Which trade skill would you most want to master?

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Mr. Slippery

Well-known member
If you had the ability to learn and eventually master any trade skill (ex. carpentry, plumbing, welding, electric, masonry, auto repair, etc.), which would you choose? I can't decide between carpentry or welding. I'd love to be able to make more of my own stuff. Carpentry would win hands down, but I'm an avid cyclist, so the thought of being able to fabricate my own bike frame seems rather cool, especially with bicycles and bike-related parts still rather hard to come by right now.

EDIT: The skill doesn't necessarily have to be what serves as your primary source of income, basically just something that you'd like to know how to do proficiently.
 
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Probably carpentry. My older son spent a week at Lincoln Electric's welding school (he was doing a co-op there as an engineering student and he thought it was cool, even though he wasn't very good at it by the end of the week). He said he'd love to practice more at it one day.
 
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I went to TVHS in '64 and took Printing,you know where that went.Auto would be out with Electric on the way but the others with an Apprenticeship will give you a fine career.
 
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It's a tossup between electricity and carpentray, based on the repairs and improvements in my house I've needed over the years.

I worked with a lot of guys in the maintenance area at our plant. Once you were in the craft as a custodian and became senior bidder to move up, the company would pay for your training. Most of them told me the mechanical aspect of the job was fairly easy to learn - it was mastering basic electricity that was the key to really learning the machinery and then moving on to electronics. And they pretty much did all of their own home repairs, even building their own homes by themselves.
 
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I would choose carpentry for sure. I just dropped just under $2,000 on a basement project that was slightly intimidating. The Carpenter charged me $35 and hour and I bought the materials. I knew I could do it but was not confident enough to make it look as good as a lifelong carpenter.
 
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Mr. Slippery said:
If you had the ability to learn and eventually master any trade skill (ex. carpentry, plumbing, welding, electric, masonry, auto repair, etc.), which would you choose? I can't decide between carpentry or welding. I'd love to be able to make more of my own stuff. Carpentry would win hands down, but I'm an avid cyclist, so the thought of being able to fabricate my own bike frame seems rather cool, especially with bicycles and bike-related parts still rather hard to come by right now.

EDIT: The skill doesn't necessarily have to be what serves as your primary source of income, basically just something that you'd like to know how to do proficiently.
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Good question! I dunno?? For me, depends on location of the job?? I’m in South Denver right now? So if I could stay here, I’d just apply for work somewhere where I can walk in my city? If I had to 100% leave Colorado for good? I’d probably tell that employer “Sorry, not interested in your money. I like my hometown, I’m not changing that.”.

But as far as a “Skill” I’d learn, I’d say to learn more about math? Being able to add and subtract mostly? That’s a good skill to have when counting and adding ??? up at the cash register at your job? So I’d want to learn more about How Cashiering Careers work?
 
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ColoradoTeamsOverOhio3249 said:
Good question! I dunno?? For me, depends on location of the job?? I’m in South Denver right now? So if I could stay here, I’d just apply for work somewhere where I can walk in my city? If I had to 100% leave Colorado for good? I’d probably tell that employer “Sorry, not interested in your money. I like my hometown, I’m not changing that.”.

But as far as a “Skill” I’d learn, I’d say to learn more about math? Being able to add and subtract mostly? That’s a good skill to have when counting and adding ??? up at the cash register at your job? So I’d want to learn more about How Cashiering Careers work?
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This is a joke, right?
 
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Probably iron-worker or MRI-Technician. Something you get paid alot to stand around all day drinking coffee.

Trades looks romantic from the outside but can be back-breaking. MRI tech looks good though. Kind of separate from the hub bub of the hospital and has high pay. I'm sure there's more to it than I'm imagining. For personal use, carpentry would seem most useful.
 
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irish_buffalo said:
A bit different but when I still had my tools on I'd take my boots to this old Italian shop to get the soles replaced. For $70 bucks that man would replace soles and restitch everything and your boots would look brand new. Now that is a skill.
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We have an Eyetalian and a Chinese guy here in Soulon that both do excellent work.

They have also fixed baseball gloves for me.

It's nice to have a pair of shoes or an old mitt that look great again, and you don't have to break them in.
 
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