The Unofficial Home Page of the House
and Mill Carpentry Shop at Old Colony Regional Vocational School
This page is designed and maintained by Bob Avellar
freshmen and sophomore instructor and is entirely responsible for its content.
This web page is under construction and will
(hopefully) evolve into a useful resource for my freshmen and sophomore
students as well as interested parents.Please check back periodically as
I will attempt to expand the information here as time permits.
January 2000
The new freshmen class has just completed their first shop cycle. Attendance
was 100% during the cycle and this group of new students is showing lots
of enthusiasm. Freshmen have been working on a series of wood joints using
basic hand tools. Wood joinery techniques such as laps, mortise and tenon,
and dovetail joints are being constructed. Students are learning to use
hand tools such as chisels, back saws, bit braces, try squares, marking
gauges and measuring tools. This is the time when students begin to develop
their hand skills. It is also a time when they must realize that accuracy
and correctness are requirements for success in the working world. Work
must be done well and be done right in order to survive on the job. At
this stage in their education students have typically become accustomed
to grading systems that reward them with A's B's and C's for their work.
However, they will find out that in a few short years they will be asked
to perform their work at levels approaching 100% in order to compete and
survive in the work environment.
The Freshmen class has completed
safety testing on both the jointer and thickness planer. Students must
complete this type of testing with a minimum of 80% in order to use the
equipment. If a student fails the test and a makeup is required he/she
must then score a minimum of 85% the second time, 90% the third time, etc.
The higher demands placed on subsequent tests seems to be a good incentive
for students to study hard the first time.
The first weeks in the shop
environment can get to be frustrating for some students as they struggle
to develop some basic skills but in most cases improvement will come with
practice.Good things take time and much can be learned from mistakes that
are made.Students should try to focus on the improvements that they make
and make a commitment to doing better with each project that they are assigned.
Several students made and
installed some small tool check holders for use in the Electronics department,
polyurethaned a book shelf for the Welding Related classroom, and helped
reinstall a plexiglass cover on a bulletin board in Health Careers.
Freshmen will be finishing
up their wood joints and progressing to a small step stool next cycle.Students
will have an increased opportunity to use the jointer and thickness planer
as these tools can be used on this project. When finished , the students
will bring the step stools home. In the past, some students have opted
to install contrasting wood inlay into the top of the step stool for an
"extra touch of class"
.Sophomore
Class News
January
2000 Sophomores have been busy since
the beginning of the new school year. Several small jobs have been completed
for some of the other shops along with supplying the Electrical shop wooden
parts for their exploratory projects and Sixth grade program. Sophomores
have also supplied our own shop with parts for the Exploratory CD cases,
Sixth grade CD racks, and Career Awareness Days baskets. Several students
worked in the gymnasium assembling baskets for visitors during their tour
of Old Colony. Several hundred baskets were assembled and some students
were able to count baskets instead of sheep when trying to go to sleep
at night.A bulletin board frame with a plexiglass cover was assembled and
installed outside of Health Careers. A small bookcase was constructed for
the Welding Related classroom and some alterations were made in the Carpentry
Related classroom.
Sophomores have completed
safety testing on the radial arm saw and table saw. Students who have not
successfully completed these tests should schedule a time after school
to retake them. Most students have completed their drawing boards,tool
tote trays and have been working on oil stone boxes and work stools. Students
are require to draw plans for the above items before constructing them.
A bill of materials is also required for completion of these projects.
Many of these projects have turned out quite well. Some of the students
have shown extra initiative and incorporated personal modifications (with
instructor permission) into their work. This is a good sign as it shows
that they are taking more pride in their work and they want to add their
own signature to their creations.
Next cycle will see some students
working on nail totes as well as the first in a series of shop tests on
house framing. A floor framing test is planned for the next cycle. Students
should come to shop with all tools and Related notes/ drawings in order
to be prepared for the test.Good luck to everyone!
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