K is a good helper

  I confess to having project envy sometimes.  I see photos and videos of other woodworkers making heirloom projects with heirloom hand tools and I admire their workmanship and am stunned by the beauty and cunning of their projects. Most of my wood working is more basic than theirs but it does have its own special rewards.

  Our kid's house is to be heavily renovated shortly and to get their building permit the city had protective fencing built around the big trees in their yard. Since the job was ordered by bureaucrats and completed by drones the fencing blocked access to the back gate,the garden shed and the garden. So last Monday Kieran and I got busy and cut a couple of gates into the government fence so that the rest of the yard would be useful.

 I cut the sheet stock with my reciprocating (or noisy) saw and K held the shaking fence for me. He was a big help because without him the fence would have shaken to the point where I wouldn't have been able to complete the second cut.

 My recip saw is another of those tools that sit in their cases for months but when the time comes there really isn't a better tool for this job. 

  Kieran is wearing the hard hat, gloves and tool belt given to him by my old university chum Clive. A big shout out to Clive, K loves his work gear. We cut a section out of the fence in front and on the other side of the big tree. 

 After cutting the section out we added wood around the edges to create a frame that stiffened the piece and gave use something to drive screws into when adding the hinges. I started the screws and then K used his 4 volt screwdriver to finish them off. He worked steadily and drove dozens of screws, he is a six year old with real focus on his tasks. 

  Yes, I still have project envy, this project was not very fancy but the heirloom part is the proud little boy with his tool belt, work gloves and hard hat. And he was a real help, that extra pair of hands was invaluable when cutting the sheet stock and hanging the gates.

cheers Ian and Kieran

Saturday Afternoon in The Shop

My last blog showed the preparations for Kieran and I to make his tool box.

My Helper bringing the box he stands on to work at the bench.

 The original plan, ( my plan ) was to assemble the tool box and then assemble the bird house that was to hang on the back fence. The original plan was for a two room bird house with a flat roof.

  I had pre-cut all the pieces and we were going to screw them together.  I used some more from my cache of barn boards, since the boards are 1 inch thick and bird houses ideally are made from thicker wood to make for more stable internal temperature. Also the boards are seriously weathered and look the part.

  Well...., my plan and the young architect's plans turned out to be different. I wouldn't have traded away the afternoon for a whole shop on new tools but...it was an education for Opa. ( I did have to do some fast talking and faster cutting)

  First thing, he wasn't interested in making his tool box.  He was focused on the bird house, and he had his own design in mind, he decided that bird houses have peaked roofs. The other bird houses we've made had peaks and so this one needed one too. He wanted a second floor added with another bird apartment and a peaked roof. We arrived at a compromise, no less of a bird housing monstrosity. 

  

  I had not prepared enough wood for his plan and so we added a chalet roof line with a dividing wall inside so there are now two apartments upstairs and two down. One of the challenges to projects with little helpers is to have something for them to do. We did some hand sawing on the late design addition but mostly what he does best is drill and drive screws. I bought a 12 volt drill driver  like the Milwaukee so that it would fit his smaller hands better than my larger drill. He found it very satisfying to be able to drive the screws by himself. (stick with red Roberston)  

  I will have to do some serious rebuilding on the bird house before I can put it out.  We don't even have a tree big enough to hold a four apartment bird house like this yet. And don't think we want to feature quite as distinctive birdhouse as that on our fence. It will however have to go up some place, because it will be looked for next visit.

    

  In the second project of the day, his idea, Kieran was able to use another of the tools from his yet to be completed tool box.  I bought him an apartment owners hammer.  He thought it was heavy but the short handle meant that he could hit the nail and drive it in were the really light tack hammer required much better aim and greater swing speed. 

  The boat crazy boy decided that we should make an aircraft carrier.  We have already made river boats, and tugs and sail boats. Thank goodness for the internet and Images.  We looked up aircraft carrier photos, together we drew out a design, yes he helped with the actually drawing, it was a chance for me to introduce the 24 inch ruler and the square.

  Once we made the flight deck I cut out a hull from 2 by 12 and we made the command tower from scraps. K used his short handled hammer to nail the deck to the hull using brass nails.  I held the brads with needle nose pliers while he hammered them in. I am not really happy with the flight deck material, the edge is a bit chippy, but he and I sanded the edge and the ship went home with him today. We are going to have to revisit the flight deck soon. I didn't have a large enough piece of Baltic birch on hand, the deck is 21 by 12 inches. 

  My next commission is planes to go on the flight deck. 

  My grand daughters are too young to be working in the shop yet although the 3 year old does help sweeping,a bit. However when the girls get big enough, they will be invited to build things with Opa.

  There is nothing better than working in the shop with my little helper. (even when the result is truly butt ugly)

  

  

A Very Important Project.

Today Kieran, his sister, Mum and Oma are having 'A Day Out With Thomas'.



 While they are out for the day I have been working on a very important project.  For Kieran's Fifth birthday I promised him that we would build a real tool box and begin filling it with real tools so that he can work with Opa in the shop. His birthday was at the beginning of the summer and this is the first time he will be here with time to work in the shop. 

  The tool box is 16 by 6 by 8 inches.  The ends and bottom are made from 1/2 Baltic birth plywood and the sides are 1/4.  I have cut the whole thing out and marked all the spots that need to be drilled for assembly.  Drilling is something at which K is good. He also likes to use a drill to drive screws, the box will be partly glued and screwed and partly glued and nailed.  Once assembled he needed to sand the assembly and then we'll finish it with shellac. 

  To keep the handle small but sturdy I am using 1/2 copper pipe rather than a wooded dowel.  I also kept the tool box narrow so that a small person could carry it without it bumping their leg.

  In an ideal world he and I would have cut the parts out together but sheet stock is awkward to handle, and is dealt with best by bench tools.  A keen 5 year old would not have had a positive experience in the shop doing the cut out stage. He would have been stuck sitting on a chair watching the work get done.   Maybe down the road he and I can make a tool box from real wood and he can do all the work.  He has done some cutting with a hand saw and used a block plane once, developing those skills requires time and stronger hands than the little boy has, yet.

  There is nothing radical about this tool box, he will now have a version of the tool box his great Grandpa had, (its in the shop), his Opa has, his Uncle Leroy made in public school wood shop and next we'll have to make one for his Daddy. 

  This is the selection of tools that will go in his tool box to start him off.  Kieran was quite excited to think that he was going to have 'real' tools so he could help in the shop. Most of the tools are not new but all of them will help him build and fix things until he finds his way in the world and decides what he needs for his shop.

  I hope that it rains tomorrow so he will want to play in the shop with me.

cheers, ianw

A Very Special Workshop Project

   There are a number of ways for a project to stand out in my mind.  Sometimes the project is the first time that a new skill is finally conquered, sometimes the project is something I'd wanted to make for a long time but not had time or materials.  I have projects that I are bench marks in my development as a wood worker and so stand out like graduation ceremonies. Then there are projects that are special because I've done then with a Grandchild.

  A while ago Kieran and I made a bird house together.  He pushed the trigger on the cordless drill and helped hammer the bottom of the bird house into place.  That project was a pleasure to make with him.

   Kieran is six months older and so last week Kieran and I made three small wooden airplanes to go on his LEGO aircraft carriers. He was able to do more things than on the bird house and so the project felt really good to make.

   These planes were the most basic of projects but.....this time he helped me cut the strips of wood with a handsaw.  We are learning about safe handling of sharp tools. Then he helped me sand the bits of wood,( discovering how to make the edges smooth to the touch)  as before he pushed the trigger while I held the drill ( he has got very good at that part of the job) making the holes for the tacks.  Finally, he helped me drive the tacks into place, this is not a hand cut dovetail jewel box made from rare and exotic wood, and I wouldn't trade the planes or the experience for the world.

Kieran the Helper

  Regular readers will be used to me talking about my Grandson in typical Opa type glowing terms.  I adore the little guy and his little sister too, Kieran gets onto the blog because he is older and can be in the workshop with me.  She will begin showing up soon, she is a real fire cracker.
  
   I very strongly believe that children love to copy adults and want to please them,especially when they are small.  That is when they need to be brought into the shop and included in the action.  Yesterday Kieran and I cut some boards with a hand saw as well as swept the floor.

    Kieran helped me sweep my shop, and to his credit he hung in there sweeping as long I was sweeping.  He didn't just spend two minutes at, he worked away steadily until the job was done.

and Kieran

A favourite woodworking project Revisited

Crib that I made just over two years ago.

    This is the crib that I made for my Grandson's room two and a bit years ago.  Yesterday instead of writing my customary Monday blog I went to the kids house and put the crib back together, a new baby is due any day now.  I built the crib from poplar and remain very pleased at the colour variation that the wood provides. Poplar was also quite good to work, it is a hard softwood and generally straight grained.

wood so green that it is black.

    I can see why makers of fine furniture would shy away from poplar because of the colour variation but for us, it adds personality.

    Instead of making a side that adjusts I went with a design where the mattress platform is raised at first and then has legs cut off to lower the mattress down as the baby gets bigger.

   Aside from the excitement of being blindingly proud of another Grand Baby I also had my favourite helper while doing the re-assembly.

     I held the drill and Kieran pushed the button and made the drill go, green light-go, red light-stop.  He was excited to be helping get things ready for the baby too.

Cactus and Cake

"The environment in which a person works has a huge impact on the quality of the work produced".

   I don't remember which wise old dude said that but it is true.  We do better work when we like our job.  We also put extra effort into a project when it is for someone special.  Most of all it is nice to have encouragement from someone whose opinion we respect.  
   I have the luxury of doing my woodwork in a nearly perfect environment.  It is a hobby so I can pick and choose what I do.  My shop is just down stairs so I can work in my PJs and house coat if I choose, and my wife has opinions that I respect.
   Respect is something that a person earns.  Eva doesn't do much wood work any longer though she did build some furniture in the past.  She is a baker.

Our Grandson's birthday cake, the barrel is filled with chocolate pudding.

 And a gardener.

 Cactus growing in our rock garden behind our house.

It is worth remembering that we live in Hamilton, Ontario.  Not everyone can create a place in their garden for a perennial cactus in our climate.  Unless you are a pretty keen gardener you don't even know that it is possible.

  Someone that does cool stuff in their kitchen and their garden understands about trying to do cool things in a workshop.

Why Wood?

   The other evening I was at a small social gathering and while making small talk mentioned that I have a woodworking shop in my basement and that playing there is my favourite pastime.  "Oh, Why wood ?" was the question.

    "cause I like it", is the short answer, the long answer is somewhat more complicated.  I began to think, why do I like it.  There are thousands of hobbies available to us now days.  Having been relatively thrifty and very lucky with money cost was not really a deciding factor in my decision.  I don't suppose that I could have taken up diamond cutting as a hobby but, wood work, medal work, painting,  spinning, weaving, basket making, tailoring, all would have been possible and all are cool and worthy things.

   Partly why, is that my grandfather had a shop and I played in it as a little kid and before Ikea and other prefab furniture stores were launched,  bookcases were mostly home made and I've always needed book cases. ( my folks have an early effort of mine in their basement still. In a darker corner I note)


   But I really think that my shop and wood and the love of it goes deeper than just making a few practical things, though I still do many practical wood projects.  Wood is beautiful, it has character and texture and will allow you to dress it up with paint or stain or shellac or varnish or lineseed oil, or, or, or, your imagination is the only limit.  Wood is old and our relationship with wood maybe eternal.  Culturally we have imagined the wood of the True Cross, or the Ark of the Covenant, even of Noah's ark.  Big broad beams in the ceiling mean comfort and stability and security.  Weathered barn boards are like looking into wise old wrinkled faces.  Think also of wooden boats, there is a shape, an organic line to them that speaks to something primal and basic. 

    Often there is a new wonder material that tries to replace wood, plastic is lighter and doesn't leak as readily but it has no soul.  Fiber glass boats, ....just don't work for me. (I know they are less work etc etc. but they all look like they are made by the Tupperware Co.)  Stone is good but again mostly without character, unless you spend big big bucks and get into marble and granite. 

     With wood, the cheapest old hunk of spruce stud lumber can be filled with grain and interest.  Maybe it is that wood is the material of the working man, the material that we build civilization from that makes it something to which I and we can connect.

    The following photo helps show why wood.  The rocking chair my two year old grandson is sitting in while listening to the story is 75 years old.  It is my Mother's rocking chair.  She got it when she was two.  She and her three brothers sat in it, then years worth of friends and cousins, pets and teddy bears sat in it.  Then my brother and I sat in it, and years worth of friends  and  cousins, pets and teddy bears sat in it.  Now my grandson and his pets and teddy bears and soon his brother or sister (they won't tell us) will sit in it.  There is no reason to imagine that when Kieran is 75 that his great grand children won't be sitting in it with there cousins and friends, pets and teddy bears.  There is nothing else I can imagine can be used and last as long or as well.  That's "why wood"

A beginning Wood Worker

   This link to You tube shows Kieran and Oma working away with his new little tool kit.  He is 22 months old but has been introduced to tools in my shop from the beginning and now he has his own tools.

    Over the weekend we went into the shop together and did some real hammering and he helped drill some holes with my chordless drill too.  I am hopeful that he will grow up thinking it is cool to make stuff.  That pattern of thinking is set early and it is one that his parents and I hope to instill deeply.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGb3BGLccb0

Back to Business

    This weekend was three days filled with diversions, none of which was work shop based.
    First my Grand son and his Dad came to visit for the weekend, Mom was off to Chicago for 3 1/2 days with her friends. I doubt that they had as good a time as we did.

Dad and Keiran

  As well as the boys visiting, we had super weather and with great weather comes the only thing that can compete with the shop.

 Three years ago my Wife gave me my Honda Silverwing Maxi Scooter for my birthday and I have loved every minute that I have spent on it.  Finally the weather is good, the roads are clear and there is no chance of frost or black ice in the corners.  The scooter is back on the road for the season.

 Now is becomes hard to make myself stay in the workshop, unless it is terrible rainy windy weather.
   Don't forget to look in on woodgears.ca  He is using the panto router that he featured last week.

Two of My Favourite Things - Kieran and Woodworking Projects.

   The Marble Tree in the video is a project that I have made several times and even sold commercially.  I began by repairing a tree with broken leaves for a store and then copying the various angles to make my own to sell to the store since they could not get the toy any longer.   As I made the tree I learned to my despair  that the angles must be observed or the balls roll too fast and come off the tree instead of circling around it. 
   It is good also to be reminded that our best efforts are never more important than a familiar blanket and a good drink. 
   This should also prove beyond a doubt that this is not a slick professional presentation.  Just a guy that likes wood, making things  and talking about it.

cheers,
Footnote: the off camera arm is Oma to my Opa.