Grandkids in the shop

ryanbp01 · Post by **ryanbp01** » Sun Mar 30, 2014 7:23 pm

I wasn't sure to post this here or in the community section...

To those of you with grandkids, when and at what age did you allow them to come into the shop?

BPR

wa2crk · Post by **wa2crk** » Sun Mar 30, 2014 7:37 pm

I think I will wait until mine are about thirty.

Right now they are 14 ad five.

Bill V

e.friedl · Post by **e.friedl** » Sun Mar 30, 2014 7:39 pm

My grandson is five and I have him "working" in my shop occasionally. I let him use a hammer and nails and my grandfather's tools. Egg beater drill and back saw. Only crude efforts but it is a start. Hand tools are very safe, I don't think you could accidentally cut off a finger with a hand operated saw. But the little things he makes are giving him a taste of bigger things later.

skou · Post by **skou** » Sun Mar 30, 2014 7:48 pm

OK, this doesn't relate directly, but I'll chime in.

When I was a youngster, my baby brother was using a "skil"saw at age 7, WITHOUT supervision. The neighbor kids weren't allowed in our garage.

Cut to 2002, and I'm looking to get another ER. (My first since '86.) I find one in San Jose, and it's real inexpensive, but well maintained. We grew up in the area, and my brother still had friends in the area, and his in-laws lived close by. He had a friend pick up the ER, and hold it, until his next visit out there.

Well, after we got it running, Roger (my baby brother) wasn't going to part with it. (I had to hunt up another one, but that is a different story.) His son Parker, was 7 at the time, so we taught Parker how to use the lathe. Took to it just like his father did. For the next few years, he wasn't using it unless Dad or I were there, but since he is now restoring his first car, he can do as he pleases with the Shopsmith.

My opinion, (and I don't have any kids, so take it for what it is) Show them what it is, as soon as they are interested. Show them how it works, when they can understand tool safety. Monitor them, until you KNOW they can use the tools properly.

steve

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Sun Mar 30, 2014 8:05 pm

ryanbp01 wrote:I wasn't sure to post this here or in the community section...

To those of you with grandkids, when and at what age did you allow them to come into the shop?

BPR

As soon as them show interest. Some level of monitoring is obviously necessary if this "interest" occurs at a young age but I believe the younger the better.

You just never know. The exposure may make them become craftsmen and then again they may grow up preferring to chase the girls.

SAFETY in the Shop must remain paramount.

swampgator · Post by **swampgator** » Mon Mar 31, 2014 12:42 pm

Put 3 year old grandson on ladder near bandsaw so he could watch Pop cut out his cars and trucks. Now, at age 7, he wants to clean all the tools. I expect that in a couple of years, he's going to want to do something on the machine itself. I hope so and then I can guide him with safety and productive lessons.

perryobear · Post by **perryobear** » Mon Mar 31, 2014 4:07 pm

In my opinion this is a really important question.

My first experience with woodworking didn't come until about age 8 or 9 in elementary school (I was a big city kid). Back then "shop classes" were the norm all the way through high school. Having raised 6 kids I can tell you that in my experience this is no longer the case. My oldest had a few shop classes but with each successive child these classes became less and less until it was nil with my youngest (now 23 years old). With computer/technology classes, budget cuts, liability issues, I suspect it has only gotten worse in most places.

So if we don't bring our kids and grandkids into our shops they may never have the chance to experience working with tools, creating with their own hands, and enjoying the results.

What age? All kids are different in terms of maturity, temperament, and interest level, but I would think by age 5 or 6 supervised work with hand tools in the shop would be OK. With my grandson, building a Cub Scout Pine Wood Derby race car was a motivating factor to visit grandpa's shop.

Dennis

idcook · Post by **idcook** » Mon Mar 31, 2014 5:17 pm

I don’t have grandkids, but I do have wee people who seem to enjoy coming to Uncle Weirdo’s house just because they see things going on there that aren’t found in any of the other family homes. (Most of my younger cousins never took the same interest in what the old man was doing in the garage as I did.)

Plus … most of the lil buggers are girls!!!!!

HOWEVER… There is one little girl who seems to be more drawn to boyish endeavors. Always sneaking up to peek at furry creatures and testing odd looking bits of land mass… I’m keeping an eye on her. Stopping to eyeball the tools (paces back and forth in front of the Greenie) I got a feeling she might someday ask about using tools. I’ll try to be ready for her.

There’re also a couple of local boys who were quite impressed watching me do some simple toy repair work on a broken baby carriage and two skateboards last Summer.

steve4447 · Post by **steve4447** » Mon Mar 31, 2014 7:58 pm

My neighbor kids are always interested in the shop and I see them almost every day...both little girls and I think they are going to want to be able to do stuff..

My nephew shows zero interest...

woodburner · Post by **woodburner** » Tue Apr 29, 2014 1:16 am

My 7 yr. old grandson is already making pens on a small pen-making lathe made by JET Tools. He is really excited about moving on to making larger items. Of course, I keep a watchful eye on him while he's turning. His 5 yr. old brother is now interested too.

All tools in my shop have safety switches which I remove when the tool isn't being used, and I turn-off the beakers when not in the shop. Can't be too careful with the little ones around.