Test Day at The Stone Trust
It hurts my back to bend over. My fingers look and feel like they’ve been lightly grazed by a cheese shredder. Last night they kept cramping up like I was still gripping a hammer. I may have pulled a muscle in my forearm. Signs of another great weekend at The Stone Trust.
Yesterday I went back to Dummerston to take my Level 2 test. For more info on The Stone Trust and the certification process they share with the Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain, click here. To read their blog post about our specific test weekend and get a better idea of what a test day is like, click here.
Here we are halfway through our test day - Photo credit: The Stone Trust
I drove down the day before and spent the night so I’d be well rested. I knew what I was in for. I woke up with jitters. I’ve built my share of stone walls but the dynamic changes when you’re being tested. It’s a different vibe when a master in your field is silently watching you work, making notes on his clipboard, literally judging you.
The Level 2 test consists of tearing down a section of double sided wall and rebuilding it, with a cheek end. In seven hours. To a level of quality determined by examiners to meet the standard of a professional.
Cheek end on Level 2 test wall
Being a stone worker isn’t like being an electrician or plumber. You don’t need to be certified to work. There are lots of great stoneworkers doing quality work that aren’t certified. I’ve worked for years without any kind of certification. So….
Why go to the Stone Trust? Why engage in the certification process?
There are many reasons. The most obvious are the feather in the cap type. The ego loves an opportunity to differentiate itself from others. I’m not immune to that. But there are other more valuable reasons.
Every time I go to The Stone Trust I improve as a stone worker.
My skills improve. By learning from other wallers. By watching other wallers. From the change in focus necessary for the timed aspect of the tests. I’ve never gone and come back the same. I can see the improvement in the work we do for our clients.
My thinking improves. Having a limited amount of time fine tunes your decision making process. There’s no time to over think. There’s a limited amount of stone to choose from. You make the best decision you can and get on with it.
I gain confidence. Oh, right, I can do this.
People. It’s uplifting to be around people with shared passions. At The Stone Trust, I’m with my tribe. I’ve met great people and worked with them on projects here in Maine and across the country.