# High School Shop Projects?



## gijoe985 (Jan 17, 2018)

Hello all,

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.

Thanks for your help!


----------



## Unknowncraftsman (Jun 23, 2013)

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.


----------



## pintodeluxe (Sep 12, 2010)

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.


----------



## maverik (Dec 30, 2015)

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.


----------



## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

I like the step stool idea. Especially after the recent discussion on step stool.

http://lumberjocks.com/topics/255953

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.


----------



## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

A floating top plant stand or taboret etc.


----------



## Kelster58 (Dec 2, 2016)

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.


----------



## tacky68 (Jun 29, 2014)

Pinto: That is funny, I made almost the exact same step stool when I was in the 8th grade(81-82). Still have it.

Pine, dark stain, BLO. Sits in the basement. Not very stable, does not take much to turn over. Still have my

oak skateboard , also.

Tim.


----------



## cabmaker (Sep 16, 2010)

I second the stool.

Im on my second one, but still have my orig for back up

skewed support is key for stability


----------



## Holt (Mar 15, 2011)

Try Squares, Bow Saws, Winding Sticks,....


----------



## ScottM (Jul 10, 2012)

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.


----------



## Redoak49 (Dec 15, 2012)

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.


----------



## lew (Feb 13, 2008)

Lathe- rolling pins, 3 legged milking stool


----------



## bigblockyeti (Sep 9, 2013)

A Bombay chest or armoire would allow them to really push themselves and be useful when complete. The lumber, however, could be pricey.


----------



## jerkylips (May 13, 2011)

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.


----------



## jerkylips (May 13, 2011)

Also, as I'm thinking about it - how about a simple bandsaw box?


----------



## MrsN (Sep 29, 2008)

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


----------



## mojapitt (Dec 31, 2011)

Welcome to Lumberjocks

You will get help here.


----------



## bndawgs (Oct 21, 2016)

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.


----------



## LesB (Dec 21, 2008)

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.


----------



## BlasterStumps (Mar 13, 2017)

Lots of variations possible or, how about a garden trug? Both would be useful.


----------



## bigJohninvegas (May 25, 2014)

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.


----------



## Pimzedd (Jan 22, 2007)

How about a small tabletop book shelf.










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.


----------



## cowboyup3371 (Nov 10, 2017)

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.


----------



## WalkerR (Feb 8, 2017)

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.


----------



## RDan (Jan 14, 2012)

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


----------



## Woodmaster1 (Apr 26, 2011)

Retired shop teacher after forty years, challenge them a do a hand cut dovetail box. You don't need to have more than one or two dovetails per corner. When I was young and starting out and had 35 students in my class stations for different skills power or hand tools was the only way I could keep track.


----------



## HTown (Feb 25, 2015)

+1 on pinto's stool. We made one years back in shop. Other things we made:
-Small wall shelf,
-Marble tic-tac-toe game. Mainly on a drill press. Drilled small divots to hold them during play. Drilled holes in the side to store them. The side had a strip with a brad that served as a pivot point for the lid. 
-Quilt rack. The sides were two pine boards with hearts cut out on the scroll saw. The sides were joined by dowels that the blankets rested on.

I liked others suggestions of a toolbox and a trivit.

We used a lot of pine. You might find a cabinet shop that will give you their waste which is good for small projects.

PS. Thanks To all of our shop teachers. I appreciate how mine opened a door to a lifelong hobby.


----------



## Redoak49 (Dec 15, 2012)

Sad …..so many good suggestions and no response from poster. I guess they really weren't interested in the suggestions.


----------



## bigblockyeti (Sep 9, 2013)

^ "Stumbled" Yeah, NO, just another soon to be gone spammer.


----------



## NormG (Mar 5, 2010)

We also did 2 shelf Spice racks when I was in school


----------



## DavePolaschek (Oct 21, 2016)

The dovetailed dustpan from pop woodworking is a nice simple project, and I find that I can't make them fast enough. There's always someone who'd like one as a present if I've got the time to make it. I can generally knock one together in a weekend entirely with hand tools, so I think it's not too tough of a project.


----------



## CaptainKlutz (Apr 23, 2014)

+1 less use of power tools.

Power tools only taught me how to make stuff fast while wasting wood, not how to make well crafted stuff from wood.
Making dovetail joints with hand saw and chisel on a simple tool box was most engaging thing I learned in shop class when I was kid. 
Learning how to make a sharp chisel and the increase in my ability to control my own cut quality was helpful as well.

How about something made with only hand tools out of 1 small board, like an Roubo design book stand? Need to call it a tablet stand today. 
https://www.pbs.org/video/the-roubo-bookstand-svk8o6/


----------



## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

This is a great resource for school projects.

http://wood.woodtools.nov.ru/books/jjn_big_book_weekend/jjn_big_book_weekend.pdf


----------



## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

It would seems that the OP is no longer interested in this thread.


----------



## RichT (Oct 14, 2016)

> This is a great resource for school projects.
> 
> [deleted link]
> 
> - a1Jim


You posted a link to a Russian pirated copy of a book that's still in print:

https://www.amazon.com/Big-Book-Weekend-Woodworking-Projects/dp/1579906001

That's about as slimy as it gets. Those people depend on sales for income. You just stole their hard work. What were you thinking? Obviously, you weren't. (Hint: anything with a .ru country code should make you suspicious)

Shame on you. I wonder how many other places you've posted that link.


----------



## grnjames (May 31, 2018)

A chair with compartment like an apple box?


----------



## robscastle (May 13, 2012)

Gypsy alert


----------



## Cricket (Jan 15, 2014)

Reminder To All
http://lumberjocks.com/CricketW/blog/112897

2. Users shall treat each other with respect at all times on LumberJocks.com. Ideas and opinions may be challenged, but name calling, personal attacks, or other inappropriate behavior will not be allowed and may cause your account to be banned. Harassment will not be tolerated in this community. This includes private messages, Facebook and/or social media and user emails.

Users shall not question or debate an administrator decision publicly on the message board. In the event of a disagreement or questioning of an administrator's decision or action users should contact the administrator via PM or our contact us form. Blocking the site admin (Cricket) will result in your member account being closed.

Users shall not question or debate another member's qualifications publicly on the message board. Instead, any questionable posts should be flagged.


----------



## robscastle (May 13, 2012)

Opps! sorry


----------



## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

of all the members on this forum a1jim is the last person id ever call slimy,he's the patriarch of lumber jocks.i have no doubt he was of the best intentions.


----------



## RichT (Oct 14, 2016)

> of all the members on this forum a1jim is the last person id ever call slimy,he s the patriarch of lumber jocks.i have no doubt he was of the best intentions.
> 
> - pottz


I didn't call him slimy, I said it was a slimy thing to do, and it was. That book is still in print and available for purchase on Amazon. Posting that link to the pirated book instead of a link to purchase the book is stealing from the authors, pure and simple. If you can't figure that one out, I can't help you.

I authored a computer program back in the '90s that was popular worldwide. I made a lot of money from it. What sucked though, was that I had figures to show that only about 1 in 10 of the people using my software had paid for it. The rest were running pirated copies. So I can relate to what a1Jim did to those authors, and it's really crappy. If he had any principles he'd get on Amazon and buy a copy to partially make up for the harm that he did.

If you want to continue to defend someone who committed theft by way of copyright infringement, go for it. Oh, and by the way, saying he didn't intend any harm means nothing. The harm was done, and he did it.

I've been working to get that link removed from the post without any success. My next step will be to contact the publishers so they can take whatever action they deem appropriate.


----------



## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

ok rich your very quick to convict.did you ask jim if he was aware of this,maybe he didnt even realize what he was doing,i will give jim the benefit of the doubt,apparently you wont!


----------



## RichT (Oct 14, 2016)

> ok rich your very quick to convict.did you ask jim if he was aware of this,maybe he didnt even realize what he was doing,i will give jim the benefit of the doubt,apparently you wont!
> 
> - pottz


LOL. Quick to convict? The evidence is right there. Regarding the benefit if the doubt, that's ridiculous. Ignorance is no excuse for breaking the law, and make no mistake about it, the law is being broken here. There are people incarcerated who didn't mean to do anything wrong, but they did. The RIAA has hit people - individuals like you and me - with massive fines in the tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars for music piracy and, guess what, they held up in court. This is no different so, no, I won't give the benefit of the doubt. He doesn't deserve it.

I find your no-big-deal attitude disturbing. Something tells me you'd be less casual about it if the link were to a book you wrote.


----------



## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

your right rich we need to file a lawsuit againts jim immediatly,what was i thinking,the mans a crimnal! wrong he's a king hearted wood worker trying to help a fellow wood worker,so no,no conviction.case dismissed.jim you are free to go-LOL-HA-HA.


----------



## RichT (Oct 14, 2016)

> your right rich we need to file a lawsuit againts jim immediatly,what was i thinking,the mans a crimnal! wrong he s a king hearted wood worker trying to help a fellow wood worker,so no,no conviction.case dismissed.jim you are free to go-LOL-HA-HA.
> 
> - pottz


That's hilarious! You're a funny guy. I bet people laugh at you all the time.


----------



## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

When I saw he was back posting again I wondered how long it be? Did take long. Lol


----------



## JCamp (Nov 22, 2016)

Aaannnnddd another thread hijacked. How about getting it back on topic
Regardless of publishing rights and any or all laws, I think as wood workers we can all agree that shop classes in this day and age are few and far between and should b encouraged. So in the interest of encouraging the current and future generations how about some more ideas please. These ideas are also good for teaching the kids/grandkids at home as well!


----------



## JCamp (Nov 22, 2016)

Checker boards would be a decent idea. Instead of gluing different pieces of wood they could paint on the black squares
Bird houses 
Clocks 
Wooden 4×4 lamps 
Bread box


----------



## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

> Aaannnnddd another thread hijacked. How about getting it back on topic
> Regardless of publishing rights and any or all laws, I think as wood workers we can all agree that shop classes in this day and age are few and far between and should b encouraged. So in the interest of encouraging the current and future generations how about some more ideas please. These ideas are also good for teaching the kids/grandkids at home as well!
> 
> - JCamp


 I don't think the OP is even watching this thread, It's apparent the OP isn't participating.


----------



## JCamp (Nov 22, 2016)

That doesn't mean that he won't check in later or that other won't visit looking for ideas.


----------



## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

> That doesn't mean that he won't check in later or that other won't visit looking for ideas.
> 
> - JCamp


You are right about someone may stumbling cross this in the future. The OP started this 01-17-18. He has a grand total of 3 post on LJ. This is why I say I don't think the OP in much interested in this thread or much on LJ.


----------



## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

> When I saw he was back posting again I wondered how long it be? Did take long. Lol
> 
> - AlaskaGuy


 thanks buddy for the warm welcome im glad to be back my friend.just trying to defend a good lumber jock buddy that was attacked unfairly thats all.jim is all about wood working and introducing it to future generations,as am i.now if thats a horrible thing why are we here? hmmm?


----------

