Early Projects

[Leon]

Yeah! that probably sounded like one of those uppity high society words. ;~)

[Jack]

I only had one shop class, in 8th grade. It was in 1958-59. We all made two things, a turned bowl, which is still around, and a lamp. My lamp was the best one of the class (honest), couldn't wait to show it to my folks. The last day of school I went to get it and it was the only one left, and it was NOT mine, it was crap. (I think Scott Phillips made it) I'm still miffed about it, I bet he still has my lamp.

BTW, we did segmented bowl turning as our first project, and I don't recall wearing any safety gear, no face masks, dust masks, hearing protection, nothing, and we were a bunch goofy little kids. Our shop teacher had all his fingers, but had a wooden leg. Today, I wouldn't let kids, other than mine, in my shop, let alone 25 or so weirdo's I didn't know, all together acting like fools... Different age I guess.

[Leon]

That would be a pisser. Getting off the point a bit, Scott Phillips really sent the message of doubt to me when I sort'a kept up with his show during the building of his brand new and relatively elaborate shop. It was not a year later I was watching the show and he had so much crap piled up that some of his machines were buried. That simply told me that he did not use the shop for anything other than a different place to film his show. You would have thought that they would have cleaned up for the show. Anyway....

I was about 9 years behind you. I do recall safety masks but that was it. I blame the down fall of responsibility and respect on the parents. Even when I was a kid the teacher was respected and the kids pretty much acted like they had a brain, well at least when we were in the shop. IIRC our shop teacher was missing part of one of his fingers. I do recall that I saw him doing more than just teach. We lived in a relatively new neighborhood and a block away next door to where I went to HS a large new apartment complex was being built. I saw him on the second story roof attaching faux corbels under the eaves and I acknowledged him as I walked to school. The previous year in his Jr.High shop class we spent our free time in shop class cutting out those corbels from treated fence posts on the BS. ;~)

Times have changed.

[Greg Guarino]

My first project was a napkin holder, made in shop class in the seventh grade. A bottom with two vertical sides glued onto it. I decided to make my sides trapezoidal, one angled up, one angled down. An odd choice, but creative, I suppose.

It was the bottom that was the real challenge. Our teacher gave us a board perhaps 10" x 6" x 1/2". We had to plane one edge to be straight, square and smooth; jointing it by hand, in other words. We'd make a bunch of shavings, then take the piece up to the teacher for inspection with a try square. He'd mark the high spots with the edge of a pencil and we'd try again.

I probably don't need to tell you how many times most of us had to repeat this process before the board passed muster. I was proud that my napkin holder would fit about 2" of napkins; better than most. Some of the kids planed their boards down to nothing and had to start again.

[Swingman]

I've often wondered if that shop teacher was stupid, or just damned smart. After all, I did learn a valuable lesson that has yet to be forgotten.

[Leon]

LOL. So you built a napkin holder and many others built "mulch".

[Larry Kraus]

Don't have the first project. Pool cue rack made of scrap shoe molding found at a nearby home construction site. Hacked into pieces with a pruning saw and nailed together for a Father's Day present. Very bad design since the cues were stored horizontally, leading to some very curved cues. Fortunately, the cues and table were very cheap and Dad wasn't much of a player. Probably made when I was ten.

About a year later, I made this toy boat, which I still have in the basement storage, rotten rigging and all...

Plans were from a library book, guidance from Dad, but he had me do all the actual work, after showing me how on scrap. The showing part was important because much of the work was done on his DeWalt 1400 RAS. Basic shaping of the redwood hull with the jigsaw attachment after ripping and crosscutting a 4x4 to size. Further refinement and hollowing with a coping saw, chisels and sandpaper. Tapered the mast and booms with the disc sander attachment. Edge treatment on the stand with the molding head. (I remember that as being a bit scary.) Made a form and used a tin can on our Coleman camp stove to melt the lead for the keel weight. Had some awkwardness pouring the lead because the leather gloves were too big. Mom made the sails. I never finished the rudder system - testing in the bathtub showed an uncorrectable 30º starboard lean.

Different times.

[Puckdropper]

Leon wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Or fire starters. Of all the tool scraps, I think plane shavings work the best. :-)

Puckdropper

[Greg Guarino]

Almost correct. Industrious tyke that I was, I made *both*. :)

[Greg Guarino]

Some young men are easily convinced to perform any task that puts their muscle on display.

Several decades ago, when I was pretty young myself, the band I played with carried much larger and heavier equipment than I use now. And the places that band played in tended to have bouncers. Sometimes a couple of eager, strapping young lads would ask if we needed help with our gear.

I'd usually respond, "Uh, sure. But whatever you do, don't try to pick up that rack case (or bass bin, or Fender Rhodes), it's *really* heavy". Before you could snap your fingers, all the very heaviest gear was on its way up the stairs.