30 kids this Friday in the shop... wow!

[Ajcoholic]

So, two months ago I was asked to give a demo so to speak, of my woodworking shop. It's for my son's daycare - he isn't part of the group as he is to young, but there will be 30 odd kids between the ages of 4 and 8 years old coming in the morning for 1 1/2 hours.

They have field trips to various places and the daycare (which is really well run, and more like a school than just a daycare) wants to show them what a woodworking shop is all about!

I have spent many hours in my head wondering what to do to give these youngsters some sort of relevant info, as well as keep their interest and not have anything too loud or messy.

I decided to cut out parts on my Buddy, to make a small box. The front has their individual names V carved on it, and the bottom, sides and front/back are keyed together for easy assembly. I will get them to lightly sand the edges, and then glue them together. They will paint them at the daycare, and they can use them to store their pencils/pens/crayons, etc.

I am also going to (with the help of the apprentice working with me) get them to try planing a little basswood, with a small hand plane - driling holes into a block of wood with a small hand drill and maybe driving a few screws. Maybe even try cutting some wood with one of my small tenon saws.

I hope they have fun! I know I will!

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/IMG_0337.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/IMG_0336.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/IMG_0335.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/IMG_0329-1.jpg

AJC

[stump]

Way cooler than anything my kids ever did in daycare! Should be fun for both you and the kids.

[waterwheelman]

That looks like a great project for young kids.

[myxpykalix]

Well i would teach them how to push wood thru the tablesaw without a push stick:eek:
since their fingers are smaller they probably won't get cut off and if they do, at that age it still has a way to grow...:rolleyes: LOL

[cabnet636]

bravo, the simple art of putting something together and with your name on it will be inspiring, this is a very good idea!!

[twelchPTM]

good stuff. I try to take my own son to factories and shops so he can see and know what "work" is but not to many people will even consider doing stuff like that exspecially to the level you are taking it. Bravo sir, Bra-vo

[Ajcoholic]

Well i would teach them how to push wood thru the tablesaw without a push stick:eek:
since their fingers are smaller they probably won't get cut off and if they do, at that age it still has a way to grow...:rolleyes: LOL

Well I do have a Sawstop table saw... ;)

As for the time, well, I believe you have to give back to your community - I have done this type of thing for other schools, etc but never for a group this young. I look forward to it - tomorrow I will have to go in early (6am) and give the shop a very good cleaning, and put everything away that we dont need for the show & tell.

I will see if they would like to see the ShopBot running as well.

Will let you know how things went, tomorrow after I get home from work. :)

AJC

[cabnet636]

i do hope the intent is to let/help themput them together !!

[Ajcoholic]

i do hope the intent is to let/help themput them together !!

Of course! I will get them to sand the edges slightly, then we'll help them assemble them with a little wood glue.

AJC

[Bob Eustace]

Andrew you are an inspiration to us out here in the colonies. You got your Buddy 3 months after us yet you are light years ahead and you still manage to run a business. Your school kid idea is just brilliant. Make sure they dont drink any paint! We have only done 5 workshops with a max of 3 adults! Did sell a bot though which actually wasnt the aim of the exercise.

Bob

[cabnet636]

So show us some pics, tell us about it !!

[Ajcoholic]

Well, here are some photos (that dont show any kids faces clearly, just mine, my aprentice's or the staff).

I have some great ones of the kids doing stuff close up but I cant post them since I dont have permission from the parents. Anyhow, this is enough to get the idea of how the day went.. thanks again for letting me share this fun experience with the forum!

Me giving a little talk about woods
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/P1080464-1.jpg
one little girl trying her hand at planing solo... I first had my hands over theirs, to guide the hand plane, then they had the option to try themselves.
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/P1080477.jpg
cutting some basswood with the Veritas back saw...
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/P1080489.jpg

The kids were very well behaved. No one wandered around or made trouble. Just were fascinated by the stuff in the shop, and just getting to try (for the first time I am sure) some hand planes (including one of my old stanley #3's thats 100 yrs old) and hand saws, and even getting to see the Shopbot cut some of their names in the parts - as I forgot a few.

I heard after they were really excited and loved their boxes. Other than making a lot of mess with the wood glue, things went smoothly!

AJC

[Ajcoholic]

Sanding and gluing the boxes together...
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/P1080521.jpghttp://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/P1080525.jpg

[Bob Eustace]

Fantastic Adrew! Suppose you know Shopbot will give you a $370 demo fee for each kid that buys a Shopbot, so keep all the names handy for the next 15 or so years! Or you could focus on the teacher! I couldn't see Gibson anywhere in the background? Our guys would have been in paradise will all those kids to lick!

Bob

[Ajcoholic]

Bob,
I told a few of the kids to come back and see me for a summer job in about 10 years ;)

Gibson doesnt like being in the shop. He prefers staying out in either the shop van or in my truck ( i leave a door open for him). I got him when he was three and he wasnt going to get used to the noise so i dont force him. He does wander in from time to time, usually when im eating something!

[myxpykalix]

Andrew,
When are you going to have a workshop for some of us "big kids"? :D
I would expect the projects to be a little more advanced though!:rolleyes:

[Ajcoholic]

Andrew,
When are you going to have a workshop for some of us "big kids"? :D
I would expect the projects to be a little more advanced though!:rolleyes:

If you want to make the trek north to visit, I'll let you build whatever you want in the shop, lol!

But remember you guys are the experts, im just a relative shopbot newbie... I'm still learning things every week, with every project.

AJC

[Bob Eustace]

Bob,
Gibson doesnt like being in the shop. He prefers staying out in either the shop van or in my truck ( i leave a door open for him). I got him when he was three and he wasnt going to get used to the noise so i dont force him. He does wander in from time to time, usually when im eating something!

Our Border Collies diesel and Nikki have been in the shop since birth and really love it. They even come out for te 6.00 to 8:30PM night shift and we are as cold as you guys! They want to herd the shopvac. The biggest worry is wandering and playing under the Buddy with all those wires hanging down! Luckily we have never lst comms during their "mating" games! Very good company though.

We used to have an old boxer in the metal shop that loved the sparks coming out of the linisher! He died of old age - miracle!

Bob