Kids work from school (Pics)

[richburrow]

Hello, not my turning, time is still against me.

This is some stuff that my year 10s have been doing alongside other projects. The picture quality is not great in all pics but you get the idea.

sycamore

cedar

cheery

cedar

cedar

They all really enjoy turning and most have quite a good touch. Last year I had 8 kids turn a really big bowl between them they put their names in and picked out a winner to take it home.
I am planning to start a lunch time club because I am getting plenty of interest. Just need to get the year 11 coursework out of the way.

I converted this a while ago

Into this, so I can move the lathe between rooms

 

[Paul.J]

Great work Rich
Just goes to show that the interest is there

 

[Bodrighy]

Lucky kids, most schools and colleges don't do wood turning any more....health and safety B... s... I suppose. These kids you have priove that there is an interest and a skill to be tapped. Our club does work with kids with behavioural problems and some have really got into it and joined the club.

pete

 

[CHJ]

Great to see some practical experience coming back into the system Rich, full marks Teach' for taking the time with them.

 

[Jenx]

Well done, Rich .... thats fantastic !

Keep them at it ... thats the 'future' you have there !
And they are making a grand job too ...
thats got to be down in a large part to the teacher... really well done.
Magic to see that :wink: 8) :lol:

 

[Turn It In]

Well done Rich!
It just goes to prove what young people can achieve without the need of computers, its so good to see good craft skills being passed on.
My daughters tell me at their school there is a Union Graduate which is locked off and notices fixed stating it is not to be used. There's probably no one there who knows how to use it anyway!
Keep up the good work I'm 100% behind you and the results speak for themselves, please pass on my congratulations for an excellent result.
Best regards,
Ian

 

[richburrow]

Thanks for all your kind words guys.
I will pass them onto the group, they will appreciate them as well

 

[richburrow]

(Turn it in) Why don't you go in and offer to buy the graduate off the school. You never know you could get a really good price, it will be 3phase but conversion is not too much of a problem.
The good thing about school graduates is they wont have had much hammer, usually just paint work damage and the twiddly bits missing. Ours runs sweet as a nut, and I am going to continue to use it whatever.

The two reasons that graduates are out of bounds in schools are you can open the top cover push down the cut off switch and turn it on, same with the belt change door. Also you can get a belt from the bolt heads on the back of the cut off switch.

Why you would want to do this I have no idea! You could do as much, if not more damage with a steel ruler if you wanted to so where does this end. Kids needs to learn how to manage risk safely and taking all the risk away is not going to solve the problem.

 

[Jenx]

Agree 100% with you there Rich ... the most risky things the kids do, is crossing the road(s) on the walk to school every day .... but for some reason that evades me, some do-gooder somewhere has taken it upon themselves to decide that correctly supervised useage of machinery in a controlled and safe environment, would be beyond the capabilities of todays youth :?

Without 'banging on' about it ad-infinitum, thats the kind of thinking thats ensured we have little or no manufacturing industries left, and everything we buy originates from somewhere considerably further east than Grimsby.... and why every younger person graduating comes out with an "HNC in Modern Studies" :evil:

Your kids stand as a great example of what can be done when common sense prevails ... long may you have the scope and freedom to continue to allow skill, flair and creativity to flourish.
There's hope for us yet !

Again, well done Rich.
Hats off to you 8) 8) 8) 8)

 

[recon]

Absolutely fantastic work.

 

[tekno.mage]

Absolutely great to see kid's turnings. Brilliant that there is still somewhere sensible enough to let them have a go!

tekno.mage

 

[TEP]

I can only echo ALL the above comments Rich.What an example to hold up for the rest of us. =D> =D> =D> =D> =D>

Pass on my compliments to your group as well, they probably don't realise how they stand out in our country today. Hope they all go on to greater things.

 

[tekno.mage]

Kids needs to learn how to manage risk safely and taking all the risk away is not going to solve the problem.

Absolutely right - otherwise we'll end up with a generation that is either too afraid to do anything, or unable to understand/assess risk for themselves.

It's far better to introduce youngsters to potentially dangerous situations (like using machinery) under careful adult supervision, explaining the dangers and teaching them safe preactise, than let them grow up with no experience at all of such things.

tekno.mage

 

[wizer]

Well done kids

I left school 15yrs ago and I don't even think my school had a lathe. We did a bit of woodwork but it was mainly working with plastics which never inspired me. It seemed like we spent most of the year designing things and doing technical drawing and the actual building was an after thought.

The turning club that I attend is in a school and before we start, the kids have their own club. I got there early last week and they have a high attendance. Perhaps things are changing.. ?

 

[mikec]

Have to agree with the above comments Rich, its not the kids its the insanity of this wally world we live in where everyone is assumed to be a moron that can't make judgments.

Leave the kids to get on with it and the results are usually quite surprising, they have much more potential than they are allowed to express.


Sorry its a very sore point with me

Mike C

 

[Bob Chapman]

I know where these comments are coming from and I agree with what's been said - about 80% worth. The other 20% asks how many kids there are in Rich's school, and are there any guarantees that there is not at least one of them who acts like a maniac and doesn't give a toss for his own safety or the safety of others. The sort of kid who will immediately do what you've just told him not to, simply because you told him not to. Even worse, he may be the sort of kid who will bully some other poor s*d into doing the dangerous.

I think this is why the protection is needed, not for the sane and sensible 99% of kids in schools, so I wouldn't get rid of it. I admire what Rich is doing and know that he must have eyes in the back of his head. I'm very glad he thinks it worthwhile and I'm very sure that the kids will benefit from the effort he is making.

Bob

 

[frugal]

I know where these comments are coming from and I agree with what's been said - about 80% worth. The other 20% asks how many kids there are in Rich's school, and are there any guarantees that there is not at least one of them who acts like a maniac and doesn't give a toss for his own safety or the safety of others. The sort of kid who will immediately do what you've just told him not to, simply because you told him not to. Even worse, he may be the sort of kid who will bully some other poor s*d into doing the dangerous.

It looks like they only have one lathe (and it is on a mobile base), so at least the it makes it easier for Rich to keep an eye on it.

 

[mrs. sliver]

Good on yer Rich!! =D>
Stuff already said goes from me too!
I don't mean this in a sexist way, because a turner, is a turner is a turner! male or female makes no odds to me. But, I just wondered about the approximate ratio boy-girl that showed an interest in taking part at that age?
I was in the first group of girls in our school to be allowed to do woodwork and metal work (that shows my age!!) and only three or four of us took it on.
So do girls show any more interest now? or less?

 

[richburrow]

Hello all
Bob / your points are valid, it is a fairly small school but we do have our share of nutters. Less than my last job in inner city Notts, however I did turning there as well, not as much granted. The groups that have done this work are ok (the odd nutter, but nothing serious.)

When I have turning in a lesson I always have another main project (bench based) going on at the same time. I set the whole group off on that and take two kids at a time to turn (we have the record you can see and a graduate.)
The mirrors work well because in two lessons you can get about six kids finished. A few always want to stay in at break or lunch to get more done.

The girls are very keen, they enjoy the turning more than the flat work as a rule. In the year 10 group out of 15 kids I have 3 girls and in year 11 I have 17 in the group and 4 girls.

I had a crack at a Yew off cut today at lunchtime, didn't turn out very well (D-), I will try harder tomorrow :lol:

 

[richburrow]

This was done by a year 9 lad in his lunch times, took him about five sessions and he finished it today. This is the lad whose dad bought him lathe after he turned a mirror in lesson time. I think I have mentioned him in the shed sessions thread.

I have a few more pics from some other lads and a member of staff on my school cpu, I will get them home soon.

Mountain ash / Danish oil