to the Low Emission Zone in London) had to trade up to a T5 facelift..

With my time in the trade, I have also done a lot of work with Dewalt Power tools, and am currently in the middle of developing a Van racking system with them.. I also travel the UK and around Europe, and generally do 6-6 of their biggest tool shows each year to do tool demo's and talks...

Here's a link of some early photo's if you fancy a look.. Will update into a build thread when we are closer to the final look..

http://s1066.photobucket.com/albums/u404/Rossi7x/

Chippy work for me has been fantastic... Would I want an Office Job... Not a chance...

 

I'm riverside joinery but I can do carpentry no worries aswell , I think were lucky as theirs loads of chippys but limited joinery companys which is why were booked until Xmas and still struggling to cope with 4 of us in the shop .
WWW.riversidejoinery.biz check us out

Some of our work for you .




We are always looking for fitters in tamworth area but we can have chippys from £100 a day everyday at the minute lads .
We fitted 12 windows and Hung/ glazed 2 combination p50's for £550 the other day and the customer refused anymore than £400:* which inc ripping out the old ones
Were sick of being took for granted , I have to earn £200 a day per lad to cover costs of workshop ,vans,machines,elec,fuel ,wages , 28 days holiday pay per bloke etc

 

I too am a chippy. I use to have my own joinery business in Derby. I would travel around Derby / Notts area fitting out hospitals for goverment contracts. That was up to end of 2008 and then all jobs came to an end.
I moved up to the Lake District and really struggled for joinery work so i decided to start buying houses again to 'do up and sell on'. I have been working at a local BMW dealer for a while and that is coming to an end so now can concentrate on house renovations.

BTW I used to think I had the midas touch a few years ago, but now back to reality.:*

 

im a chippy and got a t5 i work for a boat building firm cant complain about the money

 

I would like to get into more exotic projects likes cruise ships working abroad etc !!!!

 

I hear you there, house bashing is no fun I:

 

The woodwork on my FIL's yacht is bloody lovely (Fisher 46, only 15 made). If you could get that look in a T5, I'd have it! I do appreciate good carpentry - my old man does very high quality stuff and also makes the odd bass guitar as a hobby - he's made a stunning flamed maple number based on a Fender Precision.

I however have ZERO chippy skills. I did saw a piece of wood fairly straight once though...LOL:

 

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This is awesome, very skilled work !! A:T:A:T:A:

 

[QUOTE

This is awesome, very skilled work !! A:T:A:T:A:[/QUOTE]

cheers it took 2 years . I like being different LOL:

 

Partner in a carpentry firm, workforce ranges between 6 to 20 lads depending on what projects we are working on.
Work mainly in the commercial sector inc mental health facilities, care homes & student accommodation and also some nice high end private dwellings.
Doing the chippying is the easy bit, its the tender stage that is usually the most frustrating as all the main contractors generally want their pound of flesh and them some. As for the rates we took the view that a bit less is better than naff all.
Have also diversified into builders works, strip out & minor demolition works and it has really helped keep us busy.
Things are difficult out there but if you have the right attitude and are prepared to be flexible you will always earn.
Good luck to all you chipping men it is definitely the only proper trade in the construction industry I:I:

 

I'm a carpenter for my sins, 22yrs in the game

Work is very tight but i'm struggling on!





If you get anything near cambridge I:

 

I'm a carpenter/joiner with a T5. I worked for 20 years in New Zealand ( this is also where I served my time) and over there a carpenter is called a builder as nearly every house is timber-framed and often timer-clad. Chippies are always the main contractor and you get to make the bigger money (and take the bigger risks of course). Even in a recession you could still make good £££s. When I got over here I found out that a builder is someone who works in a wet trade and a chippie got a small day rate for endless doors, floors, windows, kitchens etc; sounds pretty ignorant but I hadn'treally thought of this; was actually more interested in following a young lady over to this part of the world at the time. I tried making joinery and furniture for a while and this paid a lot better but I dont really like working in the same place all the time like an office worker. What I do now is buy houses to improve and sell on as it makes good £££ (but not nearly as good as all those TV shows lead you to believe) and offers a lot of variation too. I do my own plastering and brick-laying on these jobs but am still a lot slower at the latter than someone who does this full-time. This is the only way I have discovered in the UK to make a good whack each year as a woodworker; I try to specialise in buildings in conservation areas with a lot of panelling, dados, exposed floors etc as these suit my trade more. But it may well be easier to make good dosh if you grew up here, knew the ins and outs of the trade and had a lot of contacts to start with.

The T5 is pretty good for my work but I dont have it done out in racks like I did my old van years ago when I was jobbing as each job takes me 3-6 months. I leave all my tools on site and just use it to move gear too new jobs and run ing around to the builders merchants for the hundreds of things I forget to put in my delivery orders. In my opinion the UK (also NZ, but I am biased) has superior chippies to many other countries I've worked in and I love working with some of your northern hemisphere hardwoods we dont get where I grew up.
DF

 

We use a lot of euro oak, idigbo, sapele, iroko at the minute plus tulip wood for skirting ,moulds etc and I enjoy my job. I've been told I'm rare as I'm 30 years old and can make just about anything out of timbre in my workshop but I also make everything with pride like it should be .

 

Good on you team tractor. Too many young guys are too bish bash bosh; i was when I was younger. I reckon its easier to stay in the trade if uou take a lot of pride in your work. Otherwise you can end up feeling like your just going through the motions.
DF

 

just found some old pics

and yes, this is me on the forks fitting £4k's worth of glass at a time

and some truss's i knocked up I: (and yes, they were bloody heavy lifting manually Rasp

 

Im a carpenter and used to own a t5, sold it though
As there is no work unless you work away which is what
Iv been doing for the past few years, just trying to make it work
And although iv worked on some amazing projects such as windsor castle,
lincoln cathedral,£2m barn conversions etc because i love restoration work but it just
Doesnt pay enough for me to cover the costs of being away from home
So iv decided to do some traveling with My girlfriend and although ill only be on around £100 per
Week i will genuinly end up with more money at the end of
The month by the time iv considered insurance, diesel, tools
And just the general costs of being a carpenter.

Although i love my job i carnt see myself returning to it until
The money gets better as it really doesnt offer enough, shame really
But i suppose thats life and being 21 i need to get some money together
For a mortgage!!

 

So what the difference between a chippy and a joiner
Is it that joiners more manufacture complicated items

 

Is there any shuttering joiners on here? If so what rates are you guys getting??
Our game has suffered from a lot of Eastern Europeans driving the rate down!!