If you are in the market for a 7-1/4″ circular saw for light homeowner use, I don’t see any reason not to buy a SKIL 5480. It’s cheap, durable construction, dead simple set-up and with a decent saw guide, can create clean cuts all day long. The hard plastic casing has held up to three years of abuse, the metal foot plate hasn’t rusted and kept its smooth action. It has a metal blade guard. It’s big enough to get the job done. Buy it. Skip the laser.
The 5480. Simple, clean, simple.
Filed under Tool Review, Workshop
Indeed “play” and “hard work” are not opposites: in fact, they can be seen as synonyms. Anyone who has ever played hard also knows how to work hard. There may be aspects of our play that we dislike, that are not “fun,” but we do them because they are steps in the process we are teaching ourselves, the challenge we are undertaking. And young children tend to play hard, throwing themselves wholly into it, immersing themselves into it as they see fit, to the degree they feel comfortable, up to the point of their interest, until their driving questions are answered.And this is where [others] tend to interject: Ah, but what about the hard work of doing things they don’t want to do? How do you teach them that through play?The short answer is: you don’t.
I have tried for weeks to say this better than Teacher Tom. I haven’t succeeded yet. Check his blog out. If I had the chance to move to Seattle and send my kid to him, I would in a heartbeat.
Filed under Education, Outdoor & Environmental, Teaching Philosophies
As I’ve hinted at in earlier posts, I’ve officially moved my home shop (the Magic Shop, as I tend to call it) to my new home in suburban Texas. The move took nearly seven days to complete – two to three to move and another two or three for set-up. I’m very happy with the results.
Two new additions to the Magic Shop this move – I’ve hacked apart my workbench/router table to create a bandsaw/router combo bench. I’ve also made a moveable stand for my planer. By designing the stand around my bandsaw/router table, I can use the bandsaw/router table as a outfeed table to boot.
Make it safe & keep the rubber side down this week.
Filed under This Week In the Shop, Workshop
My wife bought a beautiful used Craftsman couch for the new house. Unfortunetely, the previous owner had two young boys. Boys, as any parent knows, have an instinctual hatred of nice things. My parents used to run around my house yelling “this is why we can’t have nice things” at random intervals throughout my childhood life. Often, I would not actually be engaging in destructive behavior, but they thought judicious over-use of the saying would compel me into good behavior.
I am now the father of two young boys. I believe they didn’t yell that enough at me! I got off easy!
Anyways, the couch came with a busted back support. Here’s a slideshow showing the repair I made.
Filed under Workshop, This Week In the Shop
Thirteen pencils began the day, thirteen pencils ended the day. A new record!
Filed under Classroom Project, This Week In the Classroom
Brrrm brm brm brm brm brm brm, brrrm b’ brrrm,
Brrrm brm brm brm brm brm brrrm b’ brrrm,
Brrrm brm brm brm brm brm brrrm b’ brrrm.
Brrrm brm brm brm brm brm brrrm.Take me riding in the car, car;
Take me riding in the car, car;
Take you riding in the car, car;
I’ll take you riding in my car.— The Car Song, Woody Guthrie
When I’m not being a father or husband or woodworking, motorcycling, teaching, or any host of other things, I’ve been known to engage in miniature wargaming. For those not in the know, think green army men on steroids. Or Dungeons and Dragons on the battlefield. Or…
Here's a shot of the starting point for Probability Dungeon Crawl
Anyways, I have two students which need to learn fractions and probability at the fifth/six/seventh grade level. My hook: Probability Dungeon Crawl. With miniatures.
Rules after the jump….
Filed under Classroom Project, Education, This Week In the Classroom
…if we only let it. I’m lucky. Most of the time, my school walks this walk and talks this talk. I hope your’s does too.
How do you transform factory era school systems so that they better serve the needs of an information age society? You don’t do it by being timid.
Unlike most school reformers floating ‘tweak-the-status-quo’ proposals these days (let’s test kids more! let’s get rid of a few teachers! let’s make school longer! let’s lecture better!), the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents (CAPSS) decided to swing for the fences:
Filed under Education, Teaching Philosophies, Teaching Strategies
About a week ago, this blog surpassed 10000 visits. With this post, WoodshopCowboy also surpassed 100 posts – thanks for your time & support! It’s been a blast.
Filed under Education
