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Woodworking Class

Started by Phorester, March 13, 2005, 10:31:32 AM

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Phorester

Forgive me if this has been covered before. 

For the ones of you still dabbling in woodworking, did you ever take classes in it, and was it in shop class in high school or somewhere else?

As I said in the typing thread, I took half a year of woodworking in my senior year because I had to take an elective.  The first half was typing, the second half woodworking.

I was so good at woodworking, or maybe it was just some other lazy students in the same class, two of my projects were stolen when they were almost finished.  The teacher didn't know if I was lying or not, so took off points when I turned'em in late since I had to do'em over.

Wish I'd discovered woodworking earlier in high school.  Only took the one 1/2 semester class at the end. 

chet

I'm an avid woodworker, but am totally self taught. I used to glean stuff off da woodworking shows on TV, but now pretty much get my information from books.
Must admit I'm pretty good with my woodworking skills,  :)  I won't mention my typin'.   :-[
I am a true TREE HUGGER, if I didnt I would fall out!  chet the RETIRED arborist

Tom

We  had woodworking in Jr. Hi, but it carried a stigma.  It was the place were they put students who didn't do too well or were problems.   I wanted to take it too but it wasn't a subject that the school would talk to most of us about.

We didn't have it in Hi school.

The high schools in this county used to have a really good wood working program.  One day, about 5 years ago, thee were budget talks on the school board and, all of a sudden, the wood working shops were shut down, equipment removed and it is no longer offered.  The school system also had a great program for mechanic, welding, masonry, fishing and a bunch of other "real job" type educational opportunities.  There were even entire schools dedicated to them.  Unfortunately, a student who attended one of these schools, carried a stigma as well.  It seems that the people we hire to run the school system think that students who are interested in Law, medicine and college are the only true students worth teaching.  Now these "skill" centers have been trimmed down to almost nothing and to be a student in one, you have to be a discipline problem or considered "stupid" or unworthy of further education.

Something is backward here.  The elite society the educational system is trying to create can't wipe its A**.

Larry

Most high schools and even junior highs in the ancient past had excellent industrial arts programs.  Plenty of funding for high quality machines.  I took two years of wood shop, one year of metal working, and a year of mechanical drawing in high school.  We started pretty young than and most kids had some wood shop even in grammar school.

Most of the schools around here today have little if any industrial arts.  They say liability issue, not enough money, and no interest. :( :o >:(

There is definitely still interest as I have wood and metal shop out in my shed for a couple of local kids.  Unfortunately I don't have a budget for state of the art machines.

Larry, making useful and beautiful things out of the most environmental friendly material on the planet.

We need to insure our customers understand the importance of our craft.

Brad_S.

Our high school had a woodshop but, as Tom mentioned, it was for the "special" students who didn't fit else where. No "normal" students took the class for fear of being labeled.

When my interest in woodworking kicked in, I took evening classes offered by the Continuing Ed. department of the local school district in the town where I was living at the time. You could take the class as many times as you wanted. After you took the first class and the instructor felt you knew what you were doing, you were on your own for subsequent classes. It was a great way to have a shop full of equipment when you're just starting out.
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." J. Lennon

Frank_Pender

AMEN,  Tom.  This kind of thinking and action by boards and administrators is a travesty to our education process.  Many of these folks believe everyone is headed to ivy covered wall and will emerg as tech minded or cubical drone of some sort.  Wshat a jok in thinking and action.

  Now that I am off the slippery soapbox:

   I had three years of woodshop in highschool.  Prior to that we were required to take an entire year of drafting if we wanted to be in the woodshop classes.  There were no classed around mechanics or metals at that time.

  The junior high at which I tought had one of the finest furnished woods and metal shops in the state.  The board and administrators believed that the students would be better prepared for "the world" if they dismantled tht shope area and replaced it with a computer tech classroom and a weight training room, both fully equiped.  The fine shop equipment was doled out to a select few, some administrators and their friends, to never be seen again in a public setting. 
Frank Pender

Quartlow

I took woodshop in highschool for 2 years, In are school it was tough to get into. Everyone wanted it.

After school I drifted away from it and just started back in it 4 years ago Most of what I learned in school was long forgotten and retraining was by trial and eror, some books and a lot of new yankee workshop.

It's a shame the schools think everyone needs to be a DR or Lawyer. But thats ok they will be paying some one like the folks in my family big bucks to fix everything they don't have clue about.
Breezewood 24 inch mill
Have a wooderful day!!

Norm

I took industrial arts classes all four years in high school. We learned woodworking, mechanical drawing, metal working, welding, and how to cast. We were for the most part kids who grew up on the wrong side of the tracks, the powers above had decided this was best for us. I still believe it was the most important learning experience for me in high school, although I still remember that you pour acid into water and not the other way around.....I think. ;D

Patty

I just finished a woodworking class last fall. It was the first time I had ever been exposed to all the cool tools. In high school girls weren't allowed in any of the life skills classes except for HomeEc or Bookkeeping. It seems schools are still in the dark about what kids need to know to survive in this world. I would love a class on plumbing, painting, finishing, etc.  Norm has taught me how to wire and some basic electrical, enough to be dangerous.  ;D
Women are Angels.
And when someone breaks our wings....
We simply continue to fly ........
on a broomstick.....
We are flexible like that.

fstedy

It was great learned a lot had a real oldtimer for a shop teacher in both grammar school 3 years and high school 4 years. Made a lot of great projects and still have many of them.
Timberking B-20   Retired and enjoying every minute of it.
Former occupations Electrical Lineman, Airline Pilot, Owner operator of Machine Shop, Slot Machine Technician and Sawmill Operator.
I know its a long story!!!

Tom_Averwater

I took 4 years of industrial arts in high school. We had wood , metal, welding , electric, auto mechanics , drafting and printing. My shop teacher retired last year. He was a really good teacher.I think the shop will be dismantled  soon for lack of a good teacher.  We have a very good trade school program around Cincinnati that takes up the slack.                                                                                                               My dad was a carpenter and I followed him into the trade as did andther brother. I started working with him in the summer in the 7th grade  . Iv'e been a carpenter for about 27 years now. I can build just about anything with a piece of wood or metal. If I ever get time I'll post some pict. of my projects.
He who dies with the most toys wins .

Furby

The only things taught in schools today, are things that are tested for in order for the schools to get their $$$ from the goverment.

jerry-m

My school only offered wood shop... I think I only took it one year, don't remember if it was offered for more... I remember I took 2nd place in my woodworking project, a cedar chest... Gave it to my mom.. My youngesr daughter has it now...  I went on after school and took a job as a pattern rigger, maker in a local foundry... Most enjoyable job I ever had... I left after 10 years :(

I still have a fairly complete woodworking shop and always buying and selling equipment... I never stopped working with wood, just absolutely love it 8) 

Up until a few years ago most high schooles and some Jr. high had a very good woodworking program
as well as metal shop. FFA & a couple of high Schools even had a meat proccesing program and one had a slaugher house program where the student killed the animal and went right on untill the meat was prepared and packaged for the home freezer...   I don't think any of the schools have these programs now... Just A DanG Shame :'( :'( :'(

Take care,  Jerry
Jerry

Cedarman

In Indiana everyone knows its a lot more important to learn basketball then industrial arts.  Our local school wants to build another gym so they can practice 6 or 8 teams at once. Think they could get an auditorium for drama? Nope!
I am in the pink when sawing cedar.

WH_Conley

Sounds like Indiana and Kentucky are on the same page >:(
Bill

Furby

Go figure with what "pro" athletes make nowdays, why would anybody think someone would want to learn how to get their hands dirty working with wood or metal. ::)

pigman

Bill,
I didn't know they played  basketball in Kentucky. ::)
Bob
Things turn out best for people who make the best of how things turn out.

WH_Conley

Yeah, right Bob.

How far sre you from Louisville, I worked at Mcalpine Locks a couple of years ago.
Bill

pigman

Bill,
I only live about 40 miles from Louisville. I went to school in Lexington and I have two children going to that " football "school there.
Bob
Things turn out best for people who make the best of how things turn out.

WH_Conley

The little country store right down the road from me, next day after a UK game, don't go in to get a sandwich or gas if yer in a hurry.
Bill

pigman

Sorry, I strayed on my posts. ::) Must be that time of the year.  My son and I did things backward. He got me started in woodworking. When I was in school after the Civil War, they did not have any kind of shop class. Our school now offers a woodworking class and my son took it.  I bought "him" several power tools to use and now since he is away at school, I get to use them. ;)  Tom and Brad_s, you are correct in there is a stigma about taking shop classes. I guess my son was just a dumb trouble maker in school to be in a class like that. The class must have straighened him out since he will be finishing up this spring with a Mechanical Engineering degree. 8)
Bob the Son taught woodworker
Things turn out best for people who make the best of how things turn out.

Tom

Tha't s great Bob.  It's a shame that our educational system doesn't realize the good that those classes do.  Just because a fellow has an apptitude to work with his hands doesn't make him bad.  It's almost as if there are still "blue bloods" in town that believe in a class system.

I have one that graduated from a class they called Truck and Bus.   He's a diesel mechanic with a big bread company now.  I have another that graduated from a Fishing school where he learned commercial fishing and another that took masonry classes.  One day they will be glad that they know how to do something.

I have a nephew, who is a brain, and is in college.......and is in college ......and is in college ......and is in college .....  and....etc.    He wants to be a football broadcaster.  Might do it too......  when he finishes college.  :)

I'm learning a lot about diesel from my son too. ;D

Roxie

Both of my sons took woodworking in highschool.  Both loved it.  My oldest son also dismantled every electronic and electrical appliance in the house, because he seemed fascinated with wiring.  He had trouble with 'book learning' because everything to him was physical and hands on.  He took welding in the VoTech school when in high school.  He went into the service and they trained him in communications.  Today he works for Comast Cable as a supervisior with the internet cable installation division.   :)  My youngest son did well in school, but had no interest in a formal continued education.  He went to work for the railroad and they sent him to welding school.  They both did great and found their own path. 
I believe that if the trend of "you've got to be a doctor to be someone" continues, in the next 20 years, doctor's will be making what plumbers make now, and plumbers will be the highest paid trade in the country!  Try finding a cheap plumber!!   :D
Say when

Tom

Joke.

A doctor went to work and found that he had a leak in his plumbing and the reception area was full of water.  "Call the plumber" he told his receptionist.


The plumber came and fixed the problem in about 30 minutes, cleaned up the mess and gave the receptionist a bill for  $200.    She politely asked him to wait while she got a check from the doctor.

The Doctor came flying out of the back of the office, when he saw the bill, shouting.  "$200 !  I don't even make that kind of money. "

"Yeah, I know" replied the plumber.  "I didn't make that kind of money when I was a doctor either".

..........ba-boom!

tnlogger

 i started taking wood working classes at the ripe old age of 10 from my dad. he taught me how to fall,buck,limb,and haul to the mill.In return I did the same for my son lol.
One time way back when I tried to make a entertanment center for Pat. ::) gave up and bought one.  :D :D :D
gene the 4 thumbed hillbilly
DANG it bob ya gots me doing it now  :D
gene

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