Plastering courses

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Lambretta-Tom

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So who's done one then ?
What did you learn ?
How long was it ?


Remember when I started my apprenticeship around 99 after a week I was knackered and nervous about knocking up a mix (in case it was lumpy or sloppy etc) never mind going into it on my own as a living, saying that think i done my first job after a week £30 quid for two stud walls, worked it like a pro ;D
 
OK I am a 2 week junky... aint gonna lie... however I still did a fair few years labouring. which is where you learn. I make decent money not just from plastering but subbing the jobs out

You get out ewhat you put in!!

Danny
 
well i'm about to.. the stone render course..
but i was taught plastering the hard way, labouring, then doing, then cocking it up, then working with other spreads..
i personally think that if youve got a good teacher and your prepared to learn then the courses are a good thing..
better than watching someone spread for half a day and thinking you can do it yourself and spending the next 5 years trying to teach yourself.. once youve got the basic skills you can develop good habits... bit like driving really..
 
i did three week nvq 2 courses at Goldtrowel. been builder for years but never had confidence to try plastering. to be honest i've picked it up quite well and can float, set and screed with the best of em. i know u ''time served'' lads don't think u can call your self a plasterer til you've done it about 68 years but if you understand methods and science and your naturally practical you can pick it up within about twelve month to a reasonable standard.

the course i did was great, good instructors and relaxed, only complaint is that your left to organise nvq folder on your own and if u don't contact em' u don't here anything. :mad:
 
you can learn more on site than you can a course in the same period of time .....if you want to spend money on a course carry on ........you wont be a plasterer after mate fooking dream on
 
spunkybum said:
you can learn more on site than you can a course in the same period of time .....if you want to spend money on a course carry on ........you wont be a plasterer after mate fooking dream on

Nobody should expect to be a plasterer after a course but it will ive u the confidence to go on site and get that experience.
 
spunkybum said:
you can learn more on site than you can a course in the same period of time .....if you want to spend money on a course carry on ........you wont be a plasterer after mate fooking dream on
unfortunetly thers not many sites left and to be honest you might learn to skim, tape, bead up and your speed will increase but i could take 80% of the plasterers on most sites on to a domestic and they wouldnt have a clue how to set up, order the right materials and the right amounts, wouldnt know how to float a wall and what materials to use, which order to do the job,couldnt keep it clean, wouldnt know how to price it never mind how to talk to a client. Site is completely different to domestic and i think more skills are needed to work on domestic.
 
labouring and a 5 day course, learnt more labouring tbh, got nvq2 now (on site assessment) so i must be doing something right.
 
took a 10 day course 4 years or so ago again Goldtrowel...but learnt alot from homework afterwards, and working with good spreads ( 1 of them 40 odd years vetrain ) ....yes u can pick up alot by working on a site...but lets be honest your only as good as your teacher/s so u could be picking aload of bad habits ( which at the time u dont know whether there good or bad habits because you dont know any better )cause their on a price or they dont know any better either. As with any tradesmen theres good and theres bad, sorry to say around my manner theres more bad than good, either cause their on a price or their just plain shite.....even the ones who have been going 20- odd years...how i never know. But state of the climate the bad ones i think are getting wittled out.
 
The construction industry are looking for a more qualified work force, i know a lot of lads slag off the cscs card as a con but its starting to kick in in a big way the firm im with at the moment all the lads im on site with need to have atleast a nvq2 on the back for them to get on this site, they wont be accepting plasterers with labourers cards. the assesor is out next week to start his 10 week assesment thankfully me and my mate are ok but all the others gangs are being assessed but they get a qualification at the end of it.
 
its a nice thought phipps but there may be another side to the bad ones getting whittled out..
i'd say that compared to this time last year i'm doing about a quarter of the work..
the amount of plasterers in my paper hasnt changed..
my approach to finding work hasnt really changed (maybe its about time it did)
I do seem to be getting quite a few calls from people who describe the job to me straight off without me having to ask questions.. e.g. 'alright mate, how much to skim a ceiling 10 foot be 9 foot, stipple artex, rooms all cleared out ready'..
80 quid i tell em.. ill need to look at it though..
'yeh, alright mate, cheers' - phone down..
no call back..
now there is absolutely no feckin way on gods earth i am gonna do em any cheaper than that, in fact im pissed off with myself for doing em..
other people ringing up to undercut me?
now i aint a bad old spread, i clean up etc.. ive done domestic jobs for so long ive got my little routine off to a fine art, i dont make mess as a rule, i'll knock up thick, ive plenty of sheets for the hallways etc.. i'll put a tarp down behind the van, the jobs are bang on so who the f'ck is doing em cheaper than me and achieving the same standard?
theres a bloke in the paper who started putting 'we will beat any quote' on his advert..
im completely f'cked off with it..
im also hoping that when ive done this render course i can side step everyone else being the only bloke in the area doing stone effect stuff..
and no.. it wont be advertised as plastering..
 
bigsegs said:
its a nice thought phipps but there may be another side to the bad ones getting whittled out..
i'd say that compared to this time last year i'm doing about a quarter of the work..
the amount of plasterers in my paper hasnt changed..
my approach to finding work hasnt really changed (maybe its about time it did)
I do seem to be getting quite a few calls from people who describe the job to me straight off without me having to ask questions.. e.g. 'alright mate, how much to skim a ceiling 10 foot be 9 foot, stipple artex, rooms all cleared out ready'..
80 quid i tell em.. ill need to look at it though..
'yeh, alright mate, cheers' - phone down..
no call back..
now there is absolutely no feckin way on gods earth i am gonna do em any cheaper than that, in fact im pissed off with myself for doing em..
other people ringing up to undercut me?
now i aint a bad old spread, i clean up etc.. ive done domestic jobs for so long ive got my little routine off to a fine art, i dont make mess as a rule, i'll knock up thick, ive plenty of sheets for the hallways etc.. i'll put a tarp down behind the van, the jobs are bang on so who the f'ck is doing em cheaper than me and achieving the same standard?
theres a bloke in the paper who started putting 'we will beat any quote' on his advert..
im completely f'cked off with it..
im also hoping that when ive done this render course i can side step everyone else being the only bloke in the area doing stone effect stuff..
and no.. it wont be advertised as plastering..

I know it sounds daft but maybee your putting them off being to cheap. I think they expect a price from a tradesmen and when u come in at £80 they might think ''Why's he so cheap?'' and look elsewhere.
 
you might be right mate, i dropped my prices to get work after it dropped off last year.. didnt seem to work in general though..
had a few good weeks start of year into feb but its been slow since then..
quite a few jobs ive had lately have been recommendations.. once theyve seen the job completed they love it and tell all their mates..
i was banking on that though...
thing is, its getting to people to ring up in the first place that seems to be the problem..
cant really see the 'active hard sell' working in this game cos plastering is just plastering.. its nothing new and if people want it done they know where to look..
i can always up the price when i look at the job.. the 80 quid artex ceiling has got to be a quick scrape, bit of pva, 2 coats, 1 1/2 bags.. gone for 12.. usually cash..
gotta renew the advert tomorrow or tuesday so i might just knock the example prices off it for a fortnight and see what happens..
i'll let you know if it works..
 
if i price an artex ceiling i feel i have to tell the customer to use gypbond ........and overboard but keep forgetting to sugest it ........i can imagine when im out the door.......psst what the fuk was he going on a bout love.....dont know something about it all falling down and he has to use this green stuff.........but it takes two days!........whats the number again of that kid who said it'll be done in a few hours ?
 
spunkybum said:
if i price an artex ceiling i feel i have to tell the customer to use gypbond ........and overboard but keep forgetting to sugest it ........i can imagine when im out the door.......psst what the fuk was he going on a bout love.....dont know something about it all falling down and he has to use this green stuff.........but it takes two days!........whats the number again of that kid who said it'll be done in a few hours ?

Im sure he was called Richard Brown, yes thats it here's his card love lets call him as I have heard he is an expert in the field of plastering and will surly do an amazing job at a very reasonable price ......... later that week ........ well its true what they say he is a plastering god he didnt even drop any plaster and he did such a good job its painted up just like new ........ a few years later ....... this ceiling still looks fresh as a daisy darling im so glad we didnt use that rip off merchant with yellow teeth and spunk dribbling out of his trouser leg .
 
err how do you know ive got yellow teeth :eek:......this is all getting a bit scary ;D.......anyway it was dark and how could you see from up there ???
 
I cant tell you all my secrets but i live in your loft space and spend my spare time looking though a peep hole in your bathroom ceiling which is right above your toilet ..... you are one sick puppy spunky.

Rich
 
what i do in the confinements of my own home is my business........and of course you can watch :)
 
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