I had hoped for a paint finish, but since it will probably be given away for someone as a Christmas present, I chose to stick to what she wanted.
But there were no restrictions to the treasure chest with curved lid that I made some time ago. That thing has just been sitting idle under a table to be out of the way.
I asked Asger if he would like to paint it, and he was really exited about it. I decided to give up most of the control and told him that he could choose the colour.
We looked at the paint shelf, and I tried my best to advocate for a green, blue or red coat of paint. But Asger was not convinced that it was the right path. Finally he made up his mind and settled for Massey Ferguson light grey, a classic tractor colour.
He rolled on a coat of paint that quickly got absorbed by the wood. So we agreed that was a primer, the next day he rolled on another coat, and that helped a lot.
Finally I added the last layer using a brush instead of the roller, because our cheap roller more or less dissolved in the oil based paint.
I had made some hardware on the ship while I made the chest itself. An escutcheon and parts for some lifts.
The lift handles themselves are old handles from some metal pails that comes with various chemicals and soap.
Since I made a treasure chest, I opted for some fantasy inspired hardware. something that could spark an interest in a child. So I made a dragon/vampire bat as a theme.
It turned out better than I had hoped for. But I think they would have stood out more if the chest had been in a different colour.
The finished treasure chest.
Asger sanding
Asger painting
Painting
Dragon escutcheon
Dragon lift
Nice! I think grey is a fine color. Asher looks like he's grown a foot since I've seen him last!
ReplyDeleteGrey is indeed a fine colour, but I think the hardware would have stood out a bit more if the chest had been a more vivid colour.
DeleteAsger has grown a lot, and he actually hammered the nails in to keep the hardware in place.
Cheers
Jonas
This is fantastic on many levels Jonas. Great job on the chest, hardware and parenting. Asger did a fine job with the finish and made it his. Doesn't get much better than that!
ReplyDeleteBest,
Greg
Hi Greg.
DeleteThanks for the kind comment. I agree fully on the idea that it doesn't get much better than having a child in the workshop to help you finishing a project.
Asger very quickly took ownership of the project and he is very proud with the result.
In addition to that he likes that this blog has readers from all over the World. So no wonder he is in such a good mood today.
Brgds
Jonas
Very cool, always love it to see the kids involved in the shop... They are the future of our craft. Pretty cool design on the hardware, looks like Batman :-)
ReplyDeleteBob, settling in the hospitality lodge for the week, more radiations for Heather
Hi Bob.
DeleteInvolving kids isn't always easy, because they have a very short span of attention. But finishing or assembling things is always popular because you get instant results.
And as you say they are the future. So if they can relate to the smell of workshop being a pleasant one, then they might find their way back to a workshop when they grow up.
I hope all goes well with Heathers radiation, it is a good thing you have got Rudy to help you in such times.
Lots of thoughts.
Brgds
Jonas
Last weekend I exhibited at a trade show; I noticed that there were only two exhibitors under the age of 48 (my age), one was 25 and the other 39. Most people there were between 5 and 30 years older than myself. Another thing I noticed was that there were very few young people attending the show. Somehow, we need to get the kids interested in crafts instead of electronic gadgets. (All of my 0 kids are involved, which does not help much)
ReplyDeleteHello Johann
DeleteThanks for commenting and sorry for the late reply. December has just started with all that means of arrangements that needs parental participation when the children are of school going age.
Our middle son (13) had told his class that I would be very willing to make a run of small Christmas trees out of wood that they could use as decorations in the classroom. Off course I was happy to do that.
They had put them together on Friday, and I had prepared everything except the sanding, because they only had very limited time for the project. If I could have attended myself I would have let them do the sawing on site instead, but I wasn't sure about what tools they had etc. so I basically made a kit.
I talked to a girl of his class yesterday, and she said that it was fun to build something, so maybe that is one way of getting children interested in woodworking?
I remember attending some evening classes in woodworking from the age of say 10 or so, it was just for one winter season. I haven't seen anything like that offered for years.
I have considered volunteering to teach some classes myself, but given my on/off working schedule, I am not quite sure it will be possible.
Brgds
Jonas
Speaking to what Johann has said, I've noticed the same thing. The strange thing, however, is that at the last show I went to, most of the exhibitors were younger, or at least my age (42 is not young unfortunately) but many of the attendees were well past 50. Is it because folks who are older maybe have more money to spend on things like woodworking tools? Possibly. But I think it's at least in part to kids not entering hobbies such as woodworking until they are older. I am one of those people, as I didn't really start woodworking until I was in my mid 30's.
DeleteIt is a trend that I would like see reversed.
I have never been to a woodworking show. I actually don't know if they exist over here?
DeleteI think that a key to get children interested is to make stuff that they think is interesting. So it is back to the classics like a small wooden boat to use on a pond, or a little keepsake box.
A very good project is to make small houses or structures out of strips, fast progress and you can see the house of your imagination coming together.
I have tried the best I could to make my children interested, but trying not to push them.
Laura is actually quite skilled at the lathe, but being a girl of 15, woodworking and going to the shop with me has somehow lost its attraction. But at least she can always pick it up later if she wants to.
Gustav has turned 13, and though he is capable of making dovetails and working accurately, he has pretty much lost all interest in woodworking in favor of engines, lawn tractors and mopeds. He still has a very fine looking tack box that needs to be completed, but he is just not interested at this point. Hopefully it will return later in life.
Asger is beginning to acknowledge the fact that he can start making a bit more complicated things now, and he still likes working with wood. So he gets all of the woodworking tuition those days.
Looking back on my own childhood, I can see a lot of myself in Gustav. Once mopeds and engines were within reach, woodworking became like "a thing of the past". I still had woodworking in school, but apart from that I didn't do much woodworking.
The engine stuff lasted through engineering school, and when we got our own home, I returned to woodworking, at that time being in my late 20'ies.
So maybe it is a pretty normal thing to take a break from woodworking while being in our teens and twenties?
So I don't think that we should be that concerned over the lack of younger people in woodworking, as long as we make sure the children have learnt it. That way they can return or start to do woodworking if they feel like it later in life.
Brgds
Jonas
I think for those of us who don't woodwork professionally, there is a point when time becomes a factor. Looking back, between the ages of 16-30, I had little free time (or money). I think there is a misconception that younger people have more free time than adults, but it isn't always the case. When I was in my middle 20's, I was engaged to be married, looking to purchase a house, and trying to save any money I can. Now that I am older and "settled" I have a bit more free time and money than I did in the past. And I think that most of us fall into that category.
ReplyDeleteThanks.
Bill
I think your observations are spot on.
DeleteThere is so much happening in peoples lives between 20 and 30, that a lot of leisure activities are put on st. by.
Founding a family is definitely something that takes a lot of commitment, energy and money. So maybe the "woodworking world" should focus more on people in their early 30'ies instead of even younger people?
It seems as that is a more natural starting age, so it would make more sense to try to get that age interested.
Gotta go, there is Christmas calendar on TV (a series of 24 episodes) it is a family event to be watched with the children.
Brgds
Jonas