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My ten year old daughter is my shadow in life, wants to be just like dad all the time, including woodworking, except she likes to dress very fashionable while doing it and she loves the shop…I have kept her from anything except painting signs, hand planing and power sanding.
Recently I taught her how to use the brad nailer different types of clamps and wood glue…
she now raids my scrap bin to make frankenstein projects…just like a good worker she’ll take up the entire workbench to make one 5 sided box lol.
It fills my soul to watch her do this stuff and realize how much she absorbs watching me everyday. for example she glued the bottom on a box while I wasn’t looking and started piling the heaviest wood on the upside down box…I asked her why? she said…weight on the box will help the glue set stronger…you do it all the time
she used to ask me “why the heck do you need so many clamps, it’s a bit insane?”
Today, "do you have anymore of these long clamps on the bar not being used on your projects dad?
She now understands clamp obsession! She says to mom…“I think dad needs to buy me my own clamps soon” Mom rolls her eyes and ignores her lol.
She’s frankensteining her self a tool box to hold her stuff, I’m OK with her requesting more Grog…she can request Grog all she wants…she will get milk instead lol
20 miles from the birthplace of Rum? That’s awesome.
My entire family is of Russian decent, (despite my last name) my great grandfather believed in 2 things…Men should be strong like bull…and you have your first taste of Vodka at 7 years old…I’ve been there lol. That is one tradition that won’t be carried on in my family lol.
My youngest daughter has special needs, I enjoy making things with her, when she can focus long enough. I also like the fact that for some reason she likes to keep my shop very clean. That’s ok with me.
Learned the basics watching and working with my father. Had on old Shop Smith with all the attachments! Set me on a path that has brought many hours of pleasure throughout my 65 years. Unfortunately, even though I now have a very nicely equipped shop, my son (only child) showed zero interest in any of it while growing up. Computers has been his thing - not old school woodworking!
But now in his mid 30s he is coming by wanting to try to build a few things. Maybe there is still hope. After all, someday he is going to find himself the owner of a shop full of stuff…
My Grandfather passed away a few years ago and I watched him make stuff when I was a kid. Even though I am the only one in the ENTIRE family that likes making stuff and I let it be known that I want to build his toys… all the Aunts and Uncles took all his tools (that they will NNNNeeever use) I did get the most important thing to me… the plans for the toys and the board that has the last rocking horse he drew on it. That is actually why I wanted to have a CNC. So I can replicate exact copies of the ones he used to make.
I’m a 5th generation carpenter. My grand father at the time I could pick up a hammer would put me in his driveway pounding nails into scrap lumber to keep me out of his shop. Wood is in the blood.
my youngest could care less about the shop…my eldest loves it. I’m very grateful for her interest…instead of lipstick and manicures, she wants to woodwork and listen to classic rock with dad everyday.
wow that’s some cold hard slag from the family…but I agree the plans at least are at home with you. my family is the same cold attitude about such things its heartbreaking sometimes.
my daughter gives me crap all the time for my messy ■■■ shop…she also will narc on me to mom if she catches me in the shop in my good clothes vs shop rags…
I am very fortunate my wife is very sympathetic. I own a portable milling business so if I am not dusty from the shop then I am covered in sawdust. The only she gets uptight about is that I don’t take a holiday and relax.
if you’re ever out on the mainland in the valley with that sawmill. I have 3 large maples on the back of my acreage I’d be willing to let you have for the cost of a few slabs of my own to keep.
Just thowing it out there lol.
last year I had a guy do this for one tree and he took 15 slabs away for himself and he offered me the remaining 6. they they were 2 inch thick x 8 feet long. gorgeous slabs
they seem to think that going out to simply check on the CNC will lead to also running the belt sander over a project real quick, and pulling out the mocha colored wood stain to quickly add another coat to another project…
sadly they are not wrong lol. My daughter will see me in the shop in nice clothes just before we’re going out for dinner…“dad this is why you can’t ever have nice things, now get your ■■■ in the house before I tell mom, I’m not going out with you smelling like poly and sawdust!” she’s 10…I’m hopelessly outnumbered lol
Very satisfying time you are having and great to hear about. She will keep those experiences working with her hands makign things with her forever. I teach in a girls school and this year have taught 25 eighth grade girls to make their own picture frames, cutting with miter and circular saws, use clamps and cutting jigs, use a nail gun. They complain about how hard it is to get it right but when they get through it you could swear they’ve grown a couple inches taller.
