Good planing video

[Ken S]

This morning I found a very interesting video o bench height and planing technique. It was one of a number of good videos by Paul Sellers. I learned some things from it, and think it would be informative for the woodworkers on the forum.
Google "paul sellers bench height and planing technique" and it is easily located.

Ken

[SharpOp]

Very good video.  Thanks!

Every high-school kid in shop class ought to learn this thoroughly at least six months before s/he ever touches a power tool (says one of the grumpy old guys).

[Ken S]

I remember woodshed class as being project oriented. I spent the year working with the lathe and learned no other basic skills that I remember. Not a good long term educational plan.

another grumpy old guy

[Elden]

   That is interesting.
   I remember my oldest brother talking about a class he was in. I think it may have been an agricultural class, it could have been a wood working class. Their project was to cut a board to a finished size of one foot square or similar size. The cutting was to be done with a hand saw. The instructor would check to see if the cuts were square all directions. The project was not completed until all was square. He said they spent several days working at that before they discovered the wood rasps! The instructor remained in the classroom at his desk where he could not see them. My brother figured the instructor had probably been laughing at them and wondering how long it would take them to find the rasps.

[Ken S]

Sadly, I believe a lot of woodshop class is a missed opportunity. Often the woodshop instructor also taught metal shop, photography, and who knows what else. My only exposure to woodworking in school was in seventh and eighth grades. I do not remember any full class instruction, only working at the lathe turning salad forks for a school fair. I do not recall learning anything about layout, sharpening or proper hand tool use.

I was fortunate enough as an adult to live where I could take classes at the Conover Workshop in Parkman, Ohio. Today there are many learning opportunities available. The Internet has provided much instruction at no or little cost. Either for purchase or through libraries (including inter library loan), many very good books are available. Video technology has made DVD instruction a viable option. We have debated the role of face to fave instruction versus electronic teaching. I firmly support classroom and one to one instruction with a good teacher when available. For me, the limitation of direct instruction is not being able to review the lecture at a later date. I have reviewed my class notes from classes many years ago. This is helpful, but not the same as being able to watch a video or take the class again.

As I recently posted, I am continuing to learn from DVDs such as those by Steve Bottorff and Leonard Lee. I learn more from each new watching.

Much can be learned from this forum, both from current posts and researching past topics. This process would be easier if we had a solid industrial arts background from our school days.

Ken

[SharpOp]

This process would be easier if we had a solid industrial arts background from our school days.

Indeed.  And I really think it should be part of elementary & secondary education for most kids.

Having been steered toward "academic" classes throughout school, it was rather a shock to the system to discover that I had no idea how to competently read a ruler, much less make a square cut with a handsaw, when I found myself needing to earn a living as an apprentice carpenter.  Luckily, there were skilled and generous people around to help me learn before I starved. ;^)

I know we now live in a society where all kids are supposed to grow up to be doctors, lawyers and investment bankers, but the world doesn't really work that way and it would be a good idea for a little exposure to tool using (which differentiates us from most other species) to be part of our basic training for youth.

[Ken S]

Excellent comments, Doug.

I spent thirty five years installing and troubleshooting telephone, data and related circuits. In talking with customers, I noticed that I had no trouble explaining the problems to other people who repaired things. It didn't matter if the other person repaired vacuum cleaners, diesel trucks or whatever. There seemed to be a set of common diagnostic skills one develops in troubleshooting. Even in retirement, I still think this way. (I knew the emergency room physician was faced with a "no trouble found" situation when examining me, but was supposed to come up with a diagnosis. Personally, I would have preferred an honest "no trouble found" or "came clear while working". My point is I see medical tests in the same light as telephone circuit tests or diesel engine tests.)

We have become so narrowly focused on test performance that we often forget that education is life preparation.I don't expect schools to teach students how to install or troubleshoot a telephone circuit. I don't expect the schools to teach students how to prepare a gourmet meal, sew an outfit, construct a corporate budget, or build a Queen Anne highboy. I do think the students should have enough basic background to accomplish simple tasks and be able to intelligently consult more advanced books or online training. Young people should learn basic installation and troubleshooting. Even today's prefab furniture requires some basic assembly. Without some troubleshooting sense, how does one know if the new two hundred dollar computer gizmo is defective or whether the problem is just a cord or a defective receptacle?

To return to a Tormek context, the user needs more than just a quick run through. Steve's new DVD addresses these issues for knives and scissors. Jeff Farris' turning tool DVD covers the ground in that area. We still have some big gaps. I am not a carver,  however, I do not see extensive training for carving tools available (please correct me if I am mistaken). I have not seen anyone post about successfully sharpening planer blades. I would like to be mistaken in this. I do not believe the problem is the jig itself. I would welcome more extensive training in using the planer jig.

We live in a marketing world. That is not bad in itself. I remember a sales teacher many years ago making the comment that good sales is good education. If one teaches the customer how to use the product and the customer decides it is in his interest to purchase the product, he will do so. Hopefully the Tormek marketing department will decide to provide more in depth training, such as Steve has done with Sharpening School.

Ken

[Herman Trivilino]

Sadly, learning to use tools is becoming a lost art to all but those who seek out instruction or get it at home.

It used to be that getting a bachelor degree in physics required mastery in the use of a machine shop. That was before my time, though.

[Ken S]

One of my favorite places to visit is Greenfield Village near Detroit. Greenfield is part of the Henry Ford Museum. For technology buffs it is a delightful working museum. The 1918 vintage machine shop is not only an exhibit, it is the maintenance shop for the facility. If the Thomas Edison, the resident steam locomotive, needs a new rod or other part, volunteers machine one on site.

Menlo Park, Thomas Edison's lab, is also reconstructed here. Many people do not realize that Tom was not a basement inventor. He had twenty seven men working in his machine shop. Edison once showed the head of his machine shop a small hand drawing and offered to pay him a hundred dollars if he could make a machine from that drawing in a few days. He did, and today we know that machine as the phonograph. This would not have been possible without considerable knowledge and skill.

Edison also employed many skilled tradesmen, including mathematicians.

If anyone plans to successfully operate a sharpening business, or any business, and charge premium prices for premium work, that person must be able to fully explain why those rates are justified by superior work. That is not possible without an in depth knowledge of the product.

Edison, Ford and Westinghouse all were trained machinists.

Ken

[Rob]

I fear its way worse than just excluding machining skills from degree courses.  I have 2 boys aged 11 and 9 and the peer pressure to spend time online gaming is considerable. If we, as parents don't exercise considerable resistance and manage their time gaming, modern children may in fact hardly ever venture outside let alone learn any practical skills.  Parents that have neither the will nor the intellect to manage their childrens activity are helping to strangle off any creativity in terms of manipulating materials or give any kind of head start in practical skills.  Computers have brought significant benefit to mankind, gaming for children is not one I count amongst them!

[Herman Trivilino]

Computers have brought significant benefit to mankind, gaming for children is not one I count amongst them!

In most cases that's probably true. As long as the gaming time is limited I suppose it can teach valuable skills.

[Ken S]

My nine year old grandson is very computer literate. I encourage this, however, it does seem that he spends a lot of time with games.

Ken