Comments on: Toolmonger’s “Doh!” of the Week: Kids in the Shop http://toolmonger.com/2006/08/21/toolmongers-doh-of-the-week-kids-in-the-shop/ All tools. All the time. Your source for news, information, and reviews of hand tools, power tools, and tools of all kinds. Thu, 18 Mar 2010 02:31:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: saftey guy http://toolmonger.com/2006/08/21/toolmongers-doh-of-the-week-kids-in-the-shop/#comment-58616 saftey guy Sat, 28 Apr 2007 14:20:59 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/2006/08/22/toolmongers-doh-of-the-week-kids-in-the-shop/#comment-58616 Ensure that your children always where proper Personal Protective Equipment. Grease, oil, paint, paint thinner, stripper & other chemicals can cause cancer when absorbed through the skin, so make sure your kids when rubber gloves if you let them help with the messy (fun for a kid) jobs. Always when at least a paper mask when making dust or cutting wood. And always were ear & eye protection when working with power tools. When your kids learn these good habits at an early age they will continue using proper PPE when they grow up. Ensure that your children always where proper Personal Protective Equipment. Grease, oil, paint, paint thinner, stripper & other chemicals can cause cancer when absorbed through the skin, so make sure your kids when rubber gloves if you let them help with the messy (fun for a kid) jobs. Always when at least a paper mask when making dust or cutting wood. And always were ear & eye protection when working with power tools. When your kids learn these good habits at an early age they will continue using proper PPE when they grow up.

]]> By: shawn http://toolmonger.com/2006/08/21/toolmongers-doh-of-the-week-kids-in-the-shop/#comment-58612 shawn Sat, 28 Apr 2007 14:14:51 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/2006/08/22/toolmongers-doh-of-the-week-kids-in-the-shop/#comment-58612 My tool obsession started when I was little when I went to my uncles to live. His garage was the size of his 4 bedroom house. It had everything, a welder, oxyacetylene torch, drill press, Air Compressor, table saw, band saw, all sorts of hand tools, power tools & air tools. I was able to help (hold the light or fetch tools) completely restore a 1969 GMC Pickup with a dump bed. I helped build a bunch of picnic tables one summer. He used every tool, & I learned how everything worked before I was 13. Now I am 30 & I am able to do anything, I've tried, be it make furniture or do an engine swap. I learned the value of tools at an early age. But I did make a big mistake one time. I was helping my uncle weld something, & I accidentally let the electrode touch the metal while he was adjusting the ground. He got a good strong electric shock & I got a good strong backhand. I'm sure it hurt him more than it did me. Oh & I dropped an engine onto the ground one time too. It broke my toe, & ruined the engine. Don't let an engine hang from a hoist, & then turn your back around a preteen. My tool obsession started when I was little when I went to my uncles to live. His garage was the size of his 4 bedroom house. It had everything, a welder, oxyacetylene torch, drill press, Air Compressor, table saw, band saw, all sorts of hand tools, power tools & air tools. I was able to help (hold the light or fetch tools) completely restore a 1969 GMC Pickup with a dump bed. I helped build a bunch of picnic tables one summer. He used every tool, & I learned how everything worked before I was 13.

Now I am 30 & I am able to do anything, I’ve tried, be it make furniture or do an engine swap. I learned the value of tools at an early age.

But I did make a big mistake one time. I was helping my uncle weld something, & I accidentally let the electrode touch the metal while he was adjusting the ground. He got a good strong electric shock & I got a good strong backhand. I’m sure it hurt him more than it did me. Oh & I dropped an engine onto the ground one time too. It broke my toe, & ruined the engine. Don’t let an engine hang from a hoist, & then turn your back around a preteen.

]]> By: Chris Gosnell http://toolmonger.com/2006/08/21/toolmongers-doh-of-the-week-kids-in-the-shop/#comment-748 Chris Gosnell Wed, 30 Aug 2006 14:09:10 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/2006/08/22/toolmongers-doh-of-the-week-kids-in-the-shop/#comment-748 I agree that is is important to teach your kids about the shop, just as it is important to teach your kids about firearms. You will feed their curosity in a cotrolled fashion, and help them respect, not fear the tools. After saying that, I have to share a story about my son. I was doing some woodworking in my unheated garage in the winter, and I had one of those propane powered 'trashcan style' heaters running. My 6 year old son came down to the garage to call me for dinner. I shut down the heater and told him 'don't touch that, it's hot'. I turned around to unplug the table saw, and turn off the power, and sure enough, when I turned back around there was my son with tear filled eyes, looking at his index finger. Of course he touched the still hot heater. Luckily, I was able to bury his hand in snow and limit the burn to a blister. Your children will always be curious about your 'toys', and you can never be too careful. Always lower the blade on the table saw when not in use, remove cutting bits from drill presses, and remove all sources of power from the tools when not in use. I agree that is is important to teach your kids about the shop, just as it is important to teach your kids about firearms. You will feed their curosity in a cotrolled fashion, and help them respect, not fear the tools.

After saying that, I have to share a story about my son. I was doing some woodworking in my unheated garage in the winter, and I had one of those propane powered ‘trashcan style’ heaters running. My 6 year old son came down to the garage to call me for dinner. I shut down the heater and told him ‘don’t touch that, it’s hot’. I turned around to unplug the table saw, and turn off the power, and sure enough, when I turned back around there was my son with tear filled eyes, looking at his index finger. Of course he touched the still hot heater. Luckily, I was able to bury his hand in snow and limit the burn to a blister.

Your children will always be curious about your ‘toys’, and you can never be too careful. Always lower the blade on the table saw when not in use, remove cutting bits from drill presses, and remove all sources of power from the tools when not in use.

]]> By: Eli Golub http://toolmonger.com/2006/08/21/toolmongers-doh-of-the-week-kids-in-the-shop/#comment-656 Eli Golub Thu, 24 Aug 2006 02:36:19 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/2006/08/22/toolmongers-doh-of-the-week-kids-in-the-shop/#comment-656 I've got one son who's two, and another on the way in a month or so. I made the decision as soon as the first could walk that if I showed him everything as he got curious, maybe he'd decide to get an office job eventually, and if not, at least he could do all the jobs I didn't want to. So, if he wanders out of the house (into the shop) and I'm working, I just explain everything to him as if he were an adult. My wife thinks I'm crazy of course, but I only started a year ago, and if it's dirty when he gets out there, he asks for the broom and starts sweeping. I let him carry some of the tools and supplies to the job every time. I try not to use any power tools most of the time he's at home, waiting until they go to the playground or shopping. If I do sand or make a cut, he stands in the house on the other side of a baby gate with glasses and muffs on. I wear them as well. I've also started using hand tools a lot more than I did. It's faster a lot of times to use a hand plane and a block sander than it is to dig out two or three power tools and swap plugs around. I don't have to worry about the noise being too much for him, ditto dust and danger. My gas meter was inconveniently located where my two benches meet in the corner, and I was constantly barking shin on it, so I boxed it in with 3/4 birch ply, and now he can stand on it up at working height and I give him whatever he's interested in at the moment to play with over there. I think because I share most of what I'm doing with him, he's okay with the times when I insist he can't be there. I’ve got one son who’s two, and another on the way in a month or so. I made the decision as soon as the first could walk that if I showed him everything as he got curious, maybe he’d decide to get an office job eventually, and if not, at least he could do all the jobs I didn’t want to. So, if he wanders out of the house (into the shop) and I’m working, I just explain everything to him as if he were an adult. My wife thinks I’m crazy of course, but I only started a year ago, and if it’s dirty when he gets out there, he asks for the broom and starts sweeping. I let him carry some of the tools and supplies to the job every time. I try not to use any power tools most of the time he’s at home, waiting until they go to the playground or shopping. If I do sand or make a cut, he stands in the house on the other side of a baby gate with glasses and muffs on. I wear them as well. I’ve also started using hand tools a lot more than I did. It’s faster a lot of times to use a hand plane and a block sander than it is to dig out two or three power tools and swap plugs around. I don’t have to worry about the noise being too much for him, ditto dust and danger. My gas meter was inconveniently located where my two benches meet in the corner, and I was constantly barking shin on it, so I boxed it in with 3/4 birch ply, and now he can stand on it up at working height and I give him whatever he’s interested in at the moment to play with over there. I think because I share most of what I’m doing with him, he’s okay with the times when I insist he can’t be there.

]]> By: Tyrone http://toolmonger.com/2006/08/21/toolmongers-doh-of-the-week-kids-in-the-shop/#comment-638 Tyrone Tue, 22 Aug 2006 13:38:39 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/2006/08/22/toolmongers-doh-of-the-week-kids-in-the-shop/#comment-638 I vote infamous. I'm just glad I haven't burned down my house. I vote infamous. I’m just glad I haven’t burned down my house.

]]> By: Rick http://toolmonger.com/2006/08/21/toolmongers-doh-of-the-week-kids-in-the-shop/#comment-636 Rick Tue, 22 Aug 2006 12:44:37 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/2006/08/22/toolmongers-doh-of-the-week-kids-in-the-shop/#comment-636 Woohoo! Hey Tyrone... We're famous! or is that "infamous"? :D Woohoo!

Hey Tyrone… We’re famous! or is that “infamous”?

:D

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