[Woodcarver] wood shop project ideas

[Ivan Whillock]

A shop teacher who can't teach shop without power tools is like a math teacher who can't teach addition without a calculator.  In his planning, the shop teacher can set a number of skills he wants to teach: using a square, hand sawing in a straight line, squaring up an edge with a hand plane, making corners with a miter box, following a line with a coping saw, using a hand drill, using a wood chisel--and on and on.  Once he determines the skills he wants to impart, he can then develop projects that encourage those skills.  The projects don't need to be earth-shaking.  A bird house with butt joints teaches using a square, sawing a straight line, using a drill to make the hole, etc.  Then maybe move on to a simple mitered box with applied decoration, a tray for Mom, a napkin holder, a decorative shelf, a small plaque with a chiseled pattern, a cedar closet flower done with a coping saw, wooden toys for little brother or sister.  Each new skill leads to a slightly more complicated project, following a pre-determined learning pattern . . . . .!!!!!

Do modern school shops have none of these hand tools?  C clamps, vises? Then he has a problem.  It's also a problem if the class size is bigger than the number of stations in the shop.  

Let the skills to be learned define the projects.   

Ivan Whillock Studio
122 NE 1st Avenue
Faribault, MN  55021
Visit my website at
http://www.whillock.com
Visit my Picture Trail album at
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?username=ivancarve

Kings of Swing:  http://whillock.com/swing/
  From: Merrilee Johnson 
  Sent: Saturday, October 24, 2009 9:16 AM
  To: woodcarver at carverscompanion.com 
  Subject: [Woodcarver] wood shop project ideas


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  > Date: Sun, 19 Jul 2009 10:30:05 -0500
  > From: iowawoodcarver at gmail.com
  > To: Woodcarver at carverscompanion.com
  > Subject: [Woodcarver] New Blog
  > 
  > Friends in Carving: Please support our List - visit carverscompanion.com/List/Support.html to donate.
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  > 
  Good Morning All!
      I have a huge question for whom ever knows the answer :)  Our school a 6-8th grade middle school became a 5-8th grade middle school this year.  The 5th grade is keeping the kids self contained like they did in elementary but our wonderful superintendent told the community that their 5th graders would have the experience of woodshop (plus the other specials as normal) - once a week all year long.  Our shop teacher is .... not excited about this at all.  Besides the kids being unruly and noisy after 5 "days" in class they haven't started anything yet.  He doesn't have projects for them that don't require power tools.  I finally started looking for ideas and then remembered you all. So I am asking if anyone has simple project ideas  that use hand tools only if you would please share them with me.  Email me privately since this really isn't carving related.  Thanks to all of you!
  Merrilee


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