Workbench for our kids

[EddieWalker]

Steph and I thought it would be fun to give the kids there own set of tools and a place to use them. The tool part was easy, figureing out where to put a workbench took some creative thinking.

I figured I could move a few things around and give them the space under my workbench. I bought some wheels and started cutting scrap wood.

The kids were very exited about this and wanted to help out.

Eddie

 

[EddieWalker]

I had an extra vise laying around and wanted to put it on there bench. The bench had to be a certain height for it to be usable, which put the vise too tall to fit under my workbench.

I cut out a piece of the bench top and reinforced things. Than I put on some hinges and drilled a hole for a piece of half inch pipe to support the vice. Pull the pipe and the vice drops down. Lift the vice and slide the pipe under it, and you have a solid work station.

Eddie

 

[EddieWalker]

Now that they have a place to build things, they got right to it!!!

Eddie

 

[BB_TX]

Nice work Eddie. Looks like they will have some fun times with it. It is always great to see parents so involved with the kids.

 

[AlanB]

Toooooo Ccoooooolllll

Looks great Eddie, I really like the vice.

 

[dooleysm]

Safety glasses and no shoes, I love it!

 

[tommu56]

Eddie
Take it from one with 3 girls and one son lock up your tools!

I finally bought them each a small set for Christmas one year that slowed down the exitus. I still get their major repiars (engine and transmission and trouble shooting and electrical), but they all can do oil / grease tire changes and front brakes.

My son is in the service and fuled the diesel generator last week with water (He says can wasnt marked) he scrounged up the tools to drain fuel system and bleed injectors and had never done it before the Captin said were did he learn to do that he said from watching my father, another proud father moment!

tommu56

 

[Bird]

they all can do oil / grease tire changes and front brakes

Yep, when my girls were teenagers, they had to demonstrate that they could change a tire before they were allowed to drive by themselves. And they learned to change oil & filter and do the other routine maintenance.

 

[midlf]

Yep, when my girls were teenagers, they had to demonstrate that they could change a tire before they were allowed to drive by themselves. And they learned to change oil & filter and do the other routine maintenance.

One of my SO's major burns is that after she got her license and before she was allowed use of the car she had to rotate the tires to prove she could change one. By the time her youngest sister (3rd down the line and 6 years younger) got her license the folks just gave her a AAA card.

Interesting followup. One of the SO's nieces came over when she got her first car and asked for us to show her how to do maintenence and minor repairs on her car. And later with the next car, to teach her how to drive stick.

 

[schmism]

anyone else think its ironic that the kid wears plastic safty glasses while useing a hand saw the probibliy predates the invention of plastic safty glasses?

looks like they are enjoying it.

 

[EddieWalker]

They wear the saftey gear more as dress up than any real saftey issue. Hard hat, gloves and the goggles switch from kid to kid wether they are doing anything or not. Sometime the 6 year old will put on his bycicle helmit and wear it all day. He's even discovered it on his head down at the lake site while were on a hike and not realize it was there until that moment.

The tools are theirs and not very expensive. I'd rather thay dug in the dirt with a cheepy screwdriver, than one I need. The idea is to give them a place to work that is there own, and for me to give them guidance in how things go together. Once they get comfortable with turning ideas into reality, the sky's the limit. hahaha

Eddie

 

[AlanB]

I think you are right on the money Eddie.

I always want my kids wearing the proper safety equipment, makes it easy to spot my son when the neighborhood kids are all out on their bikes, he is the only one with a helmet on.

And as too the tools, we do the same, everybody has theirs, although the worst is the DW for taking my stuff and doing the "wrong" thing with it. I almost cried when she was pounding a 3 point pin out of the tractor using my $75 Snap-on ratcheting extended screwdriver. Now she buys her own at the cheapie tool store.

 

[gemini5362]

I made my sons learn to work on cars when they were growing up. My new wifes son had never worked on cars in his life. ( He is in his 20's) He came to visit us and needed new brakes so I told him I would teach him how to change the pads. We jacked up the car and I showed him how to replace disc pads then I put the wheel back on and let the car down. I had him jack up the other side and do it by himself with some guidance from me. When he was done I started putting tools away and let him put the wheel back on and let the jack down. I warned him to make sure the lug nuts were on tight when he got done. Evidently tight to me and to him are two different things.
His mom called me and told me that he had called her and said that on his way home his car was vibrating very bad and it had not done that before. I immediately called him to see where he was and found out that he had just gotten home (about 2 hours drive) I had him go look at the wheel he had put on to see if the lug nuts were on it. He looked and told me that they were loose. Luckily the wheel did not come off and it only cost him 250.00 for a new wheel and to have new lug bolts put on. He now knows what I mean when I say make sure the lug nuts are on tight.

 

[EddieWalker]

Alan,

Thanks. The kids are still pretty good about not touching my tools, or asking permission first. Steph is another storry. I've found tools in the kitchen several times that she forgot to put back. Oh well. hahaha

Gemini,

I bet he won't forget that lesson. I showed Steph how to change a tire and even had her do it on her own. So far, she only seems to get flats here at the house just before work and I get to fix them. hahaha

We've replaced all her Goodyear tires and that problem seems to have been taken care of. But if she does get a flat someplace, she should be able to take care of it if she has to. We'll see.

Eddie

 

[BTDT]

Did you know you had a deer in your garage? Ain't country living great.

 

[EddieWalker]

Hey BTDT,

Here's a better picture of that deer. It's an Axis deer that I shot on a hunting ranch near Austin about 6 or 7 years ago. His horns are 32 inches long and a real good trophy for that species. The neat thing about Axis deer is they keep there spots there entire lives and the majority of them are hard antlered in June. They are unusual in the deer world because they do not have a specific breeding time of the year. No rut like every other species. Most of the females come into heat in June and July, but some will be in heat every month of the year. As a result, most of the bucks are hard antlered in June and July, but there will always be bucks with hard antlers year round!!!

This picture is one I took for fun a few years ago. I took him off his stand and put him in the bushes to make it look like a wild Axis buck.

Eddie