Even though this site is just getting started and there is still much to do, I want to know what you think. Are you glad we split our main site into two separate sites and devoted this one just for kids? Please say yes to this one. What would you like to see more of? How can we make it more “kid friendly”

We want to make this the best site on the Internet for teaching woodworking to kids. But it won’t happen without help for you! So let me know what you think.

Thanks,

Craig

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This jig is a great way for kids (and adults) to cut small pieces of wood square and true. It can be made to be used with a back saw or a Japanese saw like a dozuki.

It’s deceptively simply in it’s design, but don’t let that fool you.

This jig can do much more than make square cuts. Watch the video to find out even more useful ways to put this jig to work.

And after watching the video, leave your comments on other ways you’ve discovered to use the bench hook jig.

Craig

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How to build a Folding Chair: Video



We designed a woodworking project for kids that would be simple and fun to build, not to mention, extremely useful. It’s a folding chair. This is a project that’s straight forward and doesn’t require much in material.

As with all of our projects, this folding chair is built using only hand tools. The main tools needed for this project are:

Hand Saw

Tape Measure

Brace and Bit (Hand Drill)

Hammer

After building this chair with my son I realized that this is a project that you’ll probably want to build right along with your kids. It’s so useful to take with you to the ballpark, fishing, camping, to the lake, etc. And it’s so light weight and compact that it stores easily in the truck of you car or in the corner of your garage.

Hey, just because we’re building a kids project doesn’t mean it has to be just for kids! If you want more information on woodworking with kids check out our book, “Woodshop 101 for Kids”.

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A Swiss Cheese “Sign” Project

Here’s something fun to try.  Print your name on a sign like “Katie’s Room”, or “Nick’s Tools”, in big letters on a piece of wood.  Use your brace and bit to drill holes along the letters leaving a space in-between the holes of about a ¼”.  Be creative and make up your own signs.  A word of caution here, signs like “No brothers Allowed”, or “Keep Out”, may not be appreciated by your parents or your little brother/sister.

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Drilling holes using a brace drill is really fun, but it can be tricky to keep the drill bit going into the wood straight. This sounds easy, and it will become that way, but only with practice.

When using the hand brace, you’re putting downward pressure on the head. It can become easy to lean the drill forward or backward or side to side. To prevent this, and become accustomed to what it feels like to have the bit going in perpendicular to the work surface, have a friend stand behind you and look down the drill to let you know when you’re getting off. Once you’ve done this enough times you’ll be able to tell on your own when the bit is not perpendicular.

How can you tell if your freshly drilled hole is straight? An easy way to tell is to insert a dowel the same size as the bit you use to make the hole and use a square or combination square to measure how straight the hole really is.

You might be surprised to find the first few times you try this how much your bit wandered as you drill your hole. Don’t be discouraged though, with a little practice it’ll become natural to you in no time. So chuck up a smaller size bit to begin with (1/4” would be good) and start practicing on a scrap piece of wood!

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Using a combination square or a speed square draw a line across a scrap piece of wood.  This line is perpendicular to the edge.  Using your handsaw try to cut just to the right or left of the line.  By leaving the line instead of cutting right on it you will be able to have something to follow while you’re cutting.  If you’re still having some difficulty keeping the blade cutting in a straight line try this trick.

  Place a board that has a straight edge across this line and clamp it down.  Use this as a reference for keeping the saw going in a straight line.  It also helps keep the saw blade perpendicular to the work surface.  When you’re done, place the square back on the work surface to see how close you came to staying on the line.  Keep practicing until you can cut a straight line that’s perpendicular to the edge of the work piece.

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I had the privilege to conduct a workshop for kids at a local bookstore recently and thought I’d post about it.

We built a project that some might think a little odd.  We built bat houses so we could attract more bats to our yards!  A lot of people might think just the opposite, “Get rid of these blood sucking creatures before they give us all rabies!”  However, the opposite is true.  Here in the USA we have no vampire bats and yes, just like with most mammals, bats can carry rabies, but it’s actually rare.  Bats are very beneficial to us.  Number one, most bats here in the USA eat insects, LOTS of insects.  Some can eat up to 2000 insects in one night!  If you have trouble with mosquitoes or other small insects around your house, bats can put a serious dent in the numbers of these pests.

The best way to attract bats to your yard is with a bat house.  You can find many free plans for building your own bat houses.  Here are some helpful links that I used when I did our workshop:

Bat Facts and Myths

Common Questions and Answers About Bat Houses

Bat House Plans

Here are a few pictures from our workshop.

Special thanks to Cedar Springs Christian Bookstore for sponsoring our workshop!

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