2 X 4 Jeep Update

After a few more days, finding a minute here and a minute there, I have finally finished the paint job on the 2 X 4 jeep that I posted here. This is the kind of a project that is just fine without a paint job and if you were to sell them painted then you'd surely go broke. A detailed paint job like this takes a lot of time so you do it because you have a love for detail, or in my case as a woodshop teacher there might be one other reason.

When constructing any project I always like to have at least one example of the possibilities for what "can be done" for the students in my woodshop class. Most of them won't take the project this far and that's ok but I still just want them to see what can be done. That's important because once in a while I will most surely be surprised when that one kid will take the challenge and that will be worth it all!

I decided to go with the camouflage look for the overriding theme but I suppose that it isn't exactly an official U.S. Army issue jeep since I also gave it a touch of "wild" with bright interior colors with a funky spare tire case to boot! Those kinds of twists in finishing a project make it a little more interesting and I like it when someone looks at it and says, "Are you perhaps a little bit crazy?" as they smile in approval.

As mentioned in the previous post I suggested that this project might be most successful in the hands of older kids and that a simpler 4-wheeled car/truck might be best for the younger kids. As seen in the picture above I've included a couple of easier project ideas for the younger woodworkers. Both the truck and the car can be easily made in usually one or two woodshop classes from a piece of 2 X 4 scrap. As a matter of fact quite a few of my older students like to make these easy cars too because after all they are a lot of fun to push around and best of all, they made it with their own hands.

A 2 X 4 Jeep Is A Great Woodshop Project

One of the best parts of my job as a woodshop teacher is new project development and I make every effort possible to correlate our educational theme with a good project that compliments our students focus of study.

A woodshop class can be a very powerful hands-on extension for any educational curriculum and those schools or homeschooler's that implement such a "full-circle" plan of study will reap the greatest rewards and benefits from their efforts to teach.

About two years ago I developed a new project jeep when our students were studying World War II and I designed the entire wooden toy from a 7" piece of 2 X 4. I reasoned that a jeep would be the perfect woodshop project since this multi-terrain vehicle was specifically developed for the U.S. Army and their allies during WWII.

When developing a new project I always do my homework first so I did quite a bit of research on the jeep and I gathered the history of the vehicle, it's vital role in transportation during the war, and as many pictures as I could find. From this I could better brainstorm ideas for a good bulletin board on the project and organize some worksheets on the jeep for the students. By this time in my research I had begun to formulate the foundations about how I would develop the actual thematic project.

During this session I have once again brought out the good old reliable Army jeep as a woodshop project but our education theme for study now is "Around The World In 80 Days". Seems like there is a transportation element to this theme so the jeep should work out just fine. With just a minimum of adjustment this same project could also be easily modified to be a dune buggy.

The best part is that it can be made from just a 7" piece of 2 X 4 where I first cut off about a 1/4" slice of wood as shown in the picture to the right. The next important cut is made with the band saw, as seen in the picture to the right, where I separate a block from the chassis. The block (my fingers are on it in the picture to the right) can be used to cut out the jeeps seats, bumpers, windshield, panels for bed, etc.

Other parts needed that didn't come from the 2 X 4 would be the Plexiglas windshield that I hot glued into the wood frame. The wheels and axles were donated to our woodshop program in a very large quantity but you could also modify a dowel rod or old broom handle into some pretty nice wheels too so be creative and find the solutions that will work best for you. The headlights, taillights, and steering wheel assembly were also made from various sized dowel rods. I used the woodburning pen to etch in the radiator grill on the front side of the jeep.

To make this project easier for kids to process I made a tracing template for the chassis and I also made one for the side fenders/step assembly as seen in the picture to the left. From many years in the woodshop I've discovered that kids have a MUCH greater chance for success when they can first visualize the completed project so these templates do their job well here. Also it's very important to have at least one completed example of the project on hand so that they can see it, feel it with their hands, and feel comfortable to ask questions.

I would rate this project as "advanced" in my woodshop program working with at-risk kids who sometimes don't have a lot of patience. The 15 and 16 year old kids seem to do best with constructing this jeep and I would recommend designing a simpler car or jeep for the younger students. This is a fantastic project for kids but they need to understand that it will require great attention to detail and the ability to focus on a lot of individual components. If they can keep their eye on the prize then they'll have something to be very proud about.