r/tradies

I don’t even know you ?

Sparky or Carpentry?

I know it's been asked many times before, but I want to ask with my particular situation and gather thoughts.

I left the corporate world because I was miserable and depressed after years of sitting behind a computer. My body was pretty mangled from sitting at a desk all day. I also found out I have ADHD in recent years, so I know that working with my hands is good for my mental health.

After lots of deliberation, I eventually decided on Electrical. My thought process was that it's physical, it's quite technical, it pays well, and it's more forgiving on the body (generally speaking), than most other trades.

I am nearly 40 - I am 7 months into my apprenticeship. Unfortunately so far, I really don't enjoy it. Note that I have only done solar and commercial so far. Thing is, in terms of job satisfaction, I'm not really sure if I can genuinely enjoy running cables, vs actually creating something like in carpentry. I am getting a lot of good feedback with my work ethic and quality, and I'm a year ahead of my trade school already.

However carpentry is definitely more of a passion, but I was worried about how I would cope physically, plus the money is typically not as good. I've got my eyes on roles that are probably easier on the body, like Finish Carpentry. I wouldn't be able to stand framing all day everyday.

Carpentry seems like it would be so much more useful and rewarding. I live in an old 1960s house and it needs so much work done, and I think about the skills I could learn to do it myself if I learnt carpentry.

Any way what are people's thoughts? Did anyone make a similar change ie from Electrical to Carpentry? Would you advise against the change? Why?

I have a white card and not much else lol. I went to a boarding school in the mountains that was kind of a bad kid's school, and there we had to lug 20kg's of materials around for the workers, paint roofing and walls for the school's sister schools/the school itself, assist full time workers with tiling, plant trees, do all kinds of shit as part of "early morning labour", but that of course doesn't translate on a resume' as actual work so well. Not going too great via SEEK or labour hire companies, I assume the lack of any experience and like Confined Spaces and Working at Heights is a bit of a hindrance here.

What do you guys recommend I do? I'm very eager to have extremely sore joints and bones for the rest of my life as soon as possible, and fully prepared to kiII myself working weekends and nights, doesn't seem to matter much to the recruiters tho

As an electrician, one thing that always stands out to me is how many customers think tradies are only charging for the time spent physically on site. People see a job take an hour and assume it should cost next to nothing, without thinking about the years of training, licensing, tools, testing gear, travel, insurance, fault finding, quoting and everything else behind the scenes

Does anyone else have major issues with these people? Commercial and residential property managers with absolutely no idea. How do I get in? Where’s the switchboard? What’s the door code? Which room has the issue? These people have no idea, even though they booked the work.

Today I asked ‘is this asset yours or the tenant’s responsibility?’. Crickets. How do you become a commercial property manager because it seems like a massive bludge

I'm a chippy and generally get all of my jobs from the same few customers. Work's pretty consistent but there are always a couple patches where I have too much time between jobs... and the money tree starts looking a bit run down.

Had a spat about rates with one of the few people I consistently contract for, and it got me thinking about how all of my work comes from the same people. Obviously I'm not hitting panic stations yet but I think it would be a good move to branch out a bit so I'm not on struggle street if work dries up.

Wanted to hear how everyone markets themselves. Was thinking about setting up a website, what are people's thoughts ? any good? I hate shit like Wix, it's too much work and so is talking to a web designer, but could probably do it if it's worth it. I put the word out on Facebook groups and have had some (not heaps) of work come from there.

I do maintenance plumbing and the amount of people who expect you to drive across town at eight pm on a Friday just to look at a leaking tap for free is wild. What is your standard rate just to turn up to the door before you even unpack a tool bag and do you charge it upfront to weed out the time-wasters

Honest question. Not trying to stir anyone.

On the Gold Coast there are so many utes and trucks with tradies in them that cane everywhere ...rain, hail or shine...cut in front of you, flash their lights, act like cowboys...like they own the road.

What's the go with this behaviour?

Is it a certain type of tradie?

I'm just wondering why some think they are king of the road and drive so dangerously everywhere.

It's just something I've noticed.

I know you don't all drive like that.

And yeah I know some of you are gonna say get off the road then or that I'm a slow driver or whatever but that's not the case.

Just curious what the mindset is behind that sort of driving .

I’m cleaning the ceilings of a restaurant that doesn’t have a lot of space maybe about 1.5m in width. The ceilings are 3.6m high and require cleaning by hand so a long microfibre mop won’t suffice. Need thoughts on if it would be best/easiest to use a scissor lift or a portable scaffold?

Also thought about a platform ladder but need something I can stand comfortably on with stability. I’m about 190cm tall.

Basically title will it be harder for me to get an apprenticeship if I have a job?

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Still work a trade? Which one? Or would you choose something else entirely?

How hard is it to get an apprenticeship as someone with no experience? Looking to get into a trade like brick laying, concreting, tiling etc. I’ve asked a few people in person but been told it’s a down season and that as of now they aren’t looking to hire anyone new.
In Australia.

Your answer can be in the context of hardest on the body or also hardest on the brain / thinking.

No quote fee, no deposit, no acknowledgement. Just silence. And then three months later you see the job done by some unlicensed bloke they found on Facebook

I'm considering commencing a trade in tiling - however I have a concern when it comes to dust inhalation and what can be done to mitigate any negative health impacts from it (my parents knew a career tiler who developed lung cancer and lost half a lung and it's likely that it was from occupational dust exposure over the years).

My first question is - is it even possible to reduce all risk/exposure to dust or at least significantly reduce it?

And my second question is - what do you personally do? For example is it feasible to work in a respirator for long periods/or for all periods during exposure to dust?
Or would that be just too cumbersome and you'd get no where? And you just have to accept that some dust is going to be an occupational risk?
Thanks