Early Knock on the Door

[Jeff Ranck]

The project only has two pieces,

Jeff.

or three depending on how the handle goes on.

[Harold Burrell]

Man, that is way cool.

I'm thinking your next lesson should be in regards to pocket screws.



(Please do not stone me. That was a weak attempt at humor.)

[Jim Koepke]

I could probably do a quick sketch. The project only has two pieces, but does require a bit of shaping. How hard could it be if a couple of pretty young kids could put them together?

Jeff.

It would be fun to try. It would likely build Conner and Evan's interest.

jtk

[Jim Koepke]

I'm thinking your next lesson should be in regards to pocket screws.

Send me the equipment and it will be used.

I don't have any pocket screw joinery knowledge other than what has been seen on videos.

jtk

[Harold Burrell]

Send me the equipment and it will be used.

I don't have any pocket screw joinery knowledge other than what has been seen on videos.

jtk

Yeah...you would be welcome to it.

I have the little Kreg thing. You know, that "single hole", under $20 gizmo that they sell at the BORG. I have used it a very few times...but it feels oh so very much like cheating.

I also feel as though (whenever I have used it) that I need to come here for some sort of "confession and penance".

[Jim Koepke]

You know, that "single hole", under $20 gizmo that they sell at the BORG.

Those are just an attempt to get people hooked.

Conner asked me about making square holes. So I showed him how a mortise chisel works.

Not sure what joinery to get him to make first. Currently my potting bench building has me making a lot if half lap joints.

jtk

[Kent A Bathurst]

I also feel as though (whenever I have used it) that I need to come here for some sort of "confession and penance".

Say twenty Hail Schwartzs and sharpen two plane blades. Your sins will be forgiven.

[Jeff Ranck]

It would be fun to try. It would likely build Conner and Evan's interest.

jtk

I roughed (very, very roughed) out the way the thing goes together. I don't really have a place to post it, so I can try to email it to you or get it to you in some other way. Maybe others would be interested in the project, but I'm not quite sure how to share it here.

Let me know and I'll get it to you.

Jeff.

[Harold Burrell]

Those are just an attempt to get people hooked.

It did not work on me. I've had it for a few years and I have yet to use up the screws that came with it.

[Jim Koepke]

I roughed (very, very roughed) out the way the thing goes together. I don't really have a place to post it, so I can try to email it to you or get it to you in some other way. Maybe others would be interested in the project, but I'm not quite sure how to share it here.

Let me know and I'll get it to you.

Jeff.

It would be fine by me if you posted it here.

As if often the case, Conner's school bus drops him off at about the same time as my walk out to the road to check the mail. Today when he got of the bus he said he didn't have any homework. So I invited him over and said to bring his plane. He only had an hour so I explained in the old days the apprentice in the shop had to learn all the skills that didn't pay like sharpening. He thought the idea of being an apprentice was kind of cool. He mentioned being an apprentice a few times. So I found an old Stanley #60 style chisel that needed some work and showed him how to sharpen on an India stone, followed by a Washita or soft Arkansas and then a hard Arkansas stone.

In the mean time I was working on getting his plane to work a little better. The adjustment isn't as fine as what I am used to with a Stanley/Bailey.

He was able to get the chisel pretty sharp. He was also able to make a few shavings with his plane. He actually saved a couple. After he made a few shavings I showed him a piece of candle wax and rubbed it on the sole of his plane. He was amazed at how much easier it was to push over the wood.

By that time the hour his mom said he could be out was done and he had to go home. He is not sure if he will be able to come by again before the weekend, but we will see.

jtk

[Frederick Skelly]

Jim, you should ask your wife to get a picture of you two working together. It would be a charming keepsake for him and/or his folks, especially if he helps make the frame. You could let him use a miter box and an old backsaw, with a piece of molding.

[Jeff Ranck]

It would be fine by me if you posted it here.


jtk

OK, so here's a try. I've done a capture of the screen of a real rough sketchup drawing. Lots of shaping and a few clearance issues to work out, but here's the basic idea of how it goes together in its simplest form. You could do a lot like put a spring under the trigger between the handle and the trigger so as to "reset" the trigger after it is depressed. Or any number of other things. However, this is what we made when I was about 10 or so.

Jeff.

Rubber Band Gun Rough.jpg

[Jim Koepke]

Thanks Jeff. Maybe I should talk to his parents before we venture off on this project.

Jim, you should ask your wife to get a picture of you two working together.

Maybe of me standing sternly over him with a yard stick?

Maybe just of him making a few shavings.

Before posting them, I would want his parent's permission.

Of course maybe I could do my regular "faceless woodworker" photos of him and me working on something together.

jtk

[Jim Koepke]

Conner and Evan have been buy a couple of times since my last post on this. It may be that Conner has to bring Evan along if he wants to come over. I haven't asked.

Evan gets bored. He started sweeping the floor while Conner was being shown how to sharpen his carving tools. After they left, I noticed a big pile of sawdust and shavings for me to clean up. The shop is still a comfortable mess.

Yesterday when they came over I was close to finishing some dowels being made for my potting bench project. They were shown how the grain is straighter in riven wood. They were also shown my mini-froe and given a demonstration on some firewood with my large froe. They were given a short piece of store bought dowel to flex and then one of the dowels of oak just being made. They were impressed with the same size dowel being much stronger.

One of the amazing things about teaching is the teacher also learns. For sometime I have not been able to find a real reason for a skew chisel for carving. When we were looking at Conner's skew chisel, I decided to use mine since it is sharp. I told him a skew seemed more useful on a lathe. As very thin shavings were coming off the scrap Conner said, "it looks like it isn't doing anything." I brushed the shavings off of the wood and told him to watch for shavings. Then told him that it is likely a good tool for clearing the field of a carving. So I learned a little about using a skew chisel for carving.

Some of the "carving chisels" seem more like lathe tools than carving tools. There are a few chisels all the same size that look like they are mortise chisels. The tops are hooped, which seems strange for carving tools. But they still work to an extent. After we got a few sharp both of them were enjoying being able to make round channels in a piece of scrap wood.

Trying to explain the use of a plane and the difference between his single iron economy plane and a double iron plane is a bit difficult when talking to a 12 (soon to be 13) year old.

Conner planed off the saw marks on a piece of scrap about 2' long. Even wanted to take a turn. Conner is pretty good about taking a full length shaving without stopping. Evan had a problem with stopping and starting. This was actually good because then there was clear marks on the wood from where the cut was interrupted.

They mentioned they won't be able to come over on week ends.

jtk

[Martin Shupe]

OK, please don't take this the wrong way.

I have worked quite a bit with the Boy Scouts. They have a strict policy of 2 adults present whenever children are around. This is to prevent child predators, but it also protects the adults from false accusations.

I would suggest that you invite the boy's father to come and spend time in the shop with the boys when they come over. He can learn as well, and as he gets to know you, he might feel more comfortable with the situation. I only say this because it seems like the parents don't want the one boy at your house without the other.

Don't get me wrong, I think what you are doing is great. It is a shame that I have to even bring this up, the only reason I do is to protect you.

My shop is still not "set up", it seems I have been too busy with work and Scouts these past 15 years or so, and now my kids are teenagers or in college and don't have time to spend with dad. I hope someday I can finally get my dream shop finished, and then I can invite my future grand children to "play in the shop with grandpa".

I envy you and what you are doing for these children, just be careful, that's all I am saying.