Trainee Plumber

[Princekev1982]

Hi guys I am new to this forum and also to the trade.

I have just started a city and Guilds recognised course with Train4Trades skills as I am looking for a career change.

I was just wondering if you guys wouldnt mind answering a few questions if the need arises?

Please bear with me as they may be quite basic and obvious to you qualified guys, I am waiting to get a bit further in to it, then hopefully will be able to get out on some jobs with a plumber whos a friend of the family. To get some hands on experience, am also gonna get a few tools to practice pipe bending, jointing etc.

A these good ideas?

Where am I best lookin for cheap tools to practice with?

Any help would be greatfully appreciated!

Thanks for your time.

Kev

 

[TerryH]

Kev,
Good luck with your training, I hope you enjoy it and all goes well. Your ideas seem to be reasonable and having a friendly tradesman to guide you is worth a small fortune. Hang on to him or her!!!

You ask about cheap tools, well, mate, that's exactly what they are!
If you want your pipe-benders to work smoothly and accurately don't waste money on cheap ones, you'll only have to bite the bullet, dump them and get some good ones.
That applies to all your tools. Pay good money for good tools, look after them and they will last years.
How will you feel if your wrench snaps in front of a customer?
More importantly, what impression will that leave on your customer?
Cheap tools really are a waste of money if you are trying to make a living out of a trade, they're OK for an amateur but false economy for a tradesman.

I know it seems to be the expensive option but if you bear in mind the arguments, in the long run you benefit.

That's my opinion, for what it's worth
Terryh

 

[Princekev1982]

Hi, terry thanks for the feedback. I am enjoying it so far, taking a bit of time to sink in at the moment but thats to be expected with anythin new I suppose.

Will have a scout around for a quality pipe bender then, got a screwfix catalogue through this mornin so will have a look in that.

Kev

 

[ajs heating]

>Will have a scout around for a quality pipe bender then, got a screwfix catalogue through this mornin so will have a look in that.

you said quality

 

[Princekev1982]

>Will have a scout around for a quality pipe bender then, got a screwfix catalogue through this mornin so will have a look in that.

you said quality

Screwfix no good then? where is the best place to get one? any idea of make?

 

[Paultheplumber]

bes good for pipe benders i think hilmor make the best ones normally yellow in colour rothenberger are popular also

 

[Princekev1982]

bes good for pipe benders i think hilmor make the best ones normally yellow in colour rothenberger are popular also

I have got myself a rothenerger one, now looking for a good blow torch?

Have seen a Dremel torch, small multi tool type thing anyone know if theyre any good?

 

[ajs heating]

buy a good quality torch that lasts.

these are one of the favorites with plumbers

Rothenberger Super-Fire 2 Soldering And Brazing Torch - RHB35644X - Miscellaneous Pipe Joining Tools & Blow Torches

with the mapp gas

Rothenberger Mapp Gas Cylinder 453g For Super Fire 2 - RHB35539 - Miscellaneous Pipe Joining Tools & Blow Torches

they are avaiable in bq and you can get the torches cheaper.

these are very good as they can be used in all positions and heat to a high temp.
some of the cheaper ones you can't use upside down as they flair up.

 

[dom666]

hi prince kev ive just started nvq 2 day release im also a newbie apparently its ok to buy some tools cheap try a2btools.co.uk also i havent sorted out my college fees yet wondered if i qualify for train to gain im on less than minimum wage as a trainee and ive got to pay my own fees?

 

[unguided1]

I bouhgt my rothenberger bender in 1979 and still going well

you will need a decent drill i prefer makita my self. my first drill when I was an apprentise was a rawl plug jumper!!! any of you old guys remember them

a technical explanation for a rawl plug jumper is an early form of cordless drill used in conjunction with a hammer

 

[carol78]

hi princekev1982
i wish u well in your training i am also doing a plumbing course which i am half way through and enjoying very much

 

[Carl86]

Tools sites I have used –

B.E.S Ltd, Plumbing and Gas supplies - Got my Irwin Hilmor bender from here, good service and decent prices a good port of call for tools.

Longhorn Another great site. Last year I got a 36v Bosch SDS drill with a chuck adapter, 2 batteries, Carry Case, Charger and a 36v Bosch Hand drill bare with it free for 360 quid, at the time my local Merchants, EBay and Screwfix were pushing these out for around £450 to £500 for the SDS alone.
I also got a 10.8v Bosch impact driver with charger, 2 batteries, carry case with a 10.8 volt Bosch screw driver bare for a very reasonable price as well.

In regards to tools I use Bahco spanners, genuine footprints and Bahco pump pliers or Knipex, and good power tools the Bosch professional stuff comes with 3 years warranty if you register the stuff online and I’m more than happy with their gear. I hear plenty of good talk about Makita as well , you can get away with the cheaper or B&Q stuff with the likes of hammers and screw drivers wise but any specialist gear like Pipe benders, torches, power tools and spanners etc make sure its decent stuff.

Books I use for reference and I would recommend would be: -

Plumbing NVQ & Technical Certificate Level 2 Student Book: 2nd Edition By JTL & John Thompson - Covers the aspects of the 6129 and offers plenty of other information with clear colour diagrams, also has boxed notes at the side of certain pages for important pointers and reminders in relation to the text.

Plumbing NVQ and Technical Certificate: Level 3 by JTL – Same as above but covers all the aspects of the NVQ level 3 should you wish to progress further.

Plumbing R.D. Treloar 3rd edition: Heating and Gas Installations By Roy Treloar – Covers levels 2 and 3, has sections on calculations and also has diagrams, various information on stacks, fittings sections on gas etc.

I use all 3, and they were money well spent in my eyes.