To old or what ?

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wilber

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whats the average age of you lads and how's the old back legs standing up to the test of time ? :-\
I ask cus i want to retrain to be a spread but at 41 dont know if ive missed the boat or not.
I know its hard graft but wot do you lads reckon ?
 
it all depends on how fit you are now mate..
if you been sittin in a nice warm office, smokin fags and living off beer and chips you aint gonna know what hit you if you go out there with a couple of good spreads..
if, on the other hand you dont smoke, go down the gym 3 times a week and live on health food youll be fine for however long..
plastering is hard graft but so is running up and down 3 storey ladders loading out concrete roofing tiles all day.. just ask roofer..
im 37, been in the building game for bout 18 years but i still go out and knock out 2 sets a day.. assuming i got the work on that is ;D
couldnt handle 3 sets anymore though..
well, not if i wanna go to work every day anyway..
it buggers your knees and your back..
some people end up with carpal tunnel syndrome (dodgy wrist) or tennis elbow..
thing about plastering is once youve got it on you cant really stop for a brew and a fag and a bite to eat (assuming youve got a money earning amount on) and if your a fat b'stard or a racing snake and you dont put the calories in your gonna be f'cked before dinner..
and if your learning and you start to 'lose' the set you very quickly find out what marathon runners are on about when they go on about 'hitting the wall'..
specially if its friday afternoon, second set after a hard week..
 
Ime 53 worked price all my life in various trades so i naturaly just crack on but now try to keep it to 3 days a week and enjoy the rest if i work a full week because of the job its 9 till 3 half hour break and away, also done the London marathon in 4 hours 5 years ago and still smoke and drink like a trooper so in answer to the question i dont know any different but i dont think an ex truck driver coming of a course would last with me for 2 secs what youve got to work out is how long can you afford to learn before you are good enough to earn some proper money.
Regards Lucius
 
Would like to go on 2 week course at goldtrowl then get with a spread for a few months,dont mind no pay just want to learn the trade,willin to work for fook all for a while.
 
im 34 and im not sure how long my shoulder is going to carry on for most days it feels like its going to fall off
 
i'd just go for it.......you cant cut corners though 3 years at least training mate
 
Forty seven and if it was not for the 30 years of experience in the trade i definately would not be able to keep up with my sons . 19, 23, 25 repectively they got youth on their side and rush round like blue arsed flies , an i just plod on and still turn same amount of work out and better qaulity, feel it on an evening though ;)
 
hey wilber,

just do it mate you'l never look back...... i've been at it a few months now .... learnt myself really from watching a bloke in my house who showed me a little ..... the rest to be honest i've learnt from the real full time plasterers on here... i don't do it for a living but as a bit of a hobbie really and i really enjoy it....... my back is foooked has been for yearts but i carry it and get by..... i wouldn't let anyone put you off.... biggest problem you will find is speed i can assure you..... you'l be able to get the finish of the best plasterer on here in only a few weeks of doing it.... but as you've finished the wall, the pro's are having a brew having just finished 4 walls and a ceiling! ...... but go for it mate its really rewarding and i love it. all the best
 
warriorupnorth said:
Forty seven and if it was not for the 30 years of experience in the trade i definately would not be able to keep up with my sons . 19, 23, 25 repectively they got youth on their side and rush round like blue arsed flies , an i just plod on and still turn same amount of work out and better qaulity, feel it on an evening though ;)
thats some crew fella...family plastering ..fantastic..
 
pftmonojetman said:
Are you watchin these conning bastards on bbc1, damp proof companies
Yes just seen it.nice aint it if you can do that sort of thing to old people,could not do that sort of thing myself to them thats why at 44 im still trying to earn a living and paying bills.
 
work for nothing hmmmmmmmmm were do you live
wilber said:
Would like to go on 2 week course at goldtrowl then get with a spread for a few months,dont mind no pay just want to learn the trade,willin to work for fook all for a while.
 
41 but feelin 61 on cold damp mornings! put that down to 20 years on the hod and digging holes before getting a trade.
 
well have to start you on painting the out side of my house and if you do any good at that ill let you sand all me floor board and if your any good at that you can baby sit the kids and if your any good at that ill send you on the weekly shop and if you pass all this and are willing to come up to liverpool il take you out with me for a day ;D ;D
 
to be honest wilber would not bother paking in full time employment at the moment mate to jump in to this game as its hard enough to earn a livin even if your any good
 
these corses are shite mate . especially 2 weekers . you need to be spreading for 6 months day in day out and you should be putting at least 3 bags a set and you should be doing 3 sets a day . your just one of these people who thinks they can do a couple of weeks course and go put a few cards through doors and charge £200 pound a day . stick to your day job and leave the hard graft to the pro`s
 
45 and my advice is stay out of any building trade at the min it will bite you on the arse by all means do any course you like and diy it to death but youll not make it at the moment bud there are to many lads with yrs behind them fighting for what work there is
 
micky jones said:
these corses are shite mate . especially 2 weekers . you need to be spreading for 6 months day in day out and you should be putting at least 3 bags a set and you should be doing 3 sets a day . your just one of these people who thinks they can do a couple of weeks course and go put a few cards through doors and charge £200 pound a day . stick to your day job and leave the hard graft to the pro`s
Why should you be putting three bag sets on? if you dont get good runs then your not going to put that much on, I worked with a guy about six months ago he was doing about 2 40m sets I did about 3 25m sets his work was shocking and the painters loved me, some brickies lay 1500-2000 a day others 1000 there is not right amount any of us should be puuting on although there is a minimum, I agree about the courses though.
 
I don,t think for 0ne min that after a two week course i'll be spreading like you boys but at the end of the day i think a two week course might just give me a bit of a start.
I think these courses are a split decision on this forum,some of you lads seem to like um some loathe um.
 
In my opinion its a mugs game ,plasterers are ten a penny and i would never reconmend it to anyone.
 
at the end of the day mate, if you cant find a spread to take you on and show you the ropes then youve got no option other than to go on a course..
a course is a good starting point, but it does need to be a good course...
Ive heard some of em just take your money, let you wave a trowel around for a week and send you off thinking you can plaster..
watching a spread for a day then trollying off thinking it looks easy is gonna leave you with more holes in your knowledge and technique than a swiss cheese, you really do need to start with the basics e.g. suction control and how plaster actually works.
Once youve got the basics everything starts to drop neatly into place and youll learn as you go along..
good luck with finding work mate, ive been doing it yonks and im struggling at the mo..
always fancied being a wagon driver.. i love yorkie bars.. ;D
 
Thinking gold trowl segs cus they seem to have a good name,(keep of them yorkys pal,think of the waistline).
 
Nearly 35 now,get neck pains and real bad tennis elbow all the time but its worth it cos I love the job.Go for it mate i say.
 
hopefully i might be on a job with justin pritchard soon fordon fingers crossed ........wilber go on a course mate f**k it
 
im on a 6 week C&G course with gold trowel at the moment been doing it for 3 wks now, they will teach you all the theory and practical you can take in 6 wks. thoroughly recomended !!
wilber said:
Thinking gold trowl segs cus they seem to have a good name,(keep of them yorkys pal,think of the waistline).
 
Berbie what have you done in the first three weeks then pal ?keep us informed mate.
How does the city&guilds qualification work,are you assesed at the end of the six weeks ?
 
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