# Who Is Going To Teach Woodworking To Our Young People?



## Admin (Feb 13, 2012)

Woodworking teaches children so much more than most realize. For my youngest son who hated math, he suddenly found an interest in understanding more math when, as a child, he wanted to build an amazing treehouse and needed to understand a measuring tape. The confidence he gained during that project, as he learned to overcome challenges, was amazing.

With so many schools closing woodshop classes, I can help but wonder, who will bring the love of woodworking to our children? 

Have you mentored a child to help them learn woodworking?


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## fire65 (Oct 29, 2008)

The problem is not who is going to teach it, but who is going to learn it. Unless they make a phone app most of the kids today will not.


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## Admin (Feb 13, 2012)

fire65 said:


> The problem is not who is going to teach it, but who is going to learn it. Unless they make a phone app most of the kids today will not.


I think maybe it depends on how young we start with them. My grandson (4 years old) spent hours watching my son build a small fence and gate a few weeks back. He wanted to be part of every step along the way and now is asking for a toy workbench, etc.


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## Gaffboat (Mar 11, 2012)

That's a great question, Cricket, and I wish I had an answer. Back when I was in elementary school (1950s) woodworking was one of our classroom activities which included painting and working with clay. Each classroom had a little rolling cart that had lots of pine boards, saws, hammers, nails etc. For one project, probably in the 5th or 6th grade, we made sailboats that required us to hollow out the pine hull with gouges and shape the hull with a drawknife. Later we took a field trip to a local park lake to compete in a boat racing regatta against boats made by students in other schools. (I went home with a 3rd place ribbon ... woo hoo!)

I'm sure that in today's world all those sharp and "dangerous" tools are outlawed in schools and probably within a thousand feet of the campus. I fear we are not only losing the ability to teach young people how to do woodworking but also that all of the creative arts are being pushed aside. I think the new digital world means that kids never get their hands dirty. What a loss.


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## Shop guy (Nov 22, 2012)

In agreeing with Oliver I have to add that woodworking and many other creative arts are being pushed aside today. More will come of that in the future. Not only are the skills being lost but so to the ability to think and be creative. When I was growing up almost every male could do most home repairs and moderate carpenter work. Today only a much smaller percent can or would even think of trying to do most things. Another of the sad facts of our evolving society.


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## DonkeyHody (Jan 22, 2015)

I failed, even with my own kid! When he was very young, he would hang out in the shop and I'd encourage him to help me. He developed some basic skills and was able to build the last couple of pinewood derby cars, and he did most of the work on his Eagle Scout project. But the love of it just never "took" with him. He's in graduate school now, and we recently had a conversation about why he never took an interest in the things that interested me. He said he never felt "clever" about the woodworking and such, so he went where he could excel. I guess it worked out for him, he turned down an opportunity to go to med school because he liked chemistry better.


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## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

I am doing as much as I can.....:wink:

We've had 20+ girl scouts over working on their woodworking badge, and everyone seemed to really enjoy the program. The problem is keeping that fire fueled once they go home. There are a lot of dads out there who have no experience to share with them, so they don't get to play at home.

Both of my daughters have a good time helping me on projects, but one is definitely more interested in it than the other. I have definitely succeed in training them on home maintenance, maybe that will inspire them to tackle DIY projects in the future.


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

DonkeyHody said:


> I failed, even with my own kid! When he was very young, he would hang out in the shop and I'd encourage him to help me. He developed some basic skills and was able to build the last couple of pinewood derby cars, and he did most of the work on his Eagle Scout project. But the love of it just never "took" with him. He's in graduate school now, and we recently had a conversation about why he never took an interest in the things that interested me. He said he never felt "clever" about the woodworking and such, so he went where he could excel. I guess it worked out for him, he turned down an opportunity to go to med school because he liked chemistry better.


He's the kind of kid who gets his career going well, and then starts to dabble with repairs just to do something physical, and becomes hooked, buys tools, remembers and associates using them with good times with dad. Isn't that the story for many of use here?


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

Shop guy said:


> In agreeing with Oliver I have to add that woodworking and many other creative arts are being pushed aside today. More will come of that in the future. Not only are the skills being lost but so to the ability to think and be creative. When I was growing up almost every male could do most home repairs and moderate carpenter work. Today only a much smaller percent can or would even think of trying to do most things. Another of the sad facts of our evolving society.


I've recently found a number of Japanese TV documentaries about society in that crowded country. When you have 6-7 billion human beings, there is a tendency for people to turn inward for a little peace and quiet in the midst of a crowd, so many of Japan's young people enjoy ephemeral distractions; images on a small screen in particular. Wood and woodworking takes a little space, but if your home is 400 sqft, there's no space available for hobbies, so you go out to bars to be with other people, lose yourself in your smart phone or tablet. Those devices and the games and apps on them fit the definition of addicting perfectly. Operant conditioning to the max. Addiction? Try taking your kid's smart phone away!

Woodworking is definitely NOT ephemeral. Just look around the home and shop of an active woodworker if you want proof of that assertion.


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## OttoW (Feb 13, 2016)

If I may. 

I'm 38 y/o and while I may not be the "young generation" most are thinking about when reading this thread I do feel I can expand a bit giving my background. 

While shop was taught in my middle school there was only one class in my high school, the rest of the time the equipment sat unused. This was before cell phone and the Internet, computers were available but still rare for a home unit. Even at that time things were shifting and for most it didn't seam as relevant as it once was. Probably similar to jigs these days, you can make any jig yourself but how many of us buy them?

My father was very crafty but I was still pretty young when I last saw him and he passed away when I was in high school, I'll never get a chance to learn from him. 

I went through and really still am going through a big life chance within the last few years. 

I'm now at a point where I wish I took shop and learned what I'm struggling to learn now. But it's not easy. Tools are expensive and space isn't easy to come by. 

How will it or can it be saved? The very thing that helped kill it. The Internet. These days when we are interested in a topic its easily found online, research while inconsistent at times is very obtainable.

If it weren't for the Internet I'm not sure how possible it would be for me to learn from people like you. Members of this forum are spread around the world I can learn a technique form someone I would never had a chance to before the Internet. Sure we could read a book and there are many good books out there on woodworking but for many of use watching a video to see the technique is far more valuable then reading a text in a book. 

The number of people that will practice woodworking is and will shrink but it won't be lost. Technology consumes our culture but for many there is a need to escape the trap and hobbies are a way to express ourselves, woodworking being one of them. 

Well I've rambled.... Sorry, back to work I go.


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## CharleyL (Feb 28, 2009)

I'm already doing it! I belong to Search Results - North Carolina Woodworker. We are a virtual woodworking club, meaning that we don't have weekly or monthly meetings. We get together on the website to exchange ideas and help each other. We have a trailer full of tools, both hand and power tools, that we take to any group, Wounded Warriors, Scouts, Police and Fire Depts, Church Groups, town fairs, etc. to help them get started in woodworking. I am one of the instructors for these Outreach Sessions. 

I've attached a .pdf of the tri-fold brochure that explains more about what we do, and we never charge a dime for this. For all day sessions, we even provide lunch (usually pizza and soda or water). We've been doing this for 4 years now.

Charley


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## OttoW (Feb 13, 2016)

^simple answer. 

You are. Not who or when but you are right here right now. 

When you leave your knowledge and ideas here other can read and learn.


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## Twistedcowboy (Feb 2, 2015)

I wish I had got into it sooner and passed it onto my sons. I try to tell people about it as much as I can now. There is one absolutely amazing thing that happens when I step into my shop: I feel no pain. I have a bad back from football, a motorcycle accident, and being a truck driver but it doesn't hurt out there. I have bad shoulders and elbows from cranking trailer legs up and down too much, but they don't hurt out there. I have been getting sore hands from driving 10 hours a day, but they don't hurt out there. Woodworking, for me, is extremely therapeutic.
I think I'm going to do a cutting board making session with my church group. Maybe someone will catch the fire there.

Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk


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## Shop guy (Nov 22, 2012)

Otto, I'm twice your age and have used the Internet ever since it was available in my area which was in the early 90's. I think it is a wonderful tool for every aspect of life and every vocation. It would be hard to imagine life with out it today.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

OttoW said:


> ^simple answer.
> 
> You are. Not who or when but you are right here right now.
> 
> When you leave your knowledge and ideas here other can read and learn.





Shop guy said:


> Otto, I'm twice your age and have used the Internet ever since it was available in my area which was in the early 90's. I think it is a wonderful tool for every aspect of life and every vocation. It would be hard to imagine life with out it today.


imagine that.. 
right here and all...
on the net...


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## schnewj (Nov 18, 2013)

*The Lament*

I'm learning from all of the guys here on a daily basis. LOL

Cricket this is a great question. It is interesting to see what other peoples experiences and backgrounds are. This question will illustrate that quite well, I think, as the thread progresses.

My father got me started, but let me qualify. He was a decent rough carpenter but not a woodworker. I learned the basics but when it comes to woodworking, I am self taught with more then a few graciously offered lesson along the way. I never had any shop classes to kick-start my interests. However, I do learn along the way from the talent that is everywhere on this forum and elsewhere.

When I lived "in town" I was a magnet for the neighborhood kids. They always knew, that, when the garage door went up, that, they were more then welcome to come and watch, learn, ask questions and sometimes get hands on lessons. I can only hope that those lessons traveled with those children as they got older and went their ways. However, as always demographics and neighborhoods change. The kids grew up, moved on, or acquired other interests. The neighborhood declined and the newer crop of kids, instead of looking for lessons came by only to see what was available to steal.

When I built another house and move to a semi-rural area there were no children around to teach. The same for my move to Florida to take care of my mother. None come running to learn when the tools fire up.There are only a half a dozen in the immediate area, and a couple I rarely see outside. It is sad, that, the younger generation is more entranced with gaming proficiency, then learning practical skills and abilities.

It is sad that there are for the most part no opportunities in the schools to learn or even to teach basic hands on skills. With the discipline in the schools today, I would have no patience for these arrogant, rude, idiots!

I think it is sad, but I believe, that, many things we have knowledge of will go by the wayside as interest declines with the younger folks. I can only hope that I am wrong in my opinion.


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## PhilBa (Sep 25, 2014)

I don't have a bleak view of the future. 

Times may have changed but people still have creative urges. In the past, manual skills were passed down from father to son, through apprenticeships and such. That went away a long time ago. More recently woodshop/drafting/autoshop/... in schools bridged some of the gap and on the job training met the employer needs. Now, we have a vast resource available that is capturing the sum total of human experience - the internet. There are probably multiple web sites and videos describing even the most obscure aspect of woodworking. In 50 years an aspiring woodworker will be able gain any skill he or she wants.


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## Arcola60 (Jul 4, 2009)

I have worked with both of my sons as soon as they showed any interest in me. They are both capable of doing many things. My oldest gave me the best compliment that a parent could ask for. He was on a job interview and the lady that was interviewing him just stopped talking. He got nervous and asked if something was wrong. She was puzzled with the answers that he gave her. He did not understand. She told him that his outlook was more of the comments she would hear from a 40+ year old, not a 19 year old. Then she asked him, where did you get that mature outlook from. He just replied, my Dad. She looked up, smiled and said, tell your Dad he did a great job, so when can you start. I was blown away, do not think for one minute that they do not listen! I would like to take all of the credit for it, but my wife was and still is very supportive to those two boys. And they know it. They are very helpful to their friends as well. They all share their knowledge with each other. It gives us hope.

Recently my younger cousin has shown an interest in woodworking. I have been bombarding him with info that I have been collecting for many years. He is super sharp, and will do many great things. We are all the ones that will teach and learn from the young. We just need to show them that we care.

Ellery Becnel


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## wags999 (Nov 6, 2013)

I agree about the loss of woodworking class's in high schools. I had a cabinet shop back in Illinois for many years. We made kitchen cabinets and also commercial. I got involved with the high school building trades class's. They had eliminated woodshop, metalshop etc but had a program where the kids would build a house. These were big houses also. One of the kids taking the class moved into a new home we did the cabinetry for. Through him I met the teacher and we started providing cabinets for these homes. It evolved into 4 of the districts schools and lasted for almost 20 years. Over that time I hired a number of these kids for my shop. It was a great program that the teacher ran like a sports team. I would buy jackets for the kids with, "It takes studs to build houses" and a logo on the back. These were kids that may of fallen through the cracks as they had little interest in college, and saw that this gave them an opportunity for a job for life. I would work with the architectural class's to design the kitchens, bathrooms, entertainment centers etc. Then we would build the cabinets and I would teach them how to install the cabinets. I gained a number of great employees out of this program. 

AT the end of each year, they would have an open house with all the districts big shots attending at the homes. Discussions would get around to not having shop classes and how they felt getting kids ready for college was the most important task. They would say the trades are a dying industry, of course I would argue the point. Pointing out I was the guy that got their graduates who could not add 1/2" and 1/4", or read a tape measure. I would point out how much a plumber, electrician or carpenter was and how we needed better trained not less trained workers. I also pointed out how wonderful it was they could say 75% or 80% of their kids went on to college. I would agree but say you didn't finish the sentence. Half dropped out the first year and they were lucky if 25% graduated in 4 years. And they left those kids with no training for life. All their skills were taking tests to get into college. 

After I sold my business in Illinois I moved to Arizona, where I became a rep, selling all the items I had purchased over my life. Wood, laminate etc. I would also work with the AWI Architectural Woodworking Institute, our trade association. They have programs for schools to teach woodworking, including programs for graduating kids. It was one of my joys to work with these schools here in Az. 

Since I have retired I continued my love of woodworking. I have a shop in my garage and always have a project going on. This past weekend it was finishing up my two granddaughters closets. New Dressers, hamper shelving etc. As I was working I was thinking why no kids ever stopped by, I would love to mentor one. We live in a family neighborhood but you rarely see kids outside anymore, even when the weather is perfect like now, in the 80's. They all stay in playing video games etc. I'm concerned for our future. I know how difficult it is for shops to hire people today, even tho they do pay well. It's not something kids are even told about. And, administrators have an attitude that anyone not in Tech is somehow less of a person. 

I was never one to hand my kids (3 girls 2 boys) money. But I always had ways they could earn it, coming to the shop with me. Maybe just sweeping but they had to work. My youngest son struggled with school, He was a good student but had school phobia. He worked for my for one summer during HS, after about two weeks he said you know Dad...I learned more about math here than I have in my whole life at school. All of a sudden 1/4" had meaning, it wasn't just a theory. Today he is in tech making BIG bucks, but, his love is woodworking. He is still in ILL but I went back and spent a couple weeks with him last year, making furniture and files for his office at home. It was a great time for both of us. He said I wished you still had your shop, that he would love to be doing that rather than his high tech crap. I laughed and said, but you make money, I made a living. 

To answer the original question, I don't know. I would love to teach and even thought about contacting a boy scout or cub scout troop about helping them with some projects. I'm always making something and enjoy it thoroughly, probably more than when I had to do it for a living. Now I do it because I love it. 

If anyone has any ideas about getting kids interested I would love to hear them. Kids just don't associate with others anymore, they rather text than talk. They aren't outside playing or riding their bikes. It's very disheartening to me..

Sorry for my rambling, but this subject has been on my mind a lot lately. Thanks


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## cocobolo1 (Dec 31, 2015)

I've just read every word of every post in this thread. And I must say that I'm truly impressed.

Take your mind back to 1958 if you will, I'm a young kid (15) in grade 11 at King Edward High School in Vancouver. We had a really nice woodworking shop there with good workbenches and good tools. I was in heaven.

Also belonged to the local Kiview Boys Club not far from the school, and they too had a much more moderate woodworking shop in the basement. I naturally gravitated there after school several days a week and was often working alone in that wood shop. 

After I had been with the Boys Club for about six months, one of the counsellors asked me if I would mind teaching the other kids woodworking. To say I was stunned would be a real understatement, seeing as I was one of the youngest kids there. He finally convinced me that I had demonstrated to him that I had a pretty good knowledge of the subject (for a kid that is) and I started doing a weekly class.

At first I thought the older kids would make fun of me, but the opposite was true. I think it must have been that very British accent that I had back then that had something to do with it. Along with the fact that my grand dad started me on some simple wood working at the ripe old age of six.

The schools in England all had wood working classes and they were mandatory. So by the time I was 15 I had actually learned a few useful things.

Fast forward to the 1980's, now married with two sons. Both my boys showed interest in woodworking and have since gone on to become top flight carpenters and woodworkers in general. Fortunately, they are also both excellent in the math department.

During my many years as a carpenter, I always seemed to be the lucky guy who got the most inexperienced apprentices assigned. At first I thought this was a loss, but soon learned that it was better to start with an inexperienced apprentice rather than one who already knew it all. It was much easier to teach someone who was ready to learn rather than the other way around, if you know what I mean.

So the question remains who will teach the kids? Well, we probably all do at every opportunity. I have a grandson who absolutely loves visiting. Why? Because he says that Gramps lets him do stuff that his dad doesn't. The little guy absolutely loves to do things with wood. Every time he visits we get at least one project done and we take pictures of the finished item so he can send them off to his dad before he even goes back home.

In case you think that woodworking - or construction of whatever stripe won't be around for much longer - I say it will. All you have to do is to look at the proliferation of DIY type shows on TV. Or the thousands or even millions of youtube videos on any aspect of the subject you care to name. I'm not saying that these videos are all good, far from it. Too many are quite awful.

Look at all the incredible tools that the average homeowner has available at relatively little cost these days. This is not to say that everyone knows how to use them, but they can learn.

The big box stores will sell you any tool you like at cheap prices. Sure you will pay more for the good stuff, but that's true of anything you get into. 

Every kid isn't going to be a woodworker. Not to worry, we need doctors and dentists and grocers and barbers and you name it...so we all can't be woodworkers. But all the time there are kids around, and decent tools are available, and wood is still being cut from trees, at least a good portion of the youngsters of today will learn woodworking.

It may well be that many high schools today do not have wood working classes, but there are trade schools that do. They teach all the trades, not just wood working.

I could go on ad infinitum, but I'm sure you get the idea. So I will sign off for now and wait with interest to read all the posts that follow, and thank you to all who have posted earlier.


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## Nickp (Dec 4, 2012)

I don't think this applies to woodworking only...

Besides trying to stimulate interest in woodworking or other hobbies to family and friends, space, time, money all get in their way. If you're in the business, it's a lot easier...if it's been a hobby, access to potential learners is much less.

I can't imagine having the neighborhood kids come over when I roll out the machinery to make something...heaven help me if they go home with a splinter...OMG...and then there's the sharp whirly things...

When my granddaughter was only 5 I helped her make a small birdhouse...gave her a bunch of nails and a hammer...you should have heard the screams from my daughter...but she was oh, so tickled pink when we hung it from the walnut tree...

My previous yacht club held junior sailing camp during the summer...parents would drop their kids off for the day...classroom and on the water, then competitions. Couldn't help but chuckle thinking of the expression on the parents face when any of them asked for a boat...

And then there's the other side of the coin... My daughter watched me spend more hours away from home in the IT world and what does she do...Computer Science major in college...SHEEEEZE...can't win... But she did meet her husband there and a great catch he has been...and two wonderful children. But oh, so far away...so I can't teach them much...

At this point I wish I could pass on my learnings...to somebody, to anybody... if any of the neighbor's kids get a cut, you were careless and they "can't come over to play anymore"...

A friend of mine has a 40-year old son...I wouldn't trust him with a Phillips screwdriver for fear of stabbing himself...can't walk down the stairs with a long board for not knowing how to make the turn...and no matter how many times I've shown him how to take nails out of a board, he still manages to bend the nails...

I think back to people I've learned from and what they taught me...I have a lot of "thank yous" to catch up with...wished I had paid more attention...wish I had spent more time with them...


This forum is a great place for anybody with the slightest interest...provided they don't mind the sometimes unsolicited assistance in spending their money...


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## JFPNCM (Dec 13, 2009)

Teaching is an amazing process but the first requirement is a mind willing to learn. 

As a youngster one of my mentors explained it very well, "no matter how educated you are, learn a trade for that knowledge will always serve you". As one advances through the years, the value of that point becomes even more obvious, particularly as one becomes involved in the "joys of home ownership".


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

JFPNCM said:


> "no matter how educated you are, learn a trade for that knowledge will always serve you".


Had a friend in high school (mostly is theater) who took shop and made sets for our tiny theater. Last time I met him, he had set up a company that made "sets" for amusement parks. On the way to that he'd taught tech theater and built sets for the Mark Taper in Los Angeles and passed his knowledge along to many others. He also made films and today has a film production services company. Those woodworking skills from long ago served him all his life, and I think it still does.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

"Take your mind back to 1958 if you will, I'm a young kid (15) in grade 11 at King Edward High School in Vancouver."
-Keith

I guess you're in the clear for '73... 
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/5288546031


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## thomas1389 (Jan 4, 2012)

I was raised in a large family, 10 kids, 1934 to 1957, had hardly a pot to pee in or a window to throw it out of. Consequently, we did most everything ourselves, repaired our own cars, clothes, house and so on. Always rejigging the house. Add a room, dig a basement, by hand, shingle a roof, remodeled kitchens and baths and whatever else. That seemed to be the way it was in those days. Time went by, two kids, son and daughter and my wife taught school. On Sundays during their early years, the kids and I would roam around new housing subdivisions being built. (before security guards) I had shuffled off to California for a few years when younger, construction and house building. My daughter became very interested in housing and eventually graduated university in Architecture, backpacked around Europe for a month then started working. It was Architecture for a dozen or so years, until about 2012 when she tossed it in, tired of deadlines and business travel and wanted something "hands on". By this time she had bought and paid for her condo in town. She had made several pieces of furniture in her spare time, as yet unmarried. She also loved hiking. Peru, Costa Rica, Scotland, and had met most of her fellow hikers on line. For a break ( which they all seem to need these days) she travelled to Istanbul, stayed a week, met up with some from Scandinavia and went on to Nepal where they joined a group and trekked up Mount Everest ( to the base camp she said) No permits to go further. They trekked in the area for another 6 weeks and then split up to go their separate ways. Back home she got a government grant to take "women in trades". Basic wiring, carpentry, plumbing, tile setting, etc. Finishing that, she worked with a mentor renovating a couple of houses, top to bottom and inside out. Set off on her own, building decks, garden sheds, repairs and small jobs and just recently finished her first complete bathroom reno. Gutted it and started from scratch. She is now working with another woman in the same business. Kitchens, bathrooms, painting etc. She has two more bathroom renos lined up. When we have those close moments she always tells me it was me that got her started. I really think she should be in teaching or some instructional field. I've always worried that she has followed in my footsteps too closely. These days a person can't fly by the seat of their pants. Reading these posts I get the feeling there are few these days that don't just stare at small screens. So few that want a "hands on" experience. Maybe I should get out more.


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## cocobolo1 (Dec 31, 2015)

DaninVan said:


> "Take your mind back to 1958 if you will, I'm a young kid (15) in grade 11 at King Edward High School in Vancouver."
> -Keith
> 
> I guess you're in the clear for '73...
> https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/5288546031


Good grief...I didn't know that's what happened to it.

Of course I have driven by the old place several times since 1973, at which time I was up in the Yukon.

I remember wondering a few years ago when I was visiting a friend at VGH as to when they demolished the old school. I didn't know it had burned down.

What a terrible end to such a fine old building.


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

My dad was a self taught carpenter. He worked with his brother for years building houses. His dad did also. So some of that experience rubbed off on me. Not a lot, but some anyway. I helped build some horse barns (pole barns) and some chicken houses.

So for many years, I have been an on again/off again woodworker. Mostly craft stuff and some light remodeling. For the past few years, I have tried to learn as much as I could and catch up with a lot of things I wanted to do before my bucket gets kicked over.

When the grandkids come over, some want to help, others have their head stuck in their electronic devices.

We (my wife and I) are doing the best we can, one kid at a time.
Mike


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## cocobolo1 (Dec 31, 2015)

Oboy...you are REALLY going to cherish those pictures a few years from now! Wonderful! :smile:


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## phillip.c (Aug 9, 2012)

I am 25. I am self taught in woodworking, though I first saw the tools when I attended vocational high school. I wood work regularly and have a my own shop. I also like to build other things, like microcontroller devices (miniature programmable computers). I also like to fix things around my home. 

There are many worthwhile skills that are lost to time. Fortunately, real furniture will always be in demand, so I very much doubt wookworking will go away. 

The youth today are busy creating new skills in new fields. Some are hands-on and some are not. It can be difficult to see their work because it differs so much in character. Trust that their fields are equally as demanding and equally as enriching. As the complexity of their crafts grow, creativity will continue to flourish in other areas.


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## SnapperTrx (Mar 10, 2016)

I have considered going to the local hardware stores (Lowes, Home Depot, OSH) and asking if they would be interesting in contributing to a local 'wood workers guild'. I envision it as a decent sized shop, with tools, where people could come in and work on items as well as hold classes on some basic woodworking techniques, etc. It would be a free guild, with people paying voluntary donations or maybe have a 'membership' that would allow people weekend access and such. Perhaps with something like this within the city, close to a highly populated area some interested could be generated in the youth. I know HD has little build classes for kids, but what about when those kids get older? Where do they go? Sure they could go to a trade school or something outside of high school, but with no more woodshop in jr. high and high school there are a number of years where they would have nothing! I don't know what these hardware stores are allowed to do, but perhaps I will go talk to them over the summer and see what, if any, help they would be able to provide. I would also need to look into how the guild would be staffed, as I don't think I could devote all of my time to working for free, but I would definitely be able to spend afternoons there. There are even opened offices/workshop areas in the business park I currently work in. It would be a perfect set up!


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## wags999 (Nov 6, 2013)

SnapperTrx said:


> I have considered going to the local hardware stores (Lowes, Home Depot, OSH) and asking if they would be interesting in contributing to a local 'wood workers guild'. I envision it as a decent sized shop, with tools, where people could come in and work on items as well as hold classes on some basic woodworking techniques, etc. It would be a free guild, with people paying voluntary donations or maybe have a 'membership' that would allow people weekend access and such. Perhaps with something like this within the city, close to a highly populated area some interested could be generated in the youth. I know HD has little build classes for kids, but what about when those kids get older? Where do they go? Sure they could go to a trade school or something outside of high school, but with no more woodshop in jr. high and high school there are a number of years where they would have nothing! I don't know what these hardware stores are allowed to do, but perhaps I will go talk to them over the summer and see what, if any, help they would be able to provide. I would also need to look into how the guild would be staffed, as I don't think I could devote all of my time to working for free, but I would definitely be able to spend afternoons there. There are even opened offices/workshop areas in the business park I currently work in. It would be a perfect set up!


They tried something alone those lines a number of years ago here in Az. Problem was insurance. First person that got hurt sued and killed it for everyone. Isn't it always Lawyers that screw things up in this country? Everyone involved got sued, including the tool mfg and the company that supplied the tools. Guess you can't get there from here anymore...sad.


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## TWheels (May 26, 2006)

DonkeyHody said:


> I failed, even with my own kid! When he was very young, he would hang out in the shop and I'd encourage him to help me. He developed some basic skills and was able to build the last couple of pinewood derby cars, and he did most of the work on his Eagle Scout project. But the love of it just never "took" with him. He's in graduate school now, and we recently had a conversation about why he never took an interest in the things that interested me. He said he never felt "clever" about the woodworking and such, so he went where he could excel. I guess it worked out for him, he turned down an opportunity to go to med school because he liked chemistry better.



Don't give up on him yet. To be sure I was always a builder as a kid, Lincoln Logs, a predecessor to Lego, model car kits, etc. When I was in 8th grade I had a shop class that I hated. I was too much of a perfectionist to work as quickly as the teacher wanted. I went on to college, grad school, post doc., career. Decades passed and I did nothing resembling woodworking. Then I became a homeowner. I acquired a few tools. Even then I wanted to become good enough at woodworking to justify owning a router. Then I discovered the Router Workshop, a tv show that is the inspiration for this web forum. Your son probably remembers what he did as a kid; he did more than I did. In a few years he may well come back to it.


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## TWheels (May 26, 2006)

Cricket, this thread is wonderful. I hope you have also started it on the other woodworking forums you also administrate.

To be sure, the US K-12 education system is going to h e double hockey sticks and has been for all of this century. I have seen it in the students in my classes. School districts rely on standardized testing, often with poorly designed tests that emphasize memorization, not reasoning. Even college seniors often object strenuously when asked to think through a problem, and I teach science! Unfortunately the administrators I have to deal with are much more concerned with retention than with education.

Woodworking is a spectacular way to teach reasoning skills, as many have already said in this thread. 

While writing this response an idea hit me. I have a friend/colleague/collaborator who is officially my graduate student. His father had owned a pottery firm, and now my friend has donated much of the equipment to the Fine Arts department. Students will be making things like cheese jars and other such things. I wonder if woodworking could be taught as a fine art?


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Tom; how about in the Applied Science Dept., or as an elective in the Engineering program (Structural or Civil)?
I would have assumed that wood sculptures were a given in the Fine Arts field?
https://www.google.ca/search?q=wood...39kdNM:;nS75tfZ949VwMM:&imgrc=DcSPi0Gh39kdNM:
If only _I_ had that kind of creative talent....


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## SnapperTrx (Mar 10, 2016)

wags999 said:


> They tried something alone those lines a number of years ago here in Az. Problem was insurance. First person that got hurt sued and killed it for everyone. Isn't it always Lawyers that screw things up in this country? Everyone involved got sued, including the tool mfg and the company that supplied the tools. Guess you can't get there from here anymore...sad.


That's one of the things that has kept me from pursuing the venture. Even having everyone sign a waiver is likely not enough to keep a lawsuit from happening if someone got hurt. Lawyers find loopholes around that stuff all the time. It's a shame, really.


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## TWheels (May 26, 2006)

DaninVan said:


> Tom; how about in the Applied Science Dept., or as an elective in the Engineering program (Structural or Civil)?
> I would have assumed that wood sculptures were a given in the Fine Arts field?
> https://www.google.ca/search?q=wood...39kdNM:;nS75tfZ949VwMM:&imgrc=DcSPi0Gh39kdNM:
> If only _I_ had that kind of creative talent....



iNteresting ideas Dan. I will look into them. The engineering program is really a pre engineering program, so I would thing they should have or be receptive to having some kind of woodworking.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

*Gyro Gearloose*



mftha said:


> iNteresting ideas Dan. I will look into them. The engineering program is really a pre engineering program, so I would thing they should have or be receptive to having some kind of woodworking.


My late neighbor taught University Physics in England...If I remember correctly he referred to himself as an Experimental Physicist(?) rather than a Theoretical Physicist. In any case he built equipment to test theories. He did pretty much everything, wood, metal, glass, electronics, etc. Pretty much a self taught artisan I gather.


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## timbertailor (Oct 4, 2009)

You send me a kid who is interested in learning, and I will bend over backwards to support that interest.

I have posted a couple of times on this forum that I would like to mentor someone.

No takers.

I have a whole storage facility full of tools and I always thought I would pass them on to someone who would appreciate their worth and enjoy using them long after I am gone, as I have done with my fathers tools.

Hate to say it, but I will probably just sell them when the time comes.

Just a microcosm of the state of things as they are among the youth of today.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Brad; to be fair, someone that hasn't discovered woodworking isn't going to find you here.
How about teaching a Night school course or two?
Offering a 'Build Bat houses' night or weekend course.
Get some folks started making those Little Free Library kiosks.
If people can see some positive end to a short course they're more likely to take an interest.
Become a Big Brother(?)...

Just some ideas.


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## Twistedcowboy (Feb 2, 2015)

I agree Daninvan. I retire from UPS in 5 years (after 30 years with the company.) I hope to have my skills up to par by then that I can help someone catch the WW bug. Teach a class, mentor someone, doesn't matter how. We should all try to do this. Get kids off those stupid video games and give them a real skill.

Will

Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk


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## timbertailor (Oct 4, 2009)

DaninVan said:


> Brad; to be fair, someone that hasn't discovered woodworking isn't going to find you here.
> How about teaching a Night school course or two?
> Offering a 'Build Bat houses' night or weekend course.
> Get some folks started making those Little Free Library kiosks.
> ...


This is not the only place I have tried to find someone interested.

And it is tough for men to be placed in close proximity to children unsupervised. Women have no problem. Sad state of things really.

P.S. Just reached my 1000th post...............still waiting for the confetti and streamers to appear. LOL


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## TWheels (May 26, 2006)

DaninVan said:


> My late neighbor taught University Physics in England...If I remember correctly he referred to himself as an Experimental Physicist(?) rather than a Theoretical Physicist. In any case he built equipment to test theories. He did pretty much everything, wood, metal, glass, electronics, etc. Pretty much a self taught artisan I gather.


You late neighbor practiced science as I learned as an undergraduate student. Suggesting to a student that you want to teach them how to build something or even do simple glass bending, etc. is a sure way to drive them away or at least not attract more.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Tom; separating the wheat from the chaff? 


Brad; congrats! You got your 3rd star...did you notice?


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## timbertailor (Oct 4, 2009)

DaninVan said:


> Tom; separating the wheat from the chaff?
> 
> 
> Brad; congrats! You got your 3rd star...did you notice?


No, I had not. I am somebody now! Ha ha:grin:


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Heh...you were always a _somebody_, now you're a celebrity!


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## tomp913 (Mar 7, 2014)

mftha said:


> You late neighbor practiced science as I learned as an undergraduate student. Suggesting to a student that you want to teach them how to build something or even do simple glass bending, etc. is a sure way to drive them away or at least not attract more.


A prime example of the lack of practical training given in schools nowadays; the company I worked for hired a new Industrial Engineering graduate (I won't mention the name of the institution) and he was initially put to work in the Tooling Dept. making drawing of fixtures for the Manufacturing Department. While making the drawing for his first piece of tooling, he asked his "mentor" how he designated which side of the tapped hole the bolt was going to be installed from so the machinist would know which way to tap the hole. While it seemed funny to the old timers at the time, it really showed the lack of practical knowledge that the average young person seems to possess nowadays. I had to hire youngsters (new high school graduates typically) for jobs in the Service Department - after a while, you give up on finding someone that had actually used wrenches to take something apart and just tried to pick someone that seemed to have an interest in learning how. The average kid nowadays apparently doesn't work on their car any more - but they can tell you how to navigate around a computer and play video games.


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## Knothead47 (Feb 10, 2010)

Our wood turning club used to meet at a high school. We had to find another place as the school closed the WW shop and sold the equipment. Reason? Lack of interest. If it doesn't have a mother board, keyboard, and Internet, kids don't want it.
Edit: After reading the posts again, I recall that I took a WW class in junior high, 7th grade if I recall. I still have the tray that I made. Guess it's an antique now! Might take a photo and post it here.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Considering this is a ROUTING forum, there has been very few actual ROUTING projects other than my series "Routing for beginners" It was the same when "routing" magazines were published, they contained very few actual routing projects.

A routing tutorail for beginners: Part one

Part one in PDF format 

harrysin: A routing tutorial for beginners: Part two

Part two in PDF format 

harrysin: A routing tutorial for beginners: Part three

Part three in PDF format 

harrysin: A routing tutorial for beginners: Part four

Part four in PDF format 

harrysin: A routing tutorial for beginners: Part five in PDF format only

The links to these tutorials can be found near the top of "Guide bushings and templates.


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

@harrysin
It is frustrating to see so few young people with an interest in doing something practical or learning woodworking. I have a shop full of great tools and no one with any interest in learning to use them. Hate to think that when I check out that they are likely to be sold off for 25 cents on the dollar. My whole life has been about accumulating skills, from public speaking, writing and communications, to producing great sawdust. But so many kids today just don't care about such things. 

I do take a little heart from visiting my long ago high school a couple of years ago. The woodshop had nary a bird house, but they had been constructing a bathroom, a model, not the real thing, so the students were learning the construction trade. Pretty cool, so there are a few practical kids left.

Hope you're feeling lively these days. I'm just recovering from a cold and bronchial problem after doing 3 trips in a row. The old body just isn't tough as nails anymore. Tom


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## Old Yorkie (Aug 8, 2011)

I wondered the same until I became governor of my old school which sends pupils to the best universities in the UK. I discovered the Design Technology Department and have seen pupils produce some amazing things in many materials including a great deal of hard and soft woods. They used good old circular and band saws as well as modern lasers and CNC machines. The best items were produced with a good supply of glasspaper and a great deal of elbow grease. One potential veterinary student produced the most amazing prosthetic support for a dog with torn tendons in one of its rear legs. It's not pure woodworking but who doesn't use metals and plastics when they are required.


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## Arcola60 (Jul 4, 2009)

Society does not promote it, so it is up to us. When I was in high school, taking WW shop class was a challenge. We took it and was proud of what we made. We showed what we created with a sense of accomplishment.
Today it is much different. Solid values have to be instilled in our children, to make them want to create. Both of my sons show some interest in woodworking, but they also are talented in other ways. We encourage them to pursue their passions, whatever it may be.

Ellery Bud Becnel


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## Ray Newman (Mar 9, 2009)

Here's my SWAG (Scientific Wild Arsed Guess): the automation and computer controlled developments and trends of machine shops/machine tooling will advance into woodworking. I recall old time machinists saying that CNC was too unreliable, inaccurate, and costly for any sized shop to install. In their minds it was a pipe dream.

CNC controlled router set ups are now available. And I will wager that eventually it will be available for a home shop/small shop TS: set the width of the board to rip via the key board/pad, the fence moves, operator advances the stock, the anti-kick back wheels engage and feed the stock into the blade. Similar set up will hold the stock to miter gauge and set the length to cut. Same key pad will set blade for height and/or angle. Dadoes of any number, width, depth, and spacing will be 'dead-nuts on'.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Old Yorkie said:


> I wondered the same until I became governor of my old school which sends pupils to the best universities in the UK. I discovered the Design Technology Department and have seen pupils produce some amazing things in many materials including a great deal of hard and soft woods. They used good old circular and band saws as well as modern lasers and CNC machines. The best items were produced with a good supply of glasspaper and a great deal of elbow grease. One potential veterinary student produced the most amazing prosthetic support for a dog with torn tendons in one of its rear legs. It's not pure woodworking but who doesn't use metals and plastics when they are required.


*Hey, Trevor; welcome!*


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

That ship's sailed, Ray.


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## Ray Newman (Mar 9, 2009)

DaninVan. True, but it is not at the small shop/home shop level --yet. The CNC woodworking machines that I have seen are geared for production shops, but I do believe that the handwriting is on the wall.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

welcome to your new home Trevor...


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## michaelln (Aug 4, 2009)

*One Lasting Program of Far Too Few*

For the last 34 years I have had the honor of teaching elementary school children from the ages of three to twelve a little about woodworking and quite a bit about life in a small school that was founded in 1929 and placed woodworking at its core. Would that it were a model for learning that all children could experience. A product of the program as was my father, I have yet to feel that I have given back as much as I received from the two remarkable teachers that encouraged my growth as a human being at the worktables and beyond during my early education. 

Mike Nowell
The School in Rose Valley
Rose Valley, PA 19063


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## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

*Youngest daughter's first piece of furniture*

My youngest (14 yrs) loves to tinker, and make pens or other small projects. She needed a computer desk to replace a table that took up too much space. She tried to match some of the other pine furniture in the room, but wanted it to be a "lighter" or more delicate looking piece.

She took all the dimensions to find the space we had, and determined what we needed to have at a minimum. We made the piece out of paint grade pine panels for the legs and stretchers, cutting around the ugly parts. The whole thing is pocket screw construction.

The top is a stain grade pine panel. All told, she spent about $30 on the wood, screws, and feet. Not a bad little project, she still has to put the finish on it, but wanted to show it off.

Unfortunately, the computer that we had designed the table around failed to work when we connected everything. It turns out that the socket for the graphics board was damaged as we were moving everything around. I transferred the guts into a slightly older tower, but all of the cable connections now hit the bottom stretcher, so the computer couldn't fit far enough in. We had to make a riser to get the plugs up and over the stretcher so they wouldn't get damaged.

The tower is also a little wider than the planned one, but if I can find something a little faster with a smaller case for cheap on CL we can build a better machine. I just needed to get something together for her quick so she can keep up with her summer school work. We'll work on the cord management later... 

She said it was a fun project, and we made sure she signed it so everyone will know who made it.

I think simple projects like this show that it is possible to make a custom project and get decent results even without a lot of experience. I think it has given her the confidence to try other projects in the future.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Damn! She has every right to be proud; great job, Ms KP91


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

nothing wrong your skill st Doug....


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

Funny this popped up today. My step daughter came for an art party today, and it turns out that her husband used the table saw I gave him for a first project, and he liked it. I have wondered who might take on all my tools when I'm gone. They have also said they'd like to buy the house at some point so he'd even get the shop. Gave him an extra 2hp blower and my Olson miter gauge today. I'm not using either and being able to use good tools will encourage him to do more.


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## JFPNCM (Dec 13, 2009)

Sounds like he's off to a good start Tom and your support will hopefully keep him up and running.


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## BrianS (Nov 7, 2004)

kp91 said:


> My youngest (14 yrs) loves to tinker, and make pens or other small projects. She needed a computer desk to replace a table that took up too much space. She tried to match some of the other pine furniture in the room, but wanted it to be a "lighter" or more delicate looking piece.


She did a real nice job on this.


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## tacomamacxtech (Mar 31, 2009)

The picture is used on the cover of the ShopSmith catalog I got in the mail yesterday!


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## Knothead47 (Feb 10, 2010)

My grandson is getting into wood turning. He has made several pens, took a penturning class, and made an ornament for his parents. He wants to make a bowl. I haven't even made a bowl!


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## old coasty (Aug 15, 2014)

tacomamactech said:


> The picture is used on the cover of the ShopSmith catalog I got in the mail yesterday!


I'm confused, what picture?


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