If a young boy or girl shows any inclination or skills at all in things mechanical, electrical, or in woodworking, such skills should definitely be encouraged.  

But every parent wonders:  How?

Where a Workshop Begins

A Lionel train set for Christmas is a great start.  Both mechanical and electrical skills are introduced in a way that is harmless and safe as well as fun.  Learning how to assemble a simple “layout” oval of track, attaching a transformer, and operating a model train are all constructive fun and also instructive.  When pieces break (often due to mishandling), efforts to make repairs builds confidence – with a little instruction from Mom or Dad (or a knowledgeable friend or neighbor) until the child learns how to make repairs himself.  

The tools to perform this work are the first pieces of that child’s “workshop” – he learns what tools are needed for repairs, how to take care of his tools, and he to learns to keep them in his first (lockable) toolbox – another great Christmas or birthday present – so they are readily available and will not get lost (or borrowed).  

How a Workshop Grows

When a child reaches about ten years old, and gets his first full-size bicycle for a birthday or for Christmas, his skills can be built further when, using the allowance he has earned through chores (e.g., mowing the lawn), he buys accessories such as a generator-powered headlight and taillight, a speedometer driven by the front wheel, a luggage rack, etc.

As a teenager, learning to work on an old car or old motorcycle – again, earned with the money from his first jobs – further increases his mechanical and electrical knowledge and skills.  

In his workshop, he learns that learning itself is an ongoing, never-ending process – an invaluable personal trait that will pay huge dividends for the rest of his life – at home and on the job.

Finally!  A Real Workshop

Once finished with his schooling and out on his own, that workshop continues to grow.  Initially, it may be constructed in a large closet in the garage of his first home.  

Over the years, however, his collection of tools continues to grow, along with his knowledge and skills.  

Ultimately, when looking for that next house, due to a new job location or marriage and a family, a garage large enough to contain a full-size workshop becomes a key, non-negotiable requirement for any house being considered for purchase – something a spouse must understand and support.

And in retirement, time spent in a good workshop is far more meaningful and enjoyable than time spent in an easy chair with nothing to do.

The Main Workbench is Key

The main workbench is the foundation of any workshop.

 4”x4” lumber makes a sturdy framework for a workbench, forming the legs and the horizontal supports for the bench top itself.  

The bench top can be made from a long piece of white countertop, or alternatively from 2”x6” boards.  Being one piece, a countertop has no gaps or dips like a bench top made of boards.  Being white, a countertop also provides plenty of reflected light for detail work.  

A shelf can be added underneath for storage.

Three tools should be permanently mounted on the workbench.  A solid, good-size vise in the middle will find constant use, firmly holding objects being worked.  An electric grinder and wire brush (at right in the photo) at one end of the workbench will be useful.  The third device (on the left in the photo) will also prove to be valuable:  a scroll saw.  That might seem like an unusual suggestion, but once you have one, it will see frequent use.  

The use of a scroll saws is not as intuitive as you might think.  Take a class (e.g., at the local Woodcraft or Rockler stores) on how to use a scroll saw.  Learning the many details of its use will prove invaluable.

The Tool Board

A 4’x8’ plywood board mounted behind the workbench makes a great place to mount tools (using nails) so they can be close-at-hand for any work.  Paint the tool board white to make your tools easier to spot.

Lighting Up Your Workshop

Mount enough four-foot two-bulb LED or fluorescent light fixtures in your workshop to provide shadow-less lighting for your work.  Surround your workspace with lights.  If you plan on working on automobiles, be sure to have a four-foot light in front of the car, and four feet or even eight feet of lighting on both sides of the car.

Especially with modern LED lights, lighting is cheap.  Give yourself plenty of light!

Looking Out for Possibilities

Always look for opportunities to make enhancements to your workshop.  If you decide to renovate your home’s kitchen, for example, save as many of the old pieces as possible.  Old, ugly kitchen cabinets add lots of dust-free storage space to your workshop.

Over the years, a workshop accumulates a good many old parts, spare parts, parts stripped off of old projects, etc.  Keep those old parts organized.  Put smaller items in labelled bins and the larger items on shelves, so you know what you have and where each item is located.  

Keeping old but reusable inventory you already paid for also saves you the cost and time of trips to Ace Hardware, Lowes, or Home Depot.

Just as with old parts, a workshop accumulates a wide variety of fluids – engine oil, penetrating oil, grease gun, car wax, antifreeze, glues, paints, distilled water, cleaners, and much more.  A dedicated set of shelves assures they will be well organized and easy to locate as well.

Paying Less for Tools

Having the right tool for the job is crucial.  But paying full price for new tools is often unnecessary.  Look for estate sales, auctions, etc., to find tools at low prices.

The Greenville Woodworkers Guild, just off West Butler Road in Mauldin, holds semi-annual sales of used tools of all kinds.  Watch the Guild’s website for dates and times – and get there early.  

From a Boy’s Toolbox, a Workshop Grows

Having a good workshop with the right tools and the materials you need makes doing the work go easier and faster, as well as being more enjoyable.

To think it all started with a child’s first toolbox.

●  ●  ●