woodworking granddads or grandmas

Please be very careful, woodworking tools are very sharp and do not take prisoners, our various trips to casualty are witness to that.

Grampy has done a couple of things with our grandsons ( aged 4 and 6) .

He tends to pre cut and drill all the pieces then it's assembly , nuts bolts, some hammering . So apart from hammer danger ( nails are held in the tines of an old fork so no danger to small fingers ) it's pretty cool.

They have also made signs which involve painting , then I cut vinyl and they put the words on.

They love it. And I like that they chat about 'boy' things with Grampy and look at spiders and such !!

The last thing made in DHs shed was a go cart. The boys spent hours designing it - then chased up wheels etc. Then spent hours designing the painted sides then spent hours actually painting it. DH did the dangerous bits and they did the rest.

Last of all it went through lots of tests etc. Very successful!

Yes allow the skilled woodworker to do all the dangerous bits and leave the assembly to GS.

6 yr old (at the time) loved making a bird box with grandads help. He designed it himself with a bit of guidance.
As you say best to pre cut the components. Sanding edges was left to GS.

A birdbox sounds a brilliant suggestion. Depending on your GS's interests, it could be styled to suit him, ie a BatMan or Superheros birdbox (the birds won't care). Sparrow boxes are interesting as sparrows like to nest in groups.

DH is a great potterer, but only makes things he needs so attempts to get him to make things with DGS didn't work very well.

However this visit DS found an old wooden fishing box in the shed that would be very useful to him for some of the tools he uses at work so DH and DGS have been working together to restore it; rubbing it down, filling in the cracks and applying coats of varnish.

DS now wants to help DH to put a new wooden weatherstrip on the door. With a bit of luck DGS will be doing all our DIY for us in a few years

Where I work one of the courses we offer is a weekend box making course (jewellery type) and all the component parts are usually pre cut, so the students have to concentrate on construction and finish, although perhaps dovetailing might be a bit too much, and dangerous for young'uns!

However I agree with others that pre cut timber to make a bird house etc is a really good idea!

Currently Grampy has the 4 and 6 year old grandsons in the workshop making signs for my upcoming themed birthday party. No cutting involved but oh the paint :-)

Our DGS is four and loves helping DH with jobs around the house and garden. We have him for the next few days and one of the things we have planned is him helping make a planter out of decking planks. He can assemble, DH can do the harder bits.

Grandad has just finshed making a lovely bug hotel.
He has sawed up some 'Slim' logs
And I've sorted out couple of terricotta plant pots to go in the 'hotel'
We will take the our DGS 3 & 1 1/2 on a pine cone and twig hunt later this week.
Then they can arrange all the bits (oldest can have ago under watchful eye at cutting twigs and small branches) ready for the bugs, frogs etc to move in.

Husband has a workshop with various tools, including power tools. When our grandchildren were here a couple of weeks ago the girl, aged 12, was forever sneaking in there, though warned not to touch the power tools there would be a telltale brrrrr. Husband did help her, and her Dad. They made bows and arrows, lots of arrow and a few other little things. Grandson, 14, wasn't so interested, but enjoyed the shooting.

If I heard a Brrr from our workshop, I would be frightened as most of the equipment in there is potentially lethal. (Chop saw, bandsaw, benchsaw, lathe, pillar drill, planer etc.