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Scrap wood project ideas? Options
Dansilvernail
Posted: Tuesday, November 27, 2012 11:26:48 PM
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Joined: 8/8/2012
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Location: West Linn, OR
I teach woodshop to grades 4-8, just finishing up my first trimester. One of the biggest challenges is the financial end (familiar story?) My students only pay a $5.00 shop fee and in many cases, that is all that they're willing or able to pay. So, I want to come up with some projects that they can make on the cheap.

I'm wracking my brain trying to think up some projects that use only scrap wood. I may be able to get some 2x off cuts from a truss company for example. Another idea is the fifty cent cull bin at Home Depot.

One thing that I've been thinking about is making a table or bench out of 1x2 slats milled out of 2x4 or 2x6's. Have any of you made or had students make such an animal?

Any ideas for cheap scrap wood projects would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Dan

schadlk
Posted: Wednesday, November 28, 2012 1:09:40 PM
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Joined: 8/31/2009
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Location: Olivet, MI
My 6th graders make tic-tac-toe boards from 2x's. If I don't have scrap, I have bought a 2x10 and cut blanks to make them for all my classes at once... Here's a link to my website with the instructions, pictures, etc...

http://schadler.weebly.com/6th-grade.html
mikeb
Posted: Wednesday, November 28, 2012 7:11:20 PM
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Location: North Kingstown/RI
Are you into brain teasing puzzles? I have a few that require minimum wood and require accurate measurement skills. Let me know if your interested.

Mike B.
JonM
Posted: Wednesday, November 28, 2012 8:12:02 PM
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Joined: 12/14/2009
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Location: Norridge, IL
Dice and whistles interest my 6th graders and take minimal materials.

Jon
Dansilvernail
Posted: Friday, November 30, 2012 12:19:28 AM
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Joined: 8/8/2012
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Location: West Linn, OR
Thanks for the ideas! Mike, yea I'd be interested in the puzzles. And Schadler, I really like the folding bench idea, and the idea about selling them. Did you design them yourself?

The dice would be good too. When I student taught, it was in a machine shop class and the students milled a 1" cube down to .900, then laid out and drilled the holes. Do you guys use 2x2's?
MrsN
Posted: Friday, November 30, 2012 9:58:02 AM
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Joined: 4/2/2008
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Location: Wisconsin
I want to do a "make your own angry birds" project. basically a sling-shot and targets. I think it would be a fun project, although I worry about doing something that encorages kids to shoot objects across the table.
schadlk
Posted: Friday, November 30, 2012 2:01:37 PM
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Location: Olivet, MI
The folding benches are actually camp tables, however, they do hold up to 8th graders sitting on them. :0) I saw one similar somewhere for sale and we made our own version. I set the shop up as a "facotory" as part of a manufacturing unit, make them for one day, and then sell them as a fundraiser. I get all the material from Menards ($50 for a pallet of short/scrap boards.) Some of the material is junk, but sometimes they have some really good select boards mixed in. Can't beat the price...
salthunter
Posted: Friday, December 14, 2012 1:40:33 PM
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Location: Pocatello Idaho
I use to do a small mystory box. Dont use the name stash box.
Ive used pallet material and all sorts of scraps ,.. lots of different tools can be used
dbair
Posted: Monday, December 17, 2012 3:30:13 PM
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Location: Atlantic
There are many options on http://www.youtube.com/user/stevinmarin

The YouTube Steve Ramsey channel has many options for small and unique projects. There is even a tab regarding scrap wood projects.
John F. Mason
Posted: Friday, December 21, 2012 9:13:14 PM
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Joined: 9/16/2007
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Location: N. Hollywood, CA
I use kiln dried 2 by 4's for a lot of projects. They cost 2 dollars and something. I rip them down and make 2 x 2 's and make stools.The cost of the stool is 5 bucks.The seat is out of pine and the side takes exactly one 8 foot 2 by 4. I found a book that is titled 2 by 4 furniture and there are some good plans in there.

Another project I do with 2 bys is a tile table. Rip the 2 by 4 and make 2 by 2 for the legs about 20 inches tall and use 1 by to use for support and liquid nail the tile 16 by 16 on top of the frame. Total cost 5 bucks.

Lets see, another is to use thin pieces and glue them up to make clip boards.
facarroll
Posted: Sunday, December 23, 2012 11:01:23 PM
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Location: Ballarat, Australia
I don't know if the following would suit you.
I do a toy biplane project with 14 year olds which could be done with three x half inch, 3/8 dowel and three x one and a half. All lengths are less than a foot and equipment required is bandsaw/scrollsaw, disc sander, drill press and some forstner bits. A patent wheel cutter (about 1 inch+) is useful. The kids like it and the project can run for about a term.
If anyone likes, I can email a couple of Sketchup drawings.

Frank Carroll
Jindabyne Central School (Retired)
Australia
http://www.SafetyTestingOnline.com
John F. Mason
Posted: Tuesday, January 1, 2013 11:42:45 PM
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Joined: 9/16/2007
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Location: N. Hollywood, CA
I would like a sketch up of the tri plane from the gentleman named Frank from Australia. I also really liked the safety you gave out on machines, very good Frank.
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