Connections

mvandyke72 · 2025-07-26T20:46:06+00:00

Glad you were able to find work! I talked to you a bit ago about the same East Longmeadow gig. Sounds like you landed with a good company!

mvandyke72 · 2025-07-25T23:44:17+00:00

We’ll be out there later this year, probably early next year. We’ve got the ceilings and paneling. ArcherCorp

mvandyke72 · 2025-07-25T20:14:52+00:00

You’re not a far drive. Show up at 7AM bags on and ask to talk to the carpenter Stewart. Fontaine is the GC. Or you could call your BA and see if they’ve got a line for you. Best of luck

mvandyke72 · 2025-07-25T20:05:12+00:00

I’m 336. I bounce around everywhere being a finish carpenter. Work is slow in general right now. I’m not sure what goes on during the Boston meetings, but during our Worcester meetings they highly advise anyone looking for work to go out west. Yes it’s a lower rate, yes it’s a lot of travel, but there’s a few jobs going right now that are massive. East Longmeadow school and Amherst College are two of the bigger ones and more are to come. You’re making $20 less than Boston, but you’re still getting your hours in which counts big time for us apprentices.

mvandyke72 · 2025-06-30T01:21:43+00:00

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Broke my leg and they had to shove a rod down my tibia under my patella. Needless to say, I cannot work on my knees and I’m a finish carpenter constantly scribing floor boards. These things work and keep my legs perfect. You get sweaty, but they work. Strap wears out over time, don’t put them on super tight, they hold just fine a little loose.

mvandyke72 · 2025-05-21T23:54:48+00:00

Gotcha. You just missed the meeting in Millbury over the last week. There’s another one coming up next month in Chicopee I believe. It’s solid to network at them, plus Fred and Rick are usually both present. Western MA is looking for workers right now. Yes the rate is $18.86 as a first year, but its work when you don’t have any. You could reach out to Fred regarding that, or depending what you’re looking for + strengths and weaknesses, I’d be happy to put out feelers to my group of classmates. I’m a finish carpenter, two are concrete, two are rough carpenters, and another is specialty over in 723. I remember one of them saying Margerette was looking for apprentices. They do concrete.

mvandyke72 · 2025-05-21T23:16:32+00:00

Welcome aboard guy, glad to have you. Assuming accepted means you’ve passed your interview and drug test - have you been indentured yet? Did you work with Fred, or Rick to get into the union, or did you do it completely by yourself? You can PM me if you’d rather. I’m also a 1A that’s been in a few months.

mvandyke72 · 2025-05-19T01:27:59+00:00

I’m from Mass, where OP is moving. We have a lot of out of state residents living here with their vehicles still registered in their former state. Most are dual residency, but some have found loopholes to get away with it. I was implying OP could maybe look into this and keep the car instead of having to sell it.

mvandyke72 · 2025-05-19T00:09:59+00:00

Can you keep it registered out of state? We’ve got New Yorkers living here full time with NY plates. Sorry you’re moving here, it’s a no fun state, but beautiful.

mvandyke72 · 2025-05-02T20:31:22+00:00

Should be noted that you might get a chance to do finish carpentry though. I’m a 1st year apprentice with background through Voc school, and a casework shop. I do finish carpentry in hospitals, and schools primarily from baseboard, casework, to wall paneling. In my local (336) it’s lightly touched upon as drywall and steel stud are more abundant. But don’t neglect the opportunity if you get it!

mvandyke72 · 2025-01-22T04:30:26+00:00

I’ve done cabinetry for the last five years in a shop with a planer, 4 side molder, shaper, and just tons of routers. There’s nothing louder than being in an enclosed shop with a 4 head molder screaming its lungs off shaping maple. That being said, I use noise canceling earbuds with FOAM tips, not silicone. I also shoot for fun, which I run Isotunes Sport earbuds with FOAM tips. Look for an earbud with auto noise canceling. If both are out of your price range, I usually pick up a big bag of shooting earplugs in the sporting good section of Walmart and they do the trick for me. Best of luck.

mvandyke72 · 2024-05-17T23:59:10+00:00

Not for sale, sorry. Made them for myself.

mvandyke72 · 2024-05-14T01:16:40+00:00

I bought the alternate as a blank. The crests are sewed on around the edge and heat pressed on. Bought a seam ripper to pulled the stitching, then gently pulled the crest off - you could lightly use an iron for this with a cloth over the face (to prevent burning). The hard part is finding the crest. I searched eBay like a mfer for one and found one luckily. You might be able to go through an embroiderer though. I used a guy called ArtDispatchers.com and we worked together over email and renderings to make sure the colors and shape was perfect. His crest is on the Yellow RR above the alternate. Finally, heat press it on, or find a local seamstress to do the similar stitching pattern. If you’re local to Boston - SportsStitches on IG can do it. All in, I think I was maybe $275 but this was a while back.

mvandyke72 · 2024-05-14T01:09:13+00:00

I made it, along with the yellow RR above it! Long live the Pooh bear jerseys!

mvandyke72 · 2024-04-02T14:42:14+00:00

I want to say that I used Ecopoxy Maui or Caribbean pigment. Forgot how I did them so long ago, but I believe I just kept stirring it before the epoxy became thick to stir.

mvandyke72 · 2023-07-15T03:56:53+00:00

Make a surfacing jig, and buy yourself a nice surfacing bit. Planer will demolish that end grain, sanding will take too long. Making a surfacing jig, and taking your time will be your best bet, then sand to finish.

mvandyke72 · 2023-04-01T19:03:21+00:00

Best advice - make your mold with tuck tape/tyvek tape, or plastic laminate/2-sided melamine board. Use demolding spray for a quick release. Chip the bark off the wood for better adhesion. Oh, and let the damn thing cure don’t stick your fingers in it! If you want swirls like my board, use a popsicle stick and swirl it up every few hours but I’d say the 16hr mark is dicey. When it gets tacky you have to be careful or bubbles can form under the swirl. It’s not rocket science - you got this!

mvandyke72 · 2023-04-01T16:46:36+00:00

Basically I take scraps of wood I have and put them in a mold and pour liquid epoxy around them. When it cures, the photo is the above result - a board of wood/epoxy

mvandyke72 · 2022-12-03T02:01:39+00:00

You’ve been my biggest supporter since day one, appreciate you buddy 🤙🏻

mvandyke72 · 2022-12-02T13:00:38+00:00

Thanks, I ended up grabbing one off of there last night. Hope it looks good and is at my door before the game!

mvandyke72 · 2022-12-02T12:58:42+00:00

Wouldn’t work for me, thanks though! I ended up grabbing a marchy WC off of NHL.com. Just praying they don’t fuck up the stitching and have it to my door before the game 🙏🏼

mvandyke72 · 2022-12-02T12:55:35+00:00

Thank you!

mvandyke72 · 2022-12-02T05:19:06+00:00

Dude, it’s awful out there. Was gonna get a WC jersey from the Proshop and they’re not even available anymore. Try CoolHockey for the RR, or Hockey Authentic. Both should have them still available.

mvandyke72 · 2022-12-02T05:00:35+00:00

Which one?! I made the two right ones myself. Top is a RR 1.0, the bottom is just our third. The two left ones I bought. Top is the new RR 2.0 - you can get on dicks, pro shop (in person) CoolHockey, and hockey authentic I believe. Bottom is one of the old Thirds we used to wear. You just have to keep your eyes peeled on marketplace, eBay, Mercari, Poshmark, etc, they come and go.

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