Wood Shop in High School

I’d let him continue to build as he wants to. Everyone has to start somewhere and it sounds like he’s only just started woodworking. I’d see if this is a hobby he sticks with before trying to get him to learn something new.

sounds like they need to get a better woodshop teacher if thats all he knows how to do.thats like going to cooking school and you ask the teacher how to make a cake from scratch and they say thats too hard open the box-lol.

-- working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.

I can understand not wanting to use very time consuming joinery with HS students. They might only have a couple of class periods to do a project.

I do think it’s worth learning about them, or at least some easier variation (tongue and groove or something for panels, maybe), but I’m not going to second-guess someone from afar on it.

Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach.

An extension of that which I came up with when I was working in engineering at a major aerospace firm was: Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach. Those who can’t teach work in QA.

-- Half of what we read or hear about finishing is right. We just don’t know which half! — Bob Flexner

Those who can, do. Those who can t, teach.

An extension of that which I came up with when I was working in engineering at a major aerospace firm was: Those who can, do. Those who can t, teach. Those who can t teach work in QA.

- Rich

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! Printing a screen cap and going to see my buddies in QA right now :-))

-- Kenny, SW VA, Go Hokies!!!

My guess is that the wood shop teacher never have the students long enough to really show details. So either he doesn’t need to know more difficult joinery, or figures it too time consuming. Your son probably wants to stick with the shop teacher because of less pressure than working with dad. School wood shop is basically for striking up interest in wood working.

-- Daniel, Pontiac, MI

My guess is that the wood shop teacher never have the students long enough to really show details. So either he doesn t need to know more difficult joinery, or figures it too time consuming. Your son probably wants to stick with the shop teacher because of less pressure than working with dad. School wood shop is basically for striking up interest in wood working.

- Brawler

very true i had better tools at home so i never went past the beginner class-lol.

-- working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.

I think building a dog bowl holder with screws is fine. I would screw that sucker together too but I’m not really sentimental. I recently built 2 end tables using pocket screws for the aprons, and I painted the bases, they’ll be around long after I’m dead because every woman who sees them, loves them. And since the bases are painted, they can be repainted to match any room. If the wife loves the furniture, it will stay around. If she hates it, it’s going to go regardless of joinery. Pocket screws are just screws and have been around longer than any of us, not some radical new thing. Every door in your house is attached with screws and nothing gets abused more than doors. The other nice thing about screws is they are easy to repair. If one strips out, jam a toothpick in there and screw it back in, no specialized knowledge required. If a M&T comes loose (which they shouldn’t because everyone pins their tenons), chances are it will get fixed with a screw, a nail, or go to the dump unless the person is a woodworker. That said, all my other tables were built with (pinned) m&t joinery because it’s a stronger joint and they were nicer tables but most furniture is not meant to be heirlooms. My point being is that I don’t care if someone builds something with screws, it doesn’t offend me.

As for the IA teacher, I don’t know the situation. Just because he showed one guy how to use pocket hole screws doesn’t mean that’s how he teaches his class, it just means he didn’t want to be bothered teaching this person other joinery. If you are concerned, contact the teacher and talk to them directly. You might change his outlook or might learn his reasons.

-- Rick M, http://thewoodknack.blogspot.com/

I agree that there is limited time for a high school teacher to teach advanced techniques. In the high school here, however, they not only teach some of those techniques but make the space available for very complicated projects. I took an evening class there myself and found the equipment exceptionally good (a little beat up) but very complete.

It was not unheard of for a student to build a grandfather clock. I’m sure those projects require a few after hours sessions but those special instructors are out there.

Those who can t teach work in QA.

- Rich

Priceless.

James, would you have had the same reaction if the teacher only taught M&T?

Nothing wrong with pocket holes.

There is all sorts of “Woodworking”. People get too bent out of shape about different ways of doing things.

Personally, I enjoy the fast pace environment of what I do. The challenge of competing against a market dominated by imports. Finding ways to build things faster and better. It’s still “Woodworking”. Just a different type.

Others loathe what I don’t, prefer to really take their time and make an heirloom.

Neither is wrong.

You’r Righ CWW. And yes, I would be upset if ALL they taught was mortise and tenon. And as I said, there’s nothing wrong with pocket screws, and I use them myself occasionally. But what got me was his comment that M &T are way too hard and all he has ever used were pocket screws. Granted, his time with students is limited, but what about the students who are quick learners and want to move beyond. I don’t think this shop teacher has the capacity to teach them or at least expose them to other methods.

-- Jg, Pittsburgh

I took a woodshop class in high school 45 yrs ago. If I remember they only taught rabbit and dado joints, but explained the other joints, but not how to make the other joints. they graded use on what we did and not the projects we chose. Time was a big issue, cause once you pulled out the project at the start of class, the Classroom hour was over before you really did anything. 95% of us in the class took the uncompleted project home to complete when the coarse was over. I think most kids never complete the uncompleted project that they end up taking home. I know I didn’t. To most kids, I think they take shop is so they don’t have to take Math, Social Studies or English courses.

You’r Righ CWW. And yes, I would be upset if ALL they taught was mortise and tenon. And as I said, there’s nothing wrong with pocket screws, and I use them myself occasionally. But what got me was his comment that M &T are way too hard and all he has ever used were pocket screws. Granted, his time with students is limited, but what about the students who are quick learners and want to move beyond. I don’t think this shop teacher has the capacity to teach them or at least expose them to other methods.

- James Gallo

i agree james, time is always the case in school classes but when a student comes with an interest the least the teacher could have done was show him the process of making a mortise and tenon and explained time wouldn’t allow it rather than brush it off as too hard.kids are hard enough to motivate teachers shouldn’t discourage the ones that want to learn.

-- working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.

Problem may be that the teacher doesn’t know well enough how to do a M&T joint to do it himself, much less teach it. Shop teachers are often versed in many areas, Wood, Metal, leather, etc., but proficient in few or none of them. They would probably be great handymen but not the best choice to make or even fix furniture. The teacher for the shop class I took in 8th grade was terrible.

-- Nathan, TX -- Hire the lazy man. He may not do as much work but that's because he will find a better way.