I love metal working. Absolutely love it but I'll tell you I have a crazy admiration for carpenters. Especially the guys who do the super precise work. Not the guys who just built something in the quickest way but the guys Making perfect angles ,miters , peg and hole joints ect. Absolutely amazing to me. This guy's video is a prime example
But what about y'all ? What's a trade y'all admire ?
Yep. Im by NO means a metalworker but ive played with welding off and on for several years and you can often undo mistakes. My biggest fear in doing carpentry on a house is getting things square or even. I have seen plenty of amateur work and it will affect a resale of a home.
Wolfson, have you ever watched an episode of "The Woodwright's Shop"? Roy Underhill is a fine craftsman and does everything with antique tools. I have used a lot of techniques from his show to build things with modern powertools.
The ones who make their living from the wild. Commercial fishing most of the time, digging roots, trapping, hunting, finding arrowheads. Rare these days but they do exist
Utility pipe installers. Water mains, sewer mains and storm drain. Ive been working this trade for 13 years now but Ive been around it since I was a kid. My father and uncle run their own businesses. These guys that do this line of work are tough, especially the laborers. It is not for the weak or lazy. Ive seen many guys come and go that couldn’t hack it. Sadly it is rare to find younger guys that want to do this kind of work anymore. Im the youngest one on our crew at 32 and we can never find any younger help. This pic is a big underground retention pond we did up in Atlanta.
Plumbers are by far the best of the best and should be admired by all. Plumbers tend to be the best looking tradespeople. Honest, hardworking and talented beyond reproach. I could never fault a beautiful bride for deciding to marry a plumber!
I've posted this before and wish I had more pics of my work. It's what I used to do for a living. I agree with just about everything mentioned above. I appreciate anyone who does their job well no matter what the job is.
I'm an extra big fan of press brake operators that work part time in Dubuque, Iowa under a temporary hiring agency. I wish he would take pictures of his fellow employees.
I'm an extra big fan of press brake operators that work part time in Dubuque, Iowa under a temporary hiring agency. I wish he would take pictures of his fellow employees.
So pushing a button to operate a break is what's such super hard work...
The ones who make their living from the wild. Commercial fishing most of the time, digging roots, trapping, hunting, finding arrowheads. Rare these days but they do exist
I used to help a commercial fisherman in the Mississippi River and up rock river around the 280 bridge. This wasn’t his main income but part of it. The things they would use to fix something broken to keep from having to buy anything to replace it always amused me. We ran across another commercial guy often while out there, he was usually drifting for sturgeon. Fishing was his main income. I really enjoyed going along and helping but he is in his 80’s now and sold all his gear.
traditional wood working like Roy Underhill where you work with the wood and the tool often even making the tool, Timber Framers , and Machinists who can just look at something take a few measurements then make virtually anything. and I suppose black smiths.
My Grandpa was a stone mason built a lot of arch ways , chimneys , if you wanted a big fancy stone chimney in SE WI he was the guy you wanted to hire.
My Great uncle a Ships machinist , he could machine parts for any boat that came in to the ship yard. His Grandfather and Uncles built around 19 great lakes boats most of them from wood but a few iron clad
so much of what is today's construction is assembly of a building product
also tailors and seamstresses that don't just make alterations , My grandmother was an excellent seamstress of clothing and quilts and did boat covers and sail covers also. worked with the fabric in a way that wasn't just assembly
A few years back, I bought a 50 year old piece of farm equipment that had been running when parked. Was not running when I bought it. Powered by an industrial 318 Chrysler........we decided it needed to have the carb rebuilt. I got it off, went through a weeks long ordeal to find a carb kit to fit it.....but finally did.... then went looking for someone to rebuild it. Got the name of an old guy from a local shop and took it all in to see him.
So walked into the shop and there in front of a room full of machines and milling equipment........complete with various heads, blocks, valve sets, etc, stands this little sawed off runt of a guy.....about 70 years old......coke bottle horn rimmed glasses........and only one arm. A cig dangling from his lips. He looks at me as says....."what you got there........looks like an old Carter B&B off some 70's Dodge"? At a glance he could see what 3 auto parts store guys with computers had been unable to figure out. He had it back to me in a week and all I did was put it back on and it has run perfect ever since. Haven't touched a thing. They walk among us.
Any tradesman who is a true master at his trade. Craftsmen. Not your every day trade worker. They’re a dime a dozen.
This is very right. I worked in the tool & die business. I worked on and with Plastic injection molds, Die cast Aluminum molds, Draw dies, Progressive dies, plastic extrusion dies, all sorts of assembly fixtures and tooling of all sorts.
I have met and worked with hundreds of tool makers and of those I can pick out only a couple that were truly talented. I've seen lots of hacks that know how to get the job done but not much more. Rare are the ones that study the prints, figure out a efficient process of making the tooling and then go to work with minimum time wasted, knowing when something requires extra time and precision and when it doesn't. And even rarer are the ones when the tooling is done and its tried out for the first time know exactly what to do to tweek out the problems and make the tool a long running smooth piece of equipment. The ones that are always willing to listen, study and are always trying to improve themselves at their crafts.
You can spot this if you watch workers in any trade. They do quality work fast and efficient with a minimum amount of missteps or unproductive time. You can spot the ones that think ahead and work acordingly.
Watching skilled tradesmen work has always been a interest of mine.
I admire anyone that works with there hands. I especially admire detail oriented tradesman like finish carpenters, stone masons, machinists, autobody specialists, etc.
I enjoy watching a u-tube channel featuring a blacksmith. Might be Black Bear or something like that. He is talented and has the right tool for every job.
I enjoy watching a u-tube channel featuring a blacksmith. Might be Black Bear or something like that. He is talented and has the right tool for every job.
I'll bet you watch John Switzer of Black Bear Forge. He is absolutely talented, and as with most highly skilled craftsmen/tradesmen, he makes it look simple and easy. It ain't either!
I'm an extra big fan of press brake operators that work part time in Dubuque, Iowa under a temporary hiring agency. I wish he would take pictures of his fellow employees.
you forgot about his professional wordsmith abilities.
I'm an extra big fan of press brake operators that work part time in Dubuque, Iowa under a temporary hiring agency. I wish he would take pictures of his fellow employees.
you forgot about his professional wordsmith abilities.
The true master of his craft anything from wood , metal, stone etc. The other is a well oiled crew that can work flawless and fast is amazing to watch. Last weekend on Sunday afternoon and Monday i got to see a guy and 1 helper stucco the new house next to my moms. The young kid never missed a step and the guy doing the stucco was interesting to watch, 2 half day and the 2800 sq ft house was done.
Wolfson, have you ever watched an episode of "The Woodwright's Shop"? Roy Underhill is a fine craftsman and does everything with antique tools. I have used a lot of techniques from his show to build things with modern powertools.
Maybe not a "trade" per se, but the guys I admire are the old style fix and repair guys. You hit a tree with your farm equipment we fix that. Your vehicle frame rusty we fix that your dump truck tip over we straighten that. Grind, cut, shear, bend, weld, whatever it takes, as they Never ever see the same repair twice so everything is a one up, as we go figure it out make it work.
Our son in law owns a mechanical contracting business with roughly 60-65 employees. It is amazing to me to see how talented the skilled trades persons are and many are very skllled in multiple trade areas.
Wolfson, have you ever watched an episode of "The Woodwright's Shop"? Roy Underhill is a fine craftsman and does everything with antique tools. I have used a lot of techniques from his show to build things with modern powertools.
Prost......... er I meant fine carpentry. Its more an art than a trade. I have no idea how they work so precise with a material ( real tree wood ) that changes its dimensions by the phases of the moon, humidity and is gust generally bent out of shape for no reason.
I work in oilfield construction and I really like watching rig moves where they've got a couple tandem tri bed trucks working. I don't necessarily figure that truck driving is a trade or a art of any kind but watching those big sows in action is something to see. Much like a ballet but with man stuff.
My grandfather was a jeweler and also a clocksmith. Watched him work on everything from rolexes to Giant grandfather clocks in some very wealthy homes. Anyone that can deal with the tedious tiny parts it takes to make clocks an watches work is very talented. And PATIENT
Yall ever seen a crop sprayer weaving and bobbing through sets of power lines and tall trees next to the field he is treating? It's hard for me not to admire those guys skill and the obvious grit down in their craw
I respect all workers! Every trade to me are like cogs on a gear. Even trades that produce things for leisure activity. Over 20 years as a Master auto truck tech, Utility tree work in a bucket truck 2 years, 16+ years in golf course industry and now operator of a large fence post mill, wood treating plant, landscape mulch operation. Worked with many skilled trades over the years. Such a joy to work with Tradesman that take pride in their work! The guys that take pride in their work, know their worth, cost more, and are always worth it!
I like seeing the fitters weld up a bunch of stainless pipe... Love seeing those welds that look like a stack of dimes.
Anyone who can do precision machine work.
I've seen some plumbers who can solder copper pipe like it's an art form.
Gunsmiths.
My employer is probably the best electrician I've ever seen... He lives, eats, and breathes electrical work. Born to do it... and if you get him started he will talk about it for hours. I believe he wakes up excited that he gets to be involved in it every day.
Like others have said... Anyone who makes difficult skilled work look easy and has the work ethic to see it through even when conditions make it next to impossible.