how to gain experience?

[wet wet wet]

I am 3 months into a two year city and guilds nvq level 2 plumbing course but need to gain experience.
I only go to college 1 day a week so have time to work as an apprentice or even work unpaid.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated...thanks

 

[MrMeek]

ring self employed plumbers up and say u will work for free for experience :/

 

[AlexGas]

Get yourself a burner, copper and some fittings – solder as much as you can, till you can do it with your eyes shut. You know what I mean. Also get yourself the benders, again practice as much as you can. Get ready. It’ll help you later!
As above, ask plumbers at the merchants - if they need any help, don’t talk money. You just need to put your foot in the door. Good luck.

 

[MrMeek]

as alex said get some basic tools pipe slicers bender etc, in your spare time practice and get better and better, then find plumbers to work for even do it for free, then you get experience once you can completely install bathrooms or CH systems by yourself or with very minimum help, they should start paying a bit here and there. once your fully qualified and with all the experience from different plumbers you have helped out, youll be set up for going self employed or work for someone.

good luck

 

[erpkid]

No matter what experience you gain always be open to learn new stuff even if it appears mundane. We regularly do bathrooms and kitchens and so siliconing is sort of second nature but intermittent. However we recently had a load of 300 mm by 300 mm ply left over from a challenging mosaic tile job. I set up a few spare normal tiles on these and then on jigs to practice. Learnt a lot even at my advanced years. I almost guarantee but am prepared to be shot down that a lot of plumbers would love someone to come in and do the sealing to save the stress ? I have a chap who is an artist with a gun and a decent metre rate but he is in London so have to give him a days equivalent work no matter what the job size. Good luck with your endeavors as this current climate will get better. if you can get some good stuff under your belt now it will pay dividends.

 

[PlumbBobBob]

i love doing sealant application it's very therapeutic

 

[TBServices]

I hate it but am quite good at it.

I find lagging therapeutic lol

 

[Mike Jackson]

I hate lagging and siliconing.

 

[Kyle87]

So what's the best tips for using silicone? I tend to apply a thickish bead then run along with a shaping tool and use a baby wipe for the excess. I'm definitely no artist but I can get by