Woodworking with
Cub Scouts
Grand Canyon Council
Pow Wow
January 2010
Outline
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Introduction
Use of hand tools
Planning the meeting
Q&A
Introduction
Why are you here?
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Biggest reason is to get new ideas
·To learn a little more about the materials, tools, & skills needed (later)
Why do wood projects with kids?
• Kids love it.
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They gives a sense of control over a tough material
They get a thrill from using things that they’ve made themselves
We take some cues from the Swedish “sloyd” system
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"sloyd” = “handicraft”. It is a curriculum of wood, metal, and textile
education in the primary schools founded in 1880 that is still used
Key ideas:
Considered as a developmental tool; children develop their brains by
working with their hands
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Similar to the argument for playing music
Advances the intellect & confidence in innumerable ways (empowerment)
Develops a respect for the dignity of labor
Adds one new skill per project, over many projects
ie. Cut a block of wood. Tack sand paper to it and you now have a pencil sharpener.
With cub scouts, the woodworking exposure is much more brief
Projects.
• Projects should have some value/relevance for the kid when finished.
• Projects should be focused:
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introduce a few tools
introduce or improve 1 or 2 skills,
for example: nailing, sawing, drilling, measuring, using jigs
(birds mouth, miter box, …), painting/finishing
Following a plan
You can prepare the project to remove obstacles that are not central to
the focus.
OK to precut pieces if sawing is not the focus.
Allow room for the child to be creative
For practical reasons (time, number of adults available, …) you have to
provide some plan or constraints
Introduction
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The adult’s role
– Provide a safe environment
– Offer know-how & support
– “The value of the child’s work does not exist in [the object that’s
made], but in child that made it.”
– The project is finished when the child is satisfied with it.
– (as long as it’s safe and does it’s basic function)
– Provide materials & tools
Materials
• Where to get it?
– Wood is where you find it.
– Do you know a carpenter; cabinet maker, etc
– Call a local cabinet shop & ask for scraps.
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What to use?
– Ideally, straight grained pine, with few knots
– You might stumble across poplar or mahogany, which are also very
good
– Sometimes, the wood that you have can determine the size of the
project parts.
– If the toolbox is supposed to be 14” long, but you got a bunch of
12” long boards for free…..
– Plywood can be good in some applications, but you can’t really
screw or nail into the edge
– “exterior grade” plywood lasts longer for outdoor projects
(birdhouses)
Put the Outing in Scouting
• Home Depot
• Most stores offer children's workshops once a month
Requirements
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WOLF Requirements
TOOLS FOR FIXING AND BUILDING
a. Point out and name seven tools.
Do this at home, or go to a hardware store with an adult. Tell what each
tool does.
Cover tools used for woodworking such as saws, hammers, planes,
screwdrivers, etc.
b. Show how to use pliers.
c. Identify a Philips head and a standard screw.
Then use the right tool to drive and then remove one from a board
d. Show how to use a hammer.
e. Make a birdhouse, a set of bookends, or something else useful.
Birdhouses: The basic birdhouse plan works for many species. What
changes is the size of the house and the size of the opening.
BookEnds: The bookend consists of two pieces of wood connected at
right angles. Then any pattern can be made and cut out for the
“decorative part”.
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MAKE IT YOURSELF
a. Make something useful for your home or school.
Start with a recipe card holder, or
Make and use a bench fork.
d. Make a door stop.
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e. Or make something else.
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SPARE TIME FUN
f. Make a model boat with a rubber-band propeller.
Make a Kite String Reel
BIRDS
e. Feed wild birds and tell which birds you fed.
f. Put out a birdhouse and tell which birds use it.
Requirements
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Bear Requirements
SAWDUST AND NAILS
a. Show how to use and take care of four of these tools.
Hammer, Hand saw, Hand drill, C-clamp, Wood plane, Pliers, Crescent
wrench, Screwdriver, Bench vise, Coping saw, Drill bit
b. Build your own toolbox.
BUILD A MODEL
b. Build a display for one of your models.
WEATHER
Build a weather vane. Record wind direction every day at the same hour
for two weeks. Keep a record of the weather for each day.
b. Make a rain gauge.
THINGS THAT GO
a. With an adult's help, make a scooter or a Cubmobile. Know the
safety rules.
b. With an adult's help, make a windmill.
c. With an adult's help, make a waterwheel.
CUB SCOUT BAND
a. Make and play a homemade musical instrument - cigar-box banjo,
washtub bull fiddle, a drum or rhythm set, tambourine. etc.
NATURE CRAFTS
Build and use a bird caller, or maybe a Flower Press
BACKYARD GYM
a. Build and use an outdoor gym with at least three items from this
list.
Balance board, Trapeze
b. Build three outdoor toss games
Requirements
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Weblos Requirements
Craftsman
Do these:
Explain how to safely handle the tools that you will use for this activity
badge safely.
With adult supervision and using hand tools, construct two different
wooden objects you and your Webelos den leader agree on, such as
the items listed below.
Use a coping saw or jigsaw for these projects.
Put them together with glue, nails, or screws.
Paint or stain them.
Book rack, Napkin holder, Shelf , Animal cutouts, Bulletin board, Garden
tool rack, Weather vane, Lid holder, Tie rack, Mailbox, Letter holder,
Birdhouse, Notepad holder, Desk nameplate, Toolbox, Letter, Bill, and
Pencil holder, Towel rack, Bread box, Recipe holder, Key holder , Nailing
Jig, Lamp stand, Measuring cup rack, Kitchen knife rack, Measuring
spoon rack, Kitchen utensil rack.
Make a display stand, or box to be used to display a model or an award.
Or make a frame for a photo or painting. Use suitable material.
Engineer
And do four of these:
7. Make drawings of three kinds of bridges and explain their
differences. Construct a model bridge of your choice.
8. Make a simple crane using a block and tackle and explain how the
block and tackle is used in everyday life.
9. Build a catapult and show how it works.
Handyman
and do six of these:
12. Build a sawhorse or stool to be used around your home.
Sawhorse #1, Sawhorse #2, Foot Stool
Use of Hand Tools
• Use hand tools!!!
– BSA age guidelines don’t recommend
power tools until Boy Scouts. But they
don’t define “power tools”. Obviously,
use common sense. We routinely used
cordless screwdrivers/drills with
proper eye protection & supervision.
• Recommended tools:
– Start a “pack” toolbox to be shared by
dens
– Plastic Speed square (rugged)
– Japanese pull saw (easier to use)
• Sawing Project– Door stop
• Great “scrap” wood project. Working with
thicker wood, developing skills to cut
straight with a different kind of saw.
• Boys find it easier to cut straight when
following a vertical line
Use of Hand Tools
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Coping saw (kid size)
Scroll Saws
Rasp,
Sanding blocks,
lighter hammers
Hand Drills.
– Drilling – Tee game
– Another “scrap” wood project
– Working on drilling straight holes,
stopping at the right depth.
Planning the Meeting
• Energizer – Nail Relay Race
– The hammer may only touch the nail once
– Safety glasses must be worn
– Round “2”, hold the hammer in your other hand
• Reflection
– The other hand was tough. The purpose was to
give you an idea of how a Cub picking up a
hammer for the first time might feel.
• Saftey
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Eye Safety.
Guide to Safe Scouting
Talking about safety with boys.
No long lectures, demonstrate and have them
demonstrate back
• How to adjust the energizer for
tigers/cubs/webelos
– use different woods and nails
– each boy drive one nail
– Can apply to sawing, drilling, driving screws
Planning the Meeting
• Today’s project - Birdhouse key ring
holder
• Goal: The kits are pre-cut, so the goal is
nailing
– ( That was the purpose of the Energizer )
• Leadership.
– Try projects ahead of time with your son.
It allows you to work out the kinks.
– It also allows him to display some
leadership skills helping others since he
will “know how it’s done”.
• Jigs: to make holding & nailing easier
• Tie this requirement in with other
requirements like Forestry:
– Today we are using pine, or butternut.
– Bring information about the tree like
leaves, bark, nut (if applicable), etc.
Take Home Project
• This year’s take home project is a
Button puzzle.
– It requires cutting, drilling, and
sanding (the project focus).
– For safety purposes, you may want
to have an adult drill the big holes
on a drill press.
– Measurements need not be exact.
• Just make sure the “button” is
bigger than the hole
• Don’t make the string overly long.
Q&A
THE JUMBLED TOOL BOX
The tool box is all messed up. Unscramble the following words to
find your tools. You may not know some of the tools. Ask
grownups for help.
EWERCRIVSDR
ODOW NEALP
MERMHA
SIVE
PCLAM-C
CRAEB AND ITB
TRCELEIC LIDRL
RESLIP
NDAH WSA
LORLCS AWS
GCONIP WSA
AHKC SWA
EPTA RSUEAME
LVLEE
QAESUR
IALN TSE
EIWR TREUTCS
INT PSINS
Answers: screwdriver, wood plane, hammer, vise, c-clamp, brace and bit, electric
drill, pliers, hand saw, scroll saw, coping saw, hack saw, tape measure, level,
square, nail set, wire cutters, tin snips
2008 PowWow “Take Home” Project
The “button” puzzle.
The goal is to remove the string and
button from the wood without untying
any knots or cutting any string.
This project can be used to practice sawing, drilling and
sanding as none of the measurements need to be “exact”.
Plans and Projects
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Projects – complete with instructions
Bookends , One board bookends
Climbing Cub Scout , Climbing Bear
CD Rack
Door Stop
Falling Raindrop
Foot Racers
Rubber Band Powered Boat
Plans - diagrams and notes
Bat Houses:
Plan #1, Plan #2
Bird Houses:
Plan #1, Plan #2, Plan #3, Blue Bird #1, Blue Bird #2, Robin, Waterfowl, Wren
Other Houses:
Barn Owl Nest box, Butterfly House, Lady Bug house, Squirrel den
Nestbox Dimensions & Hole Sizes
Feeders:
General Info, Feeder Page 1 Page 2, Open Feeder, Suet #1, Suet #2, Tray
Bookends:
Teddy Bear , One board bookends
Jigs:
Bench Hook , Drill Guide , Nail Puller
Pinewood Derby Car Stands:
Stand 1 , Stand 2
Misc:
Ball and Bat Shelf,
Birdhouse key holder, Jig to make Nailing easier,
CD holder
Flower Press, Foot Stool,
Jacob’s Ladder,
Napkin Holder,
Paddleboat,
Sawhorse #1, Sawhorse #2, Scooter,
Table Hockey #1, Table Hockey #2,
Toolbox, Tie Rack
Links
• General Woodworking Sites
• http://www.parentinginformation.org/woodwork
ing.htm
http://sawdustmaking.com/
http://www.kidscanmakeit.com/woodworking_ti
ps.htm
http://www.am-wood.com/
http://www.biglearning.com/treasurewoodworki
ng.htm
• Plans that kids can build
• http://absolutelyfreeplans.com/
http://www.woodzone.com/plans/free_woodplans.htm
http://www.freewoodpuzzles.com/
http://www.am-wood.com/march98/book.html
http://www.imaging.robarts.ca/~amulder/wood/
http://plans.the3house.com/index.php
http://www.drillbitsplus.com/free_woodworking
_plans.html
http://www.minwax.com/build/novice/
• http://naturalpapa.com/homeschool/woodworki
ng-projects-with-children-online-resources/