Nic is in his 2nd year of scouts. The boy took it pretty hard coming in 2nd to last year. Told him next year will be different so after a net search we signed up after seeing the attention too detail here. Plan to learn as much as we can and hopefully attend a local workshop so that should help to. Have alot of questions but first want to read as much as I can. Though right off the bat I was wondering about shop safety and how much can be expected of the boy without risking his safety? Of course I will monitor him but he is a bit clumsy at times. I want him to do ore than watch and sand but feel power tools may be to much for an 8 year old? Thankfully we have an assortment of ryobi tools to get the job done right. The top cars last year were obviously built mainy by there dads. Hes super excited to get started wjich I'm happy to see him interested in something besides Halo for a change.
shop safety
- Thread starter Nics Dad
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1 hint is make alot of jigs to hold things so your son doesnt have too. Welcome to the cool kids club!!!!
+1 on that! I made a jig to hold the body so my 7 year old could cut the wedge shape on the table saw....but I still kept my hands on his while he cut it just to be sure he kept it tight to the rip fence. I let him run the drill press with just supervision, though. If he's clumsy, I would err on the side of safety. Keep a hand on him as he gains skills. No need for a bad experience in the shop for a young person.
Edit: My son used a drill to polish his own axles and wheels. He only let me hold the trigger down since the drill doesn't have a lock on the power button.
Welcome to the forum!
Edit: My son used a drill to polish his own axles and wheels. He only let me hold the trigger down since the drill doesn't have a lock on the power button.
Welcome to the forum!
I let my son use the band saw with close super vision when he was 9. When we sanded using a belt sander, I would hold it upside down with one hand and I would guide their hand like it was a table top sander. I even did that with the girl scouts last year at age 6-8. To polish axles, we'd take turns either holding cordless drill or holding the sandpaper. My son liked shaping with the dremel and a sanding drum at age seven.
He practiced on lots of scrap before he ever touched his car.
He practiced on lots of scrap before he ever touched his car.
Yes, I worry. my son has been around tools his whole life. He also plays the guitar. It would be pretty ruff on both of us if he lost a digit. I'd much rather hear "dad why can't I use the saw" then "why can't I play guitar."
Every kid is different. I know several of his classmates I'd worry about six years future in High School shop class.
Every kid is different. I know several of his classmates I'd worry about six years future in High School shop class.
Each year, I've increased the amount of tool work my son has done.
Tiger: He picked out the design, transferred the design to the block, sanded (both belt sander and by hand), and supervised me throughout. 3rd in District. /images/boards/smilies/smile.gif
Wolf: As above, but cut the block (simple design that year, a stack of Lego bricks), glued (the stack and brick knobs), painted, and burnished the graphite into the wheelbores (I add graphite, he spins. I used my Dremel and a felt wheel to spin the wheel up that year. I let him do the same. On the way to the race, he stopped paying attention, turned the Dremel and melted one of his wheels)
Bear: Same as above, but cut out the whole body, polished the wheels himself. District Champion. /images/boards/smilies/biggrin.gif
Web 1: Same as above, filed and polished the axles, too. District Champion.
Web 2 (this year): I'll have him help with the lead too. The entire car by his hands.
Tiger: He picked out the design, transferred the design to the block, sanded (both belt sander and by hand), and supervised me throughout. 3rd in District. /images/boards/smilies/smile.gif
Wolf: As above, but cut the block (simple design that year, a stack of Lego bricks), glued (the stack and brick knobs), painted, and burnished the graphite into the wheelbores (I add graphite, he spins. I used my Dremel and a felt wheel to spin the wheel up that year. I let him do the same. On the way to the race, he stopped paying attention, turned the Dremel and melted one of his wheels)
Bear: Same as above, but cut out the whole body, polished the wheels himself. District Champion. /images/boards/smilies/biggrin.gif
Web 1: Same as above, filed and polished the axles, too. District Champion.
Web 2 (this year): I'll have him help with the lead too. The entire car by his hands.
G
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Crash Enburn said:Each year, I've increased the amount of tool work my son has done.
Tiger: He picked out the design, transferred the design to the block, sanded (both belt sander and by hand), and supervised me throughout. 3rd in District. /images/boards/smilies/smile.gif
Wolf: As above, but cut the block (simple design that year, a stack of Lego bricks), glued (the stack and brick knobs), painted, and burnished the graphite into the wheelbores (I add graphite, he spins. I used my Dremel and a felt wheel to spin the wheel up that year. I let him do the same. On the way to the race, he stopped paying attention, turned the Dremel and melted one of his wheels)
Bear: Same as above, but cut out the whole body, polished the wheels himself. District Champion. /images/boards/smilies/biggrin.gif
Web 1: Same as above, filed and polished the axles, too. District Champion.
Web 2 (this year): I'll have him help with the lead too. The entire car by his hands.
Aww c'mon crash,
Spring for the tungsten this year.
That boy looks stoked.
Congrats.
Sounds like tungsten is the ticket!
Nic did real good drilling some holes on on a spare block last night, once he's comfortable with the drill press I'm gonna teach him to use the belt sander and chop saw. Feels good getting our hands dirty. He'd be real pist to ose a finger as into video games as he is so safety first. Eventually to buy a silver bullet- good times ahead! If his car is fast enough he wants to send it in.
Nic did real good drilling some holes on on a spare block last night, once he's comfortable with the drill press I'm gonna teach him to use the belt sander and chop saw. Feels good getting our hands dirty. He'd be real pist to ose a finger as into video games as he is so safety first. Eventually to buy a silver bullet- good times ahead! If his car is fast enough he wants to send it in.
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