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crusaders1435

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Hi to everyone on T.P.F
I'm brand new to this site and to the world of plastering so as well as introducing myself I wanted to throw this out there especially to the experienced chaps and chapessess.......

knowing what you know, how would you approach a career change to the world of plastering? And is machine plastering to be poo pooed? Is it the future?

I'm from an aircraft background, ex raf and now working on ejection seats but am desperate to get a "proper" job or trade....
considering plastering or maybe plumbing but, well, thats gonna cost a bomb to get fully trained.....anyways theres something about plastering that really appeals........am i mad?

Dont laugh but I'm 46...though fit and healthy, always active, only one days sick in 10 years and a grafter....defo not work shy!!!
So be gentle to this newbie........thoughts please..... great to be here
thanks all
 
Welcome along.

Maybe try doing a short plastering course to see what your getting yourself in to. Or see if you can tag along with a local spread for a couple of days, offering free labouring.

Best of luck.
 
haha
thanks for the thoughts........ maybe i'm mad, maybe I aint.........but I defo know I need a career change.......top gun aint all its cracked up to be!!!!
thanks all
 
Hi Crusader

welcome along mate!!

good luck on your career change mate - if you have a passion to become a spread, GO FOR IT!!

as a couple o guys have already said..... try and do a short course, or offer to do a few days as a labourer free to get a feel for it.....

The choice of spray or not is dependant on the sort of work you want to do...... but a manual skill is best to be able to do everything, then if you get more work or move into render work, look at machines.

Good Luck - whatever you choose!
 
Welcome along. Try to get some experience with a spread and see whether you have the potential to become a good spread before throwing all of your eggs in the same basket :)
 
Go for whatever trade grabs you Crusader. Im a sparks turned spread/venetian marble plaster and i love it. Technical trades are more agro than they're worth in my opinion. Welcome !!!!!!
 
I would consider getting into gas. So big money to get into but big money once you are in.

Plastering easy money to get into and not that good once you are in.

There is a reason this trade is cheap and plumbing, gas and electrics isn't.

But some people are fascinated how you can turn slop dosh into a nice flat shiny wall that will outlive them. Thats what made me carry on although putting it on the wall I would say to myself, "Is this all I'm good for?" but the end result said to myself "I did that".

I looked at a job today what a couple had just bought. I dashed the garage in 2005, a house across the road in 98 and next door in 99 and they still look good. They will still be on the wall when i am pushing up daisy's.
 
thanks again everyone.....thats defo food for thought!!!
have to say its encouraging to hear that a techy such as a spark decided to take the plastering route.........
cheers
 
Hi mate,

Welcome to the forum. With whatever choice you take best of luck! It's very hard for everyone out there at the moment and all trades are suffering.

If you choose the plastering route we are based in Cheltenham and will happily help you out where needed.

Best of luck
 
thanks 1stop....... infact thanks to everyone.....
muchly appreciated.......
i'm still defo interested in the plastering game.........
 
welcome to the forum...

not the ideal age to start your plastering career but possible for
you to make living from domestic work
 
Hi and welcome m8, a spark,plumber, gas engineer will take as long to master as plastering but cost you an helluva lot more money to train, by the time you was qualified you'd be 50 odd, to old for anyone to want to take on at full wack ,NMWAGE maybe. Theres always regs and upgrades to undertake costing more money, resitting exams every few years, loads of responsibility, loads of insurance and cost for equipment and wages????. Yep good money if like plastering you can find it, not all sparks,plumbers etc am on 30k upwards. Like plastering theres always some one to do it cheaper or illegally. I am a qual plumber/ part p spark, now working as an handyman (long story lol) i have always earnt a good wage, but working 100 hrs a week, finding work for me and 7 lads, doing my own work, all the paperwork etc etc neveragain,i'm happy fitting a bathroom suite one day and a ceiling skim another, i definately would not want to bea f/t spread and deffo not start atmy age (50), hard graft is ok ,when younger! Many a time i've though about opening a ctr where people/ kids could come and try all trades out, not the nicey nicey bits but theshite parts, cleaning up, humping up stairs, chasing walls out , pull ceilings down etc, getting in tight spots etc but then realised how difficult it would be tocarry this out, but it would have showed folk the other side of the job. Whateveryou choose good luck m8 .
 
I know what you mean about long hours and keeping lads going who take you for granted. They say all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Well I have been a very dull boy for the last 5 years but trying not to work so much. It has made me ill a lately.

Once you turn 50 you get slower and need to start winding down a bit. Mortgage hopefully paid off, kids gone and wifey working. The money is still nice but you are a long time dead.

I advise any young spread to really think hard now about a savings plan for when they turn 50. Pensions exist but do not give that good a return. A property or two will help. You make nothing to start with but it matures in time and within 15 years you can usually pay them off or rather some other mug has paid it off for you.

A bit of other income in your 50's can let you take a lighter job on when your shoulders, elbows and wrist's are knackered.
 
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