New scroll saw user

[bob vaughan]

I showed my 4-year old granddaughter how to crosscut little sticks on the scroll saw. She loved it. Later we'll glue the sticks together.
What amazed me was her attention to safety and keeping her hand away from the blade guard. I'd shown her how to turn the machine on and off earlier. When a little stick got jammed under the foot she reached down and turned the machine off. She waited till there was no movement in the machine, reached in and cleared the jam, turned the machine back on and continued vandalizing pieces of wood.
The point here is that small children may be awkward but they're not stupid.
While I was taking photos from the front my son was hovering behind her like I did when I first showed her the process and the dangers thereof. I started him out about the same age.
(yeah, yeah, proud grandaddy, but aren't all we grandparents that way?)

 

[Oka]

That is so awesome !!!!! The joy of seeing/helping a child discover and accomplish new things -such a feeling. Really happy for you.

 

[drw]

It is fun to watch kids take interest in things we are passionate about. She looks to be both happy and engaged in the process!

 

[Bill Clemmons]

Thanks for sharing this, Bob. Like you, I've enjoyed introducing some of my grand kids to woodworking.

 

[LocoWoodWork]

I always tell my kids that if I'd known how great being a Papa is, I would have skipped them!!!

 

[HITCH-]

Good for you Bob!
This is what the kids of today need; more toolbox and tackle box, and less X-box

 

[bob vaughan]

Good for you Bob!
This is what the kids of today need; more toolbox and tackle box, and less X-box

Thanks all for the kind words. I like that saying about the toolboxes and less x-box. It sums up some of today's influence problems for children.

Back in the late eighties, I'd punish my boys for willful misbehavior by making them sit on the couch and watch TV from 1 PM to 3:00 PM on their Saturdays. It only took a few of those sessions to teach them what a waste of their time TV was.

 

[ScottM]

Love seeing kids in the shop.

 

[greenhornWoodworker]

Good point about kids being awkward and not stupid. I have a 4 y.o. and couldn't imagine trying to teach him the scroll saw. maybe I should teach him and all my other little ones

 

[bob vaughan]

What's worked for me is to have lots of 1/4 x 1/2 x 10" sticks for her to crosscut. Today she got into vandalizing little 4x8" pieces of 1/4" plywood. Its little more than scribbling. After lots of stock has been cut up, the stock is taken to the bench for glue up. Harbor freight acid brush, a cup of glue and cup of water, wax paper on the bench, and you're good for experimenting. A rag nearby is handy also. It's unlikely this will go much further than this any time soon, but she still loves doing it. The guard is such that it is almost impossible for her to get her hands in under the foot when using 1/4" stock. Thicker stock is a much higher risk at this point. Today she continued to shut the machine off whenever it was time to gather the cut-offs. Its a good thing for 15-20 minutes of child amusement. Their attention span is only so long.
Last photo: My son when he was 2 years 11 months old (taken in 1977).