Hi,
Over the past few months I’ve been learning as much as I can about woodworking and using tools.
My goal is to someday build my own “green” home. So, I’d like to learn some general homebuilding skills.
The problem is I have a full-time job. So I really only have the weekend to learn.
Do you think it would be a good idea to get these skills by offering to work for a GC for practically for free or set up an internship?
What would be the best way to approach GC about this? Any other ideas/advice would be greatly appreciated.
best,
g
Replies
My thoughts are:with a full time job how could you intern and given limited time, how long would be your learning curve? My suspicion is that you will only be able to offer yourself as a laborer and wouldn't pick up much in the way of skills. Not to mention that the GC would have to pay a good sum in order to insure you. All in all, I doubt a very attractive situation for the GC. My advice (FWIW) is to start like most of us did, by tackling small projects for yourself and others, continue reading and hanging out here. Maybe volunteer on a Habitat project?
Good luck...
PaulB
Thanks for your response!
I just signed up for Habitat online. It looks like they don't need any volunteers in the New York, Brooklyn area right now unless you're really skilled. I wonder if there is another way to get in??? Maybe I'll just have to wait.
best,
starza
An apprenticeship is typically a very long and slow learning process, and doing it weekends would take you a lifetime.
I suggest looking into taking classes at a school for "green" building or perhaps a technical college.
You're profile doesn't indicate where you live. There are several building schools in New England. I teach sustainable design and building at Yestermorrow Design/Build School in Vermont. http://www.yestermorrow.org/
And, depending on what you mean by "green" there might be volunteer opportunities. There are many local and regional green building groups and associations, and people erecting straw-bale or cob homes often welcome volunteers to exchange their labor for learning about the process.
Solar & Super-Insulated Healthy Homes
Edited 2/25/2008 5:25 pm ET by Riversong
Riversong
You have any links to the cob homes that you mentioned? I've seen a straw house in Austin TX but I cant imagine what a cob house would be?
Doug
Google "cob homes" and you'll have all the links you can handle.
Riversong HouseWright
Design * * Build * * Renovate * * ConsultSolar & Super-Insulated Healthy Homes
good school, I took a class there in cabinet making some 12 - 15 years ago. I still remeber it fondly. How long have you been teaching there?"it aint the work I mind,
It's the feeling of falling further behind."Bozini Latinihttp://www.ingrainedwoodworking.com
How long have you been teaching there?
Three years. I started with a weeklong class in The Sun-Tempered Superinsulated Home, but have been teaching mostly weekend classes:
Efficiency by Design
Math for Builders
Engineering for the Home Builder
Plumbing Demystified
Tricks of the Trade
Foundations
Thinking Like a Mountain: Sustainability from the Ground Up
Riversong HouseWright
Design * * Build * * Renovate * * ConsultSolar & Super-Insulated Healthy Homes
Get in touch with your local Habitat. It's like a barber college - you can practice on someone else's home. You will also learn all phases of home construction if you get out enough.
Read the literature. Subscribe to JLC and FHB. Buy some of the construction texts that are out. Taunton has a very nice series.
Lurk on Breaktime.
The ToolBear
"Never met a man who couldn't teach me something." Anon.
I've been offered that a few times in my career.
One guy asked me to work for minimum wage so he could learn how to build. I agreed to let him work free under the following conditions: he be there every day at 7am, just like us and leave at 4:30 like us and that he finish the house that he starts with us.
He agreed. He learned a lot and eventually built a house. We put the roof trusses and sheathing on it for him.
I refused all other offers after that. It's just a waste of my time.
One time, the builder wanted to learn how to build "from the ground up" and asked me how much I'd pay hi to work on his multimillion dollar house. I countered and asked him how much he was going to pay me to let him work on it even though he was paying me to frame it. He laughed and I said I'd let him work free.
He showed up the next day with all new bags and tools. I had him hand pounding his own deck plywood. After four hours, he left, never to return. The next time I saw him I reminded him not to call me if his floor squeaked!
Bob's next test date: 12/10/07
well, you have the tools and the desire..
jump in, the water's fine
seriously...my wife and i built our first house before i knew how to drive a nail or cut a board or lay a brick
i'd bet you're far advanced from where we were
View Image
Edited 2/25/2008 10:47 pm ET by MikeSmith
Edited 2/25/2008 10:50 pm ET by MikeSmith
Mike, if that's your first: I'm impressed! Bob's next test date: 12/10/07
i was working marine construction ... couldn't drive a nail
my boss would laugh at me.. even came down one time to show me how to cut the stairs
he was real disgusted cause i didn't have a chisel to finish the step cuts
had to marry that girl when i found out she could sidewall shingle
( and her father made a mean fried chicken )
a year later i got laid off.... went to work for local builder.. and two years later i was in business for my self
i bet i've made every mistake you can make in this businessMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
"he was real disgusted cause i didn't have a chisel to finish the step cuts"If you had whacked off your guard and cut off the extended table, you could have shown him how to clean the corners with your powersaw! "i bet i've made every mistake you can make in this business"Hehehehe! I know the feeling. Bob's next test date: 12/10/07
wow.
great project. you obviously have some good design sense to pull that off.
did you learn from books or have gc's showing you along the way? what about plans? did you draw your own?
best,
g
Mike,
I really like the chimney being on a 45 like that. Makes flashing it a snap and I like the look a lot.
Hardly ever see it here -- I can only think of 3 or 4 nearby.
Walter
all those brick came out of an old mill in Taunton,brought down by my BIL in the chicken manure truck
so they had to be cleaned twice, once for the manure, and a 2d time for the mortar
i was lucky because another BIL was going to grad school at URI, he liked to stop over and clean brickMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Mike,
So you're a scavenger too !
I built mine with chimney lifts till just below the roof line -- then used used bricks for the top above the roof.
Is it common down your way to have it turned as you did ?
Walter
no.. i've only seen one more.. by an architect about 20 years later
that chimney is over a corner fireplace, so it just made sense to me to continue the lines thru the roof
Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
I like the idea of a technical college. They usually have night classes.
My girlfriend is currently enrolled in a construction class at Rogue Community College in southern oregon as part of a CAD certification. Its a great program. One day is classroom and the other is in the shop or in the field each week. Shes learned a ton in just a couple of months...starting to make me look bad when it comes to some of the technical stuff! Its good to get a little book knowledge to start with.
Id also recommend using some of those weekends offering to help friends with house projects. You may not always learn the best way to do something but becoming comfortable with even small jobs and tools is good.
As a GC I try to help out people who want to learn but your availability would probably make it tough.
Good luck!