Easy Carpentry Projects for Children

By Jerome E. Leavitt

"All projects have been pretested for school use and are suitable for youngsters." — Bulletin of National Association of Secondary School Principals.
What better way to learn than by doing? This thoughtfully conceived woodworking primer by educator Jerome E. Leavitt makes learning basic carpentry skills enjoyable and rewarding for boys and girls ages 8 and up. With special sections on basic hand tools, squaring a block of wood, and wood finishing, this unique how-to book presents step-by-step instructions for making 15 popular wooden items — all scaled to the beginner's capabilities: Sailboat, Clock Shelf, Bird Feeder, Candlesticks, Hot Dish Coaster, Towel Holder, Steamboat, Cart, Toy Sled , Birdhouse for a Wren, Book Rack, Shoeshine Kit, Table Lamp, Flower Box, and Tie Rack.
Carefully planned to appeal to young woodworkers, each project includes clear, simple directions, enhanced by clean, accurate diagrams and attractive line drawings. New carpenters will beam with pride and accomplishment at having constructed useful, tangible objects to keep or to give as presents to parents or friends.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Release date: Jun 17, 2013
• ISBN: 9780486319445

Book preview

Finishing

TOOLS FOR A JUNIOR WOODWORKER’S WORKSHOP

Different articles require different tools in their construction. This is a list of tools that you will need for many but not all of the projects in this book.

1. Ruler

2. Scissors

3. Coping saw

4. Coping saw blades

5. Brace

6. Bits

7. Needle

8. Pencil

9. Try square

10. Crosscut saw

11. Claw hammer

12. Paintbrushes

13. Hand drill

14. Twist drills

15. Screw drivers

16. Nail set

17. Smooth plane

18. Rip saw

1. SAILBOAT

Materials Needed

1 piece soft wood 1″ x 4″ x 10″

1 dowel rod ½″ x 8″

1 piece of paper 4″ x 10″

1 piece of cloth 7″ x 7″

1 piece of string 20″ long

1 small carpet tack

Tools Needed

1 ruler

1 pair of scissors

1 coping saw

3 coping saw blades

1 brace

1 auger bit

1½″ bit

1 needle with large eye

1 pencil

You can make a simple sailboat from a piece of soft wood, such as pine, fir, or cypress. Make the mast from a dowel rod (a round stick) of birch or maple.

Before you begin to work, prepare all the necessary tools and materials listed above.

The first step is to make a pattern of the deck. Cut a piece of paper 4 inches wide and 10 inches long. Then draw the deck shape (as shown) on the paper and cut it out. After this, fold the pattern the long way down the middle and trim it to make it even.

Now place the pattern on your piece of 1-inch-thick, soft wood and draw the outline of the deck. Next, cut it out with a coping saw. (A coping saw is made of a frame, handle, and blade. Because the blades are thin they can be used to cut circles and curved lines.) When you cut out the boat deck, fasten the board in the vise on your workbench and have the teeth of the coping saw point away from the frame. To make a turn when sawing, saw back and forth at one spot until you cut a fairly wide groove for the blade to turn in.

When you have the deck outline completely sawed you also have the whole bottom of the boat. To finish it off, you might like to whittle the bottom edge with a pocketknife until it is rounded the way a real boat is.

For the mast, drill a ½-inch round hole in the deck, 4 inches from the point (bow) and on the center line of the boat. Use a brace to hold this drill, which is called an auger bit. Auger bits are only used on wood

Reviews for Easy Carpentry Projects for Children

[acharya2chn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great Book, child-friendly, well illustrated, lovely to read, inspiring. THANK YOU.

[MC Fernando Muñoz · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Probably if your children require something to start with, this is good. However, I believe there are better and more appealing simple projects that can be done and that can build up better skills in other publications. I really would waste my time with this volume.