Spent a couple hours with the grandson in the garage today. What he learned... 1. After a hunk of iron has been cut with a cutoff wheel it is HOT! 2. If you hit a piece of metal with a hammer and it isn't anchored down it can come up and hit you. 3. You can shape metal by bending around stuff. 4. You can light the torch when Papa is holding it and it won't burn you. Picture of a coathanger heart and arrow we made together. Then we took a ride in the hot rod. Good day.
It's amazing how much their comprehension increases when they graduate from RUG RAT to SHOP MONKEY Frank
Neat post.........I had my nephew that wanted to help me in the shop, so he "wrenched" the "headers" off a flathead and took the flywheel off and then the little turkey wanted to lift it up and show his accomplishment. And I had to clean the grease off of his shoes and he wore my "shop shirt".......I need to get him a pair of gloves for the next visit. Chris Nelson Kansas
.....and sometimes the piece of metal will hit you in the eye. You should teach him to wear eye protection before it's too late.
I have been trying to teach my 7 year old grandson the business end of a push broom,,,,at 7 his attention span is play instead of work. HRP
did he sweep up .. put the rags away in the rag can .. and of coarse put all the tools away and shut off the compressor!
The first thing our Dad taught us about the garage was don't put your fingers under anything that's been sitting on the garage floor even overnight because there WILL BE a Black Widow Spider hiding on the bottom side of it when you turn it over with the garden shovel..!
Ahhh that's awesome. I can still remember my first time hanging out with my grandfather- I was five years old and we were making birdhouses for Christmas presents. He was a boat builder and carpenter. I think I went about 10 minutes before I was crying and wanted to go home... "What the hell- don't you know how to hold a hammer!!! &*&-08^%$!!!" "No you stupid sonofa *&^)^) you saw like this!!!" "What the _(*&)_(&!!! You cut it on the wrong side of the line you *&%(!!! LMAO! It's all good now. Now I just tell him he's an asshole! We get along great.
Grand daughters require a whole 'nuther approach. Mommies tend to get pretty "testy" when they come from Grandpa's shop dirty, injured or bleeding. I started mine out with 9/16" and smaller wrenches to work on their tricycles and tape measures. When back home they spent a day measuring everything in their house. Grandbabies happy, Mommy happy, Grandma happy, Grandpa NOT in trouble (for once).
Looks like a few folks like "grandpa" stories. lol The picture of Austin is him examining the offending hunk of metal. He usually has eye protection when in the shop. He had four eye surgeries before he was two, so if I let him get anything in his eye I would never here the end of it. Grandpa probably needs to set a better example in that area though. He's learning. I was taking a leaf spring apart and he said " that's the things that hold up the car, right?" Made me proud.
Lucky man, wish I had a grandson to teach hard lessons to. All I got is a 20 year old daughter who thinks I am her personal mechanic, an unlimited well of gas money, and her personal cook. By the time she gets out of school,gets married and has a kid, I will be racing wheel chairs down at the old folks home and won't give a damn about grandkids. BTW, that fact about metal being hot after cut off, is something I tend to re-learn every other month or so.
Mopar34 is your daughter training my daughter? Same thing but she does drive a '72 Chevy pu. When she's not driving my later model.
Teach them safety. If they learn to wear safety equipment to start with they won't have to break bad habits later. Their personal set of goggles and work gloves will make excellent birthday and Christmas presents to be kept in a special place of theirs in the shop.
It's awesome that he enjoys it...just watch out. One day you're gonna come home a find out just how much stuff can be taken apart with a couple of screwdrivers and a pair of pliers!
G.V. - This thread is just priceless. I envy you that you have your grandson to share your knowledge with. I may have gandsons and great grandsons - but they are all out of state. Keep educating this youngster in shop skills ! 41 Dave
Sounds like a very cool day with the Grandson. Once he masters the broom it's time to hand him a soldering iron Al in CT
mine are to little(1 & 2) to get out in the shed yet but the older one can tell you if a car is a hotrod, a custom or ugly. she usually gets the first two right and were working on the latter
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