Professional forum?

[blackrodd]

It was never intended to be insulting to anyone, it was always in good humour. The reason i ask for trade section is the topics would all be related. I like the projects page but again its filled with stuff that doesn't interest me, i like to see fitted kitchens, built in wardrobes etc.

Among several of you're rude and unhelpful replies was this one, in response to a newbie asking about where to buy materials,-

"Best thing to do is go to a building site and get some offcuts. The more people that buy timber the more the price goes up for people that make their money from using it, for hobbyists you should always try to use reclaimed timber or offcuts etc".
I think you should look and think a bit more about what you are writing.
If you're just interested in kitchens and wardrobes, then this forum may not be much use to you.
Onwards and upwards,
Regards Rodders

 

[Halo Jones]

Can someone tell me what's wrong with WoodworkUK? (Am I allowed to say that here?! 8-[)

Although not posted on as often as here there are obviously a lot of trade "professionals" who give a lot of their time and advice to "amateurs" and other "professionals" alike. I, for one, subscribe when up-keep fees are due just so I can ask advice when needed.

I try to support all the UK woodwork forums (or at least the three I know of!)

H.

 

[RobinBHM]

There is certainly nothing wrong with woodworkuk which is certainly frequented by trade professionals but it only has a tiny fraction of the audience this forum has.

For example this forum currently has 200 or so logged in compared to about 7.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Just come back to this thread after a quick peek this morning...wow it really was a slow news day today wasn't it!

 

[Water-Mark]

I don't know if it's changed but the screwfix forum used to be brutal with very little help given.

Most replies seemed to be along the lines of
" if you don't know the answer you have no right being on a trade forum, you must be a career changing cowboy!"

I remember lots of "how much should i charge" threads, usually answered with " how much do you want"

It put me off trade forums for life.

Should there be a trade forum here?
I honestly can't see it making a difference either way.

 

[cornishjoinery]

Hi Rodders, what was the person asking for, i forget. Probably after a ton of hardwood for less than a fiver. Its true hobbyist, DIYers do drive the price of timber up, spoken to a few tradesman now saying same thing and to 2 timber yards who admit they can bump up the prices because so many weekend warriors are coming to buy timber.And before you go on at me for having something against the hobbyist, look at the large majority of posts on this thread, i would say there is a clear offensive to people that earn money from woodworking.

 

[artie]

Bit silly this whole thread, with some sensible comments.

If "one" has a question or problem why limit the scope of possible help.

I first started my own business in April of 1987. I figured out what I needed to do and jumped in with both feet.

My brother in law, helpful sort that he is, gave me a phone number for a friend of his that had been running a similar business in a different town for many years.

I phoned him up and had a decent chat for a good while just as I was winding up with him he said what about your insurance.? I told him I was covered for 5 million property damage and unlimited public liability.

He said aye, 5 million is pretty standard on property but I pay extra for another 2 million on public liability.

I made him repeat what he had said, and then I thanked him for his help and said goodbye.

Talking to "the trade" isn't always the most productive.

 

[BearTricks]

Reading on a bit it seems as if there's an issue with people not being able to interpret intention behind a written post as much as there is people either being snarky or not wording their posts particularly well.

Perhaps business is a better word than 'trade'.

I paint as well as spending my time planing boards out of square and stocking the firewood pile with expensive offcuts. I sometimes go on an art forum where there is a specific section on the art 'business' for people who make a living selling artwork, for people who want to start, or for people who do it as a hobby but make a few sales on the side. It's full of activity and it keeps the more technique and equipment focused forums on topic.

It doesn't have to be for people in the 'trade', which is a term that conjures up images of men with vans doing jobs that vary in quality for prices that vary in fairness (see, I can do it too) but for anyone who wants to ask a question about buying and selling, submitting their tax forms, employing people, getting a job in woodworking etc etc. Then the general woodworking forum could focus a bit more on turning things in to sawdust.

Sent from my LG-H815 using Tapatalk

 

[cornishjoinery]

Exactly bear tricks! You got it. That was point at the beginning, a section for trade, professional, paid, God knows What is politically correct anymore on here, to discuss issues Like payment, vans, tax codes, clients etc. Stuff that hobbyists would find boring or of no interest. I can't see why people would find that so hard

 

[griggs]

Cornishjoinery, Ask the trades has a trade only section but is not very active anymore.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Hi Rodders, what was the person asking for, i forget. Probably after a ton of hardwood for less than a fiver. Its true hobbyist, DIYers do drive the price of timber up, spoken to a few tradesman now saying same thing and to 2 timber yards who admit they can bump up the prices because so many weekend warriors are coming to buy timber.And before you go on at me for having something against the hobbyist, look at the large majority of posts on this thread, i would say there is a clear offensive to people that earn money from woodworking.

How do you work that out, then? If I visit Travis, Bradford's, wherever as an unknown and buy a 4.8m of 4" x 2" they bill me at perhaps £4 per metre because that's what it says on the shelf/computer. If you go there as a "tradesman" or "professional" with an account (or at least, you're known to them) you'll get n% discount (often more or less dependent on to whom you speak). I know how it works - I've bought both ways for 45 years. Of course the yards bump the prices - to the public - but I fail to see how this pushes your price up.

 

[n0legs]

It was said to me years ago and I've said it before, but I'll say it again
"Give me a keen amateur over a complacent professional any day." :wink:

 

[Phil Pascoe]

When I bought my house I realised that there were problems with the electrics - the rings and radials were mixed up, so a fuse supplied one end of a ring and a radial. I had the basement lights and the immersion on the same fuse, for instance. I bought the house from a qualified electrician. :?

 

[cornishjoinery]

Talking more about sawmills, hardwood timber supplies, where trade prices are not given out as much. These are the places where prices are driven up by the man who wants a few lengths each weekend. Just talking from experience.

 

[Tom K]

Exactly bear tricks! You got it. That was point at the beginning, a section for trade, professional, paid, God knows What is politically correct anymore on here, to discuss issues Like payment, vans, tax codes, clients etc. Stuff that hobbyists would find boring or of no interest. I can't see why people would find that so hard

You can start a thread on any of those subjects in "General Chat" post it and they will come (hammer) and if they don't those you seek are elsewhere. If your prices are being driven by amateurs you need to place bigger orders.

Regards Tom (Professional panel beater, qualified plumber, trade school scholar, Ex company secretary, Amateur Property developer, Husband, Father and No1 Grandad)

 

[Phil Pascoe]

CJ - Fair comment, but maybe I would blame the hike in price more on the greed of the owner of the yard than the "weekend warrior".

 

[cornishjoinery]

Why does everyone assume on here that if you say your a tradesman that you are a cowboy, it's like it's a naughty word on here, hush hush, if you say you get paid then you must be dung. It's almost like the hobbyist looks down on us.

 

[n0legs]

When I bought my house I realised that there were problems with the electrics - the rings and radials were mixed up, so a fuse supplied one end of a ring and a radial. I had the basement lights and the immersion on the same fuse, for instance. I bought the house from a qualified electrician. :?

Well that wouldn't have been the case if I sold you the house :wink:

n0legs (amateur jack of all trades but master of one)

 

[n0legs]

It's almost like the hobbyist looks down on us.

Would you mind addressing the forum with a tug of the forelock first.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Why does everyone assume on here that if you say your a tradesman that you are a cowboy, it's like it's a naughty word on here, hush hush, if you say you get paid then you must be dung. It's almost like the hobbyist looks down on us.

Not at all. I think it's just a backlash against the belief that because someone is a "professional" or does something for a living they must be good at it. Many aren't - I spent lots of hours of my working life re doing jobs that had been done "professionally" - some were appalling at best, dangerous at worst. (my one finger typing is awful - that came out as "f dangerous" ... maybe I should have left it ... )