Now that shop class is as common in high schools as poodle skirts, lots of woodworkers worry about passing on our enthusiasm for the craft to the next generation. In my house, I’ve started treating my kids more like apprentices, and it seems to be working.
They help clean the shop. They assist me on projects at assembly time. They can work on their own projects on the side when I don’t need them. And – here’s the odd part – I pay them (a pittance) for their help and swear them to secrecy on the “arts and mysteries” of the craft.
This weekend has been a perfect example. I assembled a large run of shelving that I plan to install in the recipient’s home this week. There was a lot of tedious gluing, clamping and clean-up work involved, so I hired 7-year-old Katy to help.
First, I showed her the “secret” to making the lacquer finish perfectly smooth to the touch – a folded up brown paper bag. We rubbed all the surfaces vigorously, which knocked down any surface imperfections without cutting through the film finish. Katy did the shelves; I did the uprights.
“Cool,” she said. “It works!”
As we were bagging the lacquer, both of us noticed that there were some small dings and scratches in the color. This is was the result of the parts getting moved around more than I like. So I swore Katy to secrecy again and introduced her to the mystery of stain pens. In this case, the best match wasn’t one of my stain pens (which I keep hidden away), it was a black Sharpie marker.
In fact, Katy became incredulous when I took her picture at work with the marker.
“What if someone sees the picture and figures out our secret?” she asked. “Then they’ll know!”
Then we glued up the shelves. I applied the glue. Katy added the Dominos. We both applied the clamps and cleaned the glue squeeze-out. Assembly can be stressful for me, but Katy’s amazement at how the project came together kept my anxiety in check.
We did four major glue-ups this weekend, and by the fourth one, Katy dove into the work like she had been doing it all her life. I wonder if learning woodworking is like learning a foreign language – it might be easier when you are young.
As I added the kicks to the cabinet, Katy worked at the bench at her own project – she’s transforming my discarded shop jigs for this shelving project into a wooden alligator.
Then I paid her (about $1 an hour for the shop time) and I asked her if she’d come along on the installation next week. With hesitation, she said: “Yes! Hurray!”
Next step: Getting the apprentices to fetch the small beer for the master.
— Christopher Schwarz
Ha! Very cute. Your affinity for hand tools should serve you well – you can safely teach your daughter to make a complete project using handsaws, planes and maybe a hammered nail or two. My nephew (same age as your duaghter) has been very interested in "Unca Dave’s shop", but I won’t let him near anything with a power cord, including the innocuous tools like a random orbit sander.
The last bit is to protect my brother and his wife’s furniture – no doubt he’d like to try out the ROS on the dining room table with disastrous results!
David
Congratulations on bringing another youngster into the craft. My own daughter had no interest (though heaven knows I tried), but my two sons took it up with a passion. At age 12, my elder son decided that as his first solo project he would like to build a full-size sailboat. A bit ambitious. Now he’s 30, and we’re still waiting. My younger son decided at age 12 to build a guitar – and did so. He’s now built several, plus a bass and a rather unique mandolin. And he brews his own beer and brings it to me. Perhaps you could steer Katy in that direction, too.
From the photo, Katy clearly has the passion already. Good work, and best wishes.
joe
That’s awesome that you are introducing your daughters to woodworking.
And I hope it’s a long time before they discover the "secret" that you are underpaying them. ; )
Great story!!!
I look forward to the time when my son, now 2 1/2, can help me in the shop. As it is now, he loves to be out there with me, but finds the greatest joy in hammering everything in sight.
Fetching the beer is the FIRST thing I taught my little apprentice…
When my son was seven I told him he could start learning by cleaning my shop on Saturdays with me, because that was the day I cleaned and maintained my tools each week and got ready for the next weeks orders. The first Saturday that he got to come to the shop he was all excited and after I went over a stern safety lecture and a demonstration of some of the power and hand tools, I showed him what I expected him to sweep up. Well after a while he came and got me and told me he was all done sweeping, but wanted to know how much money he was going to make for his work I check out his work, and he did pretty good at getting all the saw dust, but he didn’t pick it up and put in the can, so I told I was going to give him a dollar. He smiled at me and after a few moments said in a shrewd little voice that for another dollar he would pick all that dust up and put in the garage can for me, needless to say he earned himself two dollars that day and I learned not the underestimate a seven year old.