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new carvers!

my oldest daughters are about to turn 7, and i've found them sitting in their room carving crayons with a plastic knife, to be like daddy 🙂  so i modified some clay modeling tools to work in soap carving.  they are going to be so excited!

they love watching mary's videos with me too.

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SmokyRick Crawford has reacted to this post.
SmokyRick Crawford

That's really great!  Way to go Dad.  You may be bringing up the next Mary May!

 

Great job inspiring, Jason! The next generation of woodcarvers begins...

Wow! There's a book out there on soap carving?? That's a great way for kids to get started thinking in 3-dimension - and you get to have a bath with the shavings!

Another thing I remember when I was in grade school was to pour plaster into a square milk carton and you can scrape the dried plaster into a shape. A little harder than soap, but maybe the next step?

SmokyRick Crawford has reacted to this post.
SmokyRick Crawford

In the 1920-30's soap companies had carving contests...

All of my grandsons (granddaughters would be welcome too if there were any) have spent time in the shop, some just driving nails, and some getting fairly serious. I have found that you have to exercise judgement on which tools are appropriate and to let them find their own direction in order to keep their interest. The four year old is into basic sawing and is starting to plane with a block plane. The nine year old is into scroll sawing, using rasps, and is learning rotary tool use. He also owns his own fro, a couple of drawknives (he had an interest in building log cabins last year), and has recently tried his hand at elementary blacksmithing. He has a fair set of tools, his own workbench, and even a hand miter saw. The older boys have discovered sports, video games, (and sometimes girls) but still like to occasionally spend a little time in Papaw's shop. Needless to say, it is pretty sweet to hear one (or more) of the kids say "lets go down to the shop, okay". Kids give us old timers an excuse to play and sometime the best things you make are smiles and memories. Besides that, I still get invited to go wade the creek on hot summer days. I have noticed that invitations to participate in the kids pickup football games are becoming fewer and further between. Can you imagine the reaction from neighbors if Mamaw and I were playing football in the front yard without the kids? Put them out there and folks will just smile and nod with understanding. Kids give us that excuse.

Both of my girls grew up watching and helping with tasks around the house and with my collection of old woodworking tools. They know the difference between broadaxes and felling axes, what a fro is for, and why a chisel should not be struck with a hammer. While neither of them is a "woodworker", it still brings a smile to my face when they tell me about their latest home repair or project. Tools are frequent gifts under the family Christmas trees and birthdays.

MaryMay has reacted to this post.
MaryMay

That's a wonderful story Michael! Those older children, even though they may not seem to be interested at the moment, will always have those memories. I'm confident that they will, in some way (maybe with their own children), get back to the tools and remember those special times with you in the workshop. Special times for all...