How to become a carpenter & joiner
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从人类第一次使用工具开始，木工就已经存在了，如果从事具有如此悠久历史的行业对你有吸引力——而且你有制作和设计的天赋——那么你应该继续读下去……
Carpentry and joinery are slightly different disciplines - to put it simply, joinery is typically the construction of wooden fittings like doors, stairs, windows and furniture, usually done in a workshop using heavy-duty machinery like lathes and circular saws.
Carpenters on the other hand typically work on-site, installing the fittings made in a workshop, as well as handling other wooden constructions, like roof beams and flooring.
Though the trades are distinct, there is a lot of overlap when it comes to training and experience, and plenty of transferable skills.
A day in the life of a carpenter and joiner
Carpenters can spend a lot of time on site, working in two distinct phases: ‘first fix’ and ‘second fix’.
First fix carpentry is the cutting, shaping and assembling of a building’s primary structure, such as stud-walls, floors and roofing - so you should be comfortable with heights. It’s an important job and one where you’ll need to have a know-how for structural design.
第二个修复是一个建筑项目的最后阶段之一，添加最后的润色，这通常是一个细木工负责。这包括线脚，门，踢脚板和其他内部木质装饰，这是一个好的细节眼睛派上用场。
As a joiner you may work more independently, designing and making bespoke items such as windows, doors, and furniture, both inbuilt and freestanding. You’ll spend a lot of time in a workshop because the joining of wood requires the use of specialist machinery. It is considered a more artisan trade than many others in the industry, and if you wanted to set up as self-employed, you’d have to build up a good reputation to market your business.
If you want to work on larger commercial construction projects rather than simply in peoples’ homes, you’ll need a Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card.
Carpentry and joinery training
Carpentry and Joinery can be taken as two separate trades when it comes to training, but some may wish to pursue both and master the entire craft of wood-working.
Training can be taken across four areas:
- Site carpentry
- Bench joinery
- Shop-fitting joinery
- Wood machining
现场木工将为你现场木匠的生活做准备，在那里你将作为一个由各种行业组成的大型团队的一部分工作，构建一个建筑项目的所有第一个固定元素以及许多第二个固定。
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Joinery training will teach you the many ways of joining and crafting wood for the second fix stage of building such as staircases, architraves and doors.
Traditionally, you would start out as anapprentice花大约三年的时间来学习这门手艺，逐渐积累你的技能和知识;这将使你具备所有必要的技能和经验，成为一个完全合格的木匠或细木工。
Alternatively, you can take acollege course, and depending on your age and qualifications this could be free.
Other options includefast-track courses这可能需要长达6周的时间，成本可能高达3000英镑——但几乎没有什么能替代真正的现场体验。
Carpentry and joinery salaries
一名木匠或细木工第一年的收入有望在1.6万英镑到2万英镑之间，这将随着工作年限和专业经验的增加而增加。
一旦成为个体经营者，你的收入可以超过4万英镑。木匠或细木工的价格取决于工作的类型，无论是定制的，还是使用的材料的质量。
The average day rate of a self-employed carpenter ranges between £150-£200 and up to £240 in London.
The rewards in these trades could last a lifetime, as you would learn to master working with one of earth’s most important natural resources.
