Is kitchen fitting a "trade"

Discussion in 'Kitchen Fitters' Talk' started by roythehandyman, Sep 24, 2010.

  1. roythehandyman

    roythehandyman New Member

    In answer to Kilgore, re the saw and pencil. Since when did a 45deg angle become an arch! since kitchen fitters took the short cut of using a template and router, that's since when. In the good old days I used to do a 45deg cut across the postform and then a 90deg across the rest of the board. That would then be scribed onto the adjoining piece. The resulting joint looked far superior to the Mickey mouse but & scribes that we now give to customers and resulted in less waste of worktop lengh. Routers can not produce a 45deg angle. In the hands of a trdesman a saw can I have photographs to proove it just as I have a certificate to proove my claim to be a trdesman, I also have scores of written testomonials and thank you letters from past customers.
     
  2. biasqinc

    biasqinc Member

    Roy, I just checked out your website and I can see why Screwfix won't serve you. They serve me and I didn't have to show them any bits of paper at all.
     
  3. kilgore

    kilgore New Member

    Roy you state in your first post that anyone with a bit of common sense can fit a kitchen . Not what it says on your website does it ? Make your mind up . As for a handsawn joint on a worktop being superior to a perfectly straight cut router joint ,well i think we all know thats b....x .
     
  4. ian anderson

    ian anderson New Member

    Roy, talking about 'code'. You need to sort out the google tracking. It looks like you have both the new and old type installed.

    Go to your account and 'check status', copy the new code and pop it in before the tag and delete all the other bits.

    Your tracking will work better!
     
  5. ian anderson

    ian anderson New Member

    that was the "close head" tag, sorry comment bot stripped out the hmtl!
     
  6. DIY-Doctor

    DIY-Doctor New Member

    i suppose in my eyes as a kitchen fitter its not only a trade but a 'supertrade' considering I like many other kitchen fitters have knowledge and know how of plumbing, sparking tiling etc, all of which i can carry out myself and to a high standard... someone should think of a new bracket to put us kitchen fitters in, 'super trade men' doesn't sound that good.
     
  7. loosenup

    loosenup Member

    Kitchen technician :)
     
  8. loosenup

    loosenup Member

    Or Even " Kitchen Fitaplumbatricianiler " ;)
     
  9. Captain Leaky

    Captain Leaky New Member

    " Hiders of Stopcocks" :)
     
  10. I don't consider kitchen fitting a trade, its a profession. So I would consider myself a professional rather than a tradesman.

    Incidentally I am a C&G qualified cabinetmaker and wood machinists.

    You can have as many certificates as you like but the ultimate proof is a full order book and loads of referrals and a large number of customers who call you in for odd jobs and whom you might consider friends.

    Roy, I'm sure that your hand cut joints were fine however a router cutter will leave a better finish. The use of a router and jig eliminates sharp internal corners which any laminate manufacturer will tell you are anathema to laminate as sharp internal corners are points at which stress cracking can occur.

    The use of a router is not a short cut it is making the best use of tools that are availaable to you.

    I'm sure you use battery or electric drills - why? Because they give better and faster results than a brace and bit or wheel brace.
     
  11. roythehandyman

    roythehandyman New Member

    Electric drills !! Are you telling me that they make drills that work by electricity!! Bloody hell, whatever next :) The point about a saw and pencil was that Just about anyone can clamp a jig to a worktop and create a joint using a router, but it took a tradesman to do the same thing with a saw and pencil. That took skill.

    Having a trade is not the same as having a profession is it. I am not altogether sure I swallow the avoidance of sharp internal corners as an excuse to have a 45dg corner changed to an arc mind you, But I will take your word for it.

    Someone asked "when did someone last ask me for my indentures or bits of paper last!" Well I think that was the reason for my o.p SCREWFIX asked for them and would not sell me so much as a 13amp plug without sight of them. I am not referring to the usual outlet I am referring to the trade section. Strange though it may seem though, I can buy a consumer unit in there no questions asked!!!

    Could someone tell me what it is about my website that would cause screwfix trade to refuse to sell me the aforementioned 13amp plug. incidentally I hold number one place in google for more search terms than I can remember so google thinks its great, I built it myself but I do not claim to be a tradesman in relation to website building or optimization.

    Having a profession does not mean having a trade. After all If someone is a professional shoplifter that does not mean that they have a trade.

    I love the term " hiders of stopcocks" But I never do that. How about failed carpenters :)
     
  12. G Brown

    G Brown New Member

    Screwfick TC's are funny places. they try and attract trade but hold no stock and are full of dafty DIY'ers. Most proper tradesman avoid them and go to proper merchants or B&Q Tradepoint which is miles better and nowhere near as petty minded.
     
  13. snezza30

    snezza30 Member

    Roy. this farce has gone on long enough!

    According to the dictionary a"TRADE"is, and i Quote
    "a personal occupation, a craft requiring skill"
    and a "TRADESMAN" it says"a skilled worker".

    Now give it up, and accept the facts!

    If Screwfix Trade do not want to deal with you, then shop elsewhere. Alternatively, get an electrical qualification to go with all your other carpentry qualifications and your problem will be solved.
     
  14. roythehandyman

    roythehandyman New Member

    well I think I will shop elsewhere. Can one trust a company that can't tell the difference between a tradesman and a d.i.y,r. I don't care what a dictionary says, a tradesman is a time served person. Not just someone that practices a profession.
     
  15. magic mitre

    magic mitre New Member

    YeeeeeeHa! Nice website Roy!
     
  16. roythehandyman

    roythehandyman New Member

    Well magic mitre, I am not sure that is a compliment or a snide remark. The site provides more than enough work for myself and provides work leads for many of other of my contacts. I gave away a kitchen fit to-day and 4 plastering jobs and a bathroom refit in the past week! not to mention a call for assembling 2 pax wardrobes!!
     
  17. OldGreg

    OldGreg New Member

    I wrote a long meessage before i realised i was wasting my time, yes its trade.
     
  18. flatpackjack

    flatpackjack New Member

    I have to say that in a previous life i used to design and sell kitchens to the public. ( By the way we were all city & guilds trained before you ask ) and when a client said they had their own fitter, that usualy meant a builder.But just like everyone else there are good & bad. The bad ones usualy blaim the designer when they don't fit, and when you visit the site they've thrown all fillets in the skip thinking they're just packing
     
  19. xsilver

    xsilver New Member

    Another old post but i cannot help myself.

    Roy states 1. "to earn the  title tradesman I think one should be able to back the claim up with  some formal verifiable evidence such as a certificate.
                     2. The words  "tradesman" and "skilled" do not have the same meaning.

    1. You cannot earn the title tradesman because it does not exist. Try introducing yourself with this mythical title next time you meet someone. Hello i am Roy the tradesman. Its just a word that puts a circle around lots of other skilled jobs.
    2. The dictionary describes a tradesman as 'a skilled worker' ,a man engaged in trade, esp a retail dealer i.e a shop keeper or newsstand vendor. Tradesman can mean a skilled worker.

    Anyone could fit a kitchen, but to fit a kitchen that is 100% bang on this person must surely be a skilled at what they do.
     
  20. NEEDAJOINTMAN

    NEEDAJOINTMAN New Member

    never really considered weather or not tis a TRADE but it certainly is a skill, i know of joiners and carpenters that will not carry out butt n scribe, i dont know why, i also know a company that carries out this service but would screw up 2 out of ten sayin oh well can we get another wtp. there is a huge amount of skill and planning required especially if i am fitting a planned/supplied kitchen by the customer and i am just fitting, tiling decs etc. less worries if ive planned and i can alter if req by cust. overall tis a skill, that requires years of experience. i allways tell my customers at point of quoting, there are three  types of service that they could end up with one is a skilled/experienced person that will do an excellent job one is someone that havent a clue and are just doing cos they are desperate and the other that is same as first but doesnt give a s.... if u end up with first one then great. but put 2nd and third one together then uve got problems........
     

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