Will Frame For Food.

2ndGen

Ok, now that I have your attention!

Honestly, this year, 2008, I am ready to (at 39) begin my career as a Framer/Carpenter. Over the past year and a half, I've been working with high end companies in New York.

Being a 2nd Generation Roofer with over 25 years of experience who's worked his own business, I have all the "lead" without the "carpenter". So this year I'm going to work on developing my skill level and will work on being able to learn the fundamentals of framing a house from slab to finish.

Why now? Because, I want to start all over again and master another trade. And I love Carpentry work.

If there aren't framing contractors in the New York/New Jersey/Conneticut area that could use someone that "wants" to work in the trade, feel free to contact me.

If any of you guys know of a crew that could use some extra manpower, let me know.

Home Serve

Good Luck
Hope you find something!
Dave C

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Ahren

A lot of framers in CT here are saying the same thing you are.

"Will frame for food".

Literally. It's getting a little tight here.

deckman22

Framing, the actual work end of it is a young man's game, at your age I'd say you're past the point of doing the working end of it. Now if you had all ready had the skills & were just running other people that would be another case. I could be wrong tho, wouldn't be the first time.

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BigDa

My father-n-law was thirty before he started framing. They told him to get some 16's and he had to ask which they were. He is now 68 and frames every day. I would take him over a lot of young guys for a cut man! I have not framed regularly in years, I framed one last year. I'm only 36 and I am SO glad I don't frame ever day!

FramingFanatic

Heck right now we have a 48 year old labourer. The guys not right in the head though. And we have had other guys come buy at the ages of 50-60 they didnt last though. One guy said to me, "im 53 years old why the he!! am i moving lumber and your 19 and marking out plates and telling everyone what to do." I gave him a three inch nail and said drive this, so he did, 20 swings later there was still half an inch left. "Untill you can swing a hammer you have no right to be anything other than a labourer. Or perhaps you can tell me what we have to do next, or go read those plans and mark out the plates". He didnt say much after that.

silvertree

I still frame from time to time and I'm 57. Built (framed) my last house 20 years ago. Mostly I walk around with a pencil or cut and when I frame it's only for an addition or moving walls, building closets, ect. It is a young mans game. I never see anyone past his 30's framing. Starting after 30 is something most guys couldn't pull off. But if your set on it my advice is put some Ibuprofen and Ben Gay in your pouch and give it a shot.

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Kitchen, bath, St Paul remodeling
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DrewD

I would have to agree that framing is a young man's game but I've worked with some old timers that can pump out work at hyper speed. I'm 25 and have been framing for two years now and I take the oldest guy on the crew with me. The two youngest guys we got are too busy calling their girlfriends or trying to work through hangovers to amount to anything. The only thing I notice that younger guys usually do better is roof work. None of the older guys really want to start walking up a 12/12 laying 2x6 T&G on log rafters. I don't complain, thev'e done their share of work on heights so I gladly go up. Plus 4 years of jumping out of planes, heights really don't bother me anymore. I don't ask anyone to kill themselves or do something their not comfortable with (roof work). If you can physically do the work show some young punks up.

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KentWhitten

There are a few of us insane ones left. I think there's more than you think. I stopped just last winter and I'm 40 now.

I can think of some better remedies than that

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rbsremodeling

I have 3 Carpenters who do it all.

Ages are 37, 43, 51, If it's real hard I pair them up with a young buck to do the grunt work, They all frame their asses off. I would put them up against the 20 year olds any day

I also have a 50 year old labor and a 60 year old equipment operator. The 50 year old laborer puts the younger guys to shame

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mikec

my ex boss was 72 when I left heim 6 years ago. A lumber driver told me the other day that he's still at it. His son is 53 and still plywoods roofs. I'm 39 and can still hang with the younger guys. I think if you start late in life it will hurt at first,but get better. My old boss won't retire, he told me once that any of his friends that retired are dead. Back about 9 years ago he had a stroke on the job, went blind in his right eye. He was out of work for 3 weeks. Now granted he doesn't hang rafters or lug LVL's, but he does frame walls when he's caught up with layout. And he doesn't usally frame small houses mostly 3-4k feet custom homes. The best framing crews I know of are run by guys in their 60's. Seems any younger guys you get now are in it for a paycheck and nothing else(they don't want to be framers). I think, that if you love it and stay with it you can do it for life.

SelfContract

Lifting lumbers up is also a form of good excercise for both old & young, especially olders need to walk, run, or bike to keep muscles & strong bone support. But besides that, why older framers still keep working? There only 4 reasons I can think of :

1. Still need money for income suport?

2. No $ needed, but still getting bored at retired age (like nothing to do, maybe w/no family, relatives?) so keep working with friends to enjoy life?

3. Has his own business, must do it to maintain/run business daily?

4. Framing art is also his hobby for whole life, he enjoys it (as his creation for others) every day of it?

Is there a fifth reason (5) that I miss from above?

silvertree

If your happy working and you can still do what needs to get done, I'm with ya all the way.

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Kitchen, bath, St Paul remodeling
Minneapolis Remodel Blog
203K Loan Consultant Minnesota

rbsremodeling

I have always prefered older/mature workers, I started young and initially they gave my company a muture presence. I always got looked at strangely because I looked young and my mature crew gave me a balance because of their age.

I quickly learn they had a lot of knowledge and trade skills far beyond my years. I was skilled at business and the technical side and they made up for my lack of knowledge and experience in the trades. But ultimately they worked better and harder than the younger guys and did not get in to my financial business. They just wanted their checks and showed up to work like clock work and I respect the hell out of them.

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framergreg

shoot im 48 and can frame most kids under 40 into the ground. climb 12/12 trusses to put piggy backs on? piece of cake! carry9' 2/6 studs six seven at a time for the day ,childsplay. u youngsters are to soft. if your half way smart about how ya lift etc you will be just fine in the golden years. but i got to say this is not the time to start a framing buss unless ya like mac and cheese and weiner water soup!!!!!!

2ndGen

Define "young man"?

The only time my body hurts is when I "don't" work hard. My old man was forced into retirement at 70 (still went up on a roof at 70 and still banged out a good 6 sq a day by hand on average).

When you've roofed your whole life, everything else is easy physically.

Besides, when you love your work (as I love Carpentry), it's "different". I was always the first one on site and they had to kick me out at the end of the day. And on the way home, I'd read contracting trade magazines. I'd rush to sleep so that I could get up to work the next day.

The youngin's would ask me to slow down, that they needed a break.

I once carried not only twice the load that I was challenged by a young kid with more mouth than brains, but, when I got up on the roof, I had his lunch with me. I took it for the symbolism of it. That not only can I out perform him, but I could take his lunch too!

Anyway, he definately after that.

Being that I am a 101% healthy male that's never touched drugs or alcohol or cigarettes, maybe, jussst maybe, my 39 is alot younger than most 39's.



Maybe, in my case it's unique, but I'm much stronger and endure longer today, than I was 20 years ago (and I was not slouch back then either).

I have the general skills, but because I've been in construction my whole life, I won't be satisfied until I am a Master Carpenter (which means that I've found a new way to keep my mind stimulated for the next 20 years).

2ndGen

At 14, my old man told me "You can't pick up a hammer until you've mastered the broom."

2ndGen

Thanks bud!

2ndGen

Westchester's tight too.

2ndGen

After 25 years of roofing, framing is like a vacation.

I remember when we were laying out 6"X12"X20' PSL's for a floor in a Brownstone...I had a Carpenter who was about 3 years my junior that I was under. Poor guy...he was about 6" taller than me and couldn't keep up with me and he was a Carpenter his whole life.

Me going into Carpentry (or at least me focusing on Carpentry, because I've always done Carpentry work) at this age is like my finding a past time for retirement. I really really love working with wood. The smells, the sawdust...I love to create something out of nothing. I love the art of the work.

I especially loved to be challenged to take a space that out of PLS (plumb/level/square) and making it PLS. I love the intellectual challenge of the work.

I love Roofing work, but Carpentry I enjoy...there is a difference.

I remember always being surprised that I'd get a paycheck every week.