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Discover more at first All dot co dot UK. Right. Welcome to
The Carpentry Show on Fixed Radio with Festal. I'm Robin Clevitt and joining me
once again on the Carpentry Show today are seasoned carpenters and friends of the show,
Sam Thomas and Sean Matthews. On today's show, we're going to have
some fun doing a fill in the blank style exercise about our trade and some
word association about our trade too. Fix Radio time to crack on. I'm
Robin Clevit with Sam Thomas and Sean Matthews on the Carpentry Show, and we're
going to be doing some filling the blank style exercises. Okay, guys,
happy, I'm with you, right, Okay, So we're going to give
an answer to each of these questions and then discuss our answers. Let's start
with tools. Sam, A few essential tools every newcomer needs are kettle.
Yeah. That's a pretty good, pretty good effort. Yeah, they have
to learn to make the tea. How about you, Shawn, A few
essential tools that every newcomer there'll be a bit more sense. But you're gonna
need your basic hand tools, aren't you. That's your when there's no power,
your battery is dead. You know, you've got to be able to
use a plane whose hands, Yeah, you've got to do it. I
think that the very first thing that I always like to see is someone with
a tape measure on their on their pocket pencil definitely, so they can at
least measure mark and then you know, maybe borrow some of the other stuff
that we've got on the side teaching about to use the saws, et cetera.
Okay, a brand new state of the art kit, Sean is worth
looking into. What do you say, a brand new bier. I've looked
at that shape, is it? Or? But see, I don't think
i'd ever buy you one. I don't know if I get enough use of
it, but I'd like to look at it. I like the idea of
it. I think that looks absolutely amazing. I know Gary Banks, who's
also a friend of the show, is a big user of that, and
it wasn't till he did something recently with it that he scanned an image if
you like, and it drew out, and because it looked complicated to me,
all those domino type things around. It looks complicated, isn't it.
But he demonstrated it on Instagram and actually I bought straight into it. I
thought, this is an absolutely brilliant bit of kit. We'll have to do
a show about that at some point. So Sam, a brand new,
state of the art bit of kit that's worth looking into. What do you
think I've got to be honest, I haven't looked into a new bit of
kit for a little while, only because I'll get it if I need it,
you know. Yeah. Going back to talking about hand tools, they'd
be the one thing I'd be fuming about if I lost my own tools.
You know, like your power tools you can replace, But some of my
own tools I've had thirty odd years, so I don't want to. I
don't want to replace some more or get something new unless it's really going to
benefit me. Yeah, And I would say for me personally, I've just
got my hands on a news to be the level, which is, you
know, the electronic in kilometer type and basically doesn't need calibration and it does
so many things. It's so worth having. You know, they've been a
bit bogus, haven't they these things? But this thing is absolutely brilliant.
So that was that would be a good bit of kit I reckon you could
get your hands on, Sam, your favorite tool. My favorite tool I
own is my hammer. And going back to just what I said, I've
had it. I've had it thirty years. It was the first hammer that
I've ever bought as a chip ay and I've still got it. You know,
your hammer didn't you from picking it up, And it doesn't matter.
You could have the most expensive bit of kitbout something as simple as your hammer.
Honestly, I'd be heartbroken if I lost my hammer. I would guess
it's probably a leather s wing. It's not a lever. It's one of
the first original blue hands, the blue hand. Absolutely yeah. Well mine's
blue as well because the level ones they rip, they go the little yeah,
they go get wet or whatever. But okay, Sean, my favorite
tool I own is Mine's myine Mathel trauksaw. And the guide rail's got to
be but there's not just one. I've got to have that alongside the keybex
chops on a domino. I'm indestructible. Yeah it sounds do you know what
I mean? It's kind of you are a purist because the TS fifty five
has always been an amazing bit of kit, and put it next to the
maffel, I know them feels more pricey, but there's it's got a tiny
edge on the TS fifty five. I'll give it the TS fifty five prior
to that, and it was one Tan vault and it was a little bit
underpowered filed, especially if the blade goes off. The My foul is a
real beast. I love the scribe function and it's a real amazing bit of
kit. Yeah, it certain Well, it's a really good question that because
there's so many decent tools. My favorite tool I own is Oh it's awful,
isn't it? Because I agree with you In a hammer front, I
mean, I've got an e swing. It's called it's called a big Blue
Okay. It's a really big frame of it's about twenty eight and it's almost
hangs down below my knees. I'm like a tripod when I've got that thing
on my belt. But yeah, I would say my hammer for me as
well, So Sean. A tool I would invent, if it was possible,
would be if you've seen Wallet and Grammart the new trousers when he got
the machine that gets him out of bed and into his pants. Oh yeah,
that's a ad. So some sort of device that lifts me up slides
me into my work pants the van Sam the same question. See. A
tool I would invent, if it was possible, would be came up with
a carpenter invention many years ago, right, but I wasn't sure it would
work. I love it. I love it, I love it. I
love it. I love it seriously, much like Shan's over there he likes.
I'd like something that could keep the van a bit tidier without it taking
four hours every now and then. Yeah, I would agree with you there.
It's we just don't get time to clean the van out probably or hoover
of the dust out in the layers of dust. Okay at all about me?
A tool I would invent, if possible, would be m This is
a really really interesting one. I suppose I would like to invent a chisel
that you never ever ever have to sharpen. You know it's going to be
of a material that is yeah, yeah, you know, imagine that,
imagine that just an edge that never ever when that would just be superb,
wouldn't it. Okay, So let's do some more about customers and working on
site. Next the Corpentry Show on Fixed Radio. This is the Carpentry Show
with Festival and we're doing a feel in the blank exercise all about our trade
today. So the telltale signs you're meeting a customer you don't want to work
for. Ah, okay, this is I'll answer this one first. So
the telltale signs for me are attitude. Okay, the first thing is attitude
and how they communicated with me in the first place. If someone says to
me, I know someone, here's their number, give them a ring.
I'm not going to give them a ring. I know it sounds really arrogant,
but I want them to ring me. I want them to be really
keen on ringing me. I've never ever wrung anyone. If someone said,
here's their number, give them a ring. And it's not I suppose,
it's just I want people to know that they're really keen, you know.
And then when I get around there, you know, I'm a bit of
a judge of character. If I see someone's house is really untidy and things
are messy, I think that their finances might be like that. And I
don't know whether that's a generalization that I've just managed to associate with other things,
but I do think that that's a thing. I have worked people who've
got messy houses and dirty houses, and they don't pay on time. They
haven't got the money. So Sam, the tell tale signs that you're meeting
a clant you don't want to work for are given my things are probably the
first sentences out of their mouth with me a lot of the time. And
if it's something like I've looked on Google or I was going to do it
myself, but yeah, or it shouldn't take you long. Yeah, they're
always sort of alarm bell, isn't there for me personally? Yeah? That
one it won't take long. Yeah, that's a classic. And for you,
sure on the tell tell signs that you're meeting a customer that you don't
don't want to work for are definitely the time aspect when they say this isn't
this is only going to take you a day, This is a day's work,
and it's clearly not. Or they're trying to instruct you on I know
this is not expensive, and it is, yeah, you know, so
you kind of gauge from that. They're sort of if they're open and like
ready to take your view and your your sort of idea of what you're going
to be actually doing for them and listen to it. And you know,
I'm willing to like sort of listen to them. But if they're sort of
in the beginning telling me this isn't going to take you very long and it
shouldn't really cost me very much. I'm not trying to charge anybody anymore.
You should, but they're already telling you I'm not going to pay you.
Done, definitely red flag that one. These ones are the ones that they're
willing to be led by you and yeah, listening and if they will tell
you the job and then I'll say, right, well yeah, and then
then they'll go, well that's what you want you to do? Yeah.
Usually start off with them saying, what's your dream, what's the vision,
even if it's just you know, an alcohol camera on staircase, what is
the what's your ultimaton? And if they're giving you feedback and then you know,
then you start to get a rapport them. You feel comfortable, they
can bounce off you. You can tell them what kind of can't be done
that customer. I want to work with the people who are too. It's
not only going to take you half a day. You know, I'm out
of the totally agree on those things. Guys totally agree. So let's talk
a little bit. We've talked about customers, let's talk about Subby's co workers
and other trades we work with. So in my case, I really if
I've got a new Subby coming on board, let's say they've been recommended to
me and we've agreed a price for some work, I'm then just looking for,
obviously, the punctuality, the keenness, How how good is their paperwork?
Did they get me the price out on time? Was it in order?
Did they describe everything? Have? I got confidence in them? And
that's the same for coworkers. So what I expect from the small group of
people who work around me is punctuality with It's an unwritten rule. You know,
if someone turns up ten minutes late, if that's the only time they've
been late, and it's a genuine reason, there's an accent down the road,
that's fine. I'm not going to lose I'm not going to lose sleep
over it. And also sometimes they work late, so I don't mind a
bit of give and take. But it's just the normal things. Like when
I'm working with a subby, I want them to be engaged and buy into
the work. I don't want them to get there and think, oh,
I want to be done by two o'clock, I've got to go by two,
or tearing around or saying ah, that wolve's not ready. Over there.
You say it be ready, and I said, look, it hasn't
been ready because someone something's gone wrong or whatever. Just a good atmosphere,
that's what I like. What about you, Sam, What are the kind
of traits you look for in coworkers, subbys and other trades. Yeah,
much the same as like reliability, honestly, flexibility, someone you can brainstorm
with if there's a problem. Just basically good people. I'm lucky that the
majority of the people I over work with us in subby's or different trades on
jobs. They're all now we've worked together so long. They're friends of mine
more than you know, more than coworkers. And when it is your friend,
if it's your friend, who's your plumber and you need him on a
job, you can bring him up and put a bit of pressure on him
and say, listen, mate, you know on aga you're going to do
me a right favor if you can get in here tonight. I know you're
busy, but if you could call him for half hour after work, and
just if you could do that, then we can push the job on tomorrow.
And if they're your friends, you can get away with that, can't
you, Absolutely absolutely sure? And the same sort of question to you that
what are the kind of things you look for in Subby's co workers? Yeah,
trade, so definitely the honesty and reliability. If somebody says they're going
to be there, you know, be there unless there's something really out of
the ordinary, because it kind of cocks everything up for everybody. I want
them to be passionate abot what they're doing, they said, and interact with
you if there's a better way of doing it, and you can sense that
there are. You know, I work with some really good subcontractors and different
trades and they'll tell you what. I'm an electrician and this is what I
think would look good there, and if you could drive it to this else
so I can get a cable in there. Yeah, and I love that
nobody cocking it up for the next guy coming behind. That's why I'm looking
for like team players that don't just everyone can turn up and think I can't
do my job because you're looking for an excuse to get out the door before
you start, and you just think that's that's not for me. We want
to There's going to be problems. There's going to be times when I really
need you, but I won't lie to you. I don't need you there
that day, I'll say it's fine. You know, I won't lie when
I know of other contractors or just saying we just get them there, get
it done. I'd rather have that flexibility with them as well. But like
I said, working through the problems, that's a biggie for me. I
think a lot of it boils down to like Sam was sort of intimating about
his relationships, and you build these relationships and you can call on each other,
but it's a two way street. If you're an ass and you don't
pay people on time, or you know, you sort of like treat them,
I think you should treat people how you want to be treated. Okay,
it's a bit of a cliche that, but when I started real young,
so I started having sort of subbies helping me. When I was about
twenty one twenty two, I had the gift of the gab and I was
able to get the work. But I needed a couple of chippies and my
brother in law Carl, and he was two years older than me, but
he would jump on with me. And then we got this bloke from the
paper it was a recession in the late eighties the early nineties. He drove
all the way from Essex every day to come and do work with us.
Brett his name was. He was a fantastic chippy, like proper old schools,
about ten or fifteen years older than me, had a proper sort of
introduction to the trade. And he came on with us a couple of jokers
and we were doing this big pub reefer pro geezer who was a bit of
a mad one, but there you go, and it was a great It
was a great job. One day he said to Carl, who is this
bloke I'm working for? He didn't know he's my brother in law. So
it's kind of like I had a bit of an ear on the inside.
But what came from that was he couldn't get me because he's not like a
boss, is he He's not like, how could I be a boss at
twenty one twenty two to a guy who's got fifteen years more experienced than me,
who's an absolutely fantastic And I think I learned from that age how to
grow a group of people, if you know what I mean, and treat
people well. Okay. Something you must never tell a customer, Sam where
a spirit level with years ago when I was an apprentice. He was a
plaster on about and he said, and you know when you just never forget
things to you. We was packing that one day and he went to me.
He went, Sam, he said, hide anything that resembles a straight
edge, he said, because the minute we leave this job, he said,
they'll have it out. They'll have it on the doorframes, they'll have
it on the kitchen units, they'll have it on everything, he said,
and they'll come in tomorrow and start saying, this looks like it could be
a millimeter out. I love that. I love that. And about would
you reckon Suran? Something you must never tell a customer is the materials labor
splood. Yeah, because you want to make your money. I don't like
breaking it down to the money. You know, that's an element of profiting
there, and when things go wrong it takes me longer. I'm not on
their back every two minutes, say and that's actually it's extra. But that's
the price, and that's the materials on the labor. It's one of them
minute can you can you give me a price for it and then break it
down? Yeah, how long are going to take you? So they can
recreate that back to twelve if you want the job done and it's nothing if
you love but I love that one. That's a classic. But you're dead
right though. We all forget as like artisans trades people, that we're allowed
to earn a profit. And yeah, the clients think what's your day rate?
What's your day but they think they're talking our language. They think by
saying, oh, how much is your day rate? Hold on a minute,
I'm working. You're a punter, I'll charge you for the job sort
of thing. And I very rarely work on the day rate, and if
I did, it would be it'd be more money sort of thing. Yeah,
it's a classic. Okay, the best relationships that you'll make in our
trade are Sam. I think the two main important ones are, like what
we spoke about earlier, are your colleagues and be your suppliers, the guys
you're getting your gear from, because if you can build up a good relationship
with them, you'll end up getting better deals. And if you get good,
good relationships with colleagues, you can squeeze, squeeze a little bit more
out of it, out of each other, out of the team. So
yeah, I think that that's fundamental and for you, Sean, the best
relationships you'll make in our trade are I agree with Sam, definitely you were
colleagues bes, you know, being able to bend any and say please come
and do it, get us out there, you know, get some other
spot, and also being able to do that for them. Again the supply
is yeah, because when the deliveries are later, you don't need to be
screaming down the phone swearing it is what it is. But then when you've
got a problem, you can call on them and they're going to be a
little bit more helpful. On the last one, obviously, I want the
customers happy, you know, I want to bump into them, and when
I'm out shopping with the kids and smile and they go, sure, I
know this is the kids. You're not cringing and hiding down, And I
are thinking I should have gone back and readjusted all the kitchen doors when I
couldn't be asked, and I've bumped into an insane shouldn't have left the straightage
out? No, I agree, I agree. I think it's hard not
to disagree with both of you there. You know, you've got to keep
your subby's, your staff, the suppliers especially, I think you're dead right
there because if you call them and say I need something tomorrow, more likely
to do it, aren't they. You know, pay the pay your bills
on time. I also think it's really key to have good relationships with your
accountant, people that you really rely on in terms of advice. You know
and value those relationships because I reckon that the most when I'm thinking back through
my career and the awkward situations I've had with regards to buying and selling property.
The core people like your lawyer. Having a good relationship with a really
good property lawyer, for example, or a really good financial advisor or a
mortgage person is absolutely essential, you know, in the long term, as
well, so, yeah, let's not overlook those The Carpentry Show on fixed
radio. You're listening to the Carpentry Show. I'm Robin Klevick with Sam Thomas
and Sean Matthews, and we're doing a little bit of a fill in the
blank exercise about our trade. Sean, the hardest thing about working in the
construction industry is, I think the economic climate at the moment. I know,
I keep going back to, but the interst rates. I really do
think unless the government sort out you know, the cost of borrowing and then
eventually our work, you know, we're going to really feel a pinch.
I agree with you there, Sam. The hardest thing about working in the
construction industry in the UK is for me at the minute, and it's probably
only the last few years I've started to think about it is the strain on
our bodies. Yeah, and none of us again, none of us as
much as we'd like to think where we're getting a bit younger in this where
none of us are, and you just kind of think that it does creep
into my mind out how many more years have I of going on as I
can go on to I absolutely agree with you there. And even though there
are some new technologies like the Festal exoskeleton, the Exoactive that's coming out,
which I actually have one on test, and people have put something on socials
and I've been ribbed for it as well, you know, people saying,
oh, you turn up on site with that, You're going to get laughed
off site. But I'm telling you, I'm fifty three. I need to
work. See, I'm at least sixty five. I've not got a massive
pinch or anything like that. And I used to tax ceilings, you know,
last all seeings with my arm up in there all day long holding those
boards. And with that exoactive you can do It's not that you can do
more, Okay, it's not going to lift heavier weights. It just takes
that strain out and or you know, the next day you're definitely not aching.
So I do think that some of the new technologies are going to help
us. I think the hardest thing about working in the construction industry. One
of the hardest things is keeping our tools safe, keeping our stuff safe,
our materials safe, whether it's the weather or tool theft is absolute nightmare.
So there you go. So one thing we could do better as a trade
and an industry, Sean is, I'm really clean and tidy in our work,
but I think I see so many trades that are sort of leaving mass
everywhere, which winds customers and continually gives us a bad names. So as
you mentioned building work, people cringe and think my house is going to be,
you know, like a war zone. Yeah, it's very true.
Sam. One thing you think we could do better as a trade and industry
is is in our game, especially introducing more people into it, which we
touched on last week. But yeah, I think we are running out of
skilled labor. Yeah I would. I would concur with that. I think
that one thing we could do better is definitely training. I think there needs
to be a much more joined up approach and also I think we need to
champion the career a bit more. But what holds me back is the fact
that the job security or the job in security is so you know, if
you've got a son or I know you both, you've got a son,
You've got a son, you know, do you ask yourself the question do
you want them to have to go through your work in life? No,
you'd probably want them to go and have some job security, have an annual
salary, six weeks holiday, health insurance, potentially a coupley and all those
things. Would you you're not in a way here, you're not doing away
in the studio. So I do think that, yeah, that we need
to change the way things are done. We need a bit more respect from
industry. I think people you know, if you go to Norway, the
carpenter's really respected. In Germany, they're really respected. They earn very very
good money, similar to a doctor or a lawyer. And I think we
need to have, if possible, that kind of thing here. I'm not
saying we're going to take the mickey out of people, but it just needs
to be a little bit better. Okay, So Sam, the thing that
worries me about the future of construction and our trade is is the cost cut
inside of things where especially in these these massive companies that are doing It's like,
for instance, all the new builds where you know everyone's trying to make
a profit. But I think there comes a fine line between profit and safety,
or profit and quality and quality and cost cutting and stuff like that.
And it's not so much sort of the one man bands, but I think
these bigger, the bigger companies that are doing a lot of these, say,
for instance, the new housing estates and stuff like that. I think
the quality is suffering because of the of their cost cut inside of things.
Yeah, do you know what they call it? Value engineering? They you
know, they don't. They won't use the term cost cutting or profiteering or
raising our bottom line for the shareholders. They got it value engineering, which
basically means the cheapest rubbishy timber that they can find, which is useless,
and they want us on the price to go and stick it up. Then
they'll come around with the straightage that we talked about and say the walls not
straight, the timbers use this, you know, And yeah, you're right,
and we're the guys that's taking it on the chin. Sean. The
thing that worries me about the future of construction and our trade is a really
valid point. But again going back to the lack of apprentices and the lack
of structure bringing the young people up through the industry. You know, you
mix that up with you know, the bad economy, and like you said,
to young people, they're not encouraged to come into the game as much
as they should be because maybe the financial rewards are not there for the for
the masses sort of thing. You know, if you do manage to make
it, you can make decent money. But there's a lot of people that
don't. I know. You know, this makes me think about mental health
in our industry. You know, everyone's talking about health and safety. We've
mentioned that in our little community today, didn't we Where everyone's talking about health
and safety this, health and safety that, and then they know how many
people have potentially lost their life through an accident in construction, and I think
someone poignantly said that actually they have no real record of how many people have
actually taken their own life due to stress working in the building trade, the
financial suffering that sometimes you have to go through. So yeah, that's really
a really good point. Okay, then back to a bit more fun Sam.
I think being a carpenter it's a great career because I think we're lucky
in the fact that we should always be able to get a bit of work.
There's you know, hopefully there's going to be no computer that can take
our work AI. Yeah, well hopefully not in our life. So yeah,
you know, i'd like to think that we'll always be in demand with
a little bit of luck. Yeah, I would like to agree with that
and Sean, I think being a carpenter is a great career because I think
the variety where it can take you. I started off obviously through my apprenticeship
and did the normal type work, and I've built loft conversions, I've done
kitchens. Are now in the l latter end of my career. You know,
I'm refurbishing a twelfth century castle. Yeah, that sounds amazing, as
get much more varied than you know, sort of restoring Queen Anne's skirt.
Skirting in the bedroom is crazy, you know, So the variety. And
again, if you get in, you get back at what you put in,
you know as be willing to work hard and get my head down and
try and learn your skills. And if you're that type of person you get
into this trade, you know, it's an open book. I would agree.
I think being a carpenter is a great career because, yeah, you
get some really good job satisfaction. In fact, the satisfaction of making something
far out weighs the reward financially. I think when you can wear yourself out
in ten hours building a structure or something, and then step back, you
just get this really good sense of achievement. And I think it's kind of
primeval in the sense that hunter gathering, building, creating, making. And
I know for a fact a lot of my clients, who are sort of
professional people, you know, lawyers or whatever, they look at what we
do and they and with this kind of like oh, you know, they
just think, Wow, You've got all these amazing noisy tools and great big
hammers, and you're building this stuff. And I wish I could do it,
and they genuinely do. And I look at him, I wish I
could be your bank. Recently worked for a surgeon and I just finished the
staircase and he grabbed me and just said, I really admire your skill and
how accurately you cut. And I saw you're a surgeon. He said.
Everything you're doing is on show. He said, I stitch them up and
it grows back. I love it. What an honest man. Okay,
let's finish with some word association. Next, you're listening to Fixed Radio,
the Builder station Fix Radio. I'm Robin Clevitt wrapping up today's carpentry show with
Hello Carpenters, Sam Thomas and Sean Matthews. So let's end this show today
with some simple word association So what I'm going to basically do is say one
word and you guys are going to say the first thing that springs to your
mind about our trade. Okay, when I give you these, I'll start
you off. I'll say hard work, and I'll say every day, Sam,
hard work some customers. Yep, Sean, hard work never killed anyone?
Well, wont hurt you should be bad. It probably has killed a
few people. Okay. Rewarding I'll say mostly rewarding, Sam, can be
rewarding Sean. Yeah, when you when you've got it perfect, when you
get it as perfect as you can. Yeah, that that's rewarding. Okay.
A similar word to that, worthwhile I would say, yes, it
is fairly worthwhile Sam. Worthwhile, I'd agree worthwhile and Sean, worthwhile?
Can you add to that for jobs worth doing? This is worth doing?
Well, so yeah, it's worthwhile. Oh this is a classic frustrating.
Absolutely. There are so many frustrating things. I mentioned weather, I mentioned
tall theft, but it's even things like, you know, things not turning
up on time, so frustrating, Sam, Yeah, along with it's many
other trades that frustrate me. More to do with my trade that something,
something's either holding you up or stopping you doing something. Yeah, plasters spring
to mind, love it sean frustrating overpaid electricians. Definitely frustrating leaving a mass
paid all that money, you can't even be asked to tidy up. Oh
I can't agree there, because Colin is my sparky and best friend. He
is so tidy. I think I learned how to be tidy after he's seeing
We always got a little carrier bag and you know where they make all their
ends off, and there's all those little tiny tales of part They don't go
up the vacuum or anything, but they all go into a little bag and
everything. So I do think that in my case, I'm lucky that.
Okay, the next word is money, and I will say after that,
the first thing that comes to my mind about money is it's a necessity that
we can't avoid and it is the thing that drives most pressure in my life
and possibly a lot of other people's lives as well. Sure, money,
yeah, always, you know, we could always do with a bit more
of an enforce the society and we're in you know, it is money driven.
But yeah, obviously we need need to be paid a little bit more
for what we're doing. Yeah, agreed, worthwhile it's a difficult job,
should be recognized absolutely, and Sam money, yeah, money, Yeah,
we're all at the end of the day, we're all driven by in it,
but I try not to let it be my keeper. Yeah, and
I and I echo that you mentioned that in last week's show about you know,
how you get the work life balance right, and I think that's really
good. Coming onto the next word, stressful, Yes, it can be,
but I think that it depends on us as people. So Sam,
stressful if you let it. It can stress you out too much if you
let it, so just try and take a step back and don't let it
stress you out as much as it could. Stressful, Sean, definitely.
But then it's managing their stress and sort of doing all you can in preparation
to avoid these, you know, stressful situations and not lose your rag overy
you know. Yeah, manage our stress absolutely. And the next word is
fun. Yes, we've talked about banter on sites. We often talk about
banter, and I think that the camaraderie that you have. I sometimes look
forward to going in No innight, I'm going to see a particular person because
the last time I saw them. We had an amazing fun you know,
eight hours of banter with someone. Gary, my heating engineer, is the
funniest person on the planet. Yet he doesn't have much personality and if he
probably will be listening. He loves listening to fix. But when I say
that, he knows I'm joking, okay, because he's the most funniest person,
and he's the person I often say things like, Oh, that looks
all right, it'll do until the proper guys get here. But he said
that to me. I think I was making an oak staircase, and it
was one I put a lot of effort into his abuse where everything was really
on point, and he turned up and he just walks past, sort of
glances at it and says, well, I suppose that'll do till the proper
boats get here, you know what I mean. It's things like that that
he says. So Sam fun always always, and it's I think if you
can't go to work and have a laugh at work, then you're in you're
in the wrong job. Absolutely sean fun, the camaraderie with you with your
workmates. To know, I've been stood in the gazebo with my other chippy,
you know, both of us with one hand holding it down, trying
to the other laughing water going shouldn't be laughing. You think this is terrible?
Oh love it? Okay, Now this is a really interesting one for
you listeners out there and anyone else in the studio. Producer Jack and social
media. Okay, I better answer this one. And I think that social
media can be the root of all evil and it's also a fantastic place to
share knowledge and thoughts. Sam, social media, you uncatch me on it.
I know, I knew that was gonna be your answer, Sean.
Social media. Yeah, it's a double edged sword. I think. I
feel like we need it, but there's there's a limit, and not all
what you see on social media is what it actually turns out to be.
I've come across a few people have come across the glossy images and the reality
is not that. Okay, So social media is a double edged sword.
We all know that, don't we. We really do. I personally think
that sharing knowledge via social media providing it is your own knowledge that you're sharing,
not a copy of someone else's knowledge just because you're better at filming and
editing and someone else. But okay, So last, but not least,
the word of the moment. This is the carpentry Show, and the word
is carpentry first thing that springs to mind. Please Sam Kings of the trade,
absolutely, and Sean carpentry, if it was good enough for Jesus,
is good for me. And tell everyone Sean what you have on the side
of your van. Please, the logal on the side of my van is
the best carpet does since Jesus and my prices won't crucify you. Oh,
I think that's an Absolutely. You will have to post a picture up to
prove to people about that. And carpentry, I would just say, for
me, it was it's been my life, okay up to now. Came
into it just because I was kind of directed to construction college. But I
did lightwood. I did like working with timber, and I'm thankful that I've
been able to build my own house for example. You know, we've done
our own houses up and stuff like that, and I often look back think
I would have never have been able to do this without these skills because I
couldn't have afforded to do it. So what we lack in salary, we
gain in being able to do our own houses. I think. Okay,
so that is it for today's show. Guys. It's been amazing. Thank
you so much, Sean, cheers, Robin, thank you so much.
Sam, thank you for having me. Hopefully get you back on again in
the future so you can hear this again from ten pm with more great music.
You can download it as a podcast search The Carpentry Show wherever you get
your podcast online.