Does Old School Really Exist?

Lads working through 60's & 70's were the old school. I myself am not as I started '92, but I was lucky enough to have been trained by and work with those lads. It was not too much different then I don't think.
I think there is still a remnance on the streets but my god they're trying hard to stamp it out
 
I started in 98...
Give it a few years Zotsey and we'll be old school. ;)

Even though im only 30, i feel about 65 years old... My body is smashed to bits, lol.
 
old school is gone they tore mine down about 10 years ago:eek:

as stated by many already the health and safety is killing the fun.
i personally think that shouting to "burds" being made illegal was the start of the rott
 
Some lads are old school but try to move with the times others don't.
If you don't move with the times your stagnant and nothing progresses.

Although most labourers do get it too easy.
 
TomP said:
Some lads are old school but try to move with the times others don't.
If you don't move with the times your stagnant and nothing progresses.

Although most labourers do get it too easy.
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Ya.

Unfortunately most younger fellas (Labourers and newly trained Scaffolders) dont know the basics of the game either...

Its surprising how many Labourers dont know how to set a job out, stand a 21ft up or use a rope/tie off and how many Scaffolders cant read a drawing, base a job out or know exactly what certain fittings are able to do (as there are usually multiple uses for each fitting, beyond what you normally use them for), to overcome simple problems.


Its a problem that needs to be adressed, imo.
 
or know exactly what certain fittings are able to do (as there are usually multiple uses for each fitting, beyond what you normally use them for)

What else can you use a sleeve for apart from joining tubes? Unless you count the sleeve on your jumper which you can use for wiping your nose??
 
Havespannerwilltravel said:
or know exactly what certain fittings are able to do (as there are usually multiple uses for each fitting, beyond what you normally use them for)

What else can you use a sleeve for apart from joining tubes? Unless you count the sleeve on your jumper which you can use for wiping your nose??
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pmsl cracker.........move with the times a say heres to the future lads.
 
Havespannerwilltravel said:
or know exactly what certain fittings are able to do (as there are usually multiple uses for each fitting, beyond what you normally use them for)

What else can you use a sleeve for apart from joining tubes? Unless you count the sleeve on your jumper which you can use for wiping your nose??
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Ive used a sleeve before bash the cups on Cup-Lok Scaffolding, when i left my hammer in doors, lol.. :embarrest:
 
Jason you aint using the laborer to his full potential you should have used his head to hit the cups with and not a sleeve
 
You forgot:

Old School scaffs dont leave their tools at home.
Old school scaffs didnt need hammers to smash and bash cuplok as it was like the east europeans and hadnt got across the English channel in the old school days lol
Old School scaffs smell like Old Holburn. :laugh:
 
Take 1 sleeve, add 2 charcoal briquettes to the top, light them and place your frying pan (Base plate) upside down on top of it, BBQ for 1 mmmmm;)
 
Charlie said:
Old School........Yes, Rigger Mate, we did have the best of it, no doubt about that.

I just can't help myself, I just have to add to a Thread with that in the title.

I'll try not to write a book.... well, not yet anyway...but when you have a lot
more years behind you than what you have ahead, you start reminiscing. I know that I qualify
100% as Old School, but it's not just measured in years, it has a lot to do with attitude too.

There are some Scaffolders around now who would have fitted in in the Old Days. When I started we
went to work with a Spanner and a Belt and the Bubble in the back pocket.....that was it! No fancy
toolholder belts that cost a small fortune. There was no PPE. We made our own frogs and went and got the job up!

You could either do it or you couldn't. There were no half measures, it was black and white....Get it up or Go!

From my own point of view Scaffolding suited me perfectly and I took to it like the proverbial Duck takes to water.
I have done everything (and more) that Scaffolders have a reputation for..... and had a great time......:D

I certainly don't believe in Mollycoddling anyone entering this Game.....it is a Man's job and that is how it should remain.
Health and Safety is now a major industry but nobody has ever bettered the techniques for erecting Scaffolding
since 2 inch diameter Steel Tube Scaffolding and Double Couplers were invented......and let's be realistic here.....
if nobody ever cut any corners with all the new legislation that is around now, hardly any Scaffolds would ever be erected.

Health and Safety....what a joke....I still swing a spanner (I'll know in myself when it's time to quit) and have just
had to renew my Advanced Card again......despite the fact that I have had an Advanced Card ever since CITB originated
the scheme......is that just another Moneymaking Scam, or what? :suspicious:
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It's good to see you back Charlie. What are you doing in Pembrokeshire?
 
Thought I would re-post this old post of mine It sums a lot of things up for me

I am taking about a point in time, that never happend before and will not happen again,So many things have changed,some good,some not so good.

I actually enjoyed my career in scaffolding and took a pride in every job I erected.Wether large or small. I am still involved in H&S and scaffold inspection work,though now only part time,I can cherry pick my work and hours.

For what it is worth my musings are below.................

Old School Scaffolders

Are men of a certain age, with skills and knowledge obtained throughout their life. These skills and knowledge are not limited to the scaffolding game but also include the hard lessons learned at the University of Life and the experience that only comes when you have gone through the mill a few times

My own experience in scaffolding, started at 18 years for Mills scaffolding think I did about 3 month in the yard before going out with a gang. The gangs comprised a chargehand, spanner man, and labourer normally. All the gangs were on price work but your presence was not deducted from the price, you were in effect an extra man at no cost to the gang. You were rotated around several gangs over the next three month or so. If you were a good grafter and did as instructed by the chargehand the gangs were all after you to be sent with them.

That’s when the real training started if it was heavy on the labouring you were on the deck feeding gear to the scaffs or pulling on a rope and wheel all day or loading unloading wagons It was the norm that on dismantles once the job was down the scaffs were off. It was up to the labourer to clear up. This encouraged him to keep up with the clearing of gear and not toss it off. Other times the chargehand would have you up top and explain what he was doing, have you spreading gear and if you were really lucky you might get to wrap the bottoms of dog-legs (did not know what a ledger brace was until 1995 ha ha ) or a few transoms.

From there on in you built your reputation as a scaffolder and believed in the old saying “your as good as your last job.” And did not ask anybody to do something you could not do yourself

To me Old School is about the in depth training we received from the scaffs of the day, the ability to look at an access problem and solve it without the dubious help of Designers, risk assessment, method statements, PPE, and all the knobs that have never been on a scaffold telling us how to do The a job

When the chargehand was in charge of the scaffolding erected and was responsible for his gang and there actions

When you were employed directly by a scaffolding or main contractor,

When employment agencies were for white collar jobs.

When jobs were advertised you expected to have at least 6 month work not the 2/3 weeks work that is regularly advertised today. Or with a scaffold company years of work

When there were not thousands of scaffold companies cutting each others throats and driving prices down and the risk of injury up.

When rope work, cradles, and system scaffolds were all part of our job description

I could go on forever; there have been that many changes over the past 40 years, but you will have to buy my book for more, when I finally write it.

To try and sum up, Old School to me is how we were taught the job, how we passed this on to others, how we were competent to tackle the job at hand, how we stuck together and backed each other up, how we treated others when we climbed the ladder through chargehand, foreman, supervisor, contacts manager, and owners in some cases.

I believe that there are scaffolders still being trained with the values and ethics of the Old School and I wish them well in their careers. The job is just as hard and demanding both physically and mentally today, as it was the first day I started. If not more so with all the “experts” in scaffolding that have never swung a spanner offering their advice at premium rates.
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Rest assured Rigger, there is a small but steady trickle of young, old school trained scaffolders coming out of Argyll. I will just have to accept that not all have the physical or mental toughness to see it through.

---------- Post added at 09:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:27 PM ----------

and wtf is that thing on your posts now.:wondering:

---------- Post added at 09:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:28 PM ----------

What trickery is this.
 
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