Outreach project suggestions

[Phil S]

We are getting ready to kickoff a full season of Outreach training sessions and we need a full list of projects.

The main idea is to have each student learn new skills and leave with a completed project within a 4 to 6 hour time period.

Our focus is on turning, scroll sawing and carving, but we also have a bandsaw, a drill press and many hand tools for these beginner projects.

We need to create a list of projects for each skill set. We will then stock the trailer with the right material for each.

The Outreach team will select the ten best projects and the submitters will receive a genuine NCWW attaboy certificate.

And if you attend one of the Train the Trainer sessions you can teach others how to create your work of art

Thanks​

 

[Phil S]

Here is one I am thinking about
http://www.woodturningonline.com/Turning/Turning_content/Angel Making .pdf

 

[Phil S]

Certainly we will be doing some "normal" pen turning, however some of the vets may want to make a rifle cartridge pen - others understandably may never want to see a bullet again.

For those who want to make one, I would like to give them the opportunity. The kits are expensive but surely there must be a better way. Got to think there are buckets of spent casings at Fort Bragg.

I assume 7.62 mm is Fort Bragg's ammo of choice - does anybody have a plan on how to turn that into a pen using an inexpensive kit?

 

[Phil S]

Fred, Is this what you had in mind? Seems like a good filler project
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfV_APBk16Q

 

[FredP]

yep thats the one.

 

[Steve_Honeycutt]

You can also use the same method to create three cubes instead of two.

Steve H.

 

[NCGrimbo]

If you want a project with the bandsaw, try this simple bandsaw box design: http://www.instructables.com/id/A-Bandsaw-box-KIDS-can-make/?ALLSTEPS

 

[Phil S]

If you want a project with the bandsaw, try this simple bandsaw box design: http://www.instructables.com/id/A-Bandsaw-box-KIDS-can-make/?ALLSTEPS

Thanks for the suggestion. There is a fair amount of gluing which takes time. I am wondering if we could pre-glue the blank and then have the students use CA on the assembly Any thoughts?

 

[Steve_Honeycutt]

You could glue the front on the blank and if you keep this project to 2" thick or less, then you could cut the drawers out on the scrollsaw. Glue a back on it, sand, and finish. Some of the more experienced scrollers might want to chime in here, but I think it would be doable within a project window of 2-5 hours.

Steve H.

Thanks for the suggestion. There is a fair amount of gluing which takes time. I am wondering if we could pre-glue the blank and then have the students use CA on the assembly Any thoughts?

 

[Steve_Honeycutt]

Phil or anyone else,

What is the goal of a project for the outreach program? Is it to build as many skills as possible within the scheduled time? Is it to have the participants walk away with a completed project?

The reason I ask these questions is I am developing a carving project to teach the participants how to carve a chain out of one piece of wood. I can prepare the blanks, using a drill press, table saw, and scroll saw. This will allow the participants to work with a craving knife to free up the links. Since it will take 1-2 hours to carefully free one link, my plan was to prepare all of the blanks ahead of time, but walk through (no hands-on from the participants) the various steps of preparing the blank. The participants would only be using a carving knife to separate the links. This would give them the most time freeing the links. They would not be able to somplete the entire project, but they would be able to free several links. Is this a reasonable approach?

Steve H.

 

[Phil S]

Phil or anyone else,

What is the goal of a project for the outreach program? Is it to build as many skills as possible within the scheduled time? Is it to have the participants walk away with a completed project?

The reason I ask these questions is I am developing a carving project to teach the participants how to carve a chain out of one piece of wood. I can prepare the blanks, using a drill press, table saw, and scroll saw. This will allow the participants to work with a craving knife to free up the links. Since it will take 1-2 hours to carefully free one link, my plan was to prepare all of the blanks ahead of time, but walk through (no hands-on from the participants) the various steps of preparing the blank. The participants would only be using a carving knife to separate the links. This would give them the most time freeing the links. They would not be able to somplete the entire project, but they would be able to free several links. Is this a reasonable approach?

Steve H.

The goal of the outreach program is to introduce students to the basic skills of woodworking in a safe and fun environment. Additionally all students should leave with something they have made. I thank you for developing a carving project and agree with your idea of preparing the blanks so the students can concentrate on carving. Today I stopped by the Yates Mill park in south Raleigh and thought about how great this would be for a carving class. Everybody sitting on a log working on a carving.

 

[NCGrimbo]

Thanks for the suggestion. There is a fair amount of gluing which takes time. I am wondering if we could pre-glue the blank and then have the students use CA on the assembly Any thoughts?

Pregluing the blanks would be a requirement, but I would suggest gluing one up in front of the students to show them the clamping procedure including getting a good amount of pressure to the center of the blank.

Using CA on the drawers is a great idea that I hadn't thought of. It would definately get the drawers finished durring the class.

-NCGrimbo

 

[KenOfCary]

A Lathe 101 course that I took at Woodcraft taught by Alan had a good basic course plan. This was basic spindle turning instruction. He spent most of the time teaching how to make coves and beads on a spindle. This did produce skills at this basic turning technique, but did not leave the student with a useful take-home project.

So near the end of the session he had each of us turn a basic Maple Mallet that is simple to turn and provides a useful implement to take home.

BTW, I may be able to find some 2" or 3" square Maple blanks in my stock of cutoffs. I'll take a look and bring what I have on the 10th.

- Ken.