Its Daycare time again!! (yeah?) :)

[Ajcoholic]

Those who've been around here for a few years probably remember I do a yearly "have a lot of kids visit my shop" day in the summer.

Well, tomorrow is that day! And its year #6... hard to believe, 2012 was the first year I started this (and the year I got my Shopbot router).

For those who don't know, I have 4 groups of about 20 kids (80 total) from two local daycare's visit my shop for approx. 2 hours each group.

We briefly discuss the trade, what goes on in the shop - and give a little tour. Then we give every kid a chance to try a bunch of hand tools - a few different planes, both NA and Japanese style hand saws, my old Disston mitre box saw, a coping saw, and drill some hole with egg beater and brace style drills.

After a bit of that, we always end with buidling a project they can take home. We've done a few styles of pencil boxes, picture frame and last summer, a bird house. Its always a bit of a hard time to think of something that I can easily cut on the router, not cost me a fortune in materials or time, and that the wide range of boys & girls can handle to sand and put together.

This year I decided on a Canada goose mobile. Today I cut the 2 1/2 sheets of 4x8' 6mm Baltic birch ply. The vacuum table makes this possible. In all the parts (about 84 of each wing half, and body) I had only a couple pieces let go of the vacuum.

Here are some pics..

[Ajcoholic]

[Ajcoholic]

and here is the prototype I cut from mdf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbdZ...m-upload_owner

[Ajcoholic]

That's my son Joseph in the video. He is 6 1/2 now. We will be in the group tomorrow!

Here he is around 2 yrs old

[Bob Eustace]

Good on you Andrew! I chickened on the young ones this year and went for the 16/17 year olds. I was the shortest guy in the workshop! Two of them look like taking up CNC which is most gratifying. Your bird house from last year I used on 48 over fifties (mainly well over 70). Two of them went on to CNC on Sharks,

[Tim Lucas]

That's awesome!!

[scottp55]

NEAT project for them Andrew!
Hope your day goes smoothly!
scott

[knight_toolworks]

great job. I can't imagine having little kids on my shop you may never find them again (G)

[Ajcoholic]

Well, we survived the day! About 76 kids. Solid work from 9 am to 3 pm, with a 40 minute lunch break.

Was super busy, tiring and I think I`ve had my fill until next year.

WIll post some pics later. No issues, no injuries again. And as far as I know, other than a few broken coping saw blades none of my tools were damaged, lol. Although I always worry about my Japanese saws.