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OK1

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Hi there, I'm a 29 year old from Essex/London looking to get into plastering, my previous jobs have included barwork and telesales but I'm looking for a reliable trade and a fresh start, I'm trying to get a good idea of how to go about it by looking online, that's how I stumbled upon this site. Anyway.. I look forward to keeping you guys updated regarding my situation and hope to get some well needed advice along the way if possible.
 
Hello,

Welcome to the Plasterers Forum,

Do you have any friends or relatives that are plasterers? ? As i feel that this is definiately the best way to learn the trade.

However I do know the problem you will face if you dont already know a plasterer.

In this case I can reccommend looking at a training center online, Therer are some good one s and some not so good.

I have attended Gold Trowels 2 week course which was seccond to none which would definiately be the right toute for you to take they push you hard and will constantly be by yourside to show you techniques.

I was lucky enough to work with 2 spreads which showed me all the basics and I had some idea but the 10 day goldtrowel definiately showed me some great Techniques.

Or you could go through your local yellow pages and call up plasterers and see if they need a hand.

If you hang around on this forum you may soon find a plasterer who is willing to take you on.

Plastering is not a hard trade to learn and the principles are quite basic but to master it can only be done with practice.

I hope I have been of some help

and look forward to hearing from you in the future

Danny
 
Thanks Danny, I actually looked at Gold Trowels site as my initial thought was to do a 2 week training course, I'm still open to the idea but read on another site that due to the limited timeframe these courses really only teach the basics despite the claims of gaining skills of a proffesional standard and £1000+ a week with the certificate? Were you a beginner when you started the course? Are you getting plenty of work now? I've heard rumours of very good money in London for relative beginners due to the demand for plasterers and think that it's something I could be good at with the right guidance. Thanks again for your time.
 
Honestly No i was not a beginner, I had been on the rowel a while and was really only going to gain certification which I need for when I emirgrate.

But a friend of mine was on the course too and he was pretty mucha beginner, done bits before but not a great deal.

When we started the course we did ok a few probs ect but they certainly ironed them out, my mate came on leaps and bounds and is doing ok now on rivate work, he is a painter and he has aready successfully done a fair sized ceiling.

I am definiately doing ok busy all the time and yeah the money certainly is good. But remember getting work is not hard if you put the effort in, I have had to leaflet and avertise and this is definiately helping.... very busy.

I am moving to Twickenham soon so I will be having to start from scratch again building up a customer base ect. But a days work for a spread is like a weeks work for people on basic minimum wage.

Some people are natural plasterers some are not but every body can learn

Hope this helps

Danny
 
Just a quick update, after a few more weeks of research I finally decided to book the 10 day course with Gold trowel, I'm moving from Essex to London soon after I've completed it and am now really looking forward to jumping into it all with both feet despite a few nerves. :) Did you stay in a B&B Danny?
 
Well done,

I hope you do ok... they are a sound bunch of people....lol since I ahve done their course my plastering has come on leaps and bounds and well I have plenty of work now too.

The B&B we satyed in was

Hillview cottage
Dark lane
Great warley
Brentwood, Essex, CM14 5LN
Tel: 01277 234200 mobile: 07710 547035

cheap as chips and really nice people.

Hope this helps

Danny
 
Thanks for that, I may be staying in Shenfield with a friend as it's apparently quite close, if not I'll be trying the place you recomended. I've heard nothing but good things from people who've actually done this course and look forward to starting, the DVDs and manual have already given me a great overview and much better understanding of the whole process. I just hope I can put it into practice having never done anything like it before. Which bit did you find most difficult?
 
Sand and cement is a pain mainy due to the fact they use a sandyier mix cos you need to knowck it off the walls a day or so later.

Ruling off took me a while to get used to.... but thats it really.

I struggled with ruling off due to the fact I had never really done any and I mainly just done skimming.

I have certainly got the hang of ruling off now after last weekends job...lol real pain in the ass.

Danny
 
Well.. I completed my 10 day course, it was amazing, a totally enjoyable experience allround. My next move is to buy my tools and get my NVQ2 as soon as possible as I do actually feel confident enough to start working after a little bit more practice, all of the tutors were total legends and I'd HIGHLY recomend Gold Trowel to anybody thinking about doing an intensive plastering course. I now know what you meant about that sand and cement.  ;)
 
Well Done Mate,

Glad you enjoyed it..... was jeff there still? Did they mention anything about the forum?

So whats your first job?

I am snowed under at theb min....lol

Keep us all upto date

Danny
 
Thanks Danny, yes it was Andy, Chris, Jeff and Dave, do you mean this forum? I can't seem to access the goldtrowel forum at the moment, my computer is being weird.. My first couple of jobs are going to be my parents bathroom ceiling and a wall at a friends warehouse, I should be ready to move forward properly after that, I really need to start working as soon as possible as the wolves are at the door. :) What would be your next move if you were me? CSCS card?
 
Jeff is meant to be moving to OZ soon just wondered if he had gone yet. yeah this forum...lol

with the CSCS card you need an NVQ 2 to get plasterer on your card.

I have a labourers card which seems to be ok for me at the min.

I would design some leaflets and get deliverying and stick an add in the local paper.

This has seemed to have done the trick with me, I have plenty of work on at the minute

Danny
 
Ah yes, I think he's off in the next month or so, they just mentioned the goldtrowel forum at the end of the course actually.  :)
I called about the CSCS card today and they said that I should go for an 'Experienced worker' card, this will give me 1 year to complete my NVQ2 and apply for the 'Skilled trade' card. Is the test difficult? Is there a particular publication that would help?
Just have to get my basic tools and and some practice ASAP.
 
Nah the test is easy.... how are you going about your NVQ2? OSAT?

Remember spend good money on the tools they wont let you down... I beleive that with tools the more you spend the better they are.

Look on ebay for a mixer, I paid £60 for mine and its perfect lasted years....lol

Danny
 
Yea I was planning on an OSAT, what are the other options? I bought a 13x5 finishing trowel and 18x5 finishing trowel today, both pre-worn and Marshalltown, along with a hawk. I wanted to get my tools at the end of the course but have ended up having to get them from here and there as and when I have the money.
 
I think the OSAT is really the only way to go about it,

start taking photos of everything you do this will prove invaluable when it comes to being assessed I have bought an A3 leather zipped folder with the plastic wallets in ect and this make my work look so much more proffessional.... show it to the assesser and this will show you mean business

Danny

I am always buying tools... never ending
 
Well I'm doing my first job on thursday, a decent sized plasterboarded wall with a wooden beam across the top, should be easy enough. Going to start taking as many photographs as possible, is it a long drawn out process? I have to buy a mixer for thursday too and have managed to find an 1100W mixer from Evolution at a local tool shop for 99.99 so I think I'm going to go for that, did you buy the various different paddles?
 
Ah well done with the first job,

dont forget to scrim tape all the joints and any cracks.

Nah i just have one paddle.... too lazy to change.

are you buying a 110v mixer... this would be reccomended in the long run as when you go on site you will need it.

Danny
 
It's more of a favour than a paid job but it's going to be great practice and hopefully a confidence boost whilst also being the beginning of my portfolio, the 110v was £40 extra for the converter and I'm on a massive budget at the moment so went for the cheaper one as I'm not expecting to be on site within the next few months and just need to get started. Just a spotboard and stand, buckets, level, measure and snips to go and I should be ready to rock. :) I didn't realise how expensive decent levels were!
 
So today I finally got started on my first wall after a couple of days of discovering that I didn't have all the tools that I needed, I think I made my first mix a little thick but I got it up as quickly as possible, it was ready to start flattening almost straight away so I did it, for a first coat it was great, I was really pleased. When deciding to knock up the final mix it became apparent that there wasn't enough plaster left.. there was no way of me getting to B&Q and back as I don't have a vehicle yet so I decided to just wet and dry trowel it a couple of times. Luckily my first coat had been a good one so the final result still looked pretty impressive, I was a bit disapointed though really as it could've looked perfect. Can I glue it and add the second coat through the week or is that it now? My friend is more than happy but I'd really like to get it spot on if possible.
 
Congratulations,

yes just scutch it up glue it then do another 2 coat skim.... always do them in twos.

but if customer is happy take the money and run

Danny
 
Hey guys, managed to find a local builder that is willing to take me on, the work starts in a fortnight and the pay is great for me, I'm a little nervous about how profficient he's expecting me to be but am just going to get involved and see what happens, he knows that I'm just a beginner, haven't had a chance to do any other work since my last practice wall but should be fine. I hurt my hand whilst training and it doesn't seem to be going away, my little finger and ring finger on my right hand feels numb and dull every morning and night, affecting my grip, I'm just praying that it starts to calm down as its been a couple of months now.. It would be a total pain in the ass if it started affecting my work..  :-/ You guys ever get anything like this?
 
Hello Well done with the job,

is he employing you to do just plastering or you labouring?

maybe this may interest you you get these ecoflow magnets that helps with muscles aches pains ect. I have one on my corsa (car) helps with the economy. I then bought one for my back and shoulder as I had a car crash afew years ago and it started to hurt again when I went on the trowel I dont have the pain anymore.

I do get numb little finger in the winter, I used to get it while down the local boxing club training its just bad blood flow.

good luck with the job, if you ever find your job and its going tits give me a call I may be able to help via the phone.

CHeers

Danny
 
Thanks Danny, you are a gentleman, I may well take you up on that one day. ;)
He's employing me as a plasterer but I'm expecting to do a bit of everything really as he wants to show me the ropes, really looking forward to finding out. The magnet sounds interesting, is it like a piece of jewelry? I've definately done something bad to it.. must find the time to visit the doctor before I start.
 
Can I chip in?
Is OSAT on site assessment? If so how do you go about setting hat up and what skills does it cover?
Thinking I should get some paperwork to back me up.
 
HI guys, my name is Alan, i have been plastering for 19 years now, heard about the site off one of my mates dpbeds, and just thought i'd say hello, and hope to be able to help if i can. ;) ;)
ps clocks wrong on forum lol
 
Hello welcome

Its wrong on your settings you have to go into your profile and adjust it...lol

Odd I know but that the way the forum works

Danny
 
Can I chip in?
Is OSAT on site assessment? If so how do you go about setting hat up and what skills does it cover?
Thinking I should get some paperwork to back me up.

Hey, as far as I'm aware it can be up to 3 on the job assesments covering all the basics, photographic evidence of you doing various things is the other part of it, I've got a list somewhere.
 
yeah, produce a portfolio they ask a few q's and watch you work for 10 mins....lol

if your gold trowel certofoed the certificate you get cover 90% of whats needed

Danny
 
be great if you could let me have it ok1.
cheers

NVQ Qualification structure for Plastering - Solid (Level 2)

To gain the NVQ level 2 in plastering you must achieve the following five mandatory units plus 1 optional unit

Mandatory Units all required  
VR01 Conform to General workplace safety
VR02 Conform to efficient work practices
VR03 Move and handle resources
VR62S Prepare background surfaces for plasterwork
VR65 Apply finishing plaster to background surfaces

Optional Units 1 required  
VR66 Produce Internal solid plastering finishes
VR67 Produce External Solid Render Finishes
VR68 Install Direct Bond Dry Lining (dot and dab)
VR69 Lay Sand and cement Screeds
VR70 Apply Projection Plaster and maintain equipment
VR71 Install (mechanically fixed) Plasterboard

;)
 
cheers mate. Sorry for slow reply binon my hols..
How do I contact an assessor? Is it local college?
 
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