The kids will be out of school for the holidays and they need something to do. If their attention span has started to increase then this project may be something you can work with them on in the shop. It may also be something fun for you to make for your weekly bath. :)
There are just three easy pieces to cut with no interior cuts. You will probably have enough scraps in the shop to make a couple of these for just pennies. With your help, they can hopefully finish the boat in an hour.
I did not get carried away trying to waterproof the boat. I just applied four coats of spray acrylic. I did make sure to get a thick coat on the end-grain and the paddle. You might want to make a few extra paddles if the grandchildren live far away.
I found that using a longer rubber band and doubling it around the posts twice work best. The skinny rubber band worked better than the stronger thick rubber band. My boat will go the length of the bathtub by winding 15 turns.
Children in the shop?
The scroll saw is an excellent tool to begin to get children interested in woodworking. The child needs to be old enough to follow instructions well. That is different with each child but somewhere around 8 years old is a good place to start.
The first thing you need to do is introduce the child to safety. Show them the proper use of a tool. Remember that their hand strength is less and they are smaller. You may need extra safety considerations. A child my be coordinated enough to use a hand drill but they may not be strong enough to hold it safely. Their hands are often too small for many tools. Evaluate every tool before you let them use it. You take over any task that does not look safe.
When you talk about safety don't scare them just inform them. Young children are not ready for many power tools. Personally, I would never let a young child use a table saw. For me, the table saw is only available to a teenager. Not a 100% rule but close for me. Injuries on some tools are catastrophic. An accident on a table saw is almost always much worse then even the worst accident on a scroll saw. I call the scroll saw a bandaid machine. You might see blood but you won't lose a finger.
Attention span if often the toughest skill to overcome with children. Plan on taking a few sessions to complete a project. For the paddle boat, you may teach them how to select the wood and apply the pattern in the first session. The two of you can cut the pieces in the second session. Take more breaks if needed. If they get bored neither of you will have fun. Let them stop at the first sign of boredom. If boredom sets in a couple minutes into the project then they may not be interested or ready to learn this skill.
It is absolutely critical that you make it a golden rule that the child use a dust mask and hearing protection when called for. On the scroll saw they should have a dust mask for sure but hearing protection is optional.
When I am showing a child how to use the scroll saw I put the hold down foot back on the saw. We are not going to be cutting intricate patterns with children so it won't be in the way. It will help keep their fingers away from the blade. The hold-down will also prevent the most common injury for kids. The board will not jump up and pinch their fingers.
Another thing you want to consider is the height of the saw. If the child has to reach up and over the table then you need to have a platform for them to stand on. I also find that children do better if they are not sitting while they scroll. Children get fidgety when stressed and the chair just causes problems.
All other safety procedures apply to children just like for adults. If you wear sandals in the shop you should let the child know that is not safe and they are not old enough to make the same decision about their safety. It is one of those "Do as I say and not as I do" cases. Of course, setting a good example is always the best choice.
There are no set rules about when I child is ready to take on responsibility. I have seen 45-year-old men that I would not let within 10 feet of my tools. I have a subscriber who is 10 years old and does fantastic scroll work. Every child is different and you need to make the decision of when they are ready. The bigger question is (Are you ready?). :)
Public Service Announcement:
Personalized Christmas Ornament Patterns:
I am still making good progress on ornament patterns. I should be able to get caught up today. If you have orders in the queue, keep your eye on your email inbox.
The price is $1 per name with a 5 name minimum. I keep the price as low as possible
because I want everyone to have a chance to make these ornaments for family and friends.
You only pay after you have received the order and are
100% satisfied with the patterns. Invoice included with
the pattern email. Pay by credit card(secure Paypal), check, or cash.
The patterns will be emailed to you after they are completed.
Please allow up to a week for delivery.
You can use last names on the ornaments if you like but remember that the more letters the more
difficult they are to cut. Ten letters and up gets pretty small. If you need to you can enlarge the patterns by 10% to make the interior cuts larger. No special characters are supported. I can get a hyphen in there but it looks odd. It has to connect the two letters so it does not just fall out.
$12 per sheet of 12 coins plus $3.50 shipping
Inlay with a 1" Forstner Bit.
The perfect way to sign your work.
Email Newsletter Readers: Remember that the Newsletter is just a copy of the daily blog post. To see the post in it's proper formatting click this link. If you ever misplace a pattern or any item you see here you can always find it on the blog. Everything stays on the blog forever.
Products for your consideration:
Every Scrollsaw Workshop Pattern from 2007-2018 in DVD
This DVD has over 2,600 patterns published from 2007 thru 2018.
The DVD is $20 plus shipping. Ships to 60 countries around the world.
The DVD is $20 plus shipping. Ships to 60 countries around the world.
If you use the DVD on a Windows PC there is a simple viewer program to browse through the patterns.
The DVD also works fine on a MAC. The viewer program is not MAC compatible but there is an included PDF with all the patterns shown as thumbnails for easy viewing.
All the same file but in an easy to use a thumb drive. The USB thumb drive option is $23 plus shipping.
Now Available on USB Thumb Drive
Don't have a DVD drive on your new computer. No problem. Buy the catalog on a USB thumb drive.All the same file but in an easy to use a thumb drive. The USB thumb drive option is $23 plus shipping.
Want to create beautiful wooden vases on the scroll saw?
My two "Wooden Vases on the Scroll Saw" books make it easy.
The books are $12 each and available for instant download after purchase. Click for Video Demonstration.
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