Showcase Of Kids Projects On Facebook Album

I just created a new album on my Facebook page where I'll be posting daily pictures of the kids projects in woodshop class. Just click here and you can access the pictures whether you have a Facebook account or not.  The pictures are much better quality than I'm posting here so I'll be creating many new albums in the future.

The picture to the left is also included with the first 6 pictures from today's woodshop class. Dylan has been working on his mouse trap for about 3 woodshop periods and he got the mechanisms adjusted and working today so now the door slams shut when triggered. Now all that he needs to do is come up with a creative finishing for it. He did a great job on making it and had lots of patience.

Indian Test of Manhood Group Trophy

Here's a little woodshop project that I put together in about 90 minutes complete. Every July 4th since about 1979 our camp has held a mountainside foot race that is approximately 1/2 mile long. That doesn't sound like much of a race unless you are able to actually see the course in person. The path of the race is literally up the side of our mountain which is no easy feat to win. The student who wins gets his choice of a $100.00 pair of shoes on a special shopping flee.

This year someone asked me at the very last minute (only 3 days before the race) if I could come up with a trophy for the group who had the best "overall" times for the race. This would encourage team work and a full group effort. Fortunately I had a very small window of time that I could devote to the project so off to the woodshop I went. About 90 minutes later I came up with the trophy in the picture above.

 This wasn't a complicated project at all and I used materials that I had on hand right at the moment. In the shed I found the materials in the picture to the right which includes a nice chunk of western white cedar which came from the scrap wood left over from a log cabin. The "swirled" maple leg was part of a huge wood donation to our woodshop program from a local furniture company. The third item is a 3/4" poplar dowel rod.

From the chunk of cedar I cut out the shape of an Indian moccasin with the bandsaw, drilled out the hole on top using a fostner bit with the drill press. Nothing pretty but it has a nice homemade effect that I like. I then woodburned the laces and a defining line around the sole of the shoe and I painted the sole of the shoe black.

As you can see in the picture to the left I decided to paint the base of the trophy jet black. I hate to cover up and hide the beauty of maple wood but to save it would have taken a ton of time that I didn't have because it had all kinds of furniture company makings all over it.

The trophy is now finished and will sit proudly on the table of the group who won it for the next 12 months. A little time, a nice result, and a lot of pride is what we got.

A Woodshop Class That Changes Kids Lives

 I always like finding another school woodshop program that is changing kids lives for the better. Below is a short video that highlights the woodshop class run by teacher Brett Smith in Phoenix, Arizona at Valley View Elementary.

The unique thing about this program is that the kids are working hard making things that the school needs. They are currently working on a 2-1/2 year project for improving the school's library with bookshelves, magazine racks, cabinets, and you name it. Most woodshop classes seem to focus on having the students work on personal projects, which is great, but at Valley View the kids are learning the enormous rewards and gratification that result from helping others. The kids in this video are not only learning how to use their hands as a life-long skill, but they are also being taught a huge lesson in character. Just take a look for yourself...



According to woodshop teacher Brett Smith, "the kids are learning to solve problems everyday and the idea is to have that problem in front of you and then solving it."  He goes on to say that, "the kids come back the next year trying to get back in woodshop class. The work is hard but I think that they do appreciate it." I would have to say that this is an under-statement because from looking at the video, it's apparent that Mr. Smith is changing these kids lives for the better.

Some of the kids comments verify this as their newfound skills of working wood has helped build their family relationships: "I find that this class is a way for me to work with my dad when he doesn't want to be alone." and another student says, "When my mom doesn't know how to do something I can help her and other family members." Woodshop class has had a direct and positive effect on these kids self worth, character, and as a means for building stronger families.

Once again, the unique thing about this woodshop class is that they're building useful things for their own school. One of the kids in the video summed it up perfectly when he said both candidly and honestly, "When people visit we say 'Yeah'... We made that!" I can't imagine a more powerful life lesson that that.

Hands In Motion: Gateway to Working Wood

There's something about hands in motion that wields amazing power inside our minds. When our hands are engaged with a tool working wood there is no doubt about it; our demeanor is calmed, our head becomes clear, and our minds transition, almost without notice, into the creative right side of the brain. This is the point where working wood becomes powerful  therapy in our lives and I actually believe that it makes us better people whenever we can enter that almost "magical" side of working wood.

When my students reach a level in woodshop class where they're more independent, I see this occur all the time as they're hands become a conduit in harmony with their mind as they carve, shave, shape, or mold the wood into beautiful objects. These students have intense focus and it's hard to distract them when they've entered the gates on the right side of their brain where anything is possible. When it happens I'm usually the only one who knows what is going on and I just grin with satisfaction because I know that kid has entered a special place and is at peace if only for a few minutes. They don't ask questions, they don't look up, and they don't hear any distractions. Their focus is intense yet they are simultaneously relaxed and peaceful.

I can only hope that they will continue on a path of woodworking throughout their lives, long after leaving my woodshop class because I'm convinced that working wood can be a strong catalyst for making us much better  people in all that we do. I see it happen every day.

Pinewood Derby 2010: Start Your Engines!

The pinewood derby comes around these parts about spring time each year and April 1st is currently the official race day for the April Fool's 500. During Scout classes we will be examining a lot of things which will include the history of this classic Scouting event since 1953, a look at different car designs, our rules for the race, then ultimately each participant will design their winning car on a project design sheet.

Although the initial beginning of the

event begins in the classroom it is the moment of actual hands-on activity that everyone anticipates. To a pre-occupied adult the preparation for a race might seem insignificant but in the minds of kids this is a very big event for them. I know because I'm working directly with them and I know for a fact that their brains are on "wide-open". Walking around campus or the dining hall someone is always sharing their new idea for a car design with me so getting them in the woodshop is as exciting for me as it is for them.

Once the foundation has been laid and they understand the basics of what the race is about, many of the kids can come up with some very creative designs. Every year I'm always surprised at what their minds conjure up once they have just a basic understanding of the cars. As seen in the picture above, just last week one of my students had cut out his car then decided to use the scroll saw for some fancy cutting out of a nice tail-end spoiler. I've seen a lot of spoilers glued on to the tail-end of a car but this kid knew how to make the scroll saw work for him and he now has some very attractive detail that stands out from the crowd. That's special.

Some of the students will spend a lot of time sketching out their design as a combination of their own ideas and the designs gleaned from several books on cars that I have available for research. As a beginner woodworker we have all attempted to copy an exact design from a book or magazine to make it ours and that's just fine as part of the learning process. But at some point during the life of a woodworker something begins to "click" inside our heads when we step out of our comfort zones and take a risk. Before you know it we are designing and building things that we never could have imagined just a few years earlier. That's just the magic of woodworking and I love to see it happening right before my eyes... and it does every day in woodshop class.


As seen in some of the following pictures the pinewood derby has mainly been a Cub Scout activity for boys between 6 and 10 years old for more than 50 years and the popularity of the sport is huge in the United States. Strangely it can be just as compelling for the adult leaders as it is for the kids and our troop is no exception so we also have an adults race category so the big kids can have a little fun too.

And even though pinewood derby racing is primarily for the little kids I can honestly say that it has a very broad appeal to all age groups. It's fun, exciting, and contagious! The age group of our troop runs between 11 and 16 years old and it amazes me that more Boy Scout troops don't have annual races... well, except for us of course. Pinewood Derby racing is mostly a Cub Scout activity but don't tell that to our troop!

If you aren't already part of a big race day each year then consider getting involved and working with a kid on a car that might not have one otherwise. Pinewood Derby is one of the most effective parent/son activities around so turn off the video games and the TV and spend some quality time together. You won't regret it.

Making Simple Wood Cross Necklaces

Once in a while there is a great woodshop project that comes along and today was that day again. This is one of those projects where the greatness can  easily be lost in the pure simplicity of making it.

It began last week when one of the court counselors who is associated with our program asked if I could repair a couple of small wood crosses that had come apart. It looked like a simple enough job so I finally got a moment to play with it today and discovered an absolutely fantastic new project for the students in my woodshop classes.

When tapping the tiny dowel rod into the two pieces I broke one of the crosses which ended up being a fortunate opportunity because I then had to make another one from scratch. Doing so, I had to figure out all the measurements then take it from the bottom up and I thought about what a nice project this was.

I first cut a small square of oak on the table saw 1/4" X 1/4" then cut one piece 1-3/4" long and another 1-1/4" long. On the long piece I then used the drill press to drill a 1/8" hole for the necklace cord. Next I used the bandsaw to cut two overlap notches on each piece, then connected the "cross" pieces with wood glue and pressed them together firmly with pliers.

I then switched out the 1/8" drill bit for a smaller 1/16" bit which I used to make a hole "top dead center" straight through the "cross" in the two pieces of wood. The last remaining step was rolling the dowel rod in a bit of wood glue then carefully tapping it firmly into the hole. I broke the first cross because when I was tapping the dowel rod I had left way too much dead air space underneath for support. I corrected this mishap with the remaining crosses by drilling just a 1/4" hole in a piece of scrap wood for the tapping of the dowel. That made all the difference giving the cross plenty of support during this conjuncture in connection.

The best part of this relatively simple
woodshop project came this afternoon when I was showing the crosses to my students and saw their initial excitment. Three of the nine students asked if they could make one so another very popular project has been discovered. I gave them the measurements and one of my completed crosses for a visual aid and they did a grand job of making three absolutely perfect crosses.

As seen in some of the pictures above, they cut out the measured overlap notches on the scroll saw until the two pieces fit together snug and firm. Just one of the kids failed to get a snug fit on the first try but he stuck with it until it was right. The kids leave Thursday on a short home visit so it was an exciting afternoon completing unfinished projects and making new ones for their families.

On top of that the woodshop atmosphere was just right. As you can see in the picture to the right the snow was falling again all afternoon and we got another 4" of the stuff. Inside the shop it was warm and snug as we just went about our way making great stuff with our hands and a few simple tools. Just don't get any better than that!

How Fixation & Repetition Ensure Classroom Success

Some dictionaries define fixation as an unhealthy preoccupation with something, but looking at it from an educational aspect in the woodshop I refer to it as "intense interest" in the project on hand. When a student becomes fixated on a project it is a beautiful thing to witness as a teacher. When it happens it's as bright in my eyes as is a traffic light turning from red to green then engines roaring at full thrust. The students entire psyche is engaged and he is oblivious to everything except his own focus. It really is that obvious but usually I'm the only one who sees it occur in the woodshop because I maintain my own intense focus on what's going on.

Just recently one of my students was fixated on his project with such intensity that I'm not sure if he would have heard my hands slap together. He did occasionally "come up for air" to ask my advice on a particular problem but his focus was full-throttle on learning how to make the mechanisms on his small box mouse trap work.

Yes, he asked for help but there was no doubt in my mind that he really wanted to master the skills to do it himself. I knew this to be true because after working on the trap for several woodshop periods he asked if he could make another one which leads to the power of repetition. And I'm not talking about the repetition inflicted on me as a child after misbehaving in class, then my teacher telling me to write 100 times, "The true meaning of discipline is not punishment, but the development of enough self control to study, learn, and achieve great things." (I must have written that phrase 10,000 times in elementary school) I'm talking about the kind of repetition that is present when a student wants to learn something new with a passion that can transform their very lives.

Doing something over and over again is probably the most powerful method of learning something new, but when the student is motivated to learn without the teachers constant nudging then he becomes empowered and in control of his own education..."to study, learn, and achieve great things."

With the right motives, prompts, and the ability to engage students imagination with meaningful hands-on activity, good teachers can also reach high levels of student engagement in any classroom setting. Most teachers are good for kids because teaching is a values driven profession but students constantly read you like a book and they know if you're genuine or if you're "just there". That can also be easily applied to parents and grandparents as well so step up to the plate and show a kid how to empower themselves.

A Random Minute During A Woodshop Class

This is a quick one minute clip from one of my woodshop classes last week. We build, carve, and burn a variety of projects but, like today,I find that students achieve the greatest success if they concentrate mainly on practicing simple woodshop techniques then gradually progress to a higher level.

This video gives you a very quick glimpse into a typical day of woodshop classes where approximately 60 kids each week have the hands-on opportunity to learn new skills. Unfortunately woodshop programs in our elementary and middle schools are disappearing at a rapid rate which is sad since such a program so perfectly compliments their conventional "in the desk" classes. And education experts wonder why boys are doing so poorly in school during the last decade.

Boys weren't made to sit still all day and listen to lectures. Boys learn best when they have a well balanced curriculum where "hands-on" and action/adventure based learning is part of their day. When educators figure this out then our next generation of boys will have a much greater chance of achieving great things.

Here's A School (and a woodshop teacher) That's Doing Things Right !

At a time when our schools are "scrapping" for funding here's a school and a woodshop teacher who found a way to make it happen.  As this video shows, Buljan Middle School in Roseville, California is apparently an exceptional school that has found a way to elevate their curriculum by studying music which even includes making their own guitar in Duane Calkin's woodshop class. A good article on Duane's program can be found at the Roseville Press-Tribune. It's nice to find a school that's not only doing things right, but a school that's exceeding expectations for their students far and beyond. Just watch this video and follow Duane's link above and you'll see for yourself.

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.

Mini Skateboards Spark Imagination In Kids

Our education theme this session has been "Around The World In 80 Days" so this is what the kids math, language arts, sciences, and other subjects are based upon. In woodshop class today one of my students began a mini skateboard project but I'm still not sure that a person could make it around the world on one as their sole source of transportation but then again  I haven't referred to Guinness Book Of World Records either and who am I to say that the imagination of a 14 year old is invalid... so permission to begin was granted.

Since our woodshop program isn't geared for the construction of a full-sized skateboard I have found that the kids enjoy making these mini key ring sized skateboards just as much and they have become quite popular. My 13, 14, and 15 year old students seem to be the ones most infatuated with making them and I enjoy watching their minds figure out just how to make them work.

First, there's just something magical about making these little 4-wheeled boards that sparks the imagination and engages their brains. Secondly, making miniature woodshop projects is also a great way to "grab" a students attention for detail in even a more challenging way than making it full sized. I also don't have to worry about them breaking an ankle (or worse) from something that I approved for their construction. Last of all I always teach my students to start small then progress to the larger project as you pick up the necessary skills of fine woodworking. I usually tell them that when I first wanted to carve a chainsawed bear I first carved a small one that I would use for reference. I tell my students that you don't start out building the Taj_Mahal until you first learn how to build a doll-sized house, then progress to the next level and so on. It's a good lesson for teaching and a good lesson that they can also think about applying to how they will be successful in living their own lives. Building small while learning the skills of woodworking also ensures success.

Today Anthony wanted to make this project but he asked about how he'd make it with wheels that actually worked. Most of the kids choosing this project center most of their attention upon a compelling paint job with their mini skateboards so I was thrilled when this student wanted to take the mechanics of his woodshop project one step further. And best of all he wanted to partner up with me for a workable solution so another journey in discovery had begun. I might have been even more excited than my student which is usually the case in any class I'm teaching.

We first began with a small block of pine and sketched off a portion that measured about 1" wide, 1/2" deep, and approximately 2-1/2" long. Anthony is a bit slow when it comes to working out his own projects and normally this project would have been above his level of understanding to complete on his own but the class was small and well behaved so I decided to embrace this opportunity to work with him one on one. In doing so I first began using my pencil to sketch out a rough outline right on the wood until Anthony's vision of the project was achieved. Even the slower kids usually have excellent visual perception and usually just need for someone to help them project their vision into reality so I don't do it all for them but use plenty of prompts, sketches, and a lot of questioning until I can help them transfer their ideas onto the wood.

Next we cut out the body of the little skateboard using the bandsaw although a scroll saw would work just fine for such small stock. Now the real challenge of this project was coming up with a way for the wheels to actually turn so we then placed our attention on the mechanics of making this a reality by using only wood for the friction that would be produced by wheels, axles, and trucks. For all three of these components I knew that working with dowel rods would be our best bet for success so we gathered up a variety of sizes until we determined that a 3/16" rod would work just right for the axle when inserted into a 7/16" rod as the trucks. 7/16" was also just the right size for the wheels when fitted into the smaller axle rod.

The axle did fit a little tight so using a pocket knife in a "scraping" motion Anthony got the wheels to spin pretty good. The 3/16" hole that we drilled into the trucks rod using the drill press was still a little too tight and Anthony wanted a good spin for his wheels so we then came up with another solution. As you can see in the picture to the right we cut a short arc across the center of the trucks rod thus eliminating most of the friction created by the axle. This worked just perfect and a big "yelp" of success was heard from both of us across woodshop class. Success was ours and we made sure everyone in class knew about it!

We then used wood glue and a good clamp to attach the wheel assembly to the skateboard body so now we only needed the patience to allow it to dry, then make another one for the other end of the board but that will have to wait until the next woodshop class next week. Time was gone.

Nothing like sparking the imagination of a kid (and one anxious teacher) while trying to capture as many opportunities to teach as is possible in a 45 minute class and today was a good day for being a teacher in woodshop class.

Put Another Log On The Fire.... NOT!

At least 90 percent of my winter heating fuel comes from wood. Therefore you could sign me up as a true testament to the fact that, " If you can't carve it, then burn it". I love everything about wood because wood is the real deal. I can find it growing naturally all around me unlike heating oil, kerosene, or electric heat which requires unbelievable manpower to mine/generate, process, and transport. You could say that I'm just a "wood" person and there's nothing "plastic" about me. So like I said, If I can't carve it then just please let me burn it!

In the woodshop we go through quite a bit of wood through out the year and something in me dies whenever I have to burn it up into thin air via the fire barrel just to get rid of it. Those scraps are bone dry and make excellent kindling for starting up the wood heater so I use as much as I can for doing just that. In addition to generating btu's such practice also produces a very gratifying sense of satisfaction and resourcefulness when I know that wood isn't being wasted. I manage to save some of that scrap wood but not all of it.

Just this afternoon I brought in another bag of the woodshop scraps for starting a fire that would get me through another frigid Carolina mountain night. This particular bag held scraps from more than a year ago and I paused before offering it's sacrifice to my warmth. In the bag I broke a smile when I found a myriad of familiar objects that rekindled a lot of fond woodshop memories.

As the picture to the right shows I found a canoe, a piece of a nameplate, a couple of mini-basketball goals, a motor boat, an African mask, and a flag that was intended for a small boat. I could easily write a book on these unfinished woodshop projects but these were projects that for one reason or another never got finished. While some of them just never met the quality standard that we have, others might not have been finished because a board got ripped beyond repair as young hands were learning about the limits of stress upon the grain of wood.

For whatever reason they didn't get finished into useful objects but now these scraps  reminded me of the education themes we had during a particular session of study. Once our theme was African History so we did a lot of research and learned about how young African children used masks to imitate and to test their transition into adulthood. I therefore had the kids make their own masks based upon this beautiful art. During another session our theme was about pirates and piracy so I had the kids design their own pirates ship. A theme on extreme sports led to the small basketball goals where a small wooden ball could be shot by the spring produced by a plastic spoon positioned just right on the base. Dug-out Indian canoes are always a popular carving project when the kids are meeting the carving in-the-round requirement for their woodcarving merit badge The nameplate you see is the first woodshop project that I have every new student make as it gets them familiar with some basic power tools and provides a good introductory orientation to the shop as they begin to imagine the possibilities and gain confidence for greater projects later on.

Those scrap pieces of wood represent a lot of hours spent learning something about wood AND something about ourselves in the woodshop. And now I hesitated to put them in the stove but finally my cold fingers convinced me that I was gonna have to do it. My fire is now pumping out heat and I am warm but just seeing those scrap pieces from a shop class long ago warmed up a part of my soul from a time now gone and I know that I'll sleep good tonight... even when the temperatures outside might be in the teens.

Jingle Bell Penguins And One More Christmas Critter

Just when I thought that I was done with carving "Simple Simon" the penguin as presents for this years Christmas season I came up with a new addition that I thought made a big improvement on an already nice project. As you can see in the picture to the left I simply added three small bells to the rear side of the penguins neck by using some thin red holiday ribbon. All of these supplies are readily available in the craft department of your favorite store. After securing the ribbons I then tied a final knot in the front leaving about an inch of ribbon on each side. I then rubbed the ribbon between my finger and the dull side of my knife blade for nice "swirls".

One more Christmas critter that was added to my collection yesterday was "Bessy The Red-Nosed Milking Cow". As mentioned in several previous postings this project started out as making miniature reindeer but the kids in my classes always come up with several new ideas each year thus adding to my showcase display for future classes. "Bessy" was the final creative brain explosion for this years class and it's already a favorite with everyone who gazes upon her hilarious construction.

Bessy was made just as all the other critters but if you look closely at her rear-right leg you'll see that it's slightly raised for "milking". There was also a slight knot on the underside of her belly where 6 tiny dowels were drilled into place in a circle to imitate her milking utters which were painted a light pink color. The rest of the deer was painted as a jersey milking cow with big black & white spots and a red fuzz nose added for Christmas. This one was just too much fun to make and perhaps she will inspire some new ideas for you too!

Woodshop Christmas Project #2- Reindeer & Christmas Critter's (part 3)

As you can see the annual Christmas critter's project has continued into it's last week and the last classes for this project was on Friday. Outside the woodshop the snow blizzard moving up the east coast from the Gulf of Mexico had already dumped 4 or 5 inches of snow on the ground outside the woodshop but since I have a 4-wheel drive Tacoma I stayed until the very last minute of the very last class because those kids would have been sorely disappointed if I'd left them with unfinished deer.

When you can look outside the woodshop windows and see snow falling in blizzard proportions it creates an ultimate Christmas time atmosphere. When the atmosphere is so conducive to the human spirit such as when the snow is falling, I'd swear that creativity in working with the hands is increased ten-fold. Maybe I'm wrong but perhaps I'm right because Friday's class sure did seem above average in spirit and creativity.

Although it's not exactly a "Christmas" deer the picture at the top/left shows the creation of Robert's bull. Robert was steadfast on the idea of putting together a bull so I allowed him complete creative freedom and we both ended up being thrilled with the end result of three classes. After he painted his bull black, added the eyes, and a red cape Robert thought that he was done but that is when I challenged him to extend it even further. With some thought I sketched him out some bull horns on a small piece of pine then after cutting and some carving Robert had the defining symbol of a bull. That addition inspired him to add some yellow pipe cleaners for even more accent, then it was completed with a tail made from a brown pipe cleaner with some twisted inner bark of a poplar tree hot glued on for the tail. I thought that his bull turned out just great and I know that he can't wait to show it off to his family in a few days. He even named him "Paco"!

Hands were busy today and it's also great to see the adults get involved with the kids crafting too as Chief Rachael is so adamantly focused on in the picture to the right. When the kids are having trouble focusing on the task at hand our counselors are usually quick to notice the need and their attention is focused on working directly with the kids to help ensure success. However when the group is running well it is a joy to have the counselors working on their projects too and that also can go a long way in building group cohesion.

Sometimes the kids just get completely crazy ("crazy" in a good way) when their creative juices get the best of them. The Mother Goose bird to the left is one such example of how hilarious this project can be for a group of youngsters. A small piece of red maple was used for this critter and the two lower legs were first roughed out on the bandsaw, then shaped up more with a pocket knife. At this point the legs could be mounted and glued into 1/4" holes drilled into the wooden stand.  Jack had a great time doing this bird but it wasn't too complicated since he desperately wanted some extra time for finishing up a nice kitchen cutting board that he's been working on for a month prior to the Christmas classes. I agreed to grant him this extra time but first I expected him to come up with a nice Christmas critter so we made a deal. Jack is one of my most ardent woodcarving students and most of his projects must have some kind of carving involved and this bird was no exception as he continued to fashion the head and beak. Jack completed his Christmas bird with a set of over sized googly eyes that looked more like sunglasses than eyes thus adding to the humor factor, then a spread of white tail feathers completed the project. Nice work Jack!

 As you can see from the picture to the right I have made several Christmas critters that I always display on the work table each year to give my students an idea of what they can do with just 7 or 8 simple sticks from a tree limb. Actually the Christmas moose that you see came from the mind of Seth, a student from last years class. Seth was determined to make "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Moose" so I helped him come up with a way to cut out the awkward shaped antlers with some fancy bandsaw maneuvering into a piece of 2 X 4. At the time I made a template for cutting out the moose antlers so that the kids can now easily understand how to go about fashioning their own. Another version of the Christmas bird in the picture to the far right is similar to Jack's bird however a nest was made for this one with two white fuzz balls added to imitate eggs. As you can see we have taken deer making to a whole new level that has certainly proven to intrigue the minds of both students and adults.

Woodshop Christmas Project #2- Reindeer & Christmas Critter's (part 2)

The Christmas critters classes have continued and as usual the kids have come up with even more original and creative ideas. It amazes me every year with how many new ideas can be visualized and created by my students and 2009 has seen the addition of several new Christmas "critters".

The deer that I'm showcasing in the picture to the right was made by Arturo and he finished it just this morning. In every class there's always one or two students who are so caught up in such laser beam concentration upon their project that it's fun for me to just look over their shoulders as the gears in their minds direct their hands into some great creations. Arturo was that student who didn't utter a word in todays class as he was so caught up in his deer. As you can see the white feathers that he hot glued in place really set off the antlers making it the dominant focal point when you look at his deer. Nice work Arturo!

Hands were busy again all week long on getting the miniature deer finished before Christmas break and so far it looks like we will stay right on schedule. The holiday woodshop classes alternated between working on the birdhouses and the Christmas critters so things are busy around our parts right now. It also amazes me to see how such a simple project can stimulate the minds of all age groups. Several of the counselors were also able to attend some of the woodshop classes this holiday session and it was hard to separate their enjoyment with making this project from that of the kids.

Another new creation that came out of this years holiday classes was "Rudolph the red-nosed horse" as the picture to the right explains. This critter came out of the mind of Anthony who had a hard time during his first several months in our program and his anger even prevented him from participating in his first woodshop class. As the days and months have passed by Anthony has become one of my best and most confident students and that is something that I'd never have predicted four or five months ago. It was a joy to work with Anthony on his idea to make a Christmas horse. As he progressed from one idea to another on turning his plan into a reality Anthony would usually ask my advice on how to solve a certain problem. We had such a great time, mostly laughing as such a hilariously new critter was created right before our eyes. It was such a great experience that I decided to make a small colt as you can see as the smaller critter in the picture to the right. Once again it's amazing how such a simple project can have such enormous power to foster positive relationships, muster up new-found confidence, and the capacity to help change lives for the better. Great job Anthony!

Quienten was another student who chose to exceed expectations in my woodshop class with his chillin' Christmas chicken as seen in the picture to the left. This was a top secret creation and I watched his progress through two classes before I completely understood what he was doing. I knew that he wanted to make some kind of bird but I wasn't so sure about Quienten's methods. Regardless, I kept the faith that he was on the right track and continued to allow him the creative freedom to continue as he always appeared so confident with his hands although I knew that his brain was occasionally straining to it's limits. In the end I must admit that I was both amazed and pleased at what he'd come up with and Quienten was so proud.

Woodshop Safety Sign Tells All

If there were ever a time that a picture is worth a thousand words then this safety reminder that's posted in our woodshop tells it all. Need I say more?

Woodshop Christmas Project #2- Reindeer & Christmas Critter's (part 1)

During the Christmas holiday season I decided to make all of our scouting classes an additional "bonus" woodshop session where the kids made miniature reindeer as presents for their family and friends. Since the early 1990's  we have always made the larger "log" type reindeer as a camp-wide Christmas project using the flaky barked river birch as the bodies and dowel rods for legs, but last year I came up with the miniature reindeer which has proven to be an even better (or at least more practical) project in my opinion.

The larger reindeer which had an average log body of about 4" diameter and a foot long was definitely a wonderful project however it required a small army of people to cut the logs, then we would make an average of 75 reindeer every Christmas. As you can imagine the logistics for making this particular project a success required a lot of staff time in gathering, preparation, then loading them onto a trailer for transportation to the Christmas bus stop. A seemingly simple Christmas craft had become quite an extensive operation and this is where the development of the miniature reindeer came to our rescue.

After some experimentation I developed the perfect solution by just scaling down our reindeer production to a more realistic size for a student body of approximately 60 kids and more than a dozen counselor staff. If there were ever a case for the saying that sometimes, "less is more" or that, "dynamite comes in small packages" then it would most certainly apply to this great little project. In my opinion I would now much rather have the smaller deer and it seems that you can get much more creative in making them too with the more compact sizing of the deer and the materials used to decorate them.

As the picture to the right shows I have a box with the small deer bodies, necks, and heads pre-cut before the class arrives and I also have a nice selection of smaller limbs that they can cut for legs. Since class time is limited I like to have these items prepped for the kids before class begins which also goes a long way to ensuring success. I begin the class with everyone around the center woodshop table with a short talk about expectations and a brief lesson on the mortise & tenon joinery method. I show them a poster of about ten different joinery methods used in woodwork then let them guess which one that we will be using on joining the deer together. It's a great introduction and sets the stage for better understanding the project at hand.

It's also very important to have an undecorated deer on the table that they can take apart for examination on learning how to assemble their deer. If you're going to lead this project with a group of kids then I can't express enough the importance of having a model deer available for them to touch, feel, and examine with their own hands. It will make a difference in a child's ability to build confidence for this project. Also have 3 or 4 completed deer sitting on the table which have been finished in different ways as this will spawn a lot of good original ideals in the child's mind before he starts.

During the lecture I also show the kids an example of a mortise and tenon joint made by a local furniture company used in producing chairs then explain that we're using a version of this same joining method but with our Christmas reindeer we'll be utilizing a more "rustic" version of this joint. This is a great introduction to one of the strongest joints used in woodworking and probably only the dove-tail joint is stronger.

After this I have the class gather around the drill press where I demonstrate how to line up their mortise holes in a no-fail method for their legs. The deer body is placed firmly in a "V" shaped slot that I cut out of a 2 X 4 so that the wood won't roll on the table while drilling thus making this procedure much safer. After drilling the first hole I then show them how to put my "dummy" leg stick in that hole so that they can then line up the other legs and easily determine exactly how much they wish to make the spread of the legs. Not only is this a good exercise and lesson in teaching sequential thinking as a way to solving a woodworking problem it is also a lesson that will benefit the child in learning ways to find positive resolutions to real life problems. When presented correctly, woodworking can be an enormously powerful tool for not only producing wonderful wooden projects but it will also lay a solid foundation for producing kids that have more confidence, a stronger character, and increased self esteem. Learning to work wood should be required curriculum in every elementary and middle school but sadly for the kids this isn't the standard by which a child's education is measured in today's world.

After a short demonstration on making good mortise holes with the drill press the class gathers at the belt/disc sander where I show them how to make their rustic joinery tenons. Most of this demonstration is centered around safety since skinning up a knuckle or fingernail isn't much fun. The points to remember and practice are to always rest the wood on the cast iron table while sanding, then turning the stick slowly while gradually sanding down a nice tenon. I also emphasize that the wood needs to always be held firmly with both hands and always be thinking about where your hand would go if it were to slip. We have amazingly few accidents in our woodshop program considering that approximately 60 kids pass through my woodshop classes each week. Creating an atmosphere of safety is absolutely essential and the most important aspect of any successful woodshop program.

So there you have it... the story about how the birth of our new miniature reindeer came about. This is a wonderful project for kids and I hope that you will share it with the children in your life. In the next posting I will begin to share all of the creative ideas that my students came up with and you will also learn a lot of new ideas that go a lot further than just reindeer. Kids can be amazingly creative... so much so that I now refer to this class as not making reindeer but the making of "Christmas Critters".