Q: I am high school woodshop teacher. We are currently still remote teaching, which is not ideal for a hands-on class. I have been sending out kits for my students to build, along with the standard safety tests and woodworking knowledge assignments. I have adjusted most our standard types of projects to be very simple and only nailed or glued together. What are your recommendations for projects or activities that are accessible for students to build at home with very limited tools?
A: We’re not really the best people to ask, given that we don’t teach kids. So let me direct you to Yoav Liberman, who does. He’s been blogging for Tools for Working Wood, and he has a number of posts that address this very question, all of which are in “The Build-it Blog” – just keep clicking “last” at the bottom to work backward through the posts. (There are also contributions from others in that blog that are worth a read, but to find only Yoav’s posts, I found that a Google site search is the best way.)
You can read about Yoav in “Across the Board: Yoav Liberman – Furniture Maker, Teacher & Finder of the Good,” a Little Acorns post from Nancy Hiller.
But if I had to recommend some home-based projects for kids, I’d follow Yoav’s lead and lean into carving with a sloyd knife or two – perhaps this peg board project from Jögge Sundqvist’s “Slöjd in Wood.”
I might also look to older “I Can Do That” projects at PopularWoodworking.com – when Chris and I were at PWM, those were all designed for a limited tool kit – mostly inexpensive hand tools from the big box stores.
— Fitz
p.s. Yoav also has a couple of project posts on the Popular Woodworking site that might fit the bill:
“Build a Tool Tote with Your Kids,” Part 1 and Part 2,
I have been teaching virtual for a portion the last semester. We were making pallet wood projects since getting materials is part of the problem. Minimum tool kit,
1.handsaw
2.tape measure
3.hammer
4.sanding block w/ paper
5.drill/driver with bits
6.coping saw
Lots of ideas on Pinterest for projects kids can do at home.
With that said I am very thankful we are back in class this semester.
Take a look at https://brfinewoodworking.com/the-hand-saw-foundation-course-is-live/ a project that uses your minimum toolkit but does need a 1x 10 x 8ft piece of S4S lumber. Good course with particularly good educational planning – very focused on learning different saw quality cuts.
I have been a reader of The Build-it Blog and wood carver for quite a while. After reading Yoav’s blog yesterday I immediately saved both parts and intend to go through the exercises myself. They offer a relaxing way to work in wood that is not complex nor tool intensive and can be done almost anywhere. Teaching kids to work in wood is a good deed that needs to be recognized. Thanks to Fitz and Yoav both.
Irt ccantrell81 I would also add a block plane to the list , years ago I had a cub scout troop that wanted to earn woodworking badges and since I had a few planes that had wandered into the shop over the years ,all found new homes. They also learned how to sharpen them . I do not know what the age group you are teaching ,but as my dad taught , me basics first ,and the rest will come easy
I agree but I tried to limit the tools to what could be had at the “box”stores and sharpening a while other issue.
I don’t know your class grades but for beginners sanding. My husband is a big proponent of the touch test. Also applying stain the correct way etc. Yes I’m married to a very anal man when it comes to wood working.
I would say carving something with a knife, get Slöjd in Wood and a bunch of knives from Mora.
How about the Roubo folding bookstand. You only need standard marking tools, a saw, chisel, mallet, and knife and one small (8 x 12 x 3/4 inches..or close) and possibly a small plane or sandpaper to smooth the cut surfaces. Roy Underhill and others have videos on it on the internet.
Try looking at Rex Krueger’s “woodwork for humans series” on Youtube. The whole series is designed for a progressively limited toolkit including making the their own tools. But a handful of his early projects in that series are done with just 2 or 3 tools that are easily on hand. You might be able to adapt them to your class. Plus, he sells plans for dirt cheap and has free tip sheets with layouts and such. I’ll bet you could mine a lot from what he has.
Sloyd knives for kids? The knife scares me enough to so present, I’m highly certain kids will get cut!
I don’t know if this is simple enough but there is a great need for feral cat houses. TNR programs (trap, neuter, return) benefit taxpayers and communities greatly -even if one doesn’t like cats- and there is never enough funding to support feral cat programs. Taxpayers benefit as the cost of neutering a cat is @ $50 through TNR programs (donations, no cost to taxpayers) but if done through the city’s animal welfare, cost about $150 (all tax dollars). Families benefit from TNR (even if they hate cats) because diseased and sick cats that could potentially sicken a family pet through unforeseen contact, are culled. Feral cats are vaccinated against rabies, further eliminating potential of endangering the health of one’s family and loved ones. And sure, one could simply remove the feral cats but this doesn’t work because the cats are there for some reason. Meaning, other feral cats move in and you have to start over again.
The ideal situation is for feral cat populations to be stabilized. Ferals live much differently than domestic cats, they form close knit colonies and don’t (or rarely) allow new cats to move in. Each colony has a caretaker to feed them and monitor health but there is a great need for shelter during inclement weather. There is also need for feeding stations. You can find images of feral cat houses and feeding stations on the web. Ideally, search for TNR in your area and meet with them to see what is optimal for your area so the houses are designed appropriately.
My business (a sewing factory) set up a not for profit to manufacture trap covers, and trap and feral box liners. I am a caretaker for two colonies. In fact, that is how I learned about TNR. When I bought this building for my factory, I found a feral colony on the grounds. This colony is much smaller than when I moved in -there were about 10 cats then. Now there are only 2 and that has been enough to prevent another group of wild cats to move in. I built them a house, a rather nice one with a sidelong windbreak entrance and fully insulated. Not suggesting the kids make something so complex but something that keeps out rain, snow and wind, and can hold straw -NOTHING is better than straw-. There is no funding for cat houses; usually it is the caretaker who buys or builds and with the daily expense of feeding the cats, paying for housing too is not possible.
I don’t think you can get a much cheaper start than a Mora 120, a pair of kevlar gloves and some bandaids. My 9, 11 and 14 year olds love to carve with me. We make simple things but they really enjoy it. Our inspiration is a book by Frank Egholm, Easy Wood Carving for Children. The only downside to doing it remote is to help with their technique so they don’t cut themselves too bad. Just keep saying, “Where’s your thumb? Is it out of the way? Thumbs don’t grow back.”