Shortage of Skilled Leadworkers

[Keefy]

If you're looking for a career in the already overcrowded plumbing sector you might want to reconsider - there's officially a shortage of leadwork conservation craftsmen in the UK.

Preserving skills | Installer Online

 

[Destroyer2813]

Give the training centres a week or so to cotton on to that one as well then

 

[AWheating]

There are plenty of plumbers who are good at leadwork, or should i say was and could be again with alittle practice. There wont be many around in 20years tho. Its really a roofers skill in todays building game unless its specialist work which requires some good craft like justlead and eco may come across and do.

last time i did some was a while ago now, i had to make some slates for WB vertical flues and cover some canopys because we were working in an area that did not allow new construction methods to be on show. I took abit of practice but it came back very quickly.

its not even taught in college now i hear.

 

[Barry98]

I used Eco last year for some

 

[happyflyer]

There are plenty of plumbers who are good at leadwork, or should i say was and could be again with alittle practice. There wont be many around in 20years tho. Its really a roofers skill in todays building game unless its specialist work which requires some good craft like justlead and eco may come across and do.

last time i did some was a while ago now, i had to make some slates for WB vertical flues and cover some canopys because we were working in an area that did not allow new construction methods to be on show. I took abit of practice but it came back very quickly.

its not even taught in college now i hear.

I think you are spot on, but if you can lead burn you are nearly there because you can make anything without bashing the crap out of it, my daughter lives on a new estate built by one of the big boys, the step flashing look like a kids done them the same kid that did the push fit plumbing behind the airing cupboard door, he's has made the step flashing twice as deep as they need to be using double the lead and it looks stupid, hell bet he can't lead burn.

 

[tamz]

That will be cavity trays Tony. A bit code 3 stapled to a bit plastic fitted by a brickie.
They do well if they can get them in a straightish line.

 

[AWheating]

I think you are spot on, but if you can lead burn you are nearly there because you can make anything without bashing the crap out of it, my daughter lives on a new estate built by one of the big boys, the step flashing look like a kids done them the same kid that did the push fit plumbing behind the airing cupboard door, he's has made the step flashing twice as deep as they need to be using double the lead and it looks stupid, hell bet he can't lead burn.

i wonder if one day ill see a post from you that does not mention plastic plumbing?? LOL

 

[R1CKY]

There are plenty of plumbers who are good at leadwork, or should i say was and could be again with alittle practice. There wont be many around in 20years tho. Its really a roofers skill in todays building game unless its specialist work which requires some good craft like justlead and eco may come across and do.

last time i did some was a while ago now, i had to make some slates for WB vertical flues and cover some canopys because we were working in an area that did not allow new construction methods to be on show. I took abit of practice but it came back very quickly.

its not even taught in college now i hear.

They didn't allow you to show new construction methods, but let you stick a bloody big black plastic flue terminal through a roof!!!

I can't do leadwork to save my life. I borrowed someone else's piece to get my college portfolio signed off!!

 

[happyflyer]

i wonder if one day ill see a post from you that does not mention plastic plumbing?? LOL

Really doubt it AW, I should worry too much about it only the rambling of an old plumber, plastic only for houses and domestic, it never migrated
to the commercial world, gee I am glad, could not face it ever day.


Tony

 

[hammers4spanner]

oh it has merged into the commercial world !!!

uponor and fusion welded aquatherm !!

 

[AWheating]

They didn't allow you to show new construction methods, but let you stick a bloody big black plastic flue terminal through a roof!!!

I can't do leadwork to save my life. I borrowed someone else's piece to get my college portfolio signed off!!

it was a village trust, so no plastic slate, no plastic windows, no plasitc fasia boards etc...... flues were not allowed to exit through brickwork, plastic vertical terminal with a lead slate was a compromise tbh but not much choice as they still have to meet building regs with modern appliances and systems and its all plastic today.

It was nice to work on the job tbh, everything in copper, proper floorboards, wet plaster, no blockwork etc..... etc...... made a change to see some quality on a site with trades that knew what they were doing.

 

[happyflyer]

oh it has merged into the commercial world !!!

uponor and fusion welded aquatherm !!

Yes but not at the same level and intensity, design engineers are still unwilling to use plastic, I have seen a 4 pipe coil fan unit job done in Mar-flow
I can post some photos but I hate to see grown men crying, its a mess.

 

[jim fennessey]

yeah lead work has been taken out of city and guilds now as they class leadwork as roofers work now

 

[Reg Man]

I love lead work. The body don't quite work as well these days. Must be all those tonnes of lead I did in the past. Biggest job was 50 tonnes on Knebworth house. All bossed Properly no lead burning.

 

[lame plumber]

I love lead work. The body don't quite work as well these days. Must be all those tonnes of lead I did in the past. Biggest job was 50 tonnes on Knebworth house. All bossed Properly no lead burning.

one arm twice the size other your other one then,

 

[Irish]

The link don't work on my phone, what site is it from keefy?

 

[Masood]

its not even taught in college now i hear.

That's a real shame. I loved the lead work module during my City & Guilds. At one pint I even thought about stopping the plumbing and doing the full leadwork C&G. It's a really good feeling crafting something like that..

 

[turnpin]

one arm twice the size other your other one then, Rumour has it VT has the same complaint ...lolregards turnpin

 

[Reg Man]

Not through personal misuse LOL

 

[lame plumber]

Not through personal misuse LOL

should read abuse surely

 

[hammers4spanner]

Yes but not at the same level and intensity, design engineers are still unwilling to use plastic, I have seen a 4 pipe coil fan unit job done in Mar-flow
I can post some photos but I hate to see grown men crying, its a mess.

not as yet in this country mapress seems to be current fad but i see that plastic is very popular in commercial world with our european friends

 

[tamz]

one arm twice the size other your other one then,

You need to be ambidextrous

 

[Reg Man]

should read abuse surely

Now at the senior age the doctors say I am obese at 14 stone at 5ft 9in. But with shoulders like an ox after years of lead work I will never get the weight off.

 

[lame plumber]

Now at the senior age the doctors say I am obese at 14 stone at 5ft 9in. But with shoulders like an ox after years of lead work I will never get the weight off.

Aagh stop winging you old git , 6 foot and 15 stone and they make out I'm on my way to michelin man status, so missing out on suger at present, cant give up the ale though as why ruin your life, any how its only my belly thats oxlike!

 

[Reg Man]

It's a great shame that the lead trade is reducing. too many roofing companies think they can wack it in. Proper lead working is an absolute art. Bossing a corner without thinning the lead, proper cleating, roof profiles and finishing. Patination oil? Ereskin felt?

 

[lame plumber]

It's a great shame that the lead trade is reducing. too many roofing companies think they can wack it in. Proper lead working is an absolute art. Bossing a corner without thinning the lead, proper cleating, roof profiles and finishing. Patination oil? Ereskin felt?

I felt er skin last night and got a knee in my groin

 

[Reg Man]

Aagh stop winging you old git , 6 foot and 15 stone and they make out I'm on my way to michelin man status, so missing out on suger at present, cant give up the ale though as why ruin your life, any how its only my belly thats oxlike!

Get a grip Michelin man

 

[Keefy]

I can't do leadwork to save my life. I borrowed someone else's piece to get my college portfolio signed off!!

I remember a few in college struggling to get their lead work signed off but I wasn't going to let them use my hard-earned work. I mangled my stuff after getting it signed off and threw it in the bin.

The link don't work on my phone, what site is it from keefy?

InstallerOnline.co.uk matey.

That's a real shame. I loved the lead work module during my City & Guilds. At one pint I even thought about stopping the plumbing and doing the full leadwork C&G. It's a really good feeling crafting something like that..

I enjoyed doing the lead and took to it quite quickly, lead burning took me a while but I got there in the end.

Just pulled these wallpaper templates out of my City & Guilds portfolio, shame I've never had the chance to use that skill in the real world. (Sorry, trying to upload the pic...)

 

[Reg Man]

I felt er skin last night and got a knee in my groin

At least it was noticed.

 

[Keefy]

My laptop needs a good beating, took me all this time to upload the pic.

Anyway, these are a few of my templates drawn out on the back of wallpaper which were then used to create them using lead. There's a back gutter, ridge saddle, front apron and step flashing amongst them:

 

[lame plumber]

bet you kept all your school reports under your bed (good at macrami)

 

[Keefy]

bet you kept all your school reports under your bed (good at macrami)

I didn't go to school for the last few years, needed an education so used to go the big library in town instead then turned up a few weeks before I was due to leave. Still managed to pass my English, German, Geography, Maths, Science and Religious Education though. But yes you're right I did have my school reports until a few years ago lol.

 

[Reg Man]

impressive paperwork. I use the LDA (Lead development association) book. Its great. The bible for lead work. Master piece for practical lead work is bossing a lead slate. I did one for my C&G exam back in 1979, its now in a museum for past skills. Only ever once bossed a lead slate in the business world as the profile was difficult to lead burn.