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Another woodworking forum that I am a member of just collected enough money from members to purchase 2 mini-lathes, tools, chucks, etc.... and donated them to a high school wood shop. A couple manufacturers stepped up and donated accessories as well. Getting the next generation involved is priceless!
"Orphans are easier to ignore before you know their names. They're easier to ignore before you see their faces. It's easier to pretend they're not real before you hold them in your arms. But once you do, everything changes."
I totally agree! I've heard that a lot of schools are shutting down their shops because of lack of interest...that just makes me sick! I took two years of shop--and had to fight with the guidence counselor before he let me because I was "academic..." not industrial arts! I got my way, and it was wonderful to get down and dirty in the shop...and forget all the intellectual crap for at least one period!
I loved shop class in high school. That was the one thing worth while looking forward too. I'm just naturally adept with woodworking. I built a whiskey Hooka of laminated woods, turned on the lathe. It was so awesome, it had the whiskey chamber, the "tobacco" bowl on top and a long tube, and all the pieces came apart to clean. I got an A on the project until the teacher found out just what I made, then I got an F and was expelled for a week. Worse part was I never got too keep the pipe, or christen it. It's probably being used in the faculty lounge to this very day for all I know...sigh.
I made a pistol crossbow in my shop class, that didn't make points with the teaching staff either. First an last weapon made in my old high school. (class of 66) I loved shop class. We had Automotive, Metal and wood. I think that is all gone now.
Our LI woodworking club has been giving lessons on hand cut dove tails at one of the local schools.
Rolf
RBI G4 26 Hawk, EX 16 with Pegas clamps, Nova 1624 DVR XP
Philosophy "I don't know that I can't, therefore I can"
Proud Member of the Long Island Woodworkers Club
And the Long Island Scrollsaw Association
I'm sure there are less liability issues with classes like those, Dale...
Just heard that one of my coworkers son hurt himself in Shop Class...it sounds like it was kickback from a table saw (the wood flipped up, sliced his thumb open, and pushed it back, breaking it...)...the worst you can expect in PS2 Basics is carpal tunnel syndrome...
I'm sure there are less liability issues with classes like those, Dale...
..the worst you can expect in PS2 Basics is carpal tunnel syndrome...
Bob
Don't you bet on it, Bob. When I was teaching a computer class in England I had one young anima - erm - student pull a monitor off the desk and onto his head ... don't ask how!!!
I guess it was lucky for me that the parents realised whose fault the accident really was!! Unfortunately it did the monitor more harm than the student!
This is a great thing. I don't know that I would've ever gotten into woodworking had it not been for 6th grade shop class. Most of the schools around here (the richest state in the country to add insult to injury) no longer offer shop classes. I learned woodworking, basic auto-mechanics and many other useful life lessons in these classes. It's a shame that they're not being offered anymore.
Kevin Scrollsaw Patterns Online Making holes in wood with an EX-30, Craftsman 16" VS, Dremel 1680 and 1671
I'm sure there are less liability issues with classes like those, Dale...
Just heard that one of my coworkers son hurt himself in Shop Class...it sounds like it was kickback from a table saw (the wood flipped up, sliced his thumb open, and pushed it back, breaking it...)...the worst you can expect in PS2 Basics is carpal tunnel syndrome...
Bob
Yes Bob, perhaps you are right in that aspect. And, now that I think of it, there probably are jobs looking to hire kids with high PS2 scores. Who needs the creative skills anymore anyways? dale
Here's another recent story on the same subject. My son is so bogged down with the acedemics, he is losing interest in some classes. I'd love to see a shop class at his school.
Thanks Dan, that is an excellent artical. A couple quotes from it that so true: "We have a generation of students that can answer questions on tests, know factoids, but they can't do anything," said Aschwanden, an appointee to the state Board of Education.
and, like I tell my 4H kids :"He tells his students that this is a math class, too, but a fun one."
Thanks again for posting that. Dale
Rolf
RBI G4 26 Hawk, EX 16 with Pegas clamps, Nova 1624 DVR XP
Philosophy "I don't know that I can't, therefore I can"
Proud Member of the Long Island Woodworkers Club
And the Long Island Scrollsaw Association
I hope you all realize that my coments above were tongue in cheek...just looking back, I realize that someone could have taken me seriously....if you did, I apologize!
Connecticut, also the highest or second highest taxed state in the country (we do battle with Mass and NY for that "honor" every year). Unfortunately, that doesn't mean that we're all rich, just means that we pay more to the government every year.
Oh, and I found our (after my wife yelled at me) that our local high school does offer 2 woodworking classes (I and II), yay! They offer these and 2 metalworking classes as well. Maybe there's hope after all.
Kevin Scrollsaw Patterns Online Making holes in wood with an EX-30, Craftsman 16" VS, Dremel 1680 and 1671
Rolf, smaller bowl-cutting angles, 30Ëš or less, usually don't present a problem either with vibration or for cutting into the table. It's when you get into the 40Ëš and 45Ëš range that things get dicey for both. (The Seyco saw doesn't even cut bevels greater than 35Ëš or so!) If you add even a slight...
I've done some bevel cutting on my EX-21 as well and also have not experienced any added vibration, nor have I cut into the table. Perhaps I haven't cut at a steep enough angle, but the existing blade hole has been sufficient. I do despise the useless vacuum holes, but I've learned to live with them...
Carole Your hole size was a concern when I purchased the Pegas Replacement Table for my EX21, because I had cut into the side of hole on the original table, The damage I did to the old table was due to the blade adjustments were not in the center of blade holders. So far that has not been an issue...
That is an interesting point Carole. I have done some bevel cutting on the EX and can't say that I have experienced an increase in vibration or any problems with following the lines. I know when I cut one of your bowl designs on my Hawk I really had to concentrate on not pushing down hill....
Just a word of caution about the size of the blade hole. When I used a DeWalt years ago in the infamous community woodshop, and also with my more recent experiences with the Jet, if you do much bevel cutting at a steep angle, you will cut into the table. That's why inserts have the slot that can be...
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