I’m looking for an LBP or qualified Carpenter, to help supervise my apprenticeship (even if remotely).
I’m currently living in a off-grid plot of land, a bit North of Whakaoriori (Masterton), Aotearoa NZ.
I’d really love to be able to learn to build as much as I can on-site myself, with the supervision from an experienced Carpenter / Builder.
Short term I need to make a few smaller sheltered structures ; a temporary workshop space (6x12m) for my joinery tools to finish off the two buses, and other small fixes on site. Then to build some spare emergency housing for people who need somewhere to stay, and a large greenhouse for our food propogation.
Then longer term the aim is to build a large barn style environment on-site, which is a long term dream passion project for me with traditional joinery (mortices, tenons, and pins), effective wall insulation, thermal mass with passive heating, etc. This aims to be my main workshop structure, a community space of sorts, and a place to help continue building shelters, repairs, and fitouts (for people, rather than for profit).
I’d been going to the EBANZ conferences and workshops for the years prior to Covid. Sustainable structures that are carefully crafted to last, is what I care about being involved with.
I would really love to get started on my LBP/Carpentry apprenticeship, via BCITO or similar. But I need to find a qualified builder who’d be willing to supervise me in an official capacity, even if not full-time.
It’d be really great if they also share an interest in sustainable building, take pride in their work, etc..
I’m not looking for a full-time job with them, nor am I asking them to sign off on things they’re not involved with. I document all my work as a matter of process anyway. I can pay them for work they do for me and with me, and I’d be very happy to do work for them directly too if they’d want that.
If I can help you on-site with your builds, for a few days or weeks here and there as the project demands it, I’d love to do that too.
Some other history:
As can be seen across this website, many of my family in the UK are tradespeople, and so I grew up learning how to fit kitchens, plumbing, electrics, fitting windows, plastering, painting & decorating, welding, etc.
Some of my earliest memories were on building sites, and I was fortunate to get the chance to learn onsite with most of my family over the years. So I have weird levels of practical experience, but I do try to always refer to a specialist to get them to do safety critical things (like I won’t touch gas, I get an electrical inspector to check my work before making connections live even with the training and experience I’ve had working full-time as an electrical worker, I discuss plans with someone more experienced, I’m always looking to learn more, etc.).
I’ve been in Aotearoa since 2014, primarily in central Pōneke / Wellington, but then moved out to Masterton in 2022.
Initially in Aotearoa, I was working as a general handy-person. And then getting jobs making sets and props (for Avatar, WOW, etc.). Subsequently I was a tutor and workshop manager on the Set & Props Construction Diploma/Degree course for a couple of years at Toi Whakaari.
As a worker, I was generally know for reliable, fast, and accurate builds, As a tutor, I was known for providing a range of safe, creative, and effective solutions from a diverse background.
After Covid Delta & Omicron hit, I had to quit virtually all of my work in the city.
I moved to Masterton and took on a 300sqm workshop space where I carried on making some set & prop pieces, retail furniture & displays, and focussed on coachbuilding a home for a friend.
Because of my background, I was fast-tracked through my Joinery qualifications with BCITO (cabinets, windows, doors, stairs, CNC). Getting the Joinery qualifications were just a quick sign off process for me, so it made sense to get it. The long term aim has been to do Carpentry and larger buildings, rather than exclusively Joinery (although I do also still love doing the finer detail work)
I’ve now brought my dream plot of rural land in the Wairarapa, and I’m hopefully in a better position to be able to start on the LBP process properly.
I know there are some exemptions for owner occupier builds, but I’d rather be able to make something with and for other people, without needing to use those excemptions.
I do know the LBP process is going to be years of work, which I’m looking forward to that journey.
I did my degree in Mechanical Engineering at Cardiff, and so I’m happy studying standards like 3604 and 4297. But these don’t make up for experience from a practical and varied perspective, and experienced people to bounce ideas off and discuss.
Most of my builds by their nature have needed to be comparatively transportable, modular, and not fixed nor house sized (although my Set & Props students did once make a full-size home mockup set for a short film within a studio space).
The more I look into it, the more I know there is a lot about building codes, council rules, and just the most effective solution with practical material choices, that I’m not familiar. Hence seeking support and learning.
I’m very used to long physical labour, and working 100+ hour weeks for many years prior to 2020.
I have a few auto-immune conditions. These thankfully don’t affect me day-to-day, but they do put me at sigificant risk of disability if I catch Covid and of develop Long Covid, so I’m really looking out for my long term health.
When the rest of the country stopped in 2022, I’ve continued to be isolating and still masking even now. C19 put a stop to most of my work options, and my remaining savings are finite.
C19 also means doing a traditional apprenticeship in a closed room work environment with other people without masks, would be too much of a long term risk for my health, and that would really stop me building. So in that sense I am limited by my options.
BCITO have already agreed to sign me up for the LBP process if I can get a supervisor to work with. I have the land, tools, and access to materials to do builds on-site myself (with supervision as appropriate).
So any recommendations on how I could best proceed are welcome!
Thank you for reading all this, and please do get in contact if you know of someone I may be able to reach out to.