I teach high school wood shop and I'm looking for some more project ideas. Now, running a high school class brings into a lot of factors that are different from projects you or I may enjoy. But I'm open to any pictures, plans, or ideas you all may have.
We currently make 3 things in beginning woods. A "widget" (a simple geometric shape that requires the use of many of the machines), a jewelry box that is made with rabbet joints out of cedar fencing material, and then a hardwood 10×13" cutting board where the students get to design a striped pattern using oak, maple, walnut, cherry, purple heart, and/or paduak.
I'd like to come up with some more projects for the students who get done early and for my advanced class. We keep a lot of red oak in stock, but leave the other hardwoods mainly for the cutting boards.
Things to consider-
CHEAP, for the most part, we pay for the students projects. We are in a low income area and so we don't charge for projects unless the student desires to go above and beyond (which is rare).
Easy- we are limited on time and these kids are just learning.
Safe- there are lots of cool puzzles and stuff that I'd like to make, but it typically requires very small cuts, which aren't as safe.
Something that multiple kids can do- We have two large Delta lathes and two small Jet lathes, but it's tough to work them in when you've got 24 kids working. I need projects where a student doesn't monopolize a machine the whole period. Though I do try to let my kids who are ahead of the class use the lathes, etc.
So when I took Woodshop in 7 th grade we made a tiki mask for our first project.We got to cut the shape of the head and mouth. The eyes and nose were plastic things we glue on.
The advanced woodworking class we made a clip board with geometric shapes all different colors of wood.We were graded on how tight our joints were. This was done with a very large disk sander I remember sanding the end of my finger.
I was highly skilled and also truned a bowl in that semester.
A step stool was the project of choice when I was in HS shop class. It was screwed together, and the holes were plugged. The top was routed with a cove profile.
It was small, sturdy, and useful. For those reasons I feel it made a great shop project.
How about a picture frame, that will teach them about miters, or on the lathe salt and pepper grinders, the mechanism is about $10. Maybe have them turn a wooden mushroom from a small branch, lots of videos on youtube on how to do this, very easy and quick.
You could teach a little design and safety. Made from solid wood you teach gluing 2 or more boards together. Splaying the legs out could teach the effects of angles. Those little step stool, I think could have many lesson with in them.
I teach also. We make a foot stool (our students call it a bench), a four peg shelf/coat rack, a mantel clock (photo copied dial, least expensive movement we can find), and a recipe card file and easel. We make them out of poplar. We are paying two dollars a board foot for poplar. If they want red oak they pay the difference. which is sixty cents a board foot. Most projects have 2 to 4 bd. ft. and cost $5 to $8 per student.
Let them tinker around with Sketchup. Good woodworking follows good design. It's free and you can keep an eye on the students who work slower in the shop instead of the ones who get done early. Google "sketchup for woodworking". Some good tutorials.
You might try to contact Jon Herrera at Wahoo High School in Nebraska. His students post their projects on Lumberjocks. You might be able to share some ideas with him.
So, when I was in junior high (LONG time ago), we had shop class starting in 7th grade. One project I remember being fun was done in conjunction with another class - must have been science class - where everyone was given one chunk of wood, and had to design and build a "bridge". Certain length/width requirements were part of it. At the end, the bridges were tested by sitting over an open space, supported only on the ends, and weights hung on them. Which ever held the most weight before breaking won.
I've seen this done with glued up Popsicle sticks & stuff too, but this gave the added dimension of having to cut the wood. The downside is that most, if not all, break at the end, so they don't have anything to bring home. I remember it being a lot of fun, though.
another shop teacher here!
My kids love making boxes. They really like it if you put a false bottom in it. (glue a couple of scraps in the bottom corners, cut a piece of plywood for the bottom, drill a finger hole near a corner, cover it with felt glued down to most of it but loose over the finger hole)
I have had good luck with picture frames keeping their interest.
I had surprising luck with serving trays. One kid suggested it and most of the class wanted to make one.
I also do footstools, there is something classic about the project, but it is still a great early project to make.
I tell my kids that they can look up ideas online on pinterest by searching for woodworking projects or woodcraft projects. I have had a few kids come up with things that they want to make
beer can(I had to use a Coke can) lamp, gumball machine, CO2 car, S&P shakers were a few things I made in shop class. Also made a bowl and lamp on the lathe.
You did not indicate what tools the students will have at their disposal. That would help with suggestions.
Using a Lathe they could make simple platters, wood covered pens, of course small bowls and candle holders, rolling pins. Have them search for free hardwood "fire wood" pieces to use .
Here is a basic item I make for gifts and all the cooks love them. It is a trivet out made out of oak, beech, maple or similar hard wood and can be various sizes. It is made with lap joints. Not pictures is a 6"x6" size that is popular or as a set. Note: these can be made to fit serving trays and used for cutting bread at the table. It catches the crumbe in the tray. Just make sure the sides of the tray are lower than the height of the trivet.
Bird houses are always an old standby but make them creative and have the students do a little research on what birds live in their area and the specific sizes of box, the entrance hole, and how and where to install them for those particular birds need. Swallows in particular love them. For instance if the hole is too large unwanted or parasite birds can use them, drive away the "good" birds or attack the eggs and chicks…like English sparrows, Jays, and Starlings. There is lots of info on the internet.
They could make stands for smart phones or iPads and even books….(-:
Small boxes with finger joints is good. Something I saw here the other day was a shoe shine box with a angled shoe rest on top.
Anything for Mom. Kitchen stuff like trivets, kitchen drawer organizer, small spice rack.
For the student, the little ipod/iphone speaker boxes seems real popular.
Anything they can use with there modern tech stuff.
Gumball/jellybean dispenser.
One of these was made by me in the 9th grade. The other was made by one of my beginning woodworking students when I taught woodshop. Can anyone guess which one I made?
I made the one closest to the camera and it is really poor work. I may not have given myself a passing grade. I was obviously a much better teacher than student!
Both were made with hand tools; hand saw, plane, brace and bit. The feet were glued on with dowels. The back of the student made shelf used dowels for the back, mine used woodscrews.
Could be machine made.
For my student's first machine made project, they made a foot stool like the one shown by pintodeluxe.
Oh by the way, mine is made from mansonia, a highly toxic wood. We didn't know in 1962.
My daughter's school wood shop had them build a shelf and a cutting board while my shop class years and years ago had us make a "mail" holder, a sign and whatever else we wanted. I think the shelf and stool would be a good idea as well.
I'm in my 30's now and only recently got into woodworking. I did have shop class in middle school. Thinking back on it now I can't remember learning anything useful. I recall a lot of sanding and butt joints. I would love to have learned about more advanced joinery or wood movement. Anything from an engineering or design standpoint that explains why things are done the way they are, a foundation of knowledge that could be applied to future problem solving. Now I just have to google those those things and figure them out for myself.
I think a few small projects that incorporate the tech everyone has in their pocket. A cell phone/tablet stand. There is also several speaker projects out there for amplifying the small cell phone/tablet speakers using ports. Taking it a step further making a custom case for device. Dan
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