- Joined
- Jan 15, 2012
- Messages
- 4,608
Many of you that know me here on the forums know that I am married and a father of two great kids. My Daughter August is 11 years old and in my eye one of the most beautiful ladies in the world right next to her mother. My son Jared is one of the most caring and considerate 10 year old boys I've ever had the privilege to know let alone to parent. (Can't figure out where he gets it 
). He also has a great imagination and like my daughter has a very creative side to him. My Daughter however has more of a talent as far as photography, drawling and singing. My son however, well lets just say he is definitely a son of a son of a son. Meaning I think he has inherited the gift of working with his hands that I got from my Dad.
My son Jared is a common fixture in my shop, the shop is riddled with pieces of art he has made out of scrap materials laying around and are some of my most prized possessions. Since he was 8, he has been curious about the bigger pieces of equipment as far as what they do and how to use them. I have layed awake at nights worried that someday behind my back his curiosity would get the best of him and I dont need to tell you what could happen there.
Backing up a bit, I remember when I was his age in the summers when I was home with my mom and sister during the day and my dad was off to work. I crawled through every drawer of his garage and tool shed and knew every tool he had. I figured out a lot of the stuff as far as how to use it on scrap pieces of wood and sometimes on my own pieces of furniture in my room, that got me in HUGE trouble, lol. But the tools he had where just common tools and my chance of getting hurt was slim.
Fast forwarding to today, over the years I have collected a mass of useful tools for the job. Drill presses, band saws, major high speed belts grinders, buffers, a lathe, Mill, welders, plasma cutter, a 45 ton iron worker, and the list keeps going. Needless to say, nothing on that list is anything for a 10 year old boy to experiment with unsupervised. I'd never forgive myself if either of my kids got hurt by my negligence. But, knowing how my fathers son was at his age. I know I would of sneaked behind my dads back to try them out, especially if I was curious about them like my son definitely is.
Now, before I take too much flack, please realize that I have turned my son loose on nothing. I believe that since he has interest, its is appropriate to teach him correctly, safely, and under the strictest supervision. I believe thats much better than him taking upon himself and try to learn on his own, I take shop safety and teaching my boy as seriously as I do gun safety. They are no joke. So, after several conversations with my wife. I took my son to the shop this morning and gave him a introduction to some of my tools.specifically the ones he is most curious about, and we made a couple of things. Here's some pics.
I turn my own lanyard tubes out of brass round stock, I figured that was a perfect and simple thing to introduce the lathe, one of the pieces of equipment he was most curious about.
I showed him a couple of times and explained the controls, then let him have his shot.
With me constantly with him, he turned a half a dozen lanyard tubes for me.
Whacha think pop?
So, with a handful of new lanyard tubes, I asked him what else he would like to see work and try. Well, nothing like going for the heavy hitters, he pointed at my 45ton ironworker....... that's my boy without changing out all of the attachments for it, I explained them all to him and he hung on every word I said. I then took some scrap metal and cut a few pieces and then let him have his try.
It was right about now that he asked if he could take this piece home. I asked why, and his reply was. "I think it looks like a meat cleaver, but we forgot to put a handle on it." Lol, I love how he can visualize things out of almost nothing, I hope that serves him well later in life. So I tell him, "we can fix the handle" off to the welder we go.
Now, it was impossible for me to get pics of this. But I bundled him up, put a welding helmet on his head and the stinger in his hands. Standing behind him with his hands in mine we welded a handle on his cleaver blade. He got to see the welder arc and he saw the molten pool of steel. He was amazed, and thinking to myself I wondered how many 10 year olds get to see something like that. As strange as it may sound to a lot of people, it was a great father son moment.
Again, with his hands in mine (couldn't gets pics) we cleaned up the welds on the grinder, then drilled a hole for the lanyard.
We thought why stop there, I asked him if he wanted to stamp his name in it, "Of coarse" was his response. So, I set him up and tried to get a in action shot. I didn't really capture it, but then again, he didnt really hit the stamp on the first try either. Lol.
So for those of you that don't know, Jared ties all of my lanyards that I put on my Hornets and Magua's. So, into the house where it was comfortable to add his finishing touch.
The common T.M.Hunt rock display shot :thumbup:
This smile was on his face all morning.
So there it was, his first real lesson on how to safely use equipment and the function of the tools. I must say, he was a great student today and not near as hard headed as his old man. I don't know what path he will take in life, he says when he's older he wants to come work for me. I'd like him to do better than me, but know it would be great having him by my side. I have no dought that someday probably in the not so distant future, if this keep his interest. His skills will surpass mine. He is truly the best of me, and it is a honor to be his father. Love you son.
). He also has a great imagination and like my daughter has a very creative side to him. My Daughter however has more of a talent as far as photography, drawling and singing. My son however, well lets just say he is definitely a son of a son of a son. Meaning I think he has inherited the gift of working with his hands that I got from my Dad. My son Jared is a common fixture in my shop, the shop is riddled with pieces of art he has made out of scrap materials laying around and are some of my most prized possessions. Since he was 8, he has been curious about the bigger pieces of equipment as far as what they do and how to use them. I have layed awake at nights worried that someday behind my back his curiosity would get the best of him and I dont need to tell you what could happen there.
Backing up a bit, I remember when I was his age in the summers when I was home with my mom and sister during the day and my dad was off to work. I crawled through every drawer of his garage and tool shed and knew every tool he had. I figured out a lot of the stuff as far as how to use it on scrap pieces of wood and sometimes on my own pieces of furniture in my room, that got me in HUGE trouble, lol. But the tools he had where just common tools and my chance of getting hurt was slim.
Fast forwarding to today, over the years I have collected a mass of useful tools for the job. Drill presses, band saws, major high speed belts grinders, buffers, a lathe, Mill, welders, plasma cutter, a 45 ton iron worker, and the list keeps going. Needless to say, nothing on that list is anything for a 10 year old boy to experiment with unsupervised. I'd never forgive myself if either of my kids got hurt by my negligence. But, knowing how my fathers son was at his age. I know I would of sneaked behind my dads back to try them out, especially if I was curious about them like my son definitely is.
Now, before I take too much flack, please realize that I have turned my son loose on nothing. I believe that since he has interest, its is appropriate to teach him correctly, safely, and under the strictest supervision. I believe thats much better than him taking upon himself and try to learn on his own, I take shop safety and teaching my boy as seriously as I do gun safety. They are no joke. So, after several conversations with my wife. I took my son to the shop this morning and gave him a introduction to some of my tools.specifically the ones he is most curious about, and we made a couple of things. Here's some pics.
I turn my own lanyard tubes out of brass round stock, I figured that was a perfect and simple thing to introduce the lathe, one of the pieces of equipment he was most curious about.
I showed him a couple of times and explained the controls, then let him have his shot.
With me constantly with him, he turned a half a dozen lanyard tubes for me.
Whacha think pop?
So, with a handful of new lanyard tubes, I asked him what else he would like to see work and try. Well, nothing like going for the heavy hitters, he pointed at my 45ton ironworker....... that's my boy
without changing out all of the attachments for it, I explained them all to him and he hung on every word I said. I then took some scrap metal and cut a few pieces and then let him have his try.
It was right about now that he asked if he could take this piece home. I asked why, and his reply was. "I think it looks like a meat cleaver, but we forgot to put a handle on it." Lol, I love how he can visualize things out of almost nothing, I hope that serves him well later in life. So I tell him, "we can fix the handle" off to the welder we go.
Now, it was impossible for me to get pics of this. But I bundled him up, put a welding helmet on his head and the stinger in his hands. Standing behind him with his hands in mine we welded a handle on his cleaver blade. He got to see the welder arc and he saw the molten pool of steel. He was amazed, and thinking to myself I wondered how many 10 year olds get to see something like that. As strange as it may sound to a lot of people, it was a great father son moment.
Again, with his hands in mine (couldn't gets pics) we cleaned up the welds on the grinder, then drilled a hole for the lanyard.
We thought why stop there, I asked him if he wanted to stamp his name in it, "Of coarse" was his response. So, I set him up and tried to get a in action shot. I didn't really capture it, but then again, he didnt really hit the stamp on the first try either. Lol.
So for those of you that don't know, Jared ties all of my lanyards that I put on my Hornets and Magua's. So, into the house where it was comfortable to add his finishing touch.
The common T.M.Hunt rock display shot :thumbup:
This smile was on his face all morning.
So there it was, his first real lesson on how to safely use equipment and the function of the tools. I must say, he was a great student today and not near as hard headed as his old man. I don't know what path he will take in life, he says when he's older he wants to come work for me. I'd like him to do better than me, but know it would be great having him by my side. I have no dought that someday probably in the not so distant future, if this keep his interest. His skills will surpass mine. He is truly the best of me, and it is a honor to be his father. Love you son.
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