Hope for the next gen?

[dragoneggs]

Trying to keep a long story short... my son who hasn't taken to DIY much, and the enjoyment of tools until recently... said, "Dad, you want to take a Lathe shop class?".

With my son at 30 years old, I thought there was no hope for my tools after I pass... but now I think there is!

 

[mddorange]

I know exactly what you mean.

When I was young I was taught that if I couldn't fix it myself, it wasn't going to get fixed. Over the years I accumulated a lot of tools.

Later on, I worked in IT and taught my son the trade knowing it was a good career to be in. Now he works in IT and says his time is to valuable to get his hands dirty and pays someone else to fix everything.

 

[Wagtail]

It's maturity on your son's behalf. Confidence too, for that matter... and you've led by example.

Good stuff Mate.

A number of years ago I was perusing a "Community College" course catalogue (in the Navy, but Shore Based at the time) when I saw a course on "Art/Stained Glass" working. I'd never even considered how to work with glass, let alone how to design & make a window (caming was involved). I took the class and picked up a skill and, more importantly, knowledge.

Lathe work is artistry in its own right.

Here in Aus we have a community organisation called "The Men's Shed"... it's a workshop fitted out with woodworking and welding tools and equipment for anyone to use and learn how to make things. A great 'bonding' place for the blokes in small/medium and large towns.

 

[oosik]

My son gave up trying to fix everything with a hammer. Now, he just borrows my tools. It's no wonder I have two of everything and he's starting to get a nice supply of tools.

 

[dieselcrawler]

My oldest boy (18yo) is really smart, top of his classes, but little mechanical inclination. However, he wants his Jeep worked on, I refuse to 'just do it' for him, but continually tell him to get started and I'll help him all I can... but he's doing it, getting dirty, turning the wrenches, finding tools, cleaning up... and it's working. More often he tackles the latest issue on his own. Next on his list is a lift kit... *grin* I remember those days!

Sad how many just don't care to learn, and simply have no mechanical clue.

 

[Alan W.]

dragoneggs, congrats on the invite from your son.
Who cares if he is 30 he wants to do something mechanical with you. Enjoy.

My son has been just the opposite. Started scattering my tools at a young age. He is getting ready to start his second year of industrial maintenance schooling. But he would die first before taking a class with me.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

My son gave up trying to fix everything with a hammer. Now, he just borrows my tools. It's no wonder I have two of everything and he's starting to get a nice supply of tools.

Hmm. I still have some of my Dad's old Craftsman wrenches that I borrowed nearly 60 years ago.

 

[Big Barn]

It’s great your son wants to do something together, Mark.

Irrelevant what it is IMO.

 

[RNeumann]

If your son isn’t into tools and shop stuff that is OK. If passing your tools and some of your knowledge along (leave a legacy) is important to you I’d seek out other relatives or friends that would benefit and appreciate it.
I hope the shop class is something you can enjoy together but I’m thinking it isn’t going to turn out as you dream. This, of course, is OK. We all have different passions.....not everyone wants to be an engineer!

 

[3930dave]

Trying to keep a long story short... my son who hasn't taken to DIY much, and the enjoyment of tools until recently... said, "Dad, you want to take a Lathe shop class?".

With my son at 30 years old, I thought there was no hope for my tools after I pass... but now I think there is!

Sounds like fun DE !

Back in the olden days (mine), Shop was a common elective in most High Schools up here.... probably same USA side, back when. Did your son have any chance to take Shop (not deriding your personal teaching skills ) at school ?

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

Here in Aus we have a community organisation called "The Men's Shed"... it's a workshop fitted out with woodworking and welding tools and equipment for anyone to use and learn how to make things. A great 'bonding' place for the blokes in small/medium and large towns.

You still have real gas cans down there, and you get to publicly refer to something as The Men's Shed ?

Wow - I'm hoping it's easy for Canadians to immigrate !

(Sorry about the 'jack DE).

Rgds, D.

 

[oosik]

Back in the "day" my High School had wood shop & metal shop. I signed up for metal shop. I was "advised" that a shop class was not what was needed to get into college. Sooo...... I signed up for Chemistry. What a shame. I really wanted to take metal shop.

 

[MossRoad]

Trying to keep a long story short... my son who hasn't taken to DIY much, and the enjoyment of tools until recently... said, "Dad, you want to take a Lathe shop class?".

With my son at 30 years old, I thought there was no hope for my tools after I pass... but now I think there is!

Good for the two of you. :thumbsup:

My dad and I didn't spend a lot of time together, but he would often bring me home pieces of machinery from the city dump, and we'd take it apart to see how it worked. :laughing:

Most interesting thing I think he ever brought home was a mechanical traffic-light controller. I'd hook up all kinds of batteries and flashlight bulbs, speakers, radios, etc... to it and make it do all kind of stuff.

Curiosity and the want to question how everything works is probably the biggest gift my father gave me. Thanks Pops!

 

[MossRoad]

Back in the "day" my High School had wood shop & metal shop. I signed up for metal shop. I was "advised" that a shop class was not what was needed to get into college. Sooo...... I signed up for Chemistry. What a shame. I really wanted to take metal shop.

I went to Catholic high school. We didn't have any shop classed available. It was all college prep. Fortunately, there was a physics teacher that started an electronics class that I took as an elective for a year. I really enjoyed it. I always thought I wanted to be an English teacher. So after high school, I went to college to become an English teacher. Once I figured out I hated the politics of academia, I quit college and went to technical school, got two associate degrees in electronics, and that served me well. Won't go into my entire work career. I feel technical school should be promoted more to young people. College is not for everyone, and there should be no stigma associated with choosing technical school over college. I remember being made to feel uncomfortable by some people when I was deciding to quit college to go to tech school. I still see it to this day.

 

[Big Barn]

I grew up on the farm and I spent pretty much every day of my life working with my dad until the day he died.

It still wasn’t enough time .....

 

[Wagtail]

You still have real gas cans down there, and you get to publicly refer to something as The Men's Shed ?

Wow - I'm hoping it's easy for Canadians to immigrate !

(Sorry about the 'jack DE).

Rgds, D.

G'day Dave. Yep to both (and, if you need to use ethanol petrol, it's sugar cane based! Regular petrol is readily available though so why would you?).

That's not to say that women can't join. Official Site of Tasmanian Men's Shed Association.

Immigration's not that difficult as long as you can contribute to the country... Heck, the only real difference between Canada & Aus is driving on the other side of the road, the flora & fauna.

 

[fried1765]

You still have real gas cans down there, and you get to publicly refer to something as The Men's Shed ?

Wow - I'm hoping it's easy for Canadians to immigrate !

(Sorry about the 'jack DE).

Rgds, D.

"The Men's Shed"???

That would definitely bring out the politically correct police here in the USA.
We don't even have "manholes" anymore......they are now called "mechanical holes"

Soon the word "woman" will need to be changed.
Got to eliminate the "man" part of that word.
Maybe just.... "wo".... instead???

Oh......I actually do have an even better idea!

 

[Gunny]

You two should do it. I'd welded for years, wasn't very good at it and the results were far from pretty, but the welds held (usually).
Then one night the youngest stepson was talking about taking a welding class at the local community college, so I signed up with him and it was a blast! And I learned how to weld things the right way, but the best part was the time spent with the kid.

 

[Tomtint]

I don't have kids..but do have nephews. They don't want to get dirty. I have offered to hire them for summer and weekends when they were in school...no takers. Thy would rather play on a computer.

 

[dnw64]

Even if this apparent late bloom turns out to be nothing but a flash in the pan, the time spent together is something you won't regret.

I am thankful that my son (also 30) wants to spend time with me. We have lunch together every Thursday and communicate frequently in between, mostly about projects he or I have going on.

He tackles projects I wouldn't dream of, such as putting a Ford 5.0 motor in his BMW, making his own epoxy countertops, and is now preparing to tear apart his 60 year old Massey backhoe so replace the rear main seal. And he doesn't have any training other than working with me on small projects around the house and garage - he just researches as much as he can and dives in.