Where to find hands on skill training?
As a self taught amateur who is smart enough to know that my skill levels are far below acceptable standards when compared to those who undertake these activities as professionals, I fully recognize that I need more training. However, unlike folks who are content to do this as a hobby, or who just don’t care about doing it right, I am hungry for hands on training and learning the right way to performing high quality remodeling, light construction and repair. The problem is that there really are no schools that I have found that provide this type of education. Sure, I can enroll in a commercial votech school and pay $27,000 in tuition, but this is really not a practical solution and besides I have heard plenty of shortcomings about these type of trade schools.
So, where does someone like me go to learn about best practices for insulation, basic masonry, best framing techniques, best drywall methods, etc. etc.? All ideas are welcome, but please save any criticism about not having undertaken this as a career and learning from a pro onsite. I am too old to start a profession all over again, and no one wants a 52 year old apprentice anyway. Thank you very kindly in advance.
Replies
I can't help you with the school
I was just talking with a guy at work today about possibly buying an old beater and conducting classes throughout the gut and remodel. We're the same age but I've been doing this pretty much since college. It was a long time before I even called myself a carpenter. Nonetheless, years of working on everything from prairie cabins to moutain chalets have provided me excellent training grounds where I learned much. But the idea of conducting classes, hands on, doing the actual work and learning from it seems a lot better than Home Despot's sterile little seminars. So I commiserate with your plight. I'm going to do some research into places in Austin since my job is moving me there and test the waters to see if it might be a viable idea. Just curious, but what would you consider the optimum class size,class time duration, and cost for such a hand's on education?
Optimum class
Thank you for your reply. It is nice to know that I am not alone!
My idea for a sold teaching forum would like something like this:
Weekend, or weekday class. Could be one or two days in duration, depending upon topic.
Class size should be limited to 20, tops.
Cost will be a factor of materials used, cost of instructor, etc. If cost per attendee could be held to $200, or less, I think most folks could handle that, if they knew the quality of instructions was top notch and the subject matter was desirable.
Kitchenguy,
The remodeling shows and JLC live events have seminars that teach some tecniques and best practices. Do you have a local NARI chapter?
My chapter does an education day every year, and we have some things for the field staffs.
Find a local contractor who may need an extra set of hands on occasion and try learning some things from him.
There are plenty of magazines and books out there too. Try you tube I'm sure there's plenty of videos on there also.
I've found that if you meet the right people , they're always willing to pass on some knowledge
Andy
Great suggestions.
Andy,
Thanks a ton for your suggestions. I believe these are all solid ideas I can, and will, act upon right now.
Greetings
For some reading material on best practices I think you should take a look at the two volumes offered by the Journal of Light Construction (JLC)- Field Guide to residential construction.
FHB has a few best practice books and you can find them somewhere on the FHB Home Page.
In our NW Oh, area there are adult education classes offered at the regional HS vocational school, did you check into anything like that.
Would like to move past the books
Thanks for the suggestion however I have stacks of books already on numerous topics and we all know that there is no substitute for practical experience.
As for the adult ed classes, I have never found anything that goes beyond "Home Repair 101"
OK
The Field Guides are pretty damn good. I mentioned them because you wanted to learn best practices............I got the set when they came out because eventho I've been doing this as a profession since '72, things change and what you might think you knew is not necessarily the right or best way.
I know the local adult classes do have beginning sessions but they also have programs for needing more advanced in depth study.
I use helpers rarely, on occasion a homeowner. To take the time to teach very much would slow me down. However, if they show interest and want more than to give me a hand and don't mind paying for the privelege, it works out fine.
Best of luck.
Good Point
Thank you for the clarification on the field guides. I took a look at them on the JLC website and I agree they offer a lot more than what I have seen before. Thank you!
Have you volunteered for Habitat for Humanity or one of the other similar outfits? Signed up with the Fuller Center or another such group that sends teams of volunteers to disaster sites? Yeah, you'll end up doing a lot of grunt work, but you also gain lots of practical experience.
Habitat is an excellent resource for knowledge
Very good suggestion on Habitat. Yes, I have volunteered and spent a lot of time on a couple of houses. While it is still not the indepth training experience I am looking for, Habitat is a GREAT source of gaining knowledge and experience. Thank you.
Consider what I said about work trips. Get hooked up with the right group and you can get involved in some pretty substantial stuff.
You guys are the best!
Fellas,
Thank you so very kindly for the volume of solid information and advice on my search for more/better training. ALL of your suggestions are actionable RIGHT NOW. I especially want to thank Dan H for the volunteer suggestions. My involvement with Habitat has already yielded positive results from pas experience. The Fuller Center is yet another valuable resource.
Funny how this works. I AM SEEKING HELP, AND YET IN THE PROCESS I WILL BE HELPING OTHERS. WHAT A CONCEPT! I have always believed that when we need something the most, we can only find it by giving all that we have of ourselves.
I'll add that I'm hooked up with a loosely-organized chruch group that makes a couple of trips every fall/winter. May be down to Mississippi or Texas, may only be as far as Iowa. The guy who organizes it works with a different outfit every time, it seems -- Habitat one trip, Fuller the next, then the Methodists. One time we Lutherans went down to TN and worked on a Baptist church.
So you might want to look around for such a group.
Of course, there is the danger of getting TOO involved -- some guys have an RV or travel trailer and drift around the country working on different projects.
skill training
this is not a sarcastic comment
In the old days the apprentice paid the master for learning a skill. This is now outdated and everyone starting out wants a min wage. Being paid by the hours is almost gone too. With ho requesting firm quotes you have to have skills to be able to compete.This is a catch 22 situation.
With older people wanting to enter a new field this is even more difficult but not impossible. If you are not completely relying on the income from the "training" job, you could approach a competent "teacher" of any of the trades you want to learn by offering to work for free (at your time) in return for practical building training. This would off-set the expense the teacher would have by slowing down on his work to train you.
You also might consider what kind of work you would want to do at your age. Health and fitness will be a major consideration. Climbing on roofs carrying weights (rafters, trusses, shingles) balancing on narrow ledges is not everyone's cup of tea.
I would consider drywalling (boarding or taping), painting, tiling, trim carpentry, insulating or applying vaporbarriers, some sheetmetal, windowinstallation.
Get all the backissues you can get from FHB and read, read, read.
You might be surprised what you can get if you work for free. An ad in the local paper, contacting construction companies, YouTube could bring results.
best wishes
skilled training
I forgot another aspect to mention
Insurance.
Do not be surprised when trades will reject even free work. They are afraid they will be liable for injury cost should something happen to you on their jobsite. Same goes for ho.
If you can provide WCB papers or similar this might help. You would be working on site as an independent worker or subtrade
Agree with the JLC live event suggestion and with Dan's suggestion for volunteer efforts.
After BIL reitred from his microwave and cell phone tower job, he joined 'Laborors for Christ' . They send a crew to various churches on limited budgets to often do the entire project, including multi-million $$ additions. He ened up being a supervisor after a year as he had remodeled about 10 houses over the decades as a 2nd job.
http://www.lcef.org/services/laborers_for_christ/upcoming_projects.cfm
Many other denominations have similar programs, and of course there is Habitat.