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Would like your opinion on what is the different between a carpenter, craftsmen or trademan?
Because of the thing I’m involved in these days,I found a need to try to identify these three different types of working people and who they might be working for in the home building industry. Also found a need to try and understand the different between a helper and a apprentice.Also the level of knowledge needed before him/her would or could be considered one of the three above.
One of my reasons for this discussion, is sometimes I’m contracted to do training with younger people working with tools and the only training I have is my experience. I really would appreciate the opinions and suggestions of others on this subject .
Larry
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To give you one of the reasons why this is of interest to me. A few months ago, I was contracted by a stair company to teach a new method of handrail installation and techniques that include new tools to a young man in his early twentys.This young person had two years of college in cabinet making and two years experience of on the job training with a another handrail installer. So I naturally assume that he had all necessary basic skills needed for this type of work. During the first of four days of on the job training I noticed immediately that this person had none of the basic skill needed in my opinion for this work,which made me very concerned.
Larry
*"Tradesman" denotes a trade. It could be a "cprpenter", painter, plumber, etc. Kowledge in his "trade."To me a "carpenter" denotes expertise in both framing and trim work.A "craftsman" has more knowledge than a "carpenter" in fine work. Again, for me it means he is a "master" at his craft or specialty within the carpentry field. Some would say a "craftsman" is one category while a "master craftsman" is an even higher category. Here in Naples, FL, I find that "craftsmen" are also decent cabinet people which makes sense since they are very detail oriented people.An "apprentice" is a student of a "trade." The trade could even be as an apprentice "Chef" or "apprentice" iron worker. S/he is a "student" of a trade. A "helper" is just as stated - a helper and not one who especially wants to learn a specific trade. For example, while installing kitchen cabinets in my home, my wife was my "helper" when I needed an extra pair of hands. She wasalso a "helper" when I taught her how to fill trim nail heads and sand them after the filler dried.
*S. Lykos, I agree with your idea about a craftsmen and carpenter. I believe one of the things I'm trying to do,is qualifie if there a different between a person who might work in a shop with tools or on a construction job site and how this might rebate to qualifying his trade. One of the reasons I pose this question is because the home building industry seemed to be coming more specialize in certain trades. Like my self, I specialize in one thing when it come to working with my tools and make a living. When I was writing the subject heading my wife pointed out the same thing to me as you did about a helper.Larry
*I mention earlier about my one experience with training . I decided that before I would agree to do any more on the job training, a person would has to have these three qualification. The thing that really concern me was that someone could work for a company two years and didn't had clue about these skills at all. Sometime he even worked alone.1. To know the dangers in not allowing a electric saw motor to reach maximum rpm before making any cuts ( To know how to properly use all your tools) and to have the ability to know how this might relate to safety issues. 2. To have worked two years in a construction industry with a miter saw and still saw as a helper or apprentice supervised by a person that placed safety above all.3. To know how to position your body and hand before making any cut with a electric miter saw or skill saw and to have had some experience with saw kickback. If anyone would like to add are make any suggest about these three thing I would really appreciate your opinion in this area.Larry
*Larry, I've been in the tool & die trade for 15 years. For the difference of a helper and an apprentice in my trade was a helper was not doing any school training and was generally the guy who did the sweeping and other lower tasks. The apprentice went to a 4 year schooling program and all his hours at work were logged on the different machines and duties he did. You had to have so many hours on each machine to achieve a certain portion of the apprenticeship requirements. If an apprentice finished the proper schooling and meet his hourly requirements (which I believe was 8000 hours at that time) he was able to attain a journeymans card. A helper would have to stay in the trade for 8 years without the training. As for the tradesman,craftsman thing, I'm not too sure. I've heard them called the different names and I pretty much lumped them in the same category.
*Pantango I went through my apprentice program through a large custom builder my wages were subsidized by the veteran administration .The builder I worked for had to be qualified through them. It took six months or more for the builder to go through the paper work and be register in the apprentice program. Larry
*Orlo - It takes 4 years in a aprentice program with the Union with great training at no cost to the aprentice once he has become a union member . The aprentice starts at a certain wage with an increase in wages every six months .After four years of training the aprentice becomes a journyman .Now as a journeyman you are in fact a carperter making a decent wage with great benefits . Mike E.
*Mike, I believe that the Union way of measuring some ones experience is probably better than the way mine was. The only way anyone could advant, was for supervision to see that you had the abilities to do a particular skill or project.Larry