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Jeff Monson
11-19-2010, 3:44 PM
I'm looking for some advice on an upcoming woodworking project I have with my sons cubscout class. I will be hosting 6 cubscouts, ages are 9 to 10 years old. The project is a birdhouse and will be held at my shop in mid December. I've never had the opportunity for a class like this, just looking for some insight on how much prep work to do ahead of time.

Obviously, with young kids and power tools, I should cut out the parts ahead of time? But at what level do I stop?? It should be safe for them to drill the holes, correct? I want this to be a learning experience for them, not just show up and screw 6 parts together and be done.

Thoughts and comments are what I need, I want it to be fun, safe and something for them to remember.

Garrett Ellis
11-19-2010, 4:04 PM
I would suggest buying ~2x the amount of wood you need. Then, you could pre-cut 1 kit per kid ahead of time, but also let them cut their own pieces when they get there. That way if it they mess up their cuts (beyond repair), or if it gets repetitive/boring, you would have the next step ready to go.

Depending on if you have them do everything together or one at a time in a certain order, you may want another person to monitor the less risky activities (drilling, gluing, etc.) so you can be 100% focused on the potentially dangerous tasks.

Dave Lehnert
11-19-2010, 4:04 PM
When I was in Middle school we built bookends. We were only allowed to use hand tools. We cut all the wood using common size lumber so there was no ripping, only crosscutting. We did the crosscutting using a miter box and saw.
We were broken down into small groups. One group did the sawing, another group drilled the holes etc...

Brian Elfert
11-19-2010, 8:07 PM
I'm pretty sure Cub Scout rules prohibit boys from using power tools.

I was in charge of the woodworking area at a Cub Scout camp almost 10 years ago. The Webelos made penny hockey boards and I don't recall what the younger Cubs made. The bases had been precut at the camp shop by the staff beforehand. The rest of the unit was just simple 1x2 boards. The boys cut the 1x2s to length with hand saws and then nailed everything together.

One step required a chisel and parents did that part. (Every kid had a parent with them.)

Rod Sheridan
11-19-2010, 8:19 PM
Hi Jeff, I frequently host a wood working event for Diann's Pathfinder group.

They are allowed to use power tools, however the Girl Guides aren't. (They're the same age as your Cubs).

For Guides we made a bird house kit with all pieces precut except for the roof/front which were cut out of one board by the Guides using a bench hook and backsaw. (One cut yielded both parts)

They also completed the drilling on 4 of the pilot holes for the nails using an egg beater drill.

Obviously they did the sanding and nailing by hand.

The Pathfinders (high school students) were allowed to use the bandsaw, drill press with a hold down jig, and a drum sander, as well as the scroll saw and coping saw.

Regards, Rod.

P.S. They made a simple Intarsia project.

JohnT Fitzgerald
11-20-2010, 7:04 AM
I'm pretty sure Cub Scout rules prohibit boys from using power tools

Correct. I would precut and prepare all the parts, except for screwing and possibly drilling - not sure if a cordless drill falls under the 'power tools' category, but if there is any doubt then have the Den leader check with the scout master or pack council. Other den leaders are also a good source of info, if they have done this activity in the past.

Erik France
11-20-2010, 10:42 AM
You might cut all the parts beforehand and a few spares, but do one yourself with them there so you can demonstrate how they were done. You'll save a bit of time and be able to keep their attention. You'll also be able throw in a little shop safety. Be sure to have enough smaller safety glasses onhand.

I think they would be able to use a drill press to make the entry hole. Set everyone up with sanding blocks and take one to the drill press. You'll have direct supervision over the one on the tool and the others will be busy sanding.

Giving them a little use with a handplane might be a good experience too. I would bet they would really get a kick out of making some curly shavings.

John Shuk
11-20-2010, 10:45 AM
I did birdhouses with parts cut to size. I made a few assembly jigs that help keep parts square while drilling and screwing. I've found that simple is best. Nailing is something I left out using screws instead but pounding in a few nails is fun for kids.

Craig Coney
11-21-2010, 12:45 AM
Jeff, I'm a Cub Master and my wife is the Weblos II den leader.
First question, what rank is your son?
Second question, is this a craft or part of a requirement for rank?
Judging by age, the boys are likely Weblos II. The Weblos program is designed to help prepare the boys for Boy Scouts by giving them more responsibility.

If this is used as part of the Craftsman reqirement for advancement, the boys should do all of the work themselves. If it is a craft, then you can cut all of the parts for assembly. Both need to be done with adult instruction and supervision with all appropriate safety equipment (ie: safety glasses, etc.)

There is also a publication on the BSA website called Guide to Safe Scouting which outlines what each rank of scout can or cannot do to give you guidance. Your pack leadership may also have a copy for reference and can also be purchased at the Scout Shop. I do not believe Cub Scouts are allowed to use any type of power tool.

You could dimension the wood to the thickness and width, but the boys should cut the parts and drilll the holes.

I purchased a brace and set of bits thru the classifieds section for this reason.

Be prepared to spend time with the boys and allow them to complete the task. Consider setting up stations for the boys to perform different parts of the build and keep them busy. If it takes 2-3 meetings to complete, so be it. If the finished project is not perfect in your eyes, it will likely be perfect in the Scout's eyes and a great sense of accomplishment. The Cub Scout Motto is "Do Your Best".

A quick woodworking project for them to complete in one evening is the Pinewood Derby Car stand from the Weblo Handbook. It requires 1x4 s and 2x2 s. Your PWD may be coming up in a few months. Ours is in January.

We completed our Den's Craftsmen requirement this spring. It took 6 meetings and some homework for them to complete it. The projects we made were cutting boards (Mother's Day gifts) and a wooden tool box. The boys also wanted to make the PWD stands as well.

Good Luck with your meeting and thanks for stepping up.

Jeff Monson
11-21-2010, 12:26 PM
Jeff, I'm a Cub Master and my wife is the Weblos II den leader.
First question, what rank is your son?
Second question, is this a craft or part of a requirement for rank?
Judging by age, the boys are likely Weblos II. The Weblos program is designed to help prepare the boys for Boy Scouts by giving them more responsibility.

If this is used as part of the Craftsman reqirement for advancement, the boys should do all of the work themselves. If it is a craft, then you can cut all of the parts for assembly. Both need to be done with adult instruction and supervision with all appropriate safety equipment (ie: safety glasses, etc.)

There is also a publication on the BSA website called Guide to Safe Scouting which outlines what each rank of scout can or cannot do to give you guidance. Your pack leadership may also have a copy for reference and can also be purchased at the Scout Shop. I do not believe Cub Scouts are allowed to use any type of power tool.

You could dimension the wood to the thickness and width, but the boys should cut the parts and drilll the holes.

I purchased a brace and set of bits thru the classifieds section for this reason.

Be prepared to spend time with the boys and allow them to complete the task. Consider setting up stations for the boys to perform different parts of the build and keep them busy. If it takes 2-3 meetings to complete, so be it. If the finished project is not perfect in your eyes, it will likely be perfect in the Scout's eyes and a great sense of accomplishment. The Cub Scout Motto is "Do Your Best".

A quick woodworking project for them to complete in one evening is the Pinewood Derby Car stand from the Weblo Handbook. It requires 1x4 s and 2x2 s. Your PWD may be coming up in a few months. Ours is in January.

We completed our Den's Craftsmen requirement this spring. It took 6 meetings and some homework for them to complete it. The projects we made were cutting boards (Mother's Day gifts) and a wooden tool box. The boys also wanted to make the PWD stands as well.

Good Luck with your meeting and thanks for stepping up.

thanks Craig, thats some good info. My son is a bear, and I made a mistake, its a toolbox, not a birdhouse. I like the idea of having different stations.

My ideas so far, cut the pieces to final dimension, have them drill the holes, drill the large hole for the dowl handle, cut the dowl handle to length with a handsaw, glue and screw together and sand.

Sound about right?

Brian Elfert
11-21-2010, 2:04 PM
I just looked at the guide to Safe Scouting. Power tools of any kind are not supposed to be used by Cub Scouts. I thought Boy Scouts were not supposed to use power tools either, but they are allowed according to the guide. One of the local Scout camps for work weekends has a 16 and older requirement for power tools with 18 years old for mowers.

The rules technically would prohibit drilling holes with a power drill. I seem to recall when doing woodworking at Cub Scout camp we had a bunch of the old fashioned hand drills with the crank and large gear on the side.

Russell Johnson
11-21-2010, 7:48 PM
Jeff, My I do scouts with my nephew and we had to build a birdhouse as part of a requirement for wolves. Anyway the kit the leader provided was completely precut for all pieces and simply needed to be nailed together. I think its important to see what the requirement calls for. However what ever you do some pre-cutting would be essential for times sake with boys that age. IMHO

Pat Germain
11-22-2010, 8:48 AM
I've served as a leader for middle school and high school boys at my church. I'm thinking it would be a good idea to dedicate one entire meeting to shop safety and instruction before beginning the woodworking project.

I'm not just being paranoid here. In my experience, most young boys these days have never used tools of any kind; not even a pocket knife. And, since most schools no longer have shop classes, they have also never been in a shop environment of any kind. Therefore, boys being boys, they tend to want to horse around and goof off when they see all the cool "toys" in a shop. (I once instructed a session for building soda pop bottle water rockets. I asked the boys to cut out some fins from foam board and one boy cut himself two seconds after picking up the utility knife.)

So, just going over some basic shop rules, covering basic shop safety, and reviewing some hand tool practices will go a very long way to making your tool box project more successful and a lot of fun. I think trying to cram it into a brief overview before you start the project would be less successful.

One more thing: Does anyone think it would be a good idea to take the project up a notch and use glue and biscuits rather than screws? Sure, it would be a gluey mess with Cub Scouts. But wood glue is pretty harmless. And clamps are a pretty safe hand tool.

Lee Schierer
11-22-2010, 9:09 AM
I would precut the parts and even drill pilot holes for the nails. Maybe allow the use of a hand saw to cut pieces to length from a longer board. Full size hand saws are hard for a young person to control, so the miter box idea is a good one. You'll need lots of hammers as it will take them an amazingly long time to pound each nail. I highly recommend ear muffs for the adults if you've never been in a shop with a half dozen kids all pounding nails at the same time...... Let the boys use a brace and bit to drill the entrance hole. Have a selection of different color paints on hand and let them do their own painting an color scheme.

Jim Myers
11-22-2010, 11:54 AM
My son is a bear also and they built the toolbox at summer camp. They had all the parts precut and the boys sanded and screwed it together.

They built the boxes in one day at camp but it may take a couple of meetings to do it.