Charity and metalworking begin at home

Familiarity with hand tools and machines, fondness for metalworking, and the satisfaction of a job well done can, and probably should, begin at home. Getty Images

“About half of my job is convincing students not to be afraid of the tools,” said my 7th-grade shop teacher, Al Garrett. He wouldn’t have said that to most students, but my dad taught at the same school and I had been acquainted with many of the teachers for years, so they shared some teaching insights with me once in a while.

I was more than a little surprised at his comment. By that age I had been using woodworking tools for years, often with my dad and sometimes on my own. I can’t say I am any sort of an expert, and have rarely undertaken any serious projects, but this background came in handy last winter when I revamped the kitchen at home, making new drawers and matching cabinet doors. I do very little plumbing, but I’m comfortable with framing, wiring, tile work, flooring, and so on. It started with using tools at home, and that started when I was a child.

When I was working on the cover story for the most recent issue of The Tube & Pipe Journal, this topic came up. I was interviewing two racing enthusiasts, brothers Bruce and Craig Van Sant, who also are members of the metalworking fraternity. Both are business owners—again, involved in metalworking tools and machines—and both know the difficulty in finding skilled and knowledgeable workers. Former farm kids, they know the value of learning how to get things done from young age. While vocational classes and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses are necessary for preparing young people for careers in industry, Craig pointed out that we can do a lot more for young people. Like charity, the preparation should start at home.

People in this industry certainly know what to do, and many probably did it. I’d be curious to know how many readers have a manual brake, a shear, tube bender, a welder, and a few other tools or machines in the garage or basement workshop. What better way to get children to understand how things are made and understand how to make them (and repair them)?

Of course, it doesn’t have to start with metalworking. It can be anything. As in my case, woodworking can be a great start, as can any other similar hobby. It doesn’t even have to be a hobby. If the home is a fixer-upper, enlisting children to help with home repairs and upgrades would also be a good way to go.

How much money are we talking about? Many entry-level woodworking machines are available for less than $250. A table saw, miter saw, and a drill press would be a very good start. Add a benchtop sander, some hand tools, a few clamps, and some supplies—and a small supply of wood, of course—and the total would be around $1,000. For a few manually powered metalworking tools, a vise, hand tools, and a welder, the total would be closer to $3,000.

People who aren’t really oriented to any of this might balk at the cost and not understand the value; this is where the rest of us come into the picture, spreading the word and maybe even providing a demo for a skeptical neighbor or a hesitant brother-in-law.

This sort of thing has a few more upsides. The next time you need help with a home-improvement project, you’ll have a small team of helpers. It also means saving more than a little money on every project.

Downsides? None that I can see.