Author Archives: woodshopcowboy

Gear Review: Groz Planes

In the woodshop today, I spent some quality time with a set of 3 Groz planes.  The block plane (unsure what the Stanley No would be), the Jack Plane and their Jointer.  I’ve been pleased with the results throughout this year.  I sharpen the blades about once a quarter or during long breaks, and whenContinue reading “Gear Review: Groz Planes”

How To Re-Plant Galveston Bay Saltgrass (Wetland Project)

My students and I took a little trip down to Baytown to participate in the harvesting of saltgrass for replanting in the Galveston Bay. The students learned a little about the destruction/erosion of coastal wetlands, such as bays and estuaries.  They learned about the wildlife which depends on coastal wetlands to survive and grow.  WeContinue reading “How To Re-Plant Galveston Bay Saltgrass (Wetland Project)”

This Week in the Classroom: Setting Up the Classroom in Stations

Success in the classroom begins before the students even set foot in the workshop.  Yesterday saw the re-opening of school after a long Spring Break.  My “classroom” looked like this: Let’s take a closer look.  First, a young man has been building and designing a bookshelf over the past quarter.  He’s just getting started sizing stock. Continue reading “This Week in the Classroom: Setting Up the Classroom in Stations”

This Week in the Shop: A Bed Frame

UPDATE:  You can pick up PDF plans for this project at http://www.woodshopcowboy.com.  More plans coming soon! A little over five weeks ago, a plumbing issue at my residence caused a rather large flood.  Since then, my family and I have been staying with relatives.  The workshop has been closed for personal projects until further notice.Continue reading “This Week in the Shop: A Bed Frame”

This Week in the Classroom: What Do Plants Eat? And How Does It Grow Leaves? And Other Teaching Errors

What exactly, is a plant’s food?  And where do the raw elements that make up a tree trunk come from?  Take a moment and think up two answers. I had a student ask these questions on a recent field trip.  The answer given by the speaking biologist to the second question was wrong.  In fact,Continue reading “This Week in the Classroom: What Do Plants Eat? And How Does It Grow Leaves? And Other Teaching Errors”

This Week in the Classroom: The 2×4 Shaving Horse

In preparation for a walkin’ cane project, I built a dirty looking 2×4 shaving horse.  It ain’t named Trigger, though I might name it Jimmy Stewart.  Whenever I think of the description “long face”, I think of Jimmy Stewart. I’ll walk you through my build after the jump…

Teacher Resources: TEDTalks on Education

The TED Talks started in the 1980’s as a Silicon-Valley conference focused on software, technology and design.  Now, it’s the destination for smart hipsters and brilliant researchers, visionaries and experimenters to express their passions and become the circus attraction.  I’ve been watching a few of these talks on and off for a year or so. Continue reading “Teacher Resources: TEDTalks on Education”

This Week in the Shop: Refurbish A Children’s Bike

The 16″ childrens’ bike project has cleared my outbox.  I’m busy in reflection mode with the students, examining all the different parts of our work for ways to improve the product, teaching and quality next time.  I thought the bike itself came out well: If you’ve followed the blog over the past two months, thenContinue reading “This Week in the Shop: Refurbish A Children’s Bike”

This Week In the Classroom: Quadracycle In Progress & DIY Wood Bongo Drums

It’s that time of week again – I’ve had some personal living arrangements wetness and have been living out of a dufflebag and a smile.  Reminds me of college, but at that time I didn’t have two in diapers… At the home workshop, I’ve been banging away. So, in one project, my segmented tube experimentsContinue reading “This Week In the Classroom: Quadracycle In Progress & DIY Wood Bongo Drums”