My Resume

Andrew N. Kottenstette
8222 Green Lane
Rye, Colorado 81069
(719) 242-6274
AKRyeGuy@Gmail.com

Qualifications
Trim Carpenter, Mold-maker, and Painter, self-employed and in conjunction with a family-owned construction corporation whose reputation requires a high degree of quality control and consistent inspection aimed more toward fine restoration of architectural details.

Carpentry and Mould-making
Installer of commercial displays, cabinetry and countertops in commercial and residential buildings; windows, doors, door hardware, and suspended ceiling tiles.
Installer and repairman of interior and exterior residential trim, including multi-layered crown moldings, fluted casings, stain-grade baseboards, stringers, bullnose stair treads, and gingerbread corbels. Replaced exterior stairways, railings and pickets in composite materials, decking, columns. Levelled sagging awnings. Management of jobs and apprentices on remote locations. Represented a family company responsibly in interpersonal client consultations, initiating and closing sales. All-round re-modeling labors including code compliant, or delicate demolitions, management of valuable salvage items and proper waste disposal. Fabrication of ornate decorative plaster cornice work through traditional mold-making and casting processes.
Journalism and photography of the above processes, publishing knowledge and developed skills regarding architectural restoration in historical buildings.
Viewing of same is available at any of my design or construction-oriented web logs: www.pouredintoamould.blogspot.com www.ryecraftsman.blogspot.com www.virtualsculptureakottenstette.blogspot.com )

Painting, Drywall, and Plaster Repair
Master Journeyman of residential, commercial & industrial painting, including planning, transportation and coordination of labor and materials on remote job-sites; operation of self-propelled extension lifts; hydraulic paint-spraying equipment; knowledge of many modern and antiquated coatings, plastering and sculptural materials and their applications complied over twenty years; Scaffold construction; Formulation and control of wood restorative materials used in building conservation using epoxy-based and hazardous materials, safety compliance in using fall-arresting equipment in urban environments.

Other Skills
Two and a half years fiberglass and rubber mold making in the Cast Stone Industry.
Self-taught Auto-CAD, 2 years.
Self-taught Google Sketchup 3-D design, 4 years.
Examples of which are also featured on my web logs.

Education:
South High School Diploma, Pueblo Colorado, 1979
University of Southern Colorado, Pueblo, Colorado 1979
Pre-engineering Major
University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, Colorado, 1981 -1983 Fine Art Major, Sculpture Emphasis, 3.05 cumulative GPA

Relevant Experience:
Self-Employment ~ Rye Craftsman
January 2005 - Present
Specialized and traditional construction contractor, new construction, remodeling, industrial and residential painting and carpentry, plaster repairs, design, layout, manufacture and installation of cast ornate plaster cornice work.

Previous Employment:
January 2006
Mold-maker, Milestone Ltd. of Amarillo, Texas
To see if I could commute once a week from Colorado to Texas, and to evaluate the prospect of re-location for a job returning to the cast stone manufacturing industry. Valuable employment, though brief.

September 2001 - January 2005
Painter, Burrer Painting ~ Pueblo, Colorado
Commercial and Residential painting service.
Master Journeyman of residential, commercial & industrial painting, including planning, transportation and coordination of labor and materials on remote job-sites; operation of self-propelled extension lifts; hydraulic paint-spraying equipment; knowledge of many different coatings and their applications complied over twenty years; Scaffold construction; Formulation and control of hazardous materials in hospital environments; Additional drywall finishing skills with custom wall surface texture repertoire; Minor carpentry repairs in framing, architectural trim work, wood restorative building conservation using epoxy-based materials.

May 2000 - September 2001
Painter, R & S Painting, Pueblo, Colorado
Commercial and Residential painters, some duties taking me on remote locations.

November 1999 - March 2000
Installer, Gunter Woodcrafting, Pueblo, Colorado
Commercial cabinetry installation and displays, some duties taking me on remote locations with some overnight stays. Valued employment, however brief.

April 1997 - October 1999
Mould-maker Haddonstone Ltd. USA, Pueblo, Colorado
Fiberglass & Rubber mold making studio. Duplicated and repaired fiberglass and rubber molds through hand- lamination and cavity pouring method. Full pattern-maker's shop machinery knowledge and use. Responsible for training employees and/or supervisiors at same position.

May 1995 - Present
Kottenstette Painting, Pueblo, Colorado
Residential painting, home improvement, plaster repairs. This is a life-long association I have kept on a vestige level with my father.

References Available Upon Request

Downtime

I am having a period of under-employment, and so my attention turns to my own house and the blog of progress (or lack thereof) in it. It's a little scary, but I find part time work in other things. My family wonders, somewhat, how I can manage. Well, I'm single, have no dependants and have already done the regular grind for years in jobs that did not go anywhere, with dependants....or a sort of dependants in step-kids. I suppose I should file for unemployment, but it's such a distraction and doesn't do anything for my optimism.The weblog address is:

http://extremefixerupper.blogspot.com/

With freedom comes responsibility, and I'm striking with the momentum I have here.

A Job From a Year Ago

When I was with the family company we had an exterior paint job which called for some renovative attention to tall wooden columns. We also got to try our hand at re-pointing some of the stone foundation and brick.

The house is a large "Four Square" that had been remodelled with the consultation of a local architect, but previous work before the present owners had moved in included the salvage of and incorporation of some tall wooden columns that graced the entryway of the old Red Cross Building where it stood on 8th Street in Pueblo, Colorado. They suported a pediment like a portico in an unusual two-storey accomodation.

Abatron wood consolidant and epoxy filler was used. This spring I was called back to put pidgeon spikes up because they were nesting under the eaves on the drainspouts. They were ruining our paint job! They seemed to be expanding out from a tall church about a block south. This seemed to be the second best hospitable place. (Pigeons are color-blind, so I'm not sure it had anything to do with new color scheme.) That's when I finally got to take pictures of the finish. Only minor touch up was needed. A little expansion and contraction was exhibited.
(After consulting with the owner about where the column top and bottom traditionally broke as a unit I painted the scotia and torus the green color. He prefered it as above. I would have painted those the limestone color.)

I found only one quibble with the architect about a blind return on the northeast side of the garage. Even with a drain and downspout that is only a couple feet away from the corner there must be a problem with snow getting caught inside the nook made there, which freezes and thaws until it overflows down the brick, causing water damage to the paint. It can't be much better on the brick and mortar. This will be a re-curring problem until it is remedied.

Here it is in detail.

My father ran into some damage up top when concidering the chimneys. After a little consultation with the client we then re-pointed them.