Woodshop class: Snake walking sticks & others

[Lightningbolt]

During the late October-November 5-week session the kids chose "Walk Across America" as their theme upon which the three teachers (myself included) base their educational curriculum upon. Walk Across America was a series of books written by Peter Jenson during the 1970's and 1980's.

Never before has the woodshop project been so obvious and you guessed right... walking sticks. The problem was gathering over 60 good sticks that would make good walking sticks but I soon solved that problem. Looking up into the poplar trees which must tower between 60 and 90 feet high on our mountain there are always older, dried out lower limbs that are shedding during periods of high wind.

Up until now I'd never paid much mind to these fallen limbs because they were almost always too twisted for walking sticks. But guess what... snakes are quite twisted as they slither across the forest floor so a crooked stick should make the perfect snake stick. Problem solved! As a matter of fact the snakes we made look out-of-place on a straight stick.

Anyhow they were a big success and the kids had a GREAT time learning to carve, paint, and decorate their walking sticks. Most of them chose a snake stick but quite a few went for a woodspirit and there were some, well... rather creative sticks of varying personal designs.

I've attached a few of the sticks which I though some of you might enjoy. They make a great kids craft project and end up quite striking in color too. Actually a LOT of adults have requested them and I'm gonna fill the orders when I can. I had a lot of snake field guides on hand so that they could get an idea about how to paint the scally pattern of their serpent. Others just created their own mythical snake designs which were quite interesting too. For scales, I let them use my round eye punches... after putting the stick in the table vice you just hold the punch at an angle then pound out a gazillion scales with the wood mallet.

The walking sticks were a great success and our theme for next session (January '08) is going to be "Life on the high sea" and I just got the first prototype of the project done today, but I'll wait until we get going before posting those results probably around February. I think that the kids excitement about this project is even greater than the walking sticks but I'm gonna keep this one a surprise for around Valentine's Day... if I can wait that long!

[Lightningbolt]

And a few more...

That last one is a little Jamaican man and it won first place for creativity.

[Cottonwood]

What neat sticks! What lucky kids to have teachers with fresh and imaginative ideas!

[Eddy-Smiles]

It's absolutely amazing. Who'd think that once you take away their ipods, cell phones and laptops that they'd exhibit such imagination and joy! Just goes to show you that there is still hope!

[Irishman]

Where were you when I needed you this summer. I tried to entertain 6 teenage kids this summer at the cottage by helping them make walking sticks, Gandalph staffs or what ever their imagination would allow. We had a few creative ideas but your snake theme would have been popular as the sticks didn't have the shocking colors that your's do. Well there is next year, and now I have some fresh ideas.
I was very nervous with the kids using sharp tools so they shared a palm set I had which is easy to control. Having a vise would have made a difference. Anyway, a few lessions learned.
Let the kids know they did some great work. Thanks for sharing.
Patrick

[gene-messer]

Great bunch of walking sticks Dave .. Anyone would be proud to own one of them .....

Gene

[Lightningbolt]

Originally Posted by Eddy Smiles

It's absolutely amazing. Who'd think that once you take away their ipods, cell phones and laptops that they'd exhibit such imagination and joy! Just goes to show you that there is still hope!

Thank's Eddy, I couldn't have said it any better myself! These kids live in a wilderness campsite for 5 to 6 weeks inbetween 3 day home visits and they're completely seperated from the electronic world here. It's amazing how creative kids can be when there aren't any distractions... except for the good ones like carving knives. Despite a seemingly negative slant in todays culture towards kids, believe me, I still seem to find a LOT more hope than despair for the next generation.

Irishman: I also get nervous everytime that I allow my woodshop kids to use the carving knives but we use them so much now on a regular basis I know that they're gonna be okay. Safety First is preached constantly with a lot of personal instruction and I give saftey corrections constantly just to let them know that I'm always watching.

If there's any way for them to hold the wood in a vise then I make them do it... to the point that they usually do it before I'm on them. Carving gloves are always used and I'm all over them until using "control" cuts become habit... if nothing more than to not have to hear my loud shouts! They also know how to use the bench hook to avoid cutting toward themselves thus freeing up a lot of hand power.

In a nutshell my kids have to learn to carve safely because the incentive of keeping a job that I love wouldn't exist if they didn't. Looks like we're gonna make it through 2007 without a single trip to the hospital for stitches and we didn't even have to visit the camp nurse once. Over a hundred kids a year go through my shop program and woodcarving is at least 50% of my program. High expectations for safety, personal instruction, combined with constant supervision has been my key.

Thank's for looking eveyone and the comments. Hope that everyone is looking to a great Christmas!

[chuckt]

Its good (make that great) work you do Dave. Thanks for placing the betterment of a portion of our society above earning a big pay check. In many ways I envy your job. Maybe I can retire into something like that, but for now with a big family and living in the NY Metro area . . . I need my corporate job. <sigh>

Here's to another injury free year in 2008! Keep up the great work.

ChuckT

[hobo]

dave they look great Did you all get to do any hiking.?

[Banjo]

What fun! The sticks turned out very well.......imaginative and creative! Yep, it's nice to see that kids can still do that type of thing!