Fredwardclarke

Hello all. bit of a odd one, I’ve got big feet. Size 15 actually. I struggle like hell to find boots big enough. The majority of my friends are in V12s and bucklers for the winter however I’m stuck in dewalt lace ups or dr martens that don’t preform great in the winter. I’m also now in need of chainsaw protection. Any advice on where I may find suitable chainsaw boots and good waterproof winter boots?

Few things anger me in this world however anybody that touches a brick line that isn’t the bricky laying to it should be strangled with said line. Anyone found in possession of a spirit level that is accurate to less than +/- 0.5mm per meter should have there’s cscs card removed. Anyone who refuses a diabetic a regular break time, it’s a major pain and it’s just easier to stick to the dedicated times where possible. But what seriously annoys me is that a box of crackers contains to many crackers to be reasonably coated by one tube of primula.

Thanks kinda what I’m trying to do at the moment. I just want to fill my weekends with tree work and landscaping. My company won’t let me work weekends due to the other brickies and labours not being willing to get out of bed on Saturdays. I don’t see why I’ve been finding it difficult to find weekend work, I come with my own transport, most PPE and a groundsaw. Oh and I’ve got a chipsite.

Between 250 and 500 depending on circumstances. But I don’t focus on speed I’d rather lay 250 well than 500 quickly.

Considering roofers need no qualifications and almost anyone can do it, I don’t see why they’re on a tradesman rate of £140 a day. Why do I have to go thru a apprentiship to earn that when a roofer can turn up, do the job and get paid?

The company I work for won’t put me thru any training that isn’t essential. I’ve got my CSCS card and I’m working towards my NVQ level 2. My boss does help me out a lot driving’s lessons and we’ve spoken about a forklift ticket to help around site but as far as getting a rope access ticket, he’d just ask why a bricky needs rope access? We have scaffolders for that. But I do appreciate your point. I’d love to do some voluntary weekend work. But like I’ve said everyone seems to caught up in red tape to employ a young person.

Honestly it seems in construction that any qualified tradesman with a good word of mouth recommendation can charge what he likes. As for kit I’d have to disagree. All a brickie actually needs is a trowel and a 4 foot level. Everything else just makes the job easier. However I have just purchased a second hand Dewalt 18v kit. That comes in very handy on almost a daily basis. And of course when a chippy puts a rafter or a gable ladder in my way my little husky 236 will come out to play.

This is bang on. Your totally correct in what you say here. Don’t get me wrong I don’t hate bricklaying with a passion. But I find it mind numbing And increasingly boring day by day. Id love to just do something different every once and a while. As for pay I’m looked after fairly well, even as a apprentice I take a reasonable packet Home on a Friday.

Hi guys, my names Ed and I’m fairly new to he forums. I left school last year and started my search for a career. I had been working whilst at school as a landscape gardener and I thoroughly enjoyed the days I spent outside even when it was raining and I was soaking wet I was glad I wasn’t in a classroom so I knew I wanted to work outside. I always enjoyed the arb aspects of my summer job, trimming a few hedges and dragging brash around so I began a search for a apprenticeship in Tree Surgery, I wrote to 11 different local company’s and applied at dart training to see if they could find me an employer, no luck. Out of The 6 companies that replied to me 1 was willing to take me on as a labourer but was not willing to offer put me thru any training. The other 5 either didn’t have any vacancies or expressed concerns over the paperwork regarding taking on a apprentice. I also offered to work voluntarily on the off day for a few company’s purely to gain experience, however again these companies had concerns regarding paperwork and employing young people. So I ended up taking a offer of an appentiship in bricklaying and it’s going well. I’m 6 months in and have passed every practical exam with either a distinction or a merit. My employer is thrilled to have me and looks after me pretty well financially. However when I was on the scaffolding today I found my mind drifiting to awful condition of the surrounding trees. There was inward growth everywhere and most of the trees had outgrown there environment. I wanted to be in doing tree work, having fun dragging brash around and learning a trade I’m genuinely interested in, not tied to a trowel on a dodgy scaffold laying brick after brick after brick. I’m just after a few opinions from people who have been in the arb trade for a few years about what I should do. I plan on sticking my appentiship out for the remaining six months and then evaluating me situation. However id like to be gaining experience now around my existing job.

Wish the blue hats would let me have one.

You're allowed a chainsaw on site?

Now this is something I'm interested in. I'd be very interested in seeing a comparison of the effects on the operator between the brushcutter and the scythe. Would the adverse effects of the brushcutter outweigh the fatigue of using the scythe. On another note, can anyone see scythes being brought back into mainstream use?

Hi, I know this is a old post but if there is anyone still wanting a chip site in the Burton/Stapenhill area I can accept several loads on a allotment site.

Your right, you can never be sure of a saws past. Even "new"saws can be stolen from stock.

Looks like a good day's work! A cracking view, I'd certainly have taken more than a moment to enjoy it.

As a avid crossfiter I've learnt the importance of a decent warm up before a workout. If you think about it there's a lot of similarities between manual labour and a work out. What I'm saying is you could try warming up before starting a session on the processor/splitter. Supports seem to help a lot of lads in the gym, I'm sure they would help at work, the problem is would they get in the way? Would they slip out of place? Even if they don't do any actual supporting they will keep your joint and muscle warm.