I’ve heard before from others in the “making” or woodworking communities I’m a little behind the times. I make cigar box guitars when they were totally two years ago. Or I teach developmental woodworking in manner more suited to a different century. So of course, I discover a sweet little hand tool project about aContinue reading “This Week in the Classroom: Gottshall Block Project”
Tag Archives: arts and crafts
This Week in the Shop: Put Your Legs Up On A Little Something (It’s a Stool)
When my grandfather asked for a footstool, I obliged. He’s one of those elder individuals with a he once built a school with his bare hands and then sent his kids across the ocean to come to this land and earn their fortune type of stories. Which means if he asks for a stool, show some respect. Do itContinue reading “This Week in the Shop: Put Your Legs Up On A Little Something (It’s a Stool)”
This Week in the Classroom: Block Printing & Stamps
As my students have become more competent with tools in the past few years (and cripes, does it feel weird to say years…) I’ve gotten the chance to think: what would be really cool to do next? What would be just flat out awesome? Here’s my answer: wood & lino prints designed by the student, for the students work.Continue reading “This Week in the Classroom: Block Printing & Stamps”
This Week in the Classroom: Swingin’ Chalkboard Signs
Here’s a few shots of a project build I did a few months ago. The challenge was to build a recycling container from completely recycled materials. I picked up some nice crepe myrtle branches and immediately saw a V shaped stand with a small basket to collect recyclable goods. To bad we never did finishContinue reading “This Week in the Classroom: Swingin’ Chalkboard Signs”
This Week in the Classroom: The Conversation Bench
Students with autism, people with neurological disorders and people with two eyes and ears and a brain often need a place to talk. For my students with autism, the act of conversation can be harrowing, heartwrenching and terrifying. On a good day. My students often must master sitting in one place, labeling the world withContinue reading “This Week in the Classroom: The Conversation Bench”
This Week in the Classroom: Boomerangs and Chalkboard Slates
Two projects really took off this summer – chalkboard slates and boomerangs. The boomerangs, of course, took off a little bit more. Back in the fall I built a bike barn. It’s more of a third-world shanty, but it housed the bikes and kept them sort of organized. Either way, I picked up a largeContinue reading “This Week in the Classroom: Boomerangs and Chalkboard Slates”
Book Review: One Block of Wood by Nina Tolstrup
This spring, a sweet little book fell into my hands. Nina Tolstrup, an UK designer (she owns studiomama, a design firm). Her projects include lamps, scooters, wall planters, book ends and card holders – all out of One Block of Wood. Ms. Tolstrup’s eye for function and style dovetails nicely with her habits of simplicity. While notContinue reading “Book Review: One Block of Wood by Nina Tolstrup”
This Week in the Classroom: Up-Cycled Shutter Coffee Table
A few shots of the shutter table project. My students & I created these (there were four completed tables) tables using up-cycled window shutters & salvaged fence posts. Finished with spar urethane. Pocket hole joinery throughout.
Making A Makerspace: Top 10 Tools in a Maker’s Classroom (2012)
This year was a big year in the STEaMworks (STEM focus, art driven, work/project centered: the STEaMworks), my self-styled Maker classroom. We (and the Math/Sci Team) built a lot of projects: rockets, rocket cars, derby cars, catapults, simple robots, box-making, bench-making, bridge-building, sail-testing, music making, spirographs, pendulums, 3D prototyping, CAD models, Arduino projects, Alice computerContinue reading “Making A Makerspace: Top 10 Tools in a Maker’s Classroom (2012)”
Build a Bench This Weekend
My very first class for TX/RX Labs (or any other place non-school) is completed. Six students (adult, this time) built benches with me for two half days. We were a little crunched on time, but we stayed late (or showed up early) and completed our benches. I want to thank my students for coming andContinue reading “Build a Bench This Weekend”
WSC Designs 