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In the september 99 issue of fine homebuilding pages 52 to 54 our jobs of building folks dreams barely rated our job a little above a garbage collector..Well this is enough to make this guy mad..The way i see it carpenters are not paid enough and by this JOBS RATED ALMANAC, clearly not thought of enough to folks that are into the easy money..I for one love to take wood and turn it in to sonething useful, be it a dog house or fine kitchen cabinets..In my lifetime so far I have built wonderful places for people to live and play.. But I still know that my profession is a job that most folks could do but ——– Anyway I still love it when most of my female clients say,”YOU ARE A VERY TALENTED MAN”,I wonder if that was part of the criteria this guy Les Krqantz used.. Walt @ WOOD CONCEPTS
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Walt,
Joseph Fusco
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*Good afternoon Walt,Ditto for me too!God's son was a carpenter and we haven't looked back since.Gabe
*I never realized how much my profession meant to me until I had back surgery and was told I would never be able to work as a carpenter again. I now realize that it is a calling, not a job. This is a time honored profession to which few are called and fewer yet have the aptitude, work ethic and grit to stick with it long enough to become real carpenters.I salute you, all of you, who can look someone in the eye and say "I am a carpenter". But when you do, say it with pride. Demand the respect you know we deserve. Respect your peers, they are the only people who will ever have a true appreciation of your abilities. Those abilities are WAY beyond the comprehension of the average person.I don't need a survey to tell me how respected we are. I see it every time someone asks me to build something for them, every time someone asks me for advice. I see it every time I look in the mirror or my wife's eyes. That's enough for me. - jb
*Walt, Joe, Gabe, and Jim,Ditto and double effing ditto.I remember reading many years ago that carpenter was a respected profession rating up there with Dr.'s and such. I believed it then and still believe that today. When you take pride in what you do whether it's hauling garbage, catching fish, or coping crown it shows.I've always been a carpenter and always will be and that guy Les and his bogus research can go F*ck himself.Richard Max
*Triple ditto , I used to work with a guy who said he figured " carpentry was the most noble profession " , never could find any argument with that . Chuck
*Ditto squared (or mitred),You can tell Les for me that the next time he needs his house repaired to call the man who hauls off his trash. I have a lot of respect for those guys and for my fellow carpenters, masons, electricians, etc.Why do people think that working with your hands is bourgeoisie? I've met middle class people with more class than most.Ed. Williams - Bourgeois carpenter
*Like political polls they never poll mid america, It is the large cities on the east and west coast. Ask somone down to earth in the mid-west south or the great plains and they will more than likely rate working folks a little higher.
*When I looked at the poll I wondered about how they got the ratings too. It seems that it was from a question of "desirable" jobs, not valuable. I often wonder how the world would run if the crafts people were not available. In this forum, think about taking away the accountants or the carpenters. How would the world work? I think we could loose accountants before carpenters. I make my living pruning and removing trees. How many white collars could take my tools and get a tree on the ground without mishap?When you work with your hands, you are a laborer.When you work with your hands and your brain, you have a career.When you work with your hands, brain and heart, you are a craftsperson.Tom the Tree Guy
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Cool down Walt, Who cares what Les thinks....I just heard that one of the "high class" women's magazines still rates carpenters as the sexiest profession in America. (Don't know about Canada)
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Hey, relax guys. I wouldn't get too excited about the JOB RATINGS ALMANAC's listing of 250 top jobs. The criteria used to rate the selected jobs appears to be not a poll or a survey, but rather how well the authors feel the jobs met their arbitrarily selected criteria - i.e.: "Criteria for rankings include salary, stress levels, work environment, outlook, security, and physical demands". Thus to rank on top of this list, you need to be making zillions of dollars in a guaranteed position in a nice tidy environment with no stress or physical exertion. It says nothing about how sexy the general public feels you guys are (or even how enjoyable the job might be) - only that the author is very partial to jobs like sitting in front of a computer pulling in big bucks - jobs that are guaranteed to drive most active folks nuts. Honestly though, don't you really secretly desire to be an accountant and be able to wear a nice suit every day rather than work with a bunch of sweaty guys in suspenders that don't quite hold their pants up and have to carry all that heavy old wood around and run a bunch of noisy old saws and nail guns...
*I posted something about that a while ago; and for the record, it was cabinetmakers and carpenters.I'm not in a big city anymore, I live near a big small town on the East Coast of Canada, but the trades still get a lot of respect here. It's a working class place, people know what goes into getting something done, and a good tradesman (especially carps and cabinetmakers) is as respected as any whitecollar guy. It doesn't tend to be reflected in the pay, though.Put me in the "Stand tall, we're doing something special " camp.
*Hey Walt,maybe this clown Les should take a few minutes to look around and think what it would be like if he didnt have a nice dry, warm roof over his head the next time he sits down on his fat !@#$ to write such a bogus article!Im surehis home wasnt built by a garbageman.....but then again maybe it was!
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Mark Twain said something to the effect of:
There's lies, damned lies, then statistics!
What do you expect from a bean counter anyway?!
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I am not a carpenter, although everyday that goes by I try to figure out how I can become one. I work in the computer industry. I respect all of you folks, just like I do most people. Your profession is no better/worse than most. You don't deserve to be looked down upon. Don't worry about what the study says. Who cares?
I missed my calling in High School. I enjoy the carpentry work that I find time to do. Although with a family now, its a little hard to switch careers ($$$$$). Someday.......and I won't worry about what people might think!
Matt Campbell
*Matt- Maybe you've already done it, but I suggest you get some basic tools, make a little room in your basement or garage and start makin' things. It's never too late, the projects can start small, just do the best you possibly can and don't get hung up on details.I've seen too many guys start out with a hotshot project, get bogged down and discouraged and give up. Start simple, get a few under your belt, and work up to the larger projects. I guarantee you will enjoy working with your hands, building your confidence, and getting that sense of accomplishment with each project.Go for it! John
*Great point John! A homebuilt toybox, a treehouse, a soapbox derby car, birdhouses built with the kids... all are worthy carpentry projects, who's value exceeds the cost of materials. Matt, it's the caring enough to do the job that matters most. Have at it.
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In the september 99 issue of fine homebuilding pages 52 to 54 our jobs of building folks dreams barely rated our job a little above a garbage collector..Well this is enough to make this guy mad..The way i see it carpenters are not paid enough and by this JOBS RATED ALMANAC, clearly not thought of enough to folks that are into the easy money..I for one love to take wood and turn it in to sonething useful, be it a dog house or fine kitchen cabinets..In my lifetime so far I have built wonderful places for people to live and play.. But I still know that my profession is a job that most folks could do but -------- Anyway I still love it when most of my female clients say,"YOU ARE A VERY TALENTED MAN",I wonder if that was part of the criteria this guy Les Krqantz used.. Walt @ WOOD CONCEPTS
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Solomon said"as a man thinketh in his heart, so he is".
My way to deal with customers who are rude, haughty or condesending is called sur-charge,
attitude has a lot to do with the cost of the job.
brisketbean