I started my life as a mechanical engineer, staring out of a factory window looking outside thinking" if I worked for myself my bench would be outside in the sun". 30 plus years later I am a soul trader " Road Warrior" finish carpenter fitting mostly oak doors into prestige houses from the back of my rolling workshop with the sun warming my shoulders. "Life is Grand!"
😂. Hilarious acronym. Very well explained. Touching on your points of other trades before or after a persons trade is so important. Putting you head in the sand without care or knowledge of the next person burns my ass pretty serious.
A carpenter is a multi talented worker who gets paid very little, i have been doing it for fourty years and can charge what i want, do plumbing, tile,framing,finishing, drywall, plumbing, concrete, cabinetry, electrical,wood stoves and on and on. No tickets but word of mouth, i once had red seals measuring between each stud for blocking each piece was a different length on 16 inch centers, go figure how that worked out at the eight foot mark.
This is one of the top breakdowns on here, boggles my mind that this level of explanation is no where to be found on provincial government websites. 3rd year into carpentry and as I started out I couldn't find a breakdown like this anywhere.
don't feel bad fellow carpentry bro. what we do is rocket science to the un initiated. they hide behind their college degrees as if they are above the craftsman guilds. Just keep learning, keep pushing yourself to the highest level you can achieve and make money. What we do will be here long after we are gone. Our grand kids will appreciate what we do and thats more than most profession can boast.
they are just melding all sorts of terms for their bureaucratic system - these things are not truly carpentry it's ridiculous glazing of terms. We do most work under the table and that's the way it's going to stay - I didn't come out the womb carrying a card.
I started working for a spray foam insulation outfit while taking IT classes in HS. All my friends went into carpentry right out of school but for some reason that never really interested me. I thought welding was neat tho so I did structural welding for about 4 years all around the PNW. Currently doing commercial mechanical/plumbing for big buildings like schools, universities and fast food while also doing metal fabrication on the side. Most all of my friends that went into framing now have their own businesses doing things like dirtwork or finish work. It's pretty crazy what's possible without having a college degree.
I don't normally comment on things, but I have to give kudos when they are well deserved. I find you are an excellent, very refined, respectful, and an extremely humble man. I totally respect your talent, talks and teachings. Today that is a very Rare thing to come by. My name is Rick Policastro and I just wanted to encourage you to continue to be successful in any and all of your endeavors. Thank you again.
AMAZING VIDEO , it clears up everything I was wondering about what is a "carpenter " in Canada , I'm originally from France and Moved in Nelson BC 4 years ago and every time I asked a local what a carpenter is the answer never been clear at all . This video answers most of the questions I had, Thank you Ben !
Greetings from down the street! Listening to this video in the background while I do drywall, paint, and trims on a room I framed, wired, and plumbed for a friend here in (currently) sunny Nelson BC. What am I? A generalist? Always something useful from the Vancouver Carpenter channel!
I started as a rookie (FNG) in a framing crew. 40 years later and self employed for the last 28 I do everthing. Framing, plumbing, electrical, drywall, painting, flooring, and, lest I forget, trim work. It's just easier and more rewarding to do everything on remodel jobs. I have accumulated a ton of tools and knowledge by tackling everything. My retirement plan is to build a woodworking shop and turn out replica antique mouldings, doors, and other restoration components. Love old houses!
There’s also people like Me. I use to be in my younger days. I worked for my neighbor how owned a wood shop. We did many different things. Turning spindles and columns. Making light fixtures from wood. Making Billy clubs for police, rough and finish cut lumber boards. Table tops. Just about anything needed to be made from wood. Even high end woods, cherry, walnut, teak, mahogany, black cherry, and more.
I explain these different trades @ “specialty trades” to ppl like doctors. You have a GP, then you’ve got your specialty doctors: heart, gi, ear nose throat, urinary, & so on. That’s similar to how the trades are “setup”; imo, & a way to explain to ppl how things are. Great vid & did a good job w/ similarities & differences 👍🏻👍🏻 Cheers✌🏻
I'm a painter, but from the very beginning I had to learn to do drywall and texture, and then "cool-coat" roofing, and now I am going more and more towards carpentry (As many aspects of it as I can get into), and as I am slowing down because of my age, I am also getting into woodworking. Nothing like evolving, doing anything that you are actually interested into. Even if most of the time it is just work, and not necessarily enjoyable all the time.
In IATSE, the stage hand's union, carpenters roll big chunks off a truck, lift them up, bolt them together, and then do all that in reverse. Which might not sound odd. But their "electricians" match the numbers or letters on 2 pieces of truss, bolt them together and then find a male and female plug with the same color or pattern tape, and plug them in. Like one guy might have to switch off a 3 phase panel and plug in 5 plugs in a special order, then flip the panel on. That is about as technical as it gets. So, sometimes its not art, but sometimes the finished product is art.
A concrete former in the uk was called a shuttering joiner its great to hear the different names for the same trades world wide wether it be carpetry or cabinet makers all highly skilled in there respective fields i think the confusion comes from the lay person seeing joiner in the end of the trade's person's title just my tuppence on the subject 😉😃
Thanks for this great video Ben. As someone who started out doing form work, then framing and finally doing finishing work, including a lot of drywall along the way I can attest to the fact that not all carpenters stay within the bounds of one aspect of carpentry. My ancestors in Wales were ship builders and I'm always amazed at the level of carpentry skills those guys had building wooden ships while using pretty rudimentary tools (compared to today). It seems to me that those were the true craftsmen.
I've been watching your channel for years. Was a painter. Just became a carpenter. Glad I gained a lot from your videos before going into the field. A lot of hanging drywall for me (and insulation unfortunately). Thanks for all the content. Go Canada! Freedom!
I found your channel about 2 years ago, when the PEX plumbing in my house failed due to a manufacturer defect. I had to have the entire house replumbed, which involved cutting panels out from behind every plumbing fixture in my house. I decided to patch it all myself, and got on YT to find a good channel, and found yours. I watched about 10 videos, went out and bought all the tools I didn't already have, and went for it. I started off in a closet behind a door that no one would see, and even surprised myself at how well it turned out. Your videos are so easy to pick up skills from and apply them to my own problems. Great job!
He makes it look so easy. But in reality, finishing drywall is not as easy as it looks. It's nothing to slap some drywall mud on a wall, but it's an entirely different beast to make it look as good as he does. My Hats off to you Mr. Martin, because the hardest part of it all is having the nerve to do it yourself. As with everything, it all comes with time and practice (and many, many, many, many mistakes LMAO. Did I mention many mistakes? LOL)
Very interesting. I’m a total amateur. Been a diy guy for years, but not very good at anything. I just work it out. A few years ago, a woman came into my house, looked around at all my mad science, and said, “oh, you’re a REAL carpenter”. I told my brother that story and he still laughs at me about it! Love your channel. 👍👍😊
Great video explanation. Lots of overlap on duties by region and customs. My Grandpa apprenticed under his uncle in Ohio, the late 19teens. Over his career he did pretty much everything connected to home building except electrical and plumbing. Including masonry , concrete work, and plastering. Lots of built in kitchen cabinets then. Worked at a foundry during the war doing a lot of precision form work and concrete for large machine installations. Local lore had it that bets were taken on his precision and no one ever lost betting in his favor. After he retired he built a lot of furniture and got into refinishing as well. He was quite a man and a major role model for us all. I think of him every time I pick up a tool and love using those I inherited. Miss him every day.
Great video. Got a lot of people telling their stories of where they started and where they're now and how they identify what they do. There's also that group." The handyman" we know enough from start to finish but don't have a specific skills. Many started in the building trade doing one thing and like you wanted to do more. Then you tell someone I can do that, plus I have the tools, next thing you know your working for yourself.
Out of the Army I worked as a carpenter putting up pole barns. I always felt saying I was a carpenter was an exaggeration. That was the title the employer used. I had almost no training. Cool to now learn 40 years later that yup I was a carpenter. Thanks. Kind of interesting australia calls the trade "builders". More accurate maybe. I guess this all started hundreds of years ago when there was basically 3 materials, rocks, wood, metal and very limited use of those materials. In an area where there wasn't wood a mason would build a house. Places with wood a carpenter would build it, meaning the structure. All the other steps like rendering walls, roofing, etc...would probably be completed by whoever built the structure. Before so many things became specialized.
As a Cabinetmaker, I've spent a decent portion of my career correcting people when they introduce me to someone else as a "Carpenter". I take a lot of pride in being a Cabinetmaker, and I've also spent a lot of time thinking about the various trades that I consider to be under the umbrella term "Woodworker", which in this video you've used to describe a subset of tradespeople as opposed to my definition. I think that "Woodworkers" include Carpenters and Cabinetmakers, and if you think that Furnituremakers are separate from Cabinetmakers, then those are the 3 large groups. Within the Carpenters, I think that you find Framers, Formers, Trim/Finish Carpenters, and Wood Flooring Installers. I believe that flooring installers are a distinct trade. Within the Cabinetmakers, you have Assemblers, Sawyers, Operators, Joiners, and Installers. Most Cabinetmakers (including myself) are proficient in multiple "Sub-categories", and when you're a custom cabinetmaker (like myself), you tend to be very good at designing a project and taking it all the way to a perfect installation. CNC machines have become a big part of the trade and while I am also a CNC operator, I don't think it necessarily falls under Cabinetmaking. I'd wouldn't expect a CNC operator to use a jointer or shaper. Cabinetmaking is a very complex trade, and it's shocking that our Red Seal is optional. There are too many people who tack together IKEA cabinets and think they're Cabinetmakers. I think Furnituremakers and Cabinetmakers have significant overlap, but I think a Cabinetmaker could go their entire career and never build a table or a chair, or a bench. Likewise, I think a Furnituremaker could go their entire career without building a bathroom vanity box. As a Cabinetmaker, I would trust myself to build a strong house with level walls, square corners, and all kinds of things planned for that other trades wouldn't even know that they could benefit from. However, I wouldn't be able to do it on time or on budget because I'd be splitting 64ths of an inch and stressing about 90.1° angled walls. The ability to work within an acceptable tolerance while adhering to code is what makes Framers make money. I think that all of these sub trades have some or significant overlap, but I personally think it's asking for trouble to get a Framer to trim out your interior doors and windows, or to ask a Trim Carpenter to design and build a kitchen. I doubt you'd want a Former building you a harvest table, or a Flooring Installer framing your house. I agree with the sentiment in your video that we should all understand trades that come before and after us. Knowing why my kitchen floor is 1/2" out of plane and level over 8', or why a niche has 87° inside corners, or why a vent/pipe just HAS TO be in a particular place can both humble you and allow you to help others to improve their own execution on job sites so that we all work together and achieve greatness on our builds.
Excellent video Ben! I really learned something. Years ago my mom hired a carpenter to build an addition to her home. I was surprised he knew how to do it. I thought carpenters nailed things together. Now I understand.
Thanks for this video!!!! I did always wonder why you are the Vancouver carpenter but yet have so many videos on drywall. And yes, I thought a carpenter was a woodworker lol
So my dad was a carpenter… also handyman when true carpentry was lean. I personally love your channel because I never know what’s next. The dry wall videos were amazing, I feel I can face any reasonably seize home repair drywall and have because of you. Your content on door hinges ( rhymes with oranges 😉 ) also great. Fixed drawers great! Skateboard something or other shelf thingy, also great. … i coukd go on and on … Just do you, I’ll watch. Do the pateon thing ( see Rex Krueger not much math to see he us killing it there). Long story short, thanks for the content!
Thanks! I tried the patreon. I found it really hard to do anything extra for the patron's. It just never stopped feeling like begging buuuut, I am shelling out so much dough these days upgrading our new place we are renting it has crossed my mind.
@@vancouvercarpenter I watch woodworkers as well, they typically give away plans ( probably not a good fit for you), give access to a discord channel for discussion ( seems easy enough, doesnt have to be a time sinkhole), also you can give access to extended content ( out takes, longer discussions you probably cut out to keeo them at a good youtube length…) . As for begging for money, I never see it that way. You are teaching me how to do carpentry. Me spending 5 to 10 dollars a month seems exceedingly fair. Especially when I consider how much I have saved in not figuring it out on my owe in time and materials.
Just wanted to update about my kitchen remodel project at the dry wall stage. I messaged you about needing to possibly skim existing texture to match new dry wall finish and you commented back, thanks. It has taken me 5 days to tape and put 3 coats, light sanding each time. I am a electrician of 35 years, never done dry wall but was always around it my career. Thanks for the videos you made it possible to actually pull it off, looks great. The only regret I have is not watching the video of how to use and practice with the hawk and trowel, we don't use those here in Sacramento, but I did !!! thanks again Vancouver Carpenter.
I'm a union carpenter specializing in metal wall panels on high-rises. Been doing it for 20 years. Carpentry is a very vague and diverse term, I actually had to watch your videos to learn how to tape since I never had to do it other than a patch here or there.
Great general experience and knowledge! I consider myself lucky enough to have several years experience in all aspects of construction from concrete to roofing and specializing in finish carpentry for most of my career. I moved onto a more drywall and finish focus when my body started failing (probably because of the roofing and concrete work!). Found it was easier to teach my guys how to install and finish drywall and painting systems than it was to teach them how to do hardwood finish carpentry. It's been a good career and I feel like I know just as much about the process of building as most (residential) general contractors. Cheers!
I've been working in construction for 41 years now. And just like you, I've become proficient at pretty much all aspects of construction from concrete to roofing and everything in-between. Of course some things I'm better at than others. But I specialize in remodeling, and let me tell ya, talk about dealing with the "unknowns". Over time having to fix this and that, you tend to develop quite the skill set. And of course, those things we like doing the most we tend to be the best at. But when it comes to drywall finishing, well let's just say I still have lots of room for improvement. I do know my limitations though and when it's time to call in the specialist, this is why I like watching watching @Vancouver Carpenter, I have become much better at it because of his teachings.
I started with laying carpet and vinyl however Im a painter and drywall finisher by trade but I do everything for builders and remodeling hanging drywall,framing, finish carpentry, tile, siding, concrete, insulation,a little plumbing and electrical but not licensed but I guess I'm mainly a painter I wear whites and did a five year apprenticeship I can do residential, commercial, industrial and new construction and am chemical coating application certified so I'm rare good brush skills and spraying conventional,help,but mainly airless of course
I like that even though these jobs are similar to each other, yet they match with very different personality types. I hate drywalling and finish carpentry jobs, because it needs finesse, attention to details, so it is more of an art. I’m more like an engineer type, so I prefer building structures.
This was a pretty good break down, but definitions change from region to region. In Ontario, commercial carpenters are split into two groups, form and scaffold guys, and framing and drywall guys. So here, drywall is a carpenters work
I moved in Vancouver area 7 years ago, and after purchasing my house (new built) with inspection as subject of purchase, I realized the finishing quality was very poor. The inspector never flagged any obvious defects. I’ve redone most of them myself using your channel. Thank you for all your knowledge how to do it right. The housing market is shockingly expensive and quality of craftmanship (in my case) ain’t just there.
Not sure what a “woodworker” is, but does it matter? I think I’ve heard one of the differences between framer, finish carpenter, and cabinet maker expressed as tolerances (1/8”, 1/16”, etc). What expectations/requirements did you actually run into as you moved between types of work? And what would you call the craftsmen who used to build built-in cabinets on site - and those who install shop made cabinets? Thanks for the video.
Also a difference between residential and commercial- wood vs steel stud, baseboard vs cove base, doing suspended ceilings, metal knock down door frames etc.
Always say if I were to do any other trade (electrician by trade) 100% would've been carpentry, either framing or finish maybe both if possible. Always loved it and found it interesting. Wish in Ontario you could do the in school training without being registered. I know we all learn more on the job but at least in trade school you learn more of the theory and structuring of parts.
Thanks for this informative video. I have learned a great deal from you and it shows in my household diys. Could you do another video about your trade schooling? Why you decided on that career, what was the curriculum like? What about certifications and unions where you live? I am from a different career field and am curious about the trades. Thanks.
The way ive always looked at it is, if you work primarily with wood, but couldn't do your job without metal hardware, you aren't a woodworker (and are probably a carpenter of some type). Not that all woodworking is, or practically should be, done without hardware (there are times and places when cut nails, brackets, etc. are good and useful), but it could. To me, that's the difference (and yes, that would mean timber-framers are woodworkers in my book, but I know others would call them carpenters/builders, or something different, but im okay calling them woodworkers).
Me putting flashing tape on windows: “this isn’t really carpentry is this?” My dad without missing a beat: “who else is going to do it the night crew?”
I've looked back through 4 years of your videos and was wondering if you could do a video on finishing baseboard? You have a few but I have a long run and was wondering is it better to do as long as possible or miter pieces together? When dealing with the really long pieces it bows out when too long and always seems to be impossible to get it just right. Any hints?
For what its worth, tons of different opinions on this, but found a scarf joint helps. Cut at a 45 degree, glue and make sure you push on the baseboard as you go along tacking. If you search google a couple of helpful vids pop-up.
Great job I see you’re in the top ten percent of carpenters with an interprovincial ticket like myself. As you said about general contractors our trade needs to be a certified trade to work in like electrical or mechanical.Also to own a construction company it should be mandatory to be ticketed .
Hi David, I agree with you, All Construction companies should at least be run or managed by a certified carpenter, the carpenter is first on the job and last off the job, from forming the footings to hanging the front Door . The other trades are only on the job for a few days / weeks , the carpenter has to coordinate with all the other trades and suppliers , and building Owners / Buyers who change things along the progress of the job, this is learned through a proper Apprentship program and involving a variety of work,
Assembly system specialist!!! ASS. HA HA HA! Put that on your business cards and you can charge 5X times more :). Thanks for your video, I did thought that carpenter were only working woods
No, we are carpenters, though it is carpenters that DO the building, the builder is responsible ( and not always smart ). Gc are licensed builders. I learnt plastering because after a reno it was difficult getting someone to do me setting. I also learnt how ti install cabinet and replace benchtops because i knew how the systems work. In the US there are guys that start doing trim work amd call themselves carpenter. This isnt so. I can pitch a roof from lumber from scratch. I can also make coffee tables and book shelves.
A long time ago the red seal was optional in my trade in Ontario. If you got less than 65% on the final test then you failed and didn't get your ticket. If you got 65% or above, but less than 75% then you would have a ticket for Ontario but you wouldn't have the red seal allowing you to work in any other province of the country. Nowadays, if you get less than 75% you just fail. It's red seal or nothing. I'm guessing it's that way with carpentry, too. I'm a millwright, and I got my red seal, but have yet to actually 'need' it.
@@thebigmacd Any trade that isn't controlled (like electrician or HVAC) can strictly-speaking be done by whoever feels like it, but I'm happy I have my journeyman's card.
I was looking through your lots and lots of videos looking for one that showed me how to compute the correct compound miter cuts. For example, I want to build a ramp off of a deck. The ramp slopes at 2º, so I would lay the joist flat on my compound miter and set the angle at 2º and done! But a complication is that the ramp is also angled from the perpendicular by 7º, so is this just a matter of setting the miter to 2º and the blade tilt at 7º? Or is it more complicated than that? I’ve seen lookup tables for crown moulding that would suggest the angles I need to cut are much more complicated. How do I figure out which angles to set on my compound miter saw?
Okay. So, I just came across this. One important question: How were those pallets built into seating areas? That is great! Please, let me know. I subscribed a long time ago but I don't know how to contact you directly. OR.., anybody can answer my question. Thank you and thank you for a multitude of great instructional videos!!
That definition is what most of the world understands it as. In Canada, it is apparently defined as people that hang and finish drywall. Facts! I’ve seen it on RUclips!
Very interesting.I am a carpenter with 30 years and more experience And I have to say you will learn alot more than other trades as carpenter. First you will become the foreman over all trades and on to general foreman. Management
Good video. I've always understood the difference between carpenters and woodworkers but see no difference between woodworkers and cabinet makers. BTW I think the framers are the most skilled carpenters.
hey carpenter or carpintero, got a question, estrange for me, was in my bedroom and I listened a noise like a balloon pop out in the kitchen , later was around the stove and saw a whole on the wall, big like a size of big orange, do you have any idea of how that can happens? is a drywall. thank you.
Who builds steel-stud framing? It's a separate trade called "Interior Systems Mechanics" in Manitoba. However, my carpenter buddies can do it no problem.
@@vancouvercarpenter haha Yea started in carpentry here in Alberta and now working In firebag scaffolding. I do wish to switch back to commercial eventually but the money talks lol
Хобби
My father's sister worked as a framer... I called her my Carpenter Aunt.
I started my life as a mechanical engineer, staring out of a factory window looking outside thinking" if I worked for myself my bench would be outside in the sun". 30 plus years later I am a soul trader " Road Warrior" finish carpenter fitting mostly oak doors into prestige houses from the back of my rolling workshop with the sun warming my shoulders. "Life is Grand!"
I'm a Finnish carpenter 😎 We work with wood products.
😂. Hilarious acronym. Very well explained. Touching on your points of other trades before or after a persons trade is so important. Putting you head in the sand without care or knowledge of the next person burns my ass pretty serious.
And here are I thought the channel name was one of the greatest ruses of all time - hands down the best drywall channel out there!
A Carpenter is a member of a 70's brother and sister musical duo.
A carpenter is a multi talented worker who gets paid very little, i have been doing it for fourty years and can charge what i want, do plumbing, tile,framing,finishing, drywall, plumbing, concrete, cabinetry, electrical,wood stoves and on and on. No tickets but word of mouth, i once had red seals measuring between each stud for blocking each piece was a different length on 16 inch centers, go figure how that worked out at the eight foot mark.
This is one of the top breakdowns on here, boggles my mind that this level of explanation is no where to be found on provincial government websites. 3rd year into carpentry and as I started out I couldn't find a breakdown like this anywhere.
don't feel bad fellow carpentry bro. what we do is rocket science to the un initiated. they hide behind their college degrees as if they are above the craftsman guilds. Just keep learning, keep pushing yourself to the highest level you can achieve and make money. What we do will be here long after we are gone. Our grand kids will appreciate what we do and thats more than most profession can boast.
they are just melding all sorts of terms for their bureaucratic system - these things are not truly carpentry it's ridiculous glazing of terms. We do most work under the table and that's the way it's going to stay - I didn't come out the womb carrying a card.
I started working for a spray foam insulation outfit while taking IT classes in HS. All my friends went into carpentry right out of school but for some reason that never really interested me. I thought welding was neat tho so I did structural welding for about 4 years all around the PNW. Currently doing commercial mechanical/plumbing for big buildings like schools, universities and fast food while also doing metal fabrication on the side. Most all of my friends that went into framing now have their own businesses doing things like dirtwork or finish work.
It's pretty crazy what's possible without having a college degree.
Right on bro…it’s like playing in a band. You’ve got all kinds of guys, playing one composition…in harmony. 🤔🍷🎩🎩🎩
Thanks. I was one of the dummies who thought carpenter = woodworker. So I was wondering why you are so good at drywall!
I don't normally comment on things, but I have to give kudos when they are well deserved. I find you are an excellent, very refined, respectful, and an extremely humble man. I totally respect your talent, talks and teachings. Today that is a very Rare thing to come by. My name is Rick Policastro and I just wanted to encourage you to continue to be successful in any and all of your endeavors. Thank you again.
AMAZING VIDEO , it clears up everything I was wondering about what is a "carpenter " in Canada , I'm originally from France and Moved in Nelson BC 4 years ago and every time I asked a local what a carpenter is the answer never been clear at all . This video answers most of the questions I had, Thank you Ben !
Greetings from down the street! Listening to this video in the background while I do drywall, paint, and trims on a room I framed, wired, and plumbed for a friend here in (currently) sunny Nelson BC. What am I? A generalist? Always something useful from the Vancouver Carpenter channel!
Hey Ben. The faithful who watch you will watch what ever you create in your garage..Do not worry. Keep up the good work. 😃😀
I started as a rookie (FNG) in a framing crew. 40 years later and self employed for the last 28 I do everthing. Framing, plumbing, electrical, drywall, painting, flooring, and, lest I forget, trim work. It's just easier and more rewarding to do everything on remodel jobs. I have accumulated a ton of tools and knowledge by tackling everything. My retirement plan is to build a woodworking shop and turn out replica antique mouldings, doors, and other restoration components. Love old houses!
There’s also people like Me. I use to be in my younger days. I worked for my neighbor how owned a wood shop.
We did many different things. Turning spindles and columns.
Making light fixtures from wood.
Making Billy clubs for police, rough and finish cut lumber boards. Table tops. Just about anything needed to be made from wood. Even high end woods, cherry, walnut, teak, mahogany, black cherry, and more.
I explain these different trades @ “specialty trades” to ppl like doctors. You have a GP, then you’ve got your specialty doctors: heart, gi, ear nose throat, urinary, & so on. That’s similar to how the trades are “setup”; imo, & a way to explain to ppl how things are.
Great vid & did a good job w/ similarities & differences 👍🏻👍🏻
Cheers✌🏻
As a Licensed Architect in California, I appreciate this video. There is so much to learn about how the construction industry works.
I'm a painter, but from the very beginning I had to learn to do drywall and texture, and then "cool-coat" roofing, and now I am going more and more towards carpentry (As many aspects of it as I can get into), and as I am slowing down because of my age, I am also getting into woodworking.
Nothing like evolving, doing anything that you are actually interested into. Even if most of the time it is just work, and not necessarily enjoyable all the time.
In IATSE, the stage hand's union, carpenters roll big chunks off a truck, lift them up, bolt them together, and then do all that in reverse. Which might not sound odd. But their "electricians" match the numbers or letters on 2 pieces of truss, bolt them together and then find a male and female plug with the same color or pattern tape, and plug them in. Like one guy might have to switch off a 3 phase panel and plug in 5 plugs in a special order, then flip the panel on. That is about as technical as it gets. So, sometimes its not art, but sometimes the finished product is art.
A concrete former in the uk was called a shuttering joiner its great to hear the different names for the same trades world wide wether it be carpetry or cabinet makers all highly skilled in there respective fields i think the confusion comes from the lay person seeing joiner in the end of the trade's person's title just my tuppence on the subject 😉😃
Thanks for this great video Ben. As someone who started out doing form work, then framing and finally doing finishing work, including a lot of drywall along the way I can attest to the fact that not all carpenters stay within the bounds of one aspect of carpentry. My ancestors in Wales were ship builders and I'm always amazed at the level of carpentry skills those guys had building wooden ships while using pretty rudimentary tools (compared to today). It seems to me that those were the true craftsmen.
I've been watching your channel for years. Was a painter. Just became a carpenter. Glad I gained a lot from your videos before going into the field. A lot of hanging drywall for me (and insulation unfortunately). Thanks for all the content. Go Canada! Freedom!
Yes Freedom!!!!
I found your channel about 2 years ago, when the PEX plumbing in my house failed due to a manufacturer defect. I had to have the entire house replumbed, which involved cutting panels out from behind every plumbing fixture in my house. I decided to patch it all myself, and got on YT to find a good channel, and found yours. I watched about 10 videos, went out and bought all the tools I didn't already have, and went for it. I started off in a closet behind a door that no one would see, and even surprised myself at how well it turned out. Your videos are so easy to pick up skills from and apply them to my own problems. Great job!
He makes it look so easy. But in reality, finishing drywall is not as easy as it looks. It's nothing to slap some drywall mud on a wall, but it's an entirely different beast to make it look as good as he does. My Hats off to you Mr. Martin, because the hardest part of it all is having the nerve to do it yourself. As with everything, it all comes with time and practice (and many, many, many, many mistakes LMAO. Did I mention many mistakes? LOL)
Very interesting. I’m a total amateur. Been a diy guy for years, but not very good at anything. I just work it out. A few years ago, a woman came into my house, looked around at all my mad science, and said, “oh, you’re a REAL carpenter”. I told my brother that story and he still laughs at me about it! Love your channel. 👍👍😊
Great video explanation. Lots of overlap on duties by region and customs.
My Grandpa apprenticed under his uncle in Ohio, the late 19teens. Over his career he did pretty much everything connected to home building except electrical and plumbing. Including masonry , concrete work, and plastering. Lots of built in kitchen cabinets then. Worked at a foundry during the war doing a lot of precision form work and concrete for large machine installations. Local lore had it that bets were taken on his precision and no one ever lost betting in his favor.
After he retired he built a lot of furniture and got into refinishing as well. He was quite a man and a major role model for us all. I think of him every time I pick up a tool and love using those I inherited. Miss him every day.
Thanks, now I'm the ass. That's an oddly accurate description of how I feel during most jobs when I should have charged more.
Great video. Got a lot of people telling their stories of where they started and where they're now and how they identify what they do. There's also that group." The handyman" we know enough from start to finish but don't have a specific skills. Many started in the building trade doing one thing and like you wanted to do more. Then you tell someone I can do that, plus I have the tools, next thing you know your working for yourself.
Very informative & enlightening. Appreciate all your insights. Love your videos Ben. Keep ‘em coming.
In Canada it is one that does lots of drywall repairs
Thanks Ben, I feel your pain, I've been a carpenter for years and no one knows what I do for a living either
Out of the Army I worked as a carpenter putting up pole barns. I always felt saying I was a carpenter was an exaggeration. That was the title the employer used. I had almost no training. Cool to now learn 40 years later that yup I was a carpenter. Thanks.
Kind of interesting australia calls the trade "builders". More accurate maybe. I guess this all started hundreds of years ago when there was basically 3 materials, rocks, wood, metal and very limited use of those materials. In an area where there wasn't wood a mason would build a house. Places with wood a carpenter would build it, meaning the structure. All the other steps like rendering walls, roofing, etc...would probably be completed by whoever built the structure. Before so many things became specialized.
👍. Absolutely correct in knowing the before and after and the issues that can be caused or prevented
I'm a painting and drywall contractor . I really enjoy your videos, keep up the great work !👍🏼
As a Cabinetmaker, I've spent a decent portion of my career correcting people when they introduce me to someone else as a "Carpenter".
I take a lot of pride in being a Cabinetmaker, and I've also spent a lot of time thinking about the various trades that I consider to be under the umbrella term "Woodworker", which in this video you've used to describe a subset of tradespeople as opposed to my definition.
I think that "Woodworkers" include Carpenters and Cabinetmakers, and if you think that Furnituremakers are separate from Cabinetmakers, then those are the 3 large groups. Within the Carpenters, I think that you find Framers, Formers, Trim/Finish Carpenters, and Wood Flooring Installers. I believe that flooring installers are a distinct trade.
Within the Cabinetmakers, you have Assemblers, Sawyers, Operators, Joiners, and Installers. Most Cabinetmakers (including myself) are proficient in multiple "Sub-categories", and when you're a custom cabinetmaker (like myself), you tend to be very good at designing a project and taking it all the way to a perfect installation. CNC machines have become a big part of the trade and while I am also a CNC operator, I don't think it necessarily falls under Cabinetmaking. I'd wouldn't expect a CNC operator to use a jointer or shaper. Cabinetmaking is a very complex trade, and it's shocking that our Red Seal is optional. There are too many people who tack together IKEA cabinets and think they're Cabinetmakers.
I think Furnituremakers and Cabinetmakers have significant overlap, but I think a Cabinetmaker could go their entire career and never build a table or a chair, or a bench. Likewise, I think a Furnituremaker could go their entire career without building a bathroom vanity box.
As a Cabinetmaker, I would trust myself to build a strong house with level walls, square corners, and all kinds of things planned for that other trades wouldn't even know that they could benefit from. However, I wouldn't be able to do it on time or on budget because I'd be splitting 64ths of an inch and stressing about 90.1° angled walls.
The ability to work within an acceptable tolerance while adhering to code is what makes Framers make money. I think that all of these sub trades have some or significant overlap, but I personally think it's asking for trouble to get a Framer to trim out your interior doors and windows, or to ask a Trim Carpenter to design and build a kitchen. I doubt you'd want a Former building you a harvest table, or a Flooring Installer framing your house.
I agree with the sentiment in your video that we should all understand trades that come before and after us. Knowing why my kitchen floor is 1/2" out of plane and level over 8', or why a niche has 87° inside corners, or why a vent/pipe just HAS TO be in a particular place can both humble you and allow you to help others to improve their own execution on job sites so that we all work together and achieve greatness on our builds.
Made cabinets and framed, there's an old saying, you aint building a piano, unless of course you are.
CabinetMaker is a skilled joiner who makes furniture or similar high-quality woodwork.
It is so pleasant watching your videos. They are to the point, yet detailed and you stay on topic !! Praise Jesus for you sir. Blessings 🙏🏻
Thank you for this explanation! I have been genuinely curious and this cleared things up perfectly.
Excellent video Ben! I really learned something. Years ago my mom hired a carpenter to build an addition to her home. I was surprised he knew how to do it. I thought carpenters nailed things together. Now I understand.
Hmmmm Assembly Systems Specialist. ASS! Lol! Good stuff as usual, Ben.
Wow. I never heard it explained this well. I guess I'm a DIY A.S.S HAHAHA. Great episode as usual.
Well said Ben! Thanks for another informative video
Thanks for this video!!!! I did always wonder why you are the Vancouver carpenter but yet have so many videos on drywall. And yes, I thought a carpenter was a woodworker lol
Thanks for watching!
Good video on the different aspects of the job
Thanks for the video. You’ve taught me a lot about drywall and finishing as a framer. I’m a 2nd year carpenter going to be a red seal like you. Cheers
Awesomeness. Thank you
Thank you for sharing mate. Cheers 👍🇦🇺
So my dad was a carpenter… also handyman when true carpentry was lean. I personally love your channel because I never know what’s next.
The dry wall videos were amazing, I feel I can face any reasonably seize home repair drywall and have because of you. Your content on door hinges ( rhymes with oranges 😉 ) also great. Fixed drawers great! Skateboard something or other shelf thingy, also great. … i coukd go on and on … Just do you, I’ll watch. Do the pateon thing ( see Rex Krueger not much math to see he us killing it there).
Long story short, thanks for the content!
Thanks! I tried the patreon. I found it really hard to do anything extra for the patron's. It just never stopped feeling like begging buuuut, I am shelling out so much dough these days upgrading our new place we are renting it has crossed my mind.
@@vancouvercarpenter I watch woodworkers as well, they typically give away plans ( probably not a good fit for you), give access to a discord channel for discussion ( seems easy enough, doesnt have to be a time sinkhole), also you can give access to extended content ( out takes, longer discussions you probably cut out to keeo them at a good youtube length…) . As for begging for money, I never see it that way. You are teaching me how to do carpentry. Me spending 5 to 10 dollars a month seems exceedingly fair. Especially when I consider how much I have saved in not figuring it out on my owe in time and materials.
@@lincolndickerson1293 You may just see my account pop up again😂
Just wanted to update about my kitchen remodel project at the dry wall stage. I messaged you about needing to possibly skim existing texture to match new dry wall finish and you commented back, thanks. It has taken me 5 days to tape and put 3 coats, light sanding each time. I am a electrician of 35 years, never done dry wall but was always around it my career. Thanks for the videos you made it possible to actually pull it off, looks great. The only regret I have is not watching the video of how to use and practice with the hawk and trowel, we don't use those here in Sacramento, but I did !!! thanks again Vancouver Carpenter.
I'm a union carpenter specializing in metal wall panels on high-rises. Been doing it for 20 years. Carpentry is a very vague and diverse term, I actually had to watch your videos to learn how to tape since I never had to do it other than a patch here or there.
Great general experience and knowledge! I consider myself lucky enough to have several years experience in all aspects of construction from concrete to roofing and specializing in finish carpentry for most of my career. I moved onto a more drywall and finish focus when my body started failing (probably because of the roofing and concrete work!). Found it was easier to teach my guys how to install and finish drywall and painting systems than it was to teach them how to do hardwood finish carpentry. It's been a good career and I feel like I know just as much about the process of building as most (residential) general contractors. Cheers!
I've been working in construction for 41 years now. And just like you, I've become proficient at pretty much all aspects of construction from concrete to roofing and everything in-between. Of course some things I'm better at than others. But I specialize in remodeling, and let me tell ya, talk about dealing with the "unknowns". Over time having to fix this and that, you tend to develop quite the skill set. And of course, those things we like doing the most we tend to be the best at. But when it comes to drywall finishing, well let's just say I still have lots of room for improvement. I do know my limitations though and when it's time to call in the specialist, this is why I like watching watching @Vancouver Carpenter, I have become much better at it because of his teachings.
youre so humble and straight🔨💪
Great video, learned something new today thanks
Very interesting. Thank you for the knowledge 😊
My pleasure!
no sure how you always seem to come up with relevant information to pass on to us..... but you do :) Tks...
I hear lots of sighs, lol. Thanks for the information!
Interesting. My Canadian brother in law( a residential carpenter) doesn’t consider me a carpenter since I mostly do structural concrete.
I started with laying carpet and vinyl however Im a painter and drywall finisher by trade but I do everything for builders and remodeling hanging drywall,framing, finish carpentry, tile, siding, concrete, insulation,a little plumbing and electrical but not licensed but I guess I'm mainly a painter I wear whites and did a five year apprenticeship I can do residential, commercial, industrial and new construction and am chemical coating application certified so I'm rare good brush skills and spraying conventional,help,but mainly airless of course
Thanks Vancouver I often wandered what you were :)
I'm a dude
The thumbnail tells me carpenters are Canadian, and that's really all I needed to know
A great explanation. At least three times a year I get that phone call "You carpenter, you come fit my new carpets!"
Great video. It can be a little confusing to the uninitiated. I like woodworking and framing.
General contractor from Wisconsin…. I love this guy!
I like that even though these jobs are similar to each other, yet they match with very different personality types.
I hate drywalling and finish carpentry jobs, because it needs finesse, attention to details, so it is more of an art.
I’m more like an engineer type, so I prefer building structures.
This was a pretty good break down, but definitions change from region to region. In Ontario, commercial carpenters are split into two groups, form and scaffold guys, and framing and drywall guys. So here, drywall is a carpenters work
Very well said.
I feel your pain in those chuckles
I moved in Vancouver area 7 years ago, and after purchasing my house (new built) with inspection as subject of purchase, I realized the finishing quality was very poor. The inspector never flagged any obvious defects. I’ve redone most of them myself using your channel. Thank you for all your knowledge how to do it right. The housing market is shockingly expensive and quality of craftmanship (in my case) ain’t just there.
I totally agree!
Not sure what a “woodworker” is, but does it matter? I think I’ve heard one of the differences between framer, finish carpenter, and cabinet maker expressed as tolerances (1/8”, 1/16”, etc). What expectations/requirements did you actually run into as you moved between types of work? And what would you call the craftsmen who used to build built-in cabinets on site - and those who install shop made cabinets? Thanks for the video.
That was a really well said explanation.
Also a difference between residential and commercial- wood vs steel stud, baseboard vs cove base, doing suspended ceilings, metal knock down door frames etc.
Always say if I were to do any other trade (electrician by trade) 100% would've been carpentry, either framing or finish maybe both if possible.
Always loved it and found it interesting. Wish in Ontario you could do the in school training without being registered. I know we all learn more on the job but at least in trade school you learn more of the theory and structuring of parts.
Thanks for this informative video. I have learned a great deal from you and it shows in my household diys. Could you do another video about your trade schooling? Why you decided on that career, what was the curriculum like? What about certifications and unions where you live? I am from a different career field and am curious about the trades. Thanks.
Great idea!
thank you!
The way ive always looked at it is, if you work primarily with wood, but couldn't do your job without metal hardware, you aren't a woodworker (and are probably a carpenter of some type). Not that all woodworking is, or practically should be, done without hardware (there are times and places when cut nails, brackets, etc. are good and useful), but it could. To me, that's the difference (and yes, that would mean timber-framers are woodworkers in my book, but I know others would call them carpenters/builders, or something different, but im okay calling them woodworkers).
I would never connect cement form with be considered part of Carpenter but it makes sense
My favorite part of this video is that you chose to cut to pictures of pallets whenever you mention Pinterest. (Or, at least twice, anyway.) 😂
Thank you!!!!! I was really hoping someone would get it😂🙌
Good Stuff😎
Me putting flashing tape on windows: “this isn’t really carpentry is this?”
My dad without missing a beat: “who else is going to do it the night crew?”
I've looked back through 4 years of your videos and was wondering if you could do a video on finishing baseboard? You have a few but I have a long run and was wondering is it better to do as long as possible or miter pieces together? When dealing with the really long pieces it bows out when too long and always seems to be impossible to get it just right. Any hints?
For what its worth, tons of different opinions on this, but found a scarf joint helps. Cut at a 45 degree, glue and make sure you push on the baseboard as you go along tacking. If you search google a couple of helpful vids pop-up.
Great job I see you’re in the top ten percent of carpenters with an interprovincial ticket like myself. As you said about general contractors our trade needs to be a certified trade to work in like electrical or mechanical.Also to own a construction company it should be mandatory to be ticketed .
I've repaired more mistakes by certified red seals then i care to mention, not saying reds are bad but it doesn't make you a good carpenter.
Hi David, I agree with you, All Construction companies should at least be run or managed by a certified carpenter, the carpenter is first on the job and last off the job, from forming the footings to hanging the front Door . The other trades are only on the job for a few days / weeks , the carpenter has to coordinate with all the other trades and suppliers , and building Owners / Buyers who change things along the progress of the job, this is learned through a proper Apprentship program and involving a variety of work,
Assembly system specialist!!! ASS. HA HA HA! Put that on your business cards and you can charge 5X times more :). Thanks for your video, I did thought that carpenter were only working woods
I agree with you should know A bit of the trade before you and know a bit of the trade after you. I say it all the time
No, we are carpenters, though it is carpenters that DO the building, the builder is responsible ( and not always smart ). Gc are licensed builders. I learnt plastering because after a reno it was difficult getting someone to do me setting. I also learnt how ti install cabinet and replace benchtops because i knew how the systems work. In the US there are guys that start doing trim work amd call themselves carpenter. This isnt so. I can pitch a roof from lumber from scratch. I can also make coffee tables and book shelves.
A long time ago the red seal was optional in my trade in Ontario. If you got less than 65% on the final test then you failed and didn't get your ticket. If you got 65% or above, but less than 75% then you would have a ticket for Ontario but you wouldn't have the red seal allowing you to work in any other province of the country. Nowadays, if you get less than 75% you just fail. It's red seal or nothing.
I'm guessing it's that way with carpentry, too. I'm a millwright, and I got my red seal, but have yet to actually 'need' it.
You don't need a ticket at all to be a carpenter in Ontario.
@@thebigmacd Any trade that isn't controlled (like electrician or HVAC) can strictly-speaking be done by whoever feels like it, but I'm happy I have my journeyman's card.
Well said
I was looking through your lots and lots of videos looking for one that showed me how to compute the correct compound miter cuts. For example, I want to build a ramp off of a deck. The ramp slopes at 2º, so I would lay the joist flat on my compound miter and set the angle at 2º and done! But a complication is that the ramp is also angled from the perpendicular by 7º, so is this just a matter of setting the miter to 2º and the blade tilt at 7º? Or is it more complicated than that? I’ve seen lookup tables for crown moulding that would suggest the angles I need to cut are much more complicated. How do I figure out which angles to set on my compound miter saw?
It's going to be different and I would just make a guess on a piece of scrap and adjust angles till you arrive at the correct one.
Whenever I see the drywall guys on site covered in drywall dust and mud I think to myself "thank God I chose to be a carpenter and not a drywaller."
Okay. So, I just came across this. One important question: How were those pallets built into seating areas? That is great! Please, let me know. I subscribed a long time ago but I don't know how to contact you directly. OR.., anybody can answer my question. Thank you and thank you for a multitude of great instructional videos!!
What training, coursework, or tests did you have to take in order to get your carpentry card?
Totally agree.
That definition is what most of the world understands it as. In Canada, it is apparently defined as people that hang and finish drywall. Facts! I’ve seen it on RUclips!
Very interesting.I am a carpenter with 30 years and more experience
And I have to say you will learn alot more than other trades as carpenter. First you will become the foreman over all trades and on to general foreman. Management
Good video. I've always understood the difference between carpenters and woodworkers but see no difference between woodworkers and cabinet makers. BTW I think the framers are the most skilled carpenters.
I’m glad I only do framing. Other trades seem like more work.
hey carpenter or carpintero, got a question, estrange for me, was in my bedroom and I listened a noise
like a balloon pop out in the kitchen , later was around the stove and saw a whole on the wall, big like a size
of big orange, do you have any idea of how that can happens? is a drywall. thank you.
Difference between a carpenter and a woodworker... 1/16th of an inch.
Old joke, I know.
Who builds steel-stud framing? It's a separate trade called "Interior Systems Mechanics" in Manitoba. However, my carpenter buddies can do it no problem.
A carpenter is the guy that literally does everything on the job site
I'm an ASS, but I know nothing about contracting 😂
Can I get a oh yeah from all the scaffolders.
I'm not a scaffolder but I'll give you one anyway.......OOOOOOHHHH YYYEEEEEAAAHH!!!!!!!😀
@@vancouvercarpenter haha Yea started in carpentry here in Alberta and now working In firebag scaffolding. I do wish to switch back to commercial eventually but the money talks lol
BEN, I HOPE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY ARE DOING WELL ...