Sergie's Entertainment Center

 Sergie has been an amazing student to have in class.  He created this beautiful entertainment center and did it with very little help.  I would tell him what to do next, and he would do it (everything seemed intuitive to him).  

Rolling Cart

It's always good for the students to build something nice, but it's even better when they build something meaningful.  With that in mind I always try to pick instructional models that will have some value in the end.  The most recent model I chose this rolling cart with a food grade chopping surface(a kitchen cart).  As the students and I built it our original intent was to build it and raffle it in our community as a fund raiser for the shop program.  Now that its finished the students are a little attached to it, and I believe it may find a permanent home in the school as our main digital media cart. 

Welding Shop Remodel

The welding shop is scheduled for some capital improvements in the next 2 year, but some of the things just can't wait.  This semesters welding class decided to take on a few of the upgrades that we had been talking about.  We still really want to paint the floor, but that will come with time (maybe a summer project)

The flash curtains were originally installed with zip-ties that would often break.

We fixed that with rivets and washers!

The tool cabinets really need some attention (reorganization). 

So we took some of the tools that are used most often and moved them to a central location.

Before

After

 The material rack needed more rungs for metal, but we are also planning to build our stock cutting bench right on the rack.

Last but not least we built a new working bench near the welding bays.

It's far from being done, but it is much better than it was and the students are really excited about what they did for the shop. 

The New Cutting Bench

The students and I are always working to make the shop better.  One of the things we were always fighting with was our old cutting table.  The surface was getting very beat up, it wasn't wide enough, it didn't go to the wall so all the sawdust fell behind, and the miter-saw sat on top of the table in the way of the radial arm saw.  Generally no good. 

well, when they remodeled the library at the school I snagged some of the old cabinets and counter tops.  This is what we did with them! 

We're back to work with a fresh crew

The Dune Buggy is often the first project to get set aside to complete other more important things, but we keep plugging away at it as we have spare time.  Well the students this year have vowed that they will be the ones to finish it.  The new crew has made a prioritized list of things that need to be done, ordered most of the remaining parts and even planned some great improvements to the design.  Now if we can just find the time to finish it. 

ATV Trailer

Well it has been a busy year, and I don't always get a chance to update the blog.  I'm going to try to do a series of brief entries to bring everyone up to date. Last year the Welding/ Fabrications class decided to assemble an atv trailer to raffle off as a fundraiser. The process was completed amongst other activities and lessons but turned out to be a great product and raffled well making good money for the program.

The Blanket Trunk

During my woods class, I built a blanket chest. Which is made out of plywood. It was two feet wide, two feet high and three feet long with a skirt at the bottom. I started out by cutting my eight by four piece of plywood, to make my six pieces. Then, I think I did more sanding then anything else. When working with plywood you have to be kind of cautious because of all the layers. Plus, it chips really easily. I had fun, even though I was always getting slivers. Those hurt!! The most difficult part is when I was trying to put it together, because it never wanted to stay together... I used fingered joints, I thought they were going to be an easy way to get it done fast. I guess I was wrong because it took me almost half a year to make it. I also got some nice gold pieces of hardware for the hinges and lock in the front. After staining it with a natural cedar, I let it dry and brought it home…finally. I still wish to this day that I would have put something on it to cover up the smell of the natural cedar. Anyways, I had fun on it, and will soon have more articles on other projects of mine!!

Stephannie Miller

The Go Kart is Gett'n Done!

Well, I know it's taking a while but the go kart is nearly done. We've had so many project going that it's hard to get them all done. Some day the monster will roll out of the shop and be ready for the raffle. Here's a few pics to show you the progress that we're making. Hope you like what you see.

Fund Raising!!!

Fund raising always plays an important roll in schools and extra curricular activities. The shop classes try to help as best we can. Last year the woods class built a cutting table as a fundraiser to help the 8th graders go on their Katmai camping trip.



























The finished table was raffled off in the community and made enough money to send the students on their trip.

The For Ever Bench!!!

Well sometime things don't always go as planned and that is the story with Stephanie's bench. She started it last year and was not able to finish it before the end of the year. I give her credit for persistence though because she returned this year to finish it. As you can see it turned out very nice.

lets hit the dirt and ride!

The go cart has come a very long way since we first got the idea. The seat has been put on, engine, gas tanks, front tires, stirring wheel, frame, front suspension.
















A rear view of the go cart including the engine, radiator, and gas tanks.





What it looked like when we first started the frame.

the sparkes are flying

At first the welding class had only two boys Emmet and Jaxon, but after first semester Stephannie and Charlene joined. This brought a lot of character to the metal shop. whenever i turned around they were always making me laugh, they worked just as hard as the boys. they completed two signs which are now on the front door of the shops.

projects in the running

In the last year we have had a lot of great creativity and projects. the students are very into their work. they love to put make sure that everything is perfect and looking GOOD! Some are so dedicated to this program that i have them bagging me to stay after, just to let them work on their woodworking.







Both the high school and middle school woods I, both did a keep sack box. the high schools' is small with a hinged on lid. made out of walnut and maple. Then, the 7th grades boxes were just plain pine.to the side Michael miller Jr, Julia N., both of 7th graders are finished with their boxes. they are both stained very nice colors: light oak and walnut. each student had their own color, but they made it theirs even though the other 20 some kids had the same designed box.














the high school on the other hand had much smaller boxes. which had, hinges, a cut off lid, in stead of a panel lid. each students box is 6" by 8". which was small but it all worked out in the end. they all had time to built another project before the school year was over. this was the high schools starting project for tool, and shop safety.
to the left is Stephannie Millers box, which was was stained with mineral oil and didn't have the corner keys, unlike Benny Angasan his had the side corner keys and also used mineral oil. there were over 6 of these made, but only one with the corner keys.

Our first project, a TImber Frame Sauna

The past 2 years really have been a bit of a blur. We have done some really cool projects and gotten the shop running well. We didn't have a lot of money when we first started so we decided that we needed to do a fundraiser for the wood shop to buy new tools. A sauna is what we decided on, but not just any sauna. It was to be of timber frame construction using recycled Douglas Fir timber from the local cannery.











































We started with a stack of timbers, nails and all and when we finished this is what we had.