After trying to do a Google image search for Female Carpenter, Woman Carpenter, woman wood worker, female furiture builder and various other similar searches. I have come to the realization that the internet has no idea what those titles mean. Replace female/woman for male/man and you get plenty of images.
But 90% of what does come up for the lady version...is downright insulting.
I AM A FEMALE CARPENTER
As a hobby...I build beautiful furniture, using a variety of tools, math and reasoning, and techniques that have taken years to learn and develop. I am still learning and will always admire good craftsmanship.
I realize this a is 99% male dominated field, and have the utmost respect for masters of this craft regardless of their sex.
THESE ARE NOT FEMALE CARPENTERS
They are models wearing costumes and holding props.
Note there isn't a glue wipe, speck of sawdust, band-aid from a splinter, on her perfectly braided hair or perfectly selected clean clothes. Also...lady, you're going to stab yourself with the pencil pointed that way. And you! close your mouth unless you want it filled with sawdust! Save that look for a porno...if you still have limbs for it after you've been holding the saw like that running.
Being a female carpenter doesn't mean i look like Paul Bunyan without a beard, never shave my legs, endeavor to be a lumberjack, live in the woods, or crack nuts with my toes.
It doesn't mean i'm a man hater, ball buster, lesbian, or a body builder.
NOR does it mean I consider Ikea directions a way to build furniture and can only do so with my low power pretty pink tool set that's sized for a child while wearing a push up bra and a thong.
(Note: Nothing against pink tools, just think you pay extra for less power)
It also doesn't mean that with proper training...these women above couldn't become carpenters.
I realize in a male dominated world, hot pinup women are the easy way for guys to even think about tools and women in the same sentence. Sex always sells. I get that.
But I've worked damn hard to become a carpenter to the point where friends, master-craftsmen, my father and complete strangers are impressed by the quality, design and care put into every single piece i create.
I'm proud to be a craftswoman who can look at particle board ikea items with distain and know i can make something better for cheaper, that will last for generations.
AND I MAY MAKE THEM WHILE WEARING A THONG BUT AT LEAST THE THONG IS UNDER MY STAINED, PAINT SMUDGED, RIPPED, and SAWDUST COVERED
WORK PANTS!!!!!!!!!
This is me (for real) at work.
Just so you know, you look much hotter and more professional than those stupid pinup models. PUT THEM TO SHAME WITH YOUR AWESOME TALENT. :D
ReplyDeleteThank you dear. It just makes me mad that you only get 1 real carpenter out of ever 20 fake carpenter pictures on an image search.
DeleteI may not be super skinny, but at least i'm real.
I'm glad you are standing up for women carpenters. A person should be able to work in whatever career interests them.
DeleteI'm glad you are standing up for women carpenters. A person should be able to work in whatever career interests them.
DeleteHi! I love your post and am so impressed that you have gotten into a male-dominated field. I am a 24 year old woman looking to get into carpentry. Any suggestions?
ReplyDeleteThe best thing you can do for yourself is to attach yourself to a craftsman (or woman if you can find one) that is willing to teach and let you use their tools. Then get in there and use the tools yourself with no one holding it like training wheels. Do it constantly. Learn how to use the tools, and not be afraid of them. I had my father at first, but later, I also started consulting a master craftsman neighbor in exchange for babysitting his kids.
DeleteStart small. My very first building adventure was with my dad when i was probably no more than seven. I made a Barbie patio swing out of scrap wood. It was purple. Then, I built a bird feeder, bird house, a throne (cause my barbies were empresses not princesses). I built a shelf for my radio. My very first real piece of furniture was a night stand for my then boyfriend. I was 15. I didn't build my first piece of non scrap wood furniture until i was 17.
There are MANY sites that have easy building instructions. This is a great site because it's from a CraftsWOMAN: http://ana-white.com/
Go to your hardware store with these instructions and get their opinion on what wood works best.
Learn about wood and the qualities it possesses. Like Pine is great: lightweight, but it's soft...it will dent easily. Oak is hard, but very heavy.
Lastly...understand that you will never know everything. Even my dad occasionally comes out of his workshop swearing up a storm cause it's just not working right.
Also...don't forget the thing i always forget: Don't forget to include the width of the wood in your measurements. It makes the difference of 3 feet and 3'3/4".
hey I love the info you have supplied thankyou because in 16 and female looking to become carpenter.
DeleteThat's great Maddie! I hope there a many amazing building projects in your future. I'm always happy to offer what insight I have if you ever run into roadblocks.
DeleteI think that I am in love. Thank God for your site!
ReplyDeleteis it hard for women to get this kind of job?
ReplyDeleteFor me, Carpentry is a hobby (as i said). I don't do this for a living and honestly i don't really want to. It's a source of pleasure and zen for me. So i don't want to muck it up with stress of deadlines and other peoples visions.
DeleteI can easily believe it would be very hard for women to get a carpentry job over a guy. Beyond sheer physical differences, there's a lack of females interested in getting their hands dirty and a lot of men (i've met several assholes) who simply refuse to believe that women can be good carpenters.
I hope this trend is changing, but it's hard to tell. To any women with this hope, i sincerely wish you the best of luck and happy hammering.
I came to this site from looking up female builders, in Australia a carpenter is a builder that builds the frame of a house and that's my life dream, Yes it will be hard for me to get work because i'm a girl but i can tell you know i will not give up. i'm only 15 but i know what my future holds and that's building. Thanks for showing more than one person girls can make it :) i'm proud i'm a girl and i will stride for more!!
ReplyDeleteWow, 15 and already got your life figured out? Wish i had your clarity at that age. Good for you.
DeleteI think it's wonderful that you want to be a carpenter and build beautiful homes. Just remember, if it was easy, anyone could do it. Work hard, continue to learn even when you're not in school anymore, and follow your passions. The easiest way to deal with a nay sayer, is to know your stuff.
I'm 27, i STILL make mistakes. I STILL don't know all there is about carpentry. But it hasn't stopped me yet.
I'm a female carpenter in Canada. I'm in with a good contractor and crew. Work hard, stay safe and measure twice.
ReplyDeleteSalutations my fellow carpenter! I'm glad to hear you've found a great team to work with. It certainly helps when you work with people you trust and who respect your skills. May your work last for generations and be admired by all. Happy Hammering.
DeleteI am glad I stumbled upon your blog; I am on a carpentry course in Canada and I feel intimidated by all the men! and the tools lol! I feel rejected a lot, and it was nice to read your blog. You must be so proud of yourself, of your work. You go girl!
ReplyDeleteSometimes showing is better than telling.
DeleteThe funniest example of this was walking into a room where three guys were trying to put drywall up on the ceiling and only had one ladder. I asked them why they weren't using a dead man (two pieces of wood joined together to create a wedge someone could handle from the ground). They were all mystified. I picked up the drill and found 2 2x4s and made them one then showed them how to use it. From that day on, those guys showed me a lot more respect. Doesn't mean they still didn't act like masagonists from time to time, but the point is, i didn't argue about feminism, i didn't act helpless, I simply helped them accomplish their goal with the knowledge i possessed. So learn. Learn all you can and dispense the knowledge freely.
There are some things that men can do better than women. It's a fact of life. But knowledge is universal. If your strength is insufficient, ask for their help. But on the flip side, if they have an idea of how to do it better, listen.
The biggest thing i run into even with my dad is him trying to take over for me or moving onto the next step before i'm ready. If it's your project, own it and tell them "let me do it so i learn!"
Oh, and when they're acting like a jerks (because they will occasionally)....i find using some of the tools while acting like you really want to use it on their limbs with a slightly homicidal look on your face while staring them straight in the eyes....will get them to go away REALLY quickly :)
It was pointed out later that I have a poorly chosen sentence in here. "There are some things that men can do better than women".
DeleteWhat i should have said, and what i meant, is that "There are some things that are easier for an average man than an average woman."
I was speaking in general, and not out a belief that one gender is better. I'm only human and occasionally i say something that can be construed in a way i don't intend.
But everything else is still very true. Rock that toolbelt girl!
I'm also a female that's interested in carpentry. Honestly, I'm 31 and I really don't know what I want to do career wise. I've worked in childcare for over a decade and it's such a dead-end job.
ReplyDeleteI like to try and fix things around my house and I want to learn more. I'm starting to research apprenticeships in my state. I hope it's not too late to learn. I don't have any background in carpentry at all, but it's one of the few things I feel drawn to.
I'm honestly a little worried about not being taken seriously and not fitting in in a male dominated field.
My goal was never to fit in. But to stand out from the stereotypical woman who is afraid of getting their hands dirty. My post here is demanding to be recognized as a woman and a carpenter. Not a timid request to be let into the boys club.
DeleteAs for your situation...let me tell you about my mother.
My mother is 5'1". She's slightly plump. She keeps her nails pretty long. She's never worn jeans a day in her life. She's the mother of 4. She was a stay at home mom until i was 10 years old (25 years)then became a teacher. And she works side by side with my father on every project.
One day, one of my brothers came to her and said he wanted a table that he could tap dance on. She was about your age at that point in time.
At that point, she had never built anything out of wood. My father had no time to help her build something due to his work in the military. So, she went to a local college and signed up for a shop course.
She built a table that our family still has today. It's strong, and sturdy and yes it was a great tap dancing table for about a month or two until my brother grew out of that phase. She got a C on it. Why? because she built it out of scrap wood because there was very little money to spare and it was built for a kid. It was a learning experience mixed with practicality.
There's no honey do list in my parent's house. Just a list of projects for someone to take care of. My mom can fix a leaky faucet just as well as my dad can. It's like that with everything.
Well....except for gardening. Dad has a tendency to just get the lawnmower out and cause trouble.
My point is, it sounds like you're ready to jump out of the "child care expert" box, but it's scary because you're mindset is still stuck in the box of what a 31 year old woman can or cannot do. Bravo to you for taking the initiative to fix things around your house. I bet that was pretty scary the first time too.
Maybe try thinking of it like an adventure. If it goes horribly awry, you can look back on it and laugh because it was your adventure into carpentry. And if it goes well...it will be your FIRST adventure into carpentry.
I want to become a carpenter. When I looked up "female carpenters" the first thing Google wanted to show me was female carpenter ants. SIGH. Nice to read about your story, and also all your provisos about what a female carpenter ISN'T: body builder, gay, man hating etc etc. I installed a salvaged hardwood floor in one of our bedrooms four years ago and my mother was horrified that I would take on such a project. She offered to pay for someone else to do the installation - despite that I had a brad nailer, a generator and a miter saw that I borrowed, and the instructions can be found on a dozen sites on lines. Further installation of a salvaged floor is something most hardwood guys won't bother with because it's too nitpicky and time-consuming. I now have a beautiful floor that cost about $250. I'm so proud. (It took me 5 weeks to finish) But my mom still thinks it means I'm gay or something. I've been married 18 years and have a daughter and I like girly drinks and 19th century novels and lots of other gender typical things. It saddens me, how our society has pushed women away from these jobs because they're not any more conceptually difficult than say, needlepoint or quilt making or baking a pie. Carpentry work is just a service that cost about 50 times more per hour than "female" designated house chores. As an admittedly cheap person with a lot of design ideas, an aging house in need of upkeep, and a spouse who has no inclination to be a handyman, I just won't buy in to that nonsense.
ReplyDeleteAlso, to the 31 year old, I'm 51 and starting carpentry! 31 is so young! People switch careers all the time. Of all things don't worry about your age at 31!
DeleteI think it's wonderful that you have a custom floor now that you can be proud to show off. Good for you for being so frugal and motivating yourself through nay-sayers especially family members. That can be tough. Even if you were gay, so what!? Keep pushing the boundaries of what you can do and don't worry about who wears the metaphorical pants in your marriage.
Deletemy Boyfriend Jon knits, bakes, cleans and folds laundry. He also is a master of all wired things and stays on top of car maintenance.
Basically...i laugh at this box society thinks i should stay inside and just do my own thing.
Hell yeah! Get at it lady! I am a mother of four and I have worked in male dominated labor jobs like factories and warehouses. I was once a member of the Steelworker's union only it was while i worked at a paper factory. My mother was too but that's because she worked at a steel mill. I was lucky to have her as a mom because she was always a tom boy and never afraid to do what a guy could do yet she was very much a lady and over time won a lot of respect from all the men she worked with, so much so that they told me and my sister this at her funeral. Although I have worked like a dog for years, I have never been well compensated. I have come to not mind working in sexist environments and after a while the men in these places learn that I am a good worker and not interested in dating anyone. I too am not a lesbian, ball-buster, man-hater, etc. I have wanted to try nursing for a long time because I am interested in biology and the human body and want to earn a decent living for my kids but honestly, the thought of working indoors all the time and dealing with people on a more personal level is not that appealing. I love to do things with my hands and any project around the house that needs done is best left to me as my darling husband is just not good at that stuff. I come from two parents who were both good at woodworking and building and crafting. One of my favorite things to do as a kid was play with my mom's drill press. Lately I have been contemplating going into carpentry. There is no doubt in my mind that I have the mental and physical fortitude. I am no stick and I am as strong as a horse. I have thought about it for the last year or so. My father has tried to discourage me because I think he fears i will get stuck working in a rough and tough environment. He is well aware of what men say about women they work with, however he seems to forget what I go against every day. I have been discouraged because I don't know how I could get work. I mean, as an apprentice I should have good opportunity but as a journeyman, I can't make someone offer me work. How has your work experience gone as far as being able to fall into working with people who appreciate your work and offer you work? And I am 30 years old. I just wish I had thought of this years ago. I could have a good bit of experience under my belt.
ReplyDeleteAll that i have learned, i did so unpaid. My father is a prolific DIY-er, engineer and carpenter. I've shoveled dirt piles taller than me and sweated entire plumbing lines from scratch. Worked electrical because my dad is color blind. I'm not a professional carpenter but i've done just about all of it at some point in my life. Right now...i could build a house to code if i really needed to. And i've caught things that professional building inspectors have missed. That's why i claim the title of carpenter. But I've never gone through the formal training.
DeleteIt sounds like your father is just worried like all fathers are about their little sweethearts beign out there with men who are like he used to be. But if it was easy, everyone would do it. Be determined and don't lose your passion. Maybe it will become a hobby for you, maybe it will become a career. My fingers are crossed that whatever happens, you are happy.
Thank you for the post, it has been so encouraging for me. I'm 18 and looking in taking a Foundations of Carpentry course this upcoming September. When I started telling people that's what I was looking into trying they were horrified I would even consider going into it. I'm only 5'3 and 100 pounds so I'm worried about being taken seriously in my class however it's a skill I really want to get. I'm not very strong psychically but I'm determined to try anyways. Do you think I will be able to succeed in carpentry?
ReplyDelete16 year old me tore apart the main bathroom in our house and remodeled it by myself. I probably didn't have too many more pounds on you :)
DeleteI'm going to be frank. Your size will cause some limitations. You may never be able to lift a beam by yourself. But it won't prevent you from learning how to use a table saw, or hammer, or a tape measure. And you get other people to help you with the heavy lifting. My advice; learn how to work SMARTER not harder.
Example: If you're hanging a cabinet, screw a cleat in just below the line so you can lift the cabinet into place but it's less work to hold it there.
And maybe your calling isn't heavy lumber construction. Making furniture sometimes requires finesse instead of brute strength but is just as amazing when finished.
Paiton,
DeleteYou go, girl! I too, am a female certified carpenter and I can say that if u work hard, show men tenacity, integrity and passion; most will bend over backwards to work with u, teach you, help you. You will definitely run into some jerks, but u have to rise above them and trust in yourself. Height and weight are just numbers. Not all men are tall and strong. If u want it; you can achieve it. I'm living proof;) Very good luck to you!
I think your typo will determine your success- you said you were not very strong psychically- did you mean physically? Because your psychic strength will get you through what you may lack in physical strength!
ReplyDeleteHi, I'm getting ready to begin a two year carpentry program. As part of my research I would like to know how much math is required for a carpentry program and the career of carpentry. Thanks so much! ps. you are so inspiring to me!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations for your new program. I think it's great you're already trying to learn as much as you can before it even starts.
DeleteYou'll definetly need to learn fractions of a tape measure, Addition subtraction, multiplication, angles, and trigonometry doesn't hurt.
Honestly, I hate math. All those x's and square roots, and imaginary numbers? Really, if something's name includes IMAGINARY, why would it ever be necessary in real life? Most of the math involved will be simple. But it will depend on what kind of carpentry you get into.
If you're building buildings, you'll have to take in weight and tensile stregnth into consideration. If you're building furniture, the first set of mathmatics should cover most everything.
I wish you the best of luck.
I'm a 24 year old carpenter who happens tobe female. I'm so happy tosee your blog. I've been working in thefeild since I was 13 and full time since 17. I've been up against so many things you talk about,and I'm so happyim not alone. I dint know anyother females in the feild. I love that you point out thesexy chick with the brand new tool belt and hammer is not a good represntative of me and my peers.
ReplyDeleteYou're most definitely not alone. Like i said, i was insulted by what pictures were available. I knew there were others like me out there even if the internet is oblivious to their existence.
ReplyDeleteThe power tools don't care if i wear makeup or fit into a size 4. I learned the lessons that you don't wear a V-neck shirt unless you want to be digging sawdust out of your cleavage. Or that mishandling a saw is very very dangerous. That's why i posted my own pictures to the internet so that there is something real there even though i was dressed to work, not to look nice.
I encourage any female carpenter, amateurs, hobbyists, or professionals, to post pictures of themselves at work and of their accomplishments. Not to be seen as sex icons in costumes but hard working females showing off their skills.
I grew up in a cabinet maker's family. Dad was so good that his family's business, Jacoby’s Furniture Factory, did repair work for President Eisenhower's farm near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. I helped my Dad in his shop when I grew up so had a comfort zone with tools.
ReplyDeleteTwenty five years later, after I was married and had a family, I decided to knock a wall out to enlarge our living room while my husband was traveling in Europe. Before he left, I told him what I was thinking. He didn't believe I could do it and discouraged me, I believe, because he is a scholar and has no skills in woodworking.
So ... on the sly, I bought the tools and hid them until he left – a rotary saw, small table saw, drills, an electric sander, and so on. The first few days, I studied the manuals for safety. Then I went to the lumberyard and purchased the materials needed. With a professional’s help, I proceeded to knock out a wall and enlarged our living room. That made it half again as big and provided space for an office area. I used the extra week building ceiling to floor bookshelves to accommodate our many books since we are both college teachers.
A few weeks later, when my husband came home, he was stunned. In the years since then, he has brought students, colleagues, and friends to the house to show off the results of my labor.
If you have a hankering to do carpentry work, by all means, DO IT! Pick professional carpenters' brains, get books for beginners and read them, and take a course on safety at your local vo-tech or junior college. Try smaller projects first, and then move on. Learn all you can so you do it right. Have fun!
What an awesome story. High five! I don't care what your gender is, taking on something like that is a big deal. And i think you went about it perfectly, reading instructions and leaning on professional know how instead of assuming you instinctively remembered how to do something so complex.
DeleteCan you give me some examples of what you mean when you state that "There are some things that men can do better than women. It's a fact of life." I have NEVER seen anything on this earth that I would say men can do better than women. You completely negate EVERYTHING else you say in this article by this one absolutely ludicrous statement. Just because men are stronger than women on average DOES NOT mean that they can do anything "better." They may go about doing things in a different manner but this in NO WAY makes their work or performance "better." I was excited to read this article at first, but then unfortunately it became like all the rest.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry that you feel a single sentence negates at least a thousand other words of encouragement and praise for the ladies who have courage and passion to color outside the lines of socially acceptable gender lines.
DeleteYou are correct that i chose that single particular word poorly. For that i apologize. For the record: I do not mean that men are better than women. Nor do i mean that women are better than men. There are differences between the two that make it easier for one gender, but not impossible for the other. In carpentry, strength is a factor and biologically, that tips the scales in an average man's favor. BUT! that doesn't mean that every woman is average.
I am not perfect, not by a longshot. But to focus on a single word out of thousands does not make me "like all the rest". If i was "like all the rest" this article would never have been written. I would not get to hear all the amazing stories of the female carpenters around the world who share my frustrations and disgust at being reduced to models wearing costumes and holding props. I wouldn't get a chance to share in their triumphs and encourage their dreams.
So please don't dismiss the intent of this post over a single word when the rest of it is there solely to convey my sincere belief that women can be a carpenter just like any man.
Im 17 and also a girl haha i also found myself google-ing women carpenters which is really funny to me because it seems to me im not the only one hahaha. but yea somehow stumbled on your blog and im thankful i did haha.some of the things are so true about gender roles, and people might think your gay, and silly stuff like that but yeah im also thinking about going into this career. Full time though.. Is this a well paying job or no (you can be truthful haha). and um how would i start. what classes shoukd i take should i go to trade school?etc..
ReplyDeleteI do not know if this is a well paying job or not. Carpentry is a broad spectrum with a variety of specialties and your pay will change over time. My only advice is don't get stuck in a job you hate just because it has a steady paycheck.
DeleteOk ladies. I'm 35. I'm a 2nd term apprentice. My father discouraged me from doing this when I was young and encouraged my brother. He hates it but he's a foreman now. I work for the same company and I'm an apprentice. He has at least 70 lbs and almost a ft in ht on me but we do the SAME WORK. I don't think tradition did me any favors here.
ReplyDeleteI weigh 130 and push up 108 Lb shores. Size isn't everything. I'm not a les I'm happily married to a husband who is bigger than me and I can't beat up. I'm human. I just didn't want to be stuck in an office being sexually harrassed by idiots.
ReplyDeleteWay to go lady! I think your fitness level is amazing.
DeleteBoth of my brothers were dad's first pick for construction projects. But my sister and i also paid attention. Now we're all competent in a variety of skills. My sister is great with plumbing and appliance installation. I'm a furniture builder. My oldest brother is amazing at getting doors to skew. And my other brother can build sturdy structures fast.
I can't even imagine where i would be now if my dad had been discouraging toward me and my sister. Actually....knowing the personalities of the women in my family going back 4 generations...i'd probably have been so belligerent that i would have ended up here anyway. Also my mother wouldn't have tolerated that anyway either.
So i know my dad had a choice, but it was probably an easy decision in my family.
Hey lady! Just encountered your site, and am so glad to have. I was simply looking for a photo of a female carpenter and had a similar disgusted experience as it sounds like you've had. Sigh.. glad to see you here in the mix though :)
ReplyDeleteI'm in the beginning stages of developing an event in Bellingham, WA where women would teach other women (and girls) basic hard skills that are typically considered 'men's' work. I see that you're in the PNW - any chance you're near enough and would maybe be interested in teaching other women some basic carpentry skills?
The event isn't meant to get anyone employment-ready per se, but rather to get women's hands on tools and skills that might help set them off (or help them continue) a journey of empowerment. I know I personally would love to know how to walk out in my shed and actually build something useful!
If you're at all interested, please email me at WomEnPOWER360 (at) gmail.com. I can connect with you more personally that way, but I'd rather not send my personal info out across the internet.
Regardless, rock on and thank you for sharing!! Peace sista :)
I'm absolutely interested in working with anyone, male or female, who wants to learn. My friends, and friends parents, are always calling me to advise or help with problems.
DeleteI sent a message to that email and hope to hear from you soon.
I am a young man, currently aged almost 28 years, living in Greater/Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. I found your post by querying Bing Search for "i am female".
ReplyDeleteDid you consider the possibility that your query found few to no photographs of real women carpenters because the indexed photographs of real women carpenters are not labelled as being of a woman? If the indexed text does not indicate that the subject of a photograph is a woman, the indexing software would have to analyse the image (picture) itself to try to determine the gender of a human subject.
I actually did consider that possibility. I tried probably a dozen different variations on carpenter, female, woman, craftswoman, etc. When that pretty much resulted in finding pictures that were similar to above, (as i stated) I flipped my search around and tried "carpenter," and various other gender neutral titles. The results were still roughly 95% male. The remainder of what i found was hundreds of pictures of carpenter ants with a few actual carpenter women.
DeleteThere likely is an issue of picture was not labeled in the metadata as "female". Still there is a HUGE disparity between male and female just by looking with human eyes at the displayed results. And what they are showing that is both female and tool related....was insulting to me and those like me.
That is what bothered me. That is why I wrote this post. It evolved to include the prejudices I have faced as a female who knows her way around tools. And by reading the comments, clearly I'm not alone. I want the world to know there are female carpenters, crafts women, and handy ladies that deserve to be respected, not oggled or mocked.
If you can come up with an image search that results in women who are carpenters in real life as the dominant subject, I'd genuinely like to know what you had to search for to get that.
https://www.flickr.com/search/?q=%22woman+carpenter%22&ss=2&ct=6&mt=all&w=all&adv=1
DeleteCongratulations. 26 images.
ReplyDeleteNow if you do the same search in google or bing, you can find about that many real carpenters amongst THOUSANDS of pictures like the examples I first posted.
That's like trying to search for chip and dale meaning the cartoons and getting male exotic dancers.
I came across this image while trying to log in to the Canada Revenue Agency Web site:
Deletehttps://web.archive.org/web/20180605130813/https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/cra-arc/camp-promo/carousel/crsl-180511-653x194-b.jpg
Is the third person from the left a carpenter woman? Apparently she is holding a saw?
So good to now there actually are female carpenters out there! successful ones at that! I'm a 18 year old soon to be carpenter I'm graduating this year and I'm accepted into a 2 year carpentry program. I didn't really know what I wanted to have as a career choice but I've always loved watching HGTV shows so for right now (cause I know my mind may change over time) I'm gonna take on carpentry. My grandfather was a carpenter and since I was little I was always seeing him fixing the house making renovations. Maybe that's why I'm drawn to it I dunno. Either way, I'm like fascinated by tiny homes, Like Tumble weed homes. My dream is to become a carpenter and build one and travel the world doing carpentry work, Thats quite the dream eh? I've been questioning If this is a good career choice for right now, and if I'm even gonna make it in this career but this page makes me think I'll be okay. Thank you! This page has really helped me with questions I've been asking myself lately, Thank you again.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad that you are pursuing this with vigor. If it fascinates and inspires you, it's worth exploring. The great thing about carpentry skills is that they are invaluable no matter where you go in the world and what you do. Sure you might have to learn local building codes and what items are called in that language, but you get my gist. Even if you don't travel the world and become a homebody, you can put those skills to use like your grandpa.
DeleteThis post was great! As embarrassing as it is, I have to admit I snorted while laughing at your pencil and porn comments.
ReplyDeleteLike a lot of the commenters, I found myself searching for "female carpenter" and "women in construction". It's a bit disheartening that three years after your original post, not much has changed. The Dept. of Labor reports that only 1.5 percent of carpenters in the US are women.
I've been searching for a way in for over a year now. I've decided to not go the union route which probably would have been easier. Nothing against unions, I just think I'd be happier and more successful in a workplace with a different structure. Anyway, I've contacted dozens of custom shops, construction companies, lumber mills, one man garage operations, and landscape companies. Only one returned my calls and wanted to set up an interview. I actually considered moving to Illinois from Kansas to take this position. It was a female-owned construction company, and I imagine that was, at least in part, the reason I got a response.
I'm not petite or weak by any means. I have more respect for safety protocol than most of the tradesmen I know (and I know many). I understand how to use hand and power tools and am more than comfortable doing so. I have the knowledge and ability to take measurements and perform calculations, including load and stress analyses. And I have had friends, classmates, family, employers and teachers tell me that I am remarkably creative. So why is no one interested? It's frustrating to think this, because I really don't want to be one to say, "They are prejudiced against my vagina." I don't want my anatomy to define my success. I'd like to have people focus and judge me based on the quality of my work and not what is between my legs. It seems silly, unreasonable, and counterproductive to make an argument with that statement. It's probably much easier to get a small business loan and start my own carpentry business than get a job in this field as a woman.
PS: That female owned company is called New Prairie Construction in Urbana, IL, in case anyone is interested.
PPS: I'd be grateful for any critique you could offer on my work. Love to get opinions and suggestions on these things. http://greenshouldersks.blogspot.com/
I myself have become the trades person I want to be....I admit most days I look like a drowned rat on the West coast of Canada Victoria, and sometimes my attitude reflects the risk of rust my tool and bits are susseptable too by joining me in the field.
DeleteI admit/recognize I have been hardened by my education in this field but "by golly:)" am I forever intringued......
I own a shop full of tools and timber.....assets or jackhammers x2, drills galore, more tools then fellow contractors and equal to the hard earned pride inbetween. ( 3 wheelbarrows meant for concrete jobs( don't fatigue your bicepts)).
I apprecitiate the end result, but ladies it does chip/or shave inches off your self confidence.
Thank you for this posting and next time I do a fence job in this "west coast winter" imagine what a shitzu/maltease/chihuahua looks like. This is not the department for looks......Demonstrate your smarts, honesty, promptness along with License, insurance, and taxation info and you'll happily service the needs of your fellow man.
Best wishes and thanks for the relatable info.
Holly
Good on you.....I know It was a challenge for myself
very good challenge for females nice thought
ReplyDeletecarpenter work
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