# What's your favorite trade that isn't your trade?



## Ayerzee (Jan 4, 2009)

I love playing around with electrical, plumbing, and structural welding :cheesygri


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## dayexco (Mar 4, 2006)

ditch digger by trade...would LOVE to be able to stucco...those that are good at it...are truly artists. and i don't mean any of the ten cent home depot driveit b.s.... the OLD stucco


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## KEPC (Jan 13, 2010)

I do mostly framing and masonry/concrete. 

I want to learn to about HVAC systems. I plan on taking night classes and get certified. Alternative energy systems interest me a lot (solar and geo thermal)


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## dayexco (Mar 4, 2006)

KEPC said:


> I do mostly framing and masonry/concrete.
> 
> I want to learn to about HVAC systems. I plan on taking night classes and get certified. Alternative energy systems interest me a lot (solar and geo thermal)


your post....today...you REALLY need to read up on the founder of "earth day"...and what he's truly famous for!


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## WNYcarpenter (Mar 2, 2007)

I'm impressed by complex boiler systems....I would enjoy that I think.


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## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

dayexco said:


> your post....today...you REALLY need to read up on the founder of "earth day"...and what he's truly famous for!


Composting :whistling:

:w00t:


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## Tech Dawg (Dec 13, 2010)

Definately cabinet making and woodworking... that is what I went to college for @ Stevens Tech in Lancaster, Pa....... but somehow ended up in remodeling???


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## Wolfgang (Nov 16, 2008)

Cabinets, woodworking, furniture. I don't mind doing the occasional small electrical or plumbing, but I'd really rather hire out anything extensive to the pro's in those professions. (Funny how you can watch them and think it's no big deal, but then learn the hard way when you try it yourself. Same with pro drywallers....)


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## BC Carpenter (Dec 28, 2010)

I like taping and mudding, especially seeing it after it's painted. I like interior painting as well, the prep and the painting, love looking at a fresh paint job in a place, much easier clean up too, no big table saws and mitre saws to lumber around.

Also like hooking up sinks and toilets, nothing like turning the water on and seeing the thing work, seeing no leaks, etc.


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## KillerToiletSpider (May 27, 2007)

Blacksmith/machinist

To me there is no satisfaction greater than taking a piece of steel and turning it into something useful. The farmer up the road from me has me forge plowstakes for him as opposed to buying them because the ones I make last twice as long on average.

One of my favorite tools is a 300 lb anvil.


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## JerLinde (Apr 19, 2011)

Being a Landscaper I get to run heavy machinery, Bobcats, Escavators etc... Every day, so the novelty has worn off!

I love in the winter when I get to pick up small baseboard/trim jobs. Really enjoy it as I get to work indoor which is a change, and dont get to do that kind of stuff too often. Also dont mind interior painting at all! Very relaxing and rewarding!


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## Willie T (Jan 29, 2009)

I'd love to be an operating engineer, crane operator, specifically.

And I did a few years welding--aluminium mostly. That was some good work.

I like painting cars and motorcycles,too.

Most of all, I'd like to be the guy setting heavy stuff from the left seat of a helicopter.


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## CarrPainting (Jun 29, 2010)

Painter by trade, though I love working with real old school plaster...I find drywall compound to be a PITA at times.


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## KnottyWoodwork (May 23, 2010)

I'd say it would be running equipment.. although, working on something over 10 stories would be fun...


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## scrapecc (May 11, 2009)

I love running equipment, but welding and fabricating is my favorite!

I hate framing and drywall with a passion. Of and you can have that painting thing too!


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## D. Jones Const (Dec 31, 2009)

I am a carpenter/trim carpenter by trade but I really like building custom cabinets, fuc**** and taping sheetrock with some good tunes.


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## Ayerzee (Jan 4, 2009)

Few things I hate more than painting!

In all seriousness, I would probably say auto/diesel mechanics, trim carpentry, or framing.


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## Jimmy Cabinet (Jan 22, 2010)

I have always had fine cabinetry in my blood but in my early ambitious days I also earned a degree in electrical trades as well as automotive engineering. Still certified NIASE now known as ASE to this day but never worked in that field a day in my life. I was an ol education junkie. also hold a 2 year degree in DT (Dietetic Technology) and never practiced that a day in my life either. All just general knowledge things I have a passion in. 

If I could do something else it would be an Electrician. Outside construction trades I would love to be a Tug Boat Captain. Go ahead and laugh.


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## CarrPainting (Jun 29, 2010)

Ayerzee said:


> Few things I hate more than painting!
> 
> In all seriousness, I would probably say auto/diesel mechanics, trim carpentry, or framing.


you actually cant find a more boring job than painting :clap:

I just happen to be good at it


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## SHI (Jul 7, 2009)

i love to do mason work brick and block great trade..


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## duckdown (Dec 16, 2008)

My favorite trade has to be plumbers. They will respond to calls from homeowners days, nights, weekends, holidays, etc. If they tell you they will show up today, they actually show up and tend to have a lot less no shows than carpenters. They have higher levels of customer satisfactions amongst their client base and less complaints on sites such as Angies List compared to other trades...


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## Brutus (May 29, 2007)

Kevin M. said:


> That's Easy,
> 
> Landscaping!! Playing in the dirt is still a blast! :thumbup:


 
I, too, love getting down 'n' dirty with a hoe....:whistling

But, being serious here... I'd love to get into fine woodworking....I love framing, but I can have great attention to detail when it's needed.


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## jarvis design (May 6, 2008)

Fine woodworking. Building furniture, cabinets, etc.


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## Ashcon (Apr 28, 2009)

I didn't read any posts... I will but I just had a thought.



















It would have to be the sex trade! hands down!:w00t:


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## Diamond D. (Nov 12, 2009)

I really love, what I do and get great satisfaction, from a job well done.

But, if I were to choose another trade,

Well, I guess, I would have to say....


" High End Expert Carpentry " :w00t: :laughing::laughing:


Seriously though, Fine Woodworking or Hand Made Tiles and other ceramics.

It might be nice to work in a shop for a while.
These Winters are starting to get to me.

D.


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## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

Electrical for me.:thumbsup:


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## Kevin M. (Feb 28, 2010)

Brutus said:


> I, too, love getting down 'n' dirty with a hoe....:whistling
> 
> But, being serious here... I'd love to get into fine woodworking....I love framing, but I can have great attention to detail when it's needed.


I changed my mind. I want to be a HOCKEY PLAYER!!!!


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## smalpierre (Jan 19, 2011)

Dierte said:


> I'm an electrician, but I would rather do trim carpentry and framing. Nobody ever stands back and says "Damn that 3 gang switch box looks good."


That's not necessarily true. I just did an electrical job yesterday - transformers sitting on the ground, wires everywhere, nothing worked. New transformers, mounted to the masonry, buried wires / put in conduit for the 120v (12 and 120v were exposed and chopped by lawnmower)

In the front, I should have taken a pic - it looked like some of Sparky480's pics ... they had a photocell rigged to one outlet - is alright, but they daisy chained two extension cords together (boxes were 4 inches apart btw), cut the end off one of them to run into another box with yet another photocell - wires hanging out everywhere and again - nothing worked.

So I put in a piece of conduit between the FS boxes, eliminated a photocell (both were somehow supposed to be controlling the same lights, nothing wired right), pulled out and re-figured everything to work, and not have wires hanging out everywhere ...

The HO was very happy to have his nice landscaping all lit up all pretty-like, and the front of his house not looking like a shanty town wire factory


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## Chris G (May 17, 2006)

mudpad said:


> Plumbers shouldn't be allowed to own sawzalls.:shifty:
> 
> I think this was discussed in a recent thread. The sawzall police were spose to come confiscate them from all plumbers, did they miss you?:laughing:


Around here they call them miter saws. It's a workaround to avoid the police.


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## mehtwo (Nov 14, 2010)

mudpad said:


> Plumbers shouldn't be allowed to own sawzalls.:shifty:
> 
> I think this was discussed in a recent thread. The sawzall police were spose to come confiscate them from all plumbers, did they miss you?:laughing:


HEY HEY!! What about those of us that are plumbers and carpenters?:whistling:laughing: 
I guess that's one heck of a combination.:blink:


The trade I admire is a machinist.:thumbsup:


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## dibs16 (Nov 30, 2010)

Since I do a little of everything and not as specialized as most of you guys around here, YET, I definitely would love to specialize in custom cabinets and fine woodworking.

But if I had to pick a completely different it would be Masonry.. I love working with bricks, stones, and block. Also enjoy finishing cement, but i don't get to do it often. It's hard work but that satisfaction is up there with carpentry. "Damn, that looks good" That's what its all about:thumbsup:


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## mehtwo (Nov 14, 2010)

I would like to get into custom cabinetry and furniture building in the future:thumbsup:.


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## Jimmy Cabinet (Jan 22, 2010)

Ashcon said:


> I didn't read any posts... I will but I just had a thought.
> 
> It would have to be the sex trade! hands down!:w00t:


Well hey it's recession and depression proof. We wouldn't be complaining about our business being slow. Now if I can only figure out how to grow some boobs.


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## jeffaah (Apr 3, 2008)

Electrical. I've often thought about going to school and at least getting some hours in with my electricians.


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## mofeenster (Apr 25, 2011)

I admire the attention to detail that ceramic tile fitter's have to adhere to...


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## EcoBuilder (May 2, 2011)

building projects (eco of course) is great. If I could do anything I'd be a professional world traveller


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## Patriot-Systems (Nov 17, 2009)

Running heavy equipment would be fun.

I use to watch my father ( RIP ) and one of the foreman that worked for him jump on a couple excavators and dig main line trench in opposite directions of eachother. No laborers or help to look for water mains or anything, they said it would "slow" them down.

I was always fascinated when they could find a 2 inch water pipe with an excavator.


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## BradingCon (Dec 17, 2010)

rselectric1 said:


> I love big machines. I would love to try out excavating but it probably won't ever happen. :laughing:


You said it...running the big machines looks fun. Put me in a dozer and let me move some dirt!!!


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## Brutus (May 29, 2007)

Kevin M. said:


> I changed my mind. I want to be a HOCKEY PLAYER!!!!


I love that hit... Tucker just noodles him.


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## PlumbersSanJose (Apr 16, 2011)

Painting is definitely glory work!! Is the wow factor. I am a plumber, people don't see the pipes!


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## trctimberworks (Apr 28, 2011)

Working with natural materials like straw or clay tops the list for me. I also love getting a timber on the sawhorses! Big tools to work big wood!:thumbup:


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## PowerWash (Mar 25, 2011)

Mike's Plumbing said:


> I had a wealthy home owner want me to use an old toilet for a very expensive remodel. I didn't think much of it because I figured it wasn't that old, but I never saw it.
> 
> When it was ready to be installed he dropped it off in the garage and it was from the 70's. It had been sitting dry since about the 80's. He figured he was saving money so he had it all these years. (typical rich people)
> 
> ...


This hit home with me. I did that exact thing with a toliet in my house. I started replacing parts and when I got half way in realized that I could have just replaced the damn thing for not much more.:sad:

The only good thing about that toliet is that it is not one of the "low water" use that you have to adjust to flush twice. 

Oh well.. live and learn


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## Magnettica (Dec 19, 2006)

Carpentry by far. Building and wiring that's the best of both worlds!


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## Bozer (Mar 3, 2012)

Inevitabley for me, I always want to do what I'm not doing. I don't know whether it's because I get bored fast or that I think by getting better at one thing, I'm getting worse at another.


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## TheItalian204 (Jun 1, 2011)

this thread got really revived so I have to say since I do most of stone,tile and cement work I got best out of the trades.

Maybe electrical because up north here they get paid 150.000-200.000 or more if they work with live wires.
In -40 with windchill though.

As far as toilet story,hope you enjoy this one.

When I broke up with my ex,I had to look for a place to move into. I found this wonderful basement suite and owner was great guy who was meteorologist and would always travel.

It was cozy two bedrooms,kitchen/dining room,washroom,laundry room and living room.

Anyway,my buddy from Vancouver came to stay for several weeks and help me out of with stress and what not, so I had to stuff the fridge.

On very first day(Owner of property who lived above,was gone to Dominican if i am not mistaken), I cooked up some soup out of pork chops I had and some pasta.

After me and my buddy ate,I told him to put the rest in the fridge once it cools off.

For next few days we ate mainly order in stuff so the soup went bad. When he was cleaning dishes, he asked me if he can dump the soup(that had pretty big pork bones it).

I said sure go for it,dump it in a bag or smth.
He said he will dump it in the toilet...I told him that it would be terrible idea since bones were rather big. He looked at me convincingly and said:

Big ****!.

I said ok go for it(mind you I know fck all about plumbing). So he dumps the bones,flushes the toilet, then takes a crap,comes out and tells me everything is fine since all his crap drained real well.

Couple of hours later I go in there to take a dump and when I flush I realise that water started rising. I knew momentarily that the bones were stuck. After some procedures that I am not going to describe I attempted both plunge and hand auger. Did not do anything,so we ended up calling landlord's friend, who was a plumber. Guy said he will show up next day at 1 pm. Excellent, I thought,I will make sure I will be gone.

Anyway the next day I came home around 3pm. Buddy told me that guy had to take toilet apart and wear rubber glove up to his shoulder and put his hand into the pipe (old school basement stack,still wondering though how did he manage).
After which he came out with bones in his hands covered in crap with amazed face and asked:
-Who **** this?!

Best part is, when I was moving out,landlord withheld 200 from my damage deposit because of this story. One of the sentences said: "...Due to plugging the toilet with LAMB bones (I still have them)...

:laughing:


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## kevnmc (Jan 30, 2012)

I do general remodeling and do a bit of everything. I'd love to do custom furniture and other woodworking. Love roofing...Not a fan of carpet... Dislike plumbing and there's one specific story that always comes to mind.


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## fjn (Aug 17, 2011)

*best trade*

I think i have the best trade in the world,masonry. Seriously,laid my first brick at the ripe old age of 8.5 yrs. old. It has been a on going love affair ever since. An over simplication, it is great to take a ball of string, level, trowel and hammer and build something that has the potential to last hundreds or thousands of years. The trowel trades are in my blood. I do plastering,stucco,concrete . I can lay anything with a trowel, give me mortar and i can even lay a egg. Not to seem mean spirited, all other trades seem fleeting in my eyes. The great masonry monuments are standing proof of that statement. If you are going to do it ,do it in masonry!


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## Gary H (Dec 10, 2008)

Pile driving.


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## Jaws (Dec 20, 2010)

Carpentry and welding were my trades, I dig electrical but dont know enough about it.


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## ECSOWNER (Jul 25, 2011)

I'd be a dirt mover. Put me a in a Deere 9560 with a couple of pans behind it, or a Cat 390 excavator moving earth. Hell, any tractor be it moving dirt or running a bat wing brush hog, to tilling fields. Guess that's what happens you grown up in a farm town.


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## toddovan (Dec 17, 2008)

Asides from carpentry ,..I'am an auctioneer and travel a fair amount for it. Its nice to leave all the BS behind and grab the mic and let er' roll !!! :clap:


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## CarrPainting (Jun 29, 2010)

Sleep.


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## Herminigilde (Apr 10, 2012)

In general, I do whatever I get paid to do.

Interior and exterior plaster work is my favorite. No matter how bad a week I've had, a day of playing in the mud will always make me happy, especially when I get to work with natural plasters.

Running a chainsaw is a close second. Gas, not electric.


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## Snobnd (Jul 1, 2008)

Making a movie, grip work or lighting.


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## 480sparky (Feb 1, 2009)

My favorite trade is an old dollar bill for a new Ferrari.


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