My son Tom, who's 10, sketched out the design for a boot remover last week. It's his latest design and technology project in a year of home education we're giving him before secondary school. Today he marked out a piece of Norway spruce and, using a turning saw, began shaping the business end that will clamp the boot. We're all keen for this project to be completed. Coming home tired and muddy from walking the dog, gasping for a cup of tea, getting in each other's way, this boot remover will smooth the currently chaotic transition between back door and kitchen.
The old turning saw - this one, in beech wood, dating from the 1950s - isn't the easiest saw to master. With a high centre of gravity it can wobble all over the place if you're not careful, and it takes concentration to keep the blade running straight when, by design, the cutting edge has been turned perpendicular to the frame.
At least, those have always been my excuses. Tom picked it up and had no trouble at all.
I wish I'd been introduced to woodwork at this young age...
ReplyDeleteHi Simon,
DeleteI'm a bit of a late starter myself, wishing I'd got into it younger.
Rob, your lad sounds a 'chip off the old block'...excuse the pun!
ReplyDeleteCheers, Jason :)
DeleteDear Rob,
ReplyDeleteYour son does indeed sound like a "chip off the old block"! How lucky, blessed, he is to have you to lend him a helping hand. One of the things my father taught me was to always use the right tool. He died at age 69 in 1975, but I still have his first hammer from the early years of the 20th century.
Peace.
Hello Dee,
DeleteWorking with Tom is a real privilege. That hammer is a precious link with your father. I have a handful of my father's old tools, but not yet his skills.
Best wishes,
Rob