Master Carpenter

Master Carpenter
In a Scenic shop, or studio the Master Carpenter is a position with quite a bit of responsibility. His < Her> duties can range widely from one shop to another. Typically, the Master Carpenter is the Head of the Carpentry crew, as such he is responsible for some or all of the following:
==Scheduling==
1. Scheduling of Adequate crew for the timely completion of any assigned projects. While the TD typically does the hiring and firing of carpenters, and other scenic personnel, it is the Master Carpenter's duty to properly liaison with the members of his crew, by setting schedules, maintaining time card logs.
==Inventory==
2. Inventory of building materials. While a TD typically does the purchasing for a scenic shop, it is the responsibility of the Master Carpenter to keep records of supply use, and report to the TD before a lack of something becomes a problem.
==Maintenance==
3. Maintenance / Inventory of all shop tools. Many scenic facilities will have a position referred to as Shop Foreman who is responsible for this. In those that don't, the duty typically falls to the Master Carpenter. Since a carpenter is only as good as his tools, this is an extremely important part of the job.
==Job Assigning==
4. Assignment of jobs to the carpentry crew. Often a TD will hand the MC < Master Carpenter> a stack of Working Drawings; it is the responsibility of the MC to properly assign tasks to individuals on his crew according to skill level and experience.
==Overseeing==
5. Oversight of all work progress. Keeping an eye on all the work that is occurring in the shop and making sure it is being produced properly.
==Standards==
6. Maintenance of Standards. This applies to everything from proper use of tools, to adherence to specialty areas such as OSHA compliance, as well as standard safety practices. There may also be a Safety Officer in many shops to assist in maintaining compliance with industry/company standards and practices.
==Production of Drawings==
7. Production of Working Drawings. Though rare, in some companies it falls to the Master Carpenter not the TD to produce adequate Working Drawings from designs supplied by the Scenic Designer to facilitate proper construction of scenic elements.
=="Specialty" Items==
8. Production of "specialty" Items. Many Master Carpenters take it upon themselves to be responsible for production of particularly difficult projects, such as: construction of furniture; Decorative items such as, Corbels, Moldings, Capitals or staircases.