There has been at least one very famous carpenter in history. Yes, that’s right. In his hey day Grampa Jack could fair make the ladies gasp at the handiwork in his handbuilt sheds.
Joiners, on the other hand, seem to be regarded as the hard working yet less celeb-worthy wood workers.
Both work with timber and both are employed in the construction industry . . . so what gives?
Well, they may not seem much at first but there are small differences that mark out these two trades as distinct.
The first clue lies in the names. Joiners join. Traditionally, this has meant a workshop role presiding over the coming together of many different pieces of wood into a long-lasting and successful marriage.
This could include the creation of doors and window frames or kitchen fittings and furniture.
Carpenters, strangely, do not carpent (as presumably this would involve impounding motor vehicles). What they do very well, however, is create building elements directly on-site.
On any given day (except Cup Final Saturdays), you might find a carpenter fitting floors and staircases into newbuild homes or installing new cupboards and shelving.
Of course, as with many things in life, nothing’s ever simple: in the world of wood there are many grey areas where the roles often overlap and the lines of duty become blurred.
As such, you may well find joiners joining on a building site and carpenters creating finished pieces in off-site workshops.
Confusing isn’t it?
At the end of the day it becomes apparent if you want to work with wood, as a joiner or a carpenter or both (don’t judge: it’s not wrong or illegal), you need to be creative, you need to have natural hand and eye coordination and you must show a willingness to graft hard until the job’s done and done well.
Another skill worth bringing is arithmetic for working out accurate measurements. There’s nothing worse than reaching the final piece of a massive construction jigsaw only to find you’ve forgotten to put a zero on a lynchpin part.
If you’re just starting out you’ll need a Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card, but the good news is many construction companies offer access to college course or apprenticeships in carpentry or joinery.
This means you can enjoy the best of both worlds by learning while earning.
Go with the grain and find a top job in Construction with s1jobs.