Let the kids build

My son likes to come out to the shop with me and build things. Yesterday as I was trying to work on my display case/work bench project he came up with the idea to make a treasure chest.

It’s always hard for me when the kids want to be in the shop. On one hand I’m glad they’re out there trying to make things. On the other…well I’m out there because I have things I’m working on. I have to remind myself to be patient with the interruptions so they’ll keep wanting to come out to the shop with me.

One of the questions Wes came up with was: “Why did they build chests with a round top when it’s easier to stack them with a flat top?”

I was busy trying to think through my own project at the moment, so I didn’t have a ready answer. Today now I’ve had a chance to think in it a bit, I think the answer lies in the different intrinsic strengths of different shapes. If you think about bridges for example, why are straight bridges always reinforces with either an arc or triangles? or it could be that the craftsman of the day took pride in their work and liked the aesthetics of a curved top. Or is it that we like the aesthetics of a curved top trunk and pirates used a different style chest altogether? I think this would be a good rabbit trail to send him down today to see what others have thought about this very question.

Shape of the trunk aside, I like it when he comes up with his own solutions to a problem. First he had to find wood I was willing to let him build with. Turns out we had pallets out back in the burn pile. Next he had to plan out his chest, measure mark, interrupt the focused adult to get his wood cut and trouble shoot when he told me to cut on the wrong line ;0).

Eventually he decided that cutting as much as he could with the band saw was better than waiting for me to get to a stopping point and cut things for him. I might remind him today that he is also welcome to use the battery operated skill saw. For me there is a balance between helping them build their idea and letting them struggle through figuring out how to do it on their own with the tools I am willing to let them use.

Within a short time, he had his boards cut, found the right nail gun and tacked it all together. One thing that surprised him was how many slats it took to cover the curved top, he ran out and had to cut more. The hinges went on lightening quick and before I knew it he was off to fill it up and bury it.

Always remember that the process is just as, if not more important than the final product. Just think of how many “masterpieces” your child has produced on paper before they hand you something more than a scribble. Children learn through doing, just like adults. Be less afraid of not getting it right and focus more on what you learned along the way!

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