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. 

3 hours ago, eggsarascal said:

I'd stick to brick laying until you know the job inside out, apart from when recession strikes you will always have work, even then a good brickie will come off site work and drop on domestic work. It's cheaper to make a house bigger than buying a bigger property.

 

You could always, (if you can get a start) fill in rainy days with some tree work. Most small companies don't need someone five days a week. Having more than one string to your bow pretty much guarantees you will not be short of work.

 

Just my take on the situation.

 

 

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. 

3 hours ago, eggsarascal said:

Can I ask how many bricks you are getting down a day on good straight runs?

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

49 minutes ago, IRE David H said:

by that merit the roofers must be doing okay, if you dont have a roof or a leaky roof, that is something to fix right now, regardless (more or less) of cost, where landscape or gardening can be done in a few years

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? 

4 hours ago, Chessa said:

 

Follow your dreams. Do not doubt them. You are young and have time and strength on your side. I started out in just about all of my career changes with following a dream and working voluntarily whilst training, whether chasing routes through rock climbing or environmental work; or forestry or horticultural dreams. Never give in. There are always routes in, around and through. Can you start by getting trained in rope access work through your current trade before you (forgive me) branch out to your big dream? I’m sure you’ll get even better advice than that, here on arbtalk. Don’t give up. Listen to your heart.

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. 

49 minutes ago, Squaredy said:

This is so true, and now more than ever - colossal amounts of money are being spent on property these days.  With an ordinary house in many areas now costing half a million quid property owners have come to accept paying professional chippies, brickies, builders etc £250 or even more per day.  And let's be honest these trades need skill and some kit, but not as much as Arb work.  Getting off topic a little now but can anyone tell me why half a day's work fitting a woodburner should cost £600 or so plus parts???????????

 

To get back to the original question, you should follow your heart I believe, though you could make a bit of money brickingfor a few years first.  As a freelancer of course if you want serious money.

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. 

1 hour ago, Haironyourchest said:

Skilled construction will always generally pay better than arb. Building is constructive, whereas arb is - lets face it - demolition. People pay for something they want and aspire to have, ie. buildings, which are A)-an investment. B)-permentant and C)-regulated by masses of red tape, thus weeding out the real low-ball operators. Tree removals, and really, apart from occasional reductions and remedial work that's mostly what we do, isn't it? are not something people want to pay for. Its a troublesome expense for folks, and so they don't value it, like having the septic tank emptied or the car fixed.

       

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.

who's going to stop me ?

Wish the blue hats would let me have one.

You're allowed a chainsaw on site?

Who needs a strimmer.......

 

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.

Yeah I want to be alerted straight away so I can get up there and get my arse handed me

 

Sent from my SM-G900F using Arbtalk mobile app

That is exactly it. I used to buy second hand tools- when I was starting out as their was no other way. You can never be 100% about a tools history unless it new. Would only buy new now. Hate to think I am funding the theft

 

Sent from my SM-G900F using Arbtalk mobile app

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.