# Teaching woodworking without tools and a shop



## rhett (May 11, 2008)

Got a call from a lady who runs an adult education center. She was curious if I would be interested in giving some classes on woodworking in the evenings. The issue is that there is no shop and flimsy foldup tables at best in the classrooms. I could give a few classes on wood and basic joinery with pics and examples, but at some point, isn't a student going to want to actually cut and work wood? 
Anyone have examples or ideas that might make this work? I enjoy teaching but don't want to make a class out of nothing.


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## pommy (Apr 17, 2008)

is this for special needs adults if so one piece of scrape and a plane and hand saw would do the job to show basic joinery


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## rhett (May 11, 2008)

No, normal adults looking to learn new things. My wife took a signing class there and I think thats how I got associated.


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## pommy (Apr 17, 2008)

man it hard with no tools what do they think your going to use your fingers


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## uffitze (Apr 23, 2010)

I'd think that you'll need some shop time, otherwise the class would have to be called woodworking theory.

If you aren't willing to bring the students into your own shop, hand tools are compact enough to bring to your classroom, don't throw dust all over the place, and really (IMHO) are where folks should start their woodworking journey. As far as a bench to work on goes, you could do it Japanese style and work on the floor, you could work off of saw horses, or you could get ambitous and build a bench with your class.


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## Gregn (Mar 26, 2010)

How right you are, to learn about woodworking without the use of hand tools is useless. Even a kid wants to get their feet wet. Recommend that you would need a work bench and some basic hand tools. This way you could teach the class using hand tools to make the bench and everyone would be able to participate in the project together. Then as the class progress's they could begin to purchase their own hand tools and the class could start doing small projects. In middle school we made a water pump lamp all with hand tools. Basic coping saw, hammer and nails and chisels and sandpaper. I still have that lamp today. Once they get the feel of woodworking the students won't mind buying tools they can take home and begin there own projects. Even if you had to start out with your own hand tools to get them started would make a difference. We once had a woodworking class at our church for the youth using hand tools. The pastor brought in his workmate fold up bench to use as a vice, and a lot of the pieces I precut in my shop to save time and keep it simple as well. I brought in my own tools to help out with the kids to have something to work with. Of course I left the good ones in the shop. Being normal adults I'm sure they realize that funding is an issue and that some purchases would need to be made. In fact many hardware stores have bargain bins to buy some tools cheap. Like hammers and screwdrivers and such. Its a start and could even take off more than you might expect.


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## Stuey (Apr 21, 2010)

Here's an idea - can you work with a local woodworking supplier to set up small starter kits? Perhaps the kits could contain a few essential tools and supplies, maybe with a small gift card ($25) so that the students would be motivated to shop there in the future?

You could then bring in a few additional tools that would be shared amongst the students, such as squares or whatnot.


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## TimLawson (Apr 27, 2010)

I suggest that you can teach woodworking - at least the appreciation and love of woodworking. When we started our school (the Port Townsend School of Woodworking) we had to do it in a dust free, shaving free way. We offered a series of seminars/demonstrations on Introduction to Woodworking, Built-In Furniture Design, Sharpening and others. It worked well. Well enough that some 80 people paid us!

I'd be willling on a one-off basis to send you a couple of those presentations for you to try out.

Message me to work out the details.

Tim


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## UncleHank (Jan 13, 2010)

Stuey has got it right. See if you can get sponsored.

Maybe have a small additional fee associated with the class, similar to having to buy books. Or have a list of required tools. I remember having to drop $100 on a graphing calculator that I used in ONE class.

Most businesses are more than willing to work with you if it means they can gain a number of new customers.


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

You could teach them *about* woodworking in that situation, not woodworking.


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## Stuey (Apr 21, 2010)

I thinking more along the lines of "required course package", perhaps at a discount. A local shop might be more willing to help out with the execution of the plan and with a discount if they were sure they would have some repeat customers, hence the addition of a gift card as part of the paid package. Depending on the number of students and sold simple starter packages, the supplier might be convinced to throw in a few group tools.

A list of tools might be too much to ask of newcomers. They might see "hand saw" on the list, and think of a hacksaw.


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## UncleHank (Jan 13, 2010)

A list of tools might be too much to ask of newcomers. They might see "hand saw" on the list, and think of a hacksaw.

I agree, and I think we're on the same page here… Having it sponsored through a store might enable the sponsor store to have a package ready for students of a class to come in and purchase the tools at a discounted price (doesn't even need to be discounted, just put together). That not only benefits the student (getting the tools they need) and the teacher (not having to struggle through a class with students with inadequate gear), but also benefits the store in having the students know where the store is located, and allowing them to see the other products the store offers.

And after writing this out I realize it's exactly what you wrote… so yes, I agree with you. Go for the class!


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## patron (Apr 2, 2009)

you might scour the net for third world ,
hand worked tools and methods ,
along with some of the things ,
that have been made this way for generations .

we have all seen some of the chinese hand worked things ,
and turners making bowls ,
using their feet to turn a homemade pit lathe .

the course could then introduce ,
the hand tool packages and their advantages .

this might intrique the students ,
and get them ready to do things with modern hand tools .


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## MyFathersSon (Apr 30, 2009)

I was literally just in my local Orange box this morning and stopped for a minute to watch the class they do for kids on Saturdays.
Their 'workbenches' were piece of plywood across the top of carts.
The only tools I saw or heard were hammers and sandpaper. Im assuming the parts were precut.
But the kids were having a ball making little plant stands and tool boxes.
I was reminded of a dinner tray I built years ago in Vacation Bible School in a church classroom.

OK-so this might be a little juvenile-but I bet you could adapt the idea to something your adults would enjoy.
And then use that as a discussion starter for your presentation on more 'advanced' tools and techniques.

Just a thought.


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## Dennisgrosen (Nov 14, 2009)

make a very short list of the most needed tools that you think is realy nessery for them
to start with copy it and bring it with you the first day , say to them this is what you need 
to have with you next time , and the fist day you introduse all the different handtools
and those from the next step that you recoment them to buy over the next year or so
all of them shuold be unplugged handtools
that list you give them the last day of the seminar, becourse of the first day of introduction
they will know what/how the tool is on the list so a saw isn´t a hacksaw etc. 
you cuold use a lot of those small vidioclips from youtube/E-magazines/ there is allso the
sites where woodworkes demostrate handtool teknik you cuold benefit from
depending on how long each sesion takes you cuold divide it 1/3 teori/teknik and 2/3 practic
find a project they all should make so you know they will come thrugh most of the importen
basic skill .
but the first day will allways bee an introduction to woodworld
and when you find out how much they want to learn at what speed you can always
at the last day give them a paper with all the sites where unplugged woodworkers
share there knowlege and if they are more to powertools there is a bunch of them
as well

just a newbees humble opinion

Dennis


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## jimc (Mar 6, 2008)

I once took a computer class with no computers. To say the least, it was pretty boring and I don't think I retained a thing I supposedly learned. But you could teach a lot about types of wood, tool usage and the tools they would need to begin woodworking, different types of joinery and they why and when for each. You might be surprised at the number of people who don't even have a clue what a combination square is (or a chisel, bevel gauge, etc….).

Jim


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## rhett (May 11, 2008)

I have decided to do just one, 1.5 hour class. I am going to give a basic overview of what woodworking is, tools you need to get going and some other basic info. The community center has gotten lots of calls asking if they offered any ww'ing classes, so this will be a good way to see how interested folks really are.

There was an attempt by the state to start an adult education center in an impoverished part of eastern KY. A woodshop was fully equipped with new industrial machines, but the doors never opened. What has become of the machinery seems to be a mystery but I am working on finding out. If they haven't been stolen and sold for oxycontin (likely), I can hopefully get them for this center.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

I teach adult woodworking and you can do a lot with some examples you make in advance ,some printed material from some woodworking magazines and a finished piece showing what the project looks like when your through and a dvd or two. Also have a list of web sites with LJs on the top of the list.


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## MrsN (Sep 29, 2008)

The local adult education class uses the highschool woodshop occationally. Not sure about all of the insurance and liabilites that go along with that. Is there any type of shop you could access to use for the class? with enough pre done examples you could get pretty far with out actually making saw-dust.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Even though I teach for my local community college it is from my local high schools wood shop. Just as MrsN
mentioned.


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## RedShirt013 (May 17, 2008)

If each student bring a cordless drill and basic hand tools, share a jigsaw and drill bits, and work with sheetgoods and S4S lumber, wipe stain or oil and wipe on poly, that'll take them pretty far. That actually might be as far as they want to go, as some might not want to delve into fine woodworking, but just building functional items around the house. Not everybody has or want a shop like us LJ's do. Just teach using basic tools that everybody can afford, and if they do get serious they'll find a way to learn beyond what a community center can offer.


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## rance (Sep 30, 2009)

How close is a WC to you? Go online to see what they have in the way of classes. That would give you a good idea of some variety. They would be more willing to help if they are close enough for you to provide them with some more potential customers.

Classes with a take-home project do substantially better than ones that don't. Even if it is just a jig or two. There are soooooo many nich avenues in woodworking they could do. Not all of them require benches & big tools. Granted, you will most likely have to do some 'prep work' for the class. A carving class comes to mind as a good place to begin, given your parameters. The tools are minimal (basically 2 knives), the skill is relatively easy to learn, and your prep. work would not be that much (wood-wise). And they could continue their newly learned craft by buying ready-made boxes and embelishing them. There's other kinds of carving that you could try too, branch carving, figure carving. With machines, you might begin with scroll saws, they don't put out too much dust and are somewhat easy to cart around. Dare I suggest you teach penturning? 3-4 lathes and a portable drillpress and cordless drill would be the powered tools. And then there's the 'addiction' you'd have to deal with.

I'd stay away from handsaws & planes. I'd say that the overhead associated with that would limit your success with that.

Rance


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## swirt (Apr 6, 2010)

Hmmm that's an idea for an interesting LumberJocks challenge. What can you build WITH (not from) the following tools:

Safety Glasses
2- 5gal buckets (make a pretty good sawbench on a classroom floor)
Stanley toolbox saw (the one with the yellow blade guard) or an inexpensive Ryoba
half inch chisel
hammer
wood glue
pencil
speed square or combination square
2- 12" F clamps

or something along those lines (probably scratch the chisel …. I can't think of a safe and effective way to use it on a 5 gal bucket bench.)


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## rhett (May 11, 2008)

I had the option to have the classes at my shop. I run a small one man operation, it would be tight to say the least. I want to see if there is a real interest before I commit to too much time. Plus, this will sound awful, I give private one on one classes. This will be a good way to harvest some potential students.


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